By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — The toughest thing to figure out as far as the 2011-12 All-Rowan County boys team was North.
1A or not, North was the class of the county. The Cavaliers produced the most wins (25) and the most championships (3). They had the most prolific offense (69.5 ppg) and stingiest defense (44.9 ppg).
But who stood out in green and gold? North was a committee, the county’s most balanced team. Eleven different North players scored in double figures at least once, and that has to be a world record.
It’s not hard at all to picture Pierre Givens or Oshon West scoring 20 points per night for a normal team, but North was not a normal team.
The other problem presented by North was the Cavs won 13 times by 30 or more and five times by 50-plus. Starters played maybe a half on those nights, and stats were sacrificed in order not to humiliate overmatched opponents.
Having said all that, the Cavs still placed four on a 12-man, all-star roster. No one else had more than two.
n
The number in parentheses indicates how many years the player has been all-county.
Keshun Sherrill, Sr., West (4)
One of the great guards in county history. He not only averaged 21 ppg as a senior, he averaged 17 over a four-year, 112-game varsity career.
Pierre Givens, Sr., North (2)
A tall, strong guard, he was a talented passer, ballhandler, scorer and defender. He led North in scoring (11.6), but his biggest game (23 points) came against 4A regional finalist Davie, which tells you something. He finished his career 20th on North’s all-time scoring list with 739 points.
Tre Williams, So., Carson (1)
Skilled, smart and deceptive, Williams was a distributor, ballhandler and scorer. He was the engine that kept Carson competitive and he was second in the county to Sherrill in scoring at 13.4 ppg.
Jarvis Morgan, Sr., West (2)
A fantastic athlete (he’ll be a football receiver in college) who was underrated as a basketball player. He scored 19 twice this season and finished his career with a very respectable 529 points.
Oshon West, Jr., North (2)
West rarely looked to score when North played bad teams, but he picked it up against quality opposition. He averaged 16.0 in three games against South Davidson’s North’s toughest competition in the YVC and he hit the shot that lifted North over Davie in the Christmas tournament.
Colton Laws, So., Carson (1)
He’s an offensive monster already, scoring on everything from 3s to stickbacks. He averaged 13.1 ppg and had games of 24, 25 and 26.
He’s still a work in progress defensively, but at 6-foot-5, he can be a force on both ends.
Jordan Shepherd, Sr. East (1)
Shepherd’s game-winning shot against West Rowan was the defining moment in the Mustangs’ rise from rags to respectability.
East played low-possession games, so Shepherd’s team-leading 11.2 ppg was more impressive than it sounds,
Michael Connor, So., North (1)
A defensive whiz and a dangerous transition scorer, Connor is only going to get better.
He could be a county player of the year down the road.
Malik Ford, Jr., North (2)
Everyone expects total domination from the affable, 6-foot-7 guy, and he may never satisfy all his critics.
No, he wasn’t great all the time, but there were plenty of nights when he turned potential into production and changed games with dunks, blocks and forceful rebounds.Josh Medlin, Jr., South (1)
Occasionally, Medlin wasn’t a factor, but there were many nights when it was very hard to keep him from getting to the rim. He averaged 12.8 ppg to lead the Raiders and had five games of 20-plus points.
Tion McCain, Sr., Salisbury (1)
McCain did more than any other Hornet to salvage a season that looked like a sure train-wreck in early January.
McCain scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 games, and the Hornets put the pieces together in time to win the CCC tournament.
Hakeem Gittens, Sr., East (1)
Gittens averaged 9.0 points a game and about 8.0 of that came off the offensive glass. He can really sky, but mostly he was just the hardest worker on the floor. Every night.