POY Candidates – 4A Southwestern Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With plenty of competitive basketball all season long, the 4A Southwestern conference had a few great players that could be named player of the year. Independence and Butler look to be noise makers in the state tournament in the early rounds, and had some top tier players. However, only one guy can be player of the year, and the four candidates are listed below. Make sure to vote in the Twitter poll linked right below this to choose a winner!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/v_taylor3/status/1759599901682311585?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/v_taylor3/status/1759599901682311585?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1591916' first='Tyler' last='Showalter'] - Butler</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Showalter has been dominant after being primed for a breakout year before the season, and he delivered. 22.7 PPG and 9 RPG meant that he was a force all season long for the Bulldogs, making big shots and knowing how to clean up possessions on the glass. He's one of the most clutch players in the entire area, much less the conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1286838' first='Chris' last='Eagan'] - Charlotte Catholic</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eagan is continuing to be a forward prospect to monitor for D1 programs due to his length and touch around the rim, and plays a large role in manning the paint for Charlotte Catholic. He's averaging 14.4 PPG and 8.3 RPG, as well as just over a block a game as he continues to dominate most teams in the post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2132905' first='Ahmari' last='Hicks'] - East Mecklenburg</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hicks is a scorer through and through, which shows with his 16 point per game average all season long. He's knocked down 64 threes on a 41% clip, showcasing that he can get to his spots from deep and sometimes inside the arc.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2280601' first='Tosh' last='Alberga'] - Independence</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alberga doesn't have the counting stats the other teams do, but his reputation as the best player on the conference champs helps him. He averaged 9.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game this season, showcasing his impressive rim protection abilities as well as a willingness to score effectively around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1076351' first='Bryson' last='Heath'] - East Mecklenburg</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heath formed a dynamic duo with [player_tooltip player_id='2132905' first='Ahmari' last='Hicks'] in the EM backcout, as Heath also averaged 16 PPG, 4 APG and 2 SPG over the course of the year for the Eagles. He's a tempo pushing, table setting point guard that isn't afraid to go get a bucket at the rim. He's an unsigned senior for regional programs to explore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->