By Robert Wilson
Madison-Ridgeland Academy junior forward Ashton Magee was named the Most Valuable Player in the Sunkist Shootout at St. Thomas More High Saturday night at Lafayette, La.
This isn’t just an ordinary Christmas tournament.
The event annually brings some of the best teams and most talented players from around the South and this year was no exception. Some of the best teams from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi – eight teams – with a handful of Division I prospects.
The 6-foot-6 Magee averaged 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds and led MRA to the tournament championship.
For his outstanding performance last week, Magee was named the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
Magee had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 1 blocked shot and 1 steal in a 55-44 victory over host team St. Thomas More Saturday in the championship game. St. Thomas More came in ranked No. 6 in Louisiana by MaxPreps.
He had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist in a 54-50 victory over previously undefeated Lafayette Christian Academy Friday in the semifinals. Lafayette Christian came in ranked No. 7 in Louisiana by MaxPreps.
Magee had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a 66-55 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas, La., Thursday in the quarterfinals.
He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots in a 68-47 victory over St. John XXIII, Texas, Wednesday in the first round.
Players who have signed or committed to Division I schools like Southern Miss, LSU, Auburn, Oral Roberts, Tulane, Houston, and many others with Division I offers competed against Magee and MRA.
Magee is averaging 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots, 1.0 assists in 14 games for 22-0 MRA, the only undefeated team in Mississippi.
“Ashton’s jump shot is getting better each game and he shot the ball well last week, guarded hard, attacked the rim and had some dynamic dunks and took over in the fourth quarter of the championship game and helped us stretch our lead,” said MRA coach Richard Duease, the winningest basketball coach in Mississippi history and the second winningest active boys basketball coach in country. “He was hurt the first semester of last year, played only the second semester, then was injured this past summer and has been out for five or six games with the flu and pneumonia. The last four or five games he is averaging about 17 points and 10 rebounds and really playing well. He’s so athletic. Mississippi State is interested in him and has been down to watch him. The more he plays, the more attention he is going to get.”
MRA – which matches its best start in school history (equaling the 1988-89 season) – has a tough upcoming stretch of playing four games in eight days. MRA plays at Presbyterian Christian School, 19-3, in its first MAIS Class 6A conference game Tuesday in Hattiesburg. MRA then plays host to Madison St. Joseph, 21-1, next Friday in its second conference game, plays MHSAA Class 4A powerhouse Raymond, 17-3, in the Rumble in the South Monday, Jan. 15, at Mississippi College in Clinton then plays at Jackson Academy, 18-1, Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Northeast Jackson.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a boys basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
Previous Players of the Week
Week One: Mike Williams, Jackson Academy
Week Two: Dylan Rowe, Madison Central
Week Three: Eric Paymon, Raymond
