Greenfield’s McNair named CPIC Co-Player of the Year
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
There were times when spectators could look out on the floor this season and see a Greenfield School varsity girls basketball team that played with a maturity level that belied its age.
Freshman point guard Serenity McNair was at the forefront of that accelerated development.
And despite the Lady Knights ending 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference play with a 1-4 record, her playmaking abilities with the ball in her hands were enough to garner CPIC Co-Player of the Year honors as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Greenfield finished with a 7-6 overall record, picking up the No. 3 seed in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs and reaching the quarterfinal round of the postseason following a first-round bye.
McNair, also an NCISAA All-State selection for her efforts, made the CPIC all-conference team alongside freshman Victoria Coleman and sophomore Jeallen Holland. She shared the league’s Player of the Year honor with Wayne Country Day sophomore Ja’kea Brunson.
“If a team, if they would look at our roster as far as grades, they would never have believed that by the end of the game, that we were as young as we are,” Greenfield head coach Bruce Wall said. “But we played much more mature than our age for sure, and Serenity is a big part of that. “She drives everybody with her leadership on the court and her ability to read defenses and put pressure on the ball. It gives us an opportunity to get in good situations on fast breaks and gives other girls an opportunity to get in situations to take good shots.”
McNair paced Greenfield with 21.4 points per game and led the Lady Knights in steals at 4.2 per game. Her unselfishness with the ball was evident by a team-leading 3.8 assists per game. Despite standing just 5-foot-4, McNair did not hesitate to join the rebounding battles, adding 4.8 rebounds per contest. Opposing defenses had little choice but to collapse and help out once she carved a path past her initial defender off the dribble.
Conversely, Wayne Country Day’s Brunson posted averages of 22.7 points per game to go along with three rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals.
“When they called me, I expected it,” Wall said of McNair’s Co-Player of the year nod. “She was the best player on the court, just about every night.”
Holland, who was often the beneficiary of open looks from the perimeter as a result of McNair’s attention-grabbing drives, averaged double figures in scoring at 10.3 points per game. Her 6.6 rebounds per outing ranked second on the roster. Coleman, who battled a shoulder injury at times to remain on the court, gave Greenfield a formidable threat down low to pair with McNair and Holland up top. Coleman posted averages of 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
ALL-STATE BOYS
For the Greenfield boys, the program’s fifth straight appearance the NCISAA 1-A semifinals was christened with the selection of two players to the 1-A all-state team in junior Aaron Murphy and freshman Hampton Evans.
Murphy, a 6-4 wing who is perfectly comfortable brawling with opponents inside, was a double-double machine for Greenfield. He nearly averaged such for the Knights in a 14-6 campaign, averaging 20.1 points and nine rebounds per contest. Displaying his versatility and comfort away from the basket, Murphy also connected on 3-point shots at a 41% clip.
Evans, a freshman with burgeoning potential in his final three seasons, posted averages of 17 points and six rebounds per game.
At Community Christian School, junior Khouri Carvey picked up All-State recognition in his first season as a Cyclone. The recipient of a significant growth spurt since his transfer from Fike High, Carvey, now at 6-9, tormented 1-A Mid-Carolina Conference defenders to the tune of 23.5 points and 17.2 rebounds per game. CCS finished 8-5 and reached the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinal round for just the second time in school history.
CPIC BOYS ALL-CONFERENCE
Greenfield expanded its outreach on the CPIC boys all-conference team with the inclusion of senior Justin Holland and sophomore TyChaun Clay.
Clay, a hard-nosed defender and hustle play manufacturer from Hunt High, averaged a balanced stat line of nine points, five steals, five assists and five rebounds per game.
Holland contributed seven points and four rebounds and displayed 38% accuracy from 3-point range.
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
There were times when spectators could look out on the floor this season and see a Greenfield School varsity girls basketball team that played with a maturity level that belied its age.
Freshman point guard Serenity McNair was at the forefront of that accelerated development.
And despite the Lady Knights ending 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference play with a 1-4 record, her playmaking abilities with the ball in her hands were enough to garner CPIC Co-Player of the Year honors as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Greenfield finished with a 7-6 overall record, picking up the No. 3 seed in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs and reaching the quarterfinal round of the postseason following a first-round bye.
McNair, also an NCISAA All-State selection for her efforts, made the CPIC all-conference team alongside freshman Victoria Coleman and sophomore Jeallen Holland. She shared the league’s Player of the Year honor with Wayne Country Day sophomore Ja’kea Brunson.
“If a team, if they would look at our roster as far as grades, they would never have believed that by the end of the game, that we were as young as we are,” Greenfield head coach Bruce Wall said. “But we played much more mature than our age for sure, and Serenity is a big part of that. “She drives everybody with her leadership on the court and her ability to read defenses and put pressure on the ball. It gives us an opportunity to get in good situations on fast breaks and gives other girls an opportunity to get in situations to take good shots.”
McNair paced Greenfield with 21.4 points per game and led the Lady Knights in steals at 4.2 per game. Her unselfishness with the ball was evident by a team-leading 3.8 assists per game. Despite standing just 5-foot-4, McNair did not hesitate to join the rebounding battles, adding 4.8 rebounds per contest. Opposing defenses had little choice but to collapse and help out once she carved a path past her initial defender off the dribble.
Conversely, Wayne Country Day’s Brunson posted averages of 22.7 points per game to go along with three rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals.
“When they called me, I expected it,” Wall said of McNair’s Co-Player of the year nod. “She was the best player on the court, just about every night.”
Holland, who was often the beneficiary of open looks from the perimeter as a result of McNair’s attention-grabbing drives, averaged double figures in scoring at 10.3 points per game. Her 6.6 rebounds per outing ranked second on the roster. Coleman, who battled a shoulder injury at times to remain on the court, gave Greenfield a formidable threat down low to pair with McNair and Holland up top. Coleman posted averages of 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
ALL-STATE BOYS
For the Greenfield boys, the program’s fifth straight appearance the NCISAA 1-A semifinals was christened with the selection of two players to the 1-A all-state team in junior Aaron Murphy and freshman Hampton Evans.
Murphy, a 6-4 wing who is perfectly comfortable brawling with opponents inside, was a double-double machine for Greenfield. He nearly averaged such for the Knights in a 14-6 campaign, averaging 20.1 points and nine rebounds per contest. Displaying his versatility and comfort away from the basket, Murphy also connected on 3-point shots at a 41% clip.
Evans, a freshman with burgeoning potential in his final three seasons, posted averages of 17 points and six rebounds per game.
At Community Christian School, junior Khouri Carvey picked up All-State recognition in his first season as a Cyclone. The recipient of a significant growth spurt since his transfer from Fike High, Carvey, now at 6-9, tormented 1-A Mid-Carolina Conference defenders to the tune of 23.5 points and 17.2 rebounds per game. CCS finished 8-5 and reached the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinal round for just the second time in school history.
CPIC BOYS ALL-CONFERENCE
Greenfield expanded its outreach on the CPIC boys all-conference team with the inclusion of senior Justin Holland and sophomore TyChaun Clay.
Clay, a hard-nosed defender and hustle play manufacturer from Hunt High, averaged a balanced stat line of nine points, five steals, five assists and five rebounds per game.
Holland contributed seven points and four rebounds and displayed 38% accuracy from 3-point range.
