Samiya Steele Named Alabama's 2022 Miss Basketball by ASWA

Steele was the first player from Hazel Green High School to receive award as the state's top basketball player.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Mar 31, 2022 2:50 PM EDT

MONTGOMERY — Hazel Green’s Samiya Steele and McGill-Toolen’s Barry Dunning Jr. won the state of Alabama’s top high school basketball awards Thursday.

Dunning was named Mr. Basketball and Steele was named Miss Basketball by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

They were honored at a banquet presented by ALFA Insurance and the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association.

Steele averaged 17.3 points for the Trojans, who finished 35-0 and won a fifth straight Class 6A championship. The 5-foot-8 guard, a two-time All-State player, is an Alabama State signee.

Dunning posted averages of 25.3 points and 12.9 rebounds, helping the Yellow Jackets to a 30-5 season and a Class 6A semifinal berth. The 6-foot-6 forward is a three-time All-State player who has signed with Arkansas.

MISS BASKETBALL

Samiya Steele, Hazel Green

SUPER ALL-STATE

(Top 5 players regardless of classification)

Samiya Steele, Hazel Green

Reniya Kelly, Hoover

Molly Heard, Pisgah

Emma Kate Tittle, Deshler

Aniya Hubbard, Hoover

CLASS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

7A: Reniya Kelly, Hoover

6A: Samiya Steele, Hazel Green

5A: Olivia Vandergriff, Guntersville

4A: Emma Kate Tittle, Deshler

3A: Ella Jane Connell, Prattville Christian

2A: Molly Heard, Pisgah

1A: Timya Thurman, Linden

AISA: Jasmyn Burts, Glenwood

NOTABLE

* With Reniya Kelly and Aniya Hubbard, Hoover is the 12th school to have two Super All-State players in the same season. The last was 2018 Hazel Green (one boy and one girl). The last girls team to have two was 2008 Midfield.

* Kelly, Hubbard and McGill-Toolen’s Barry Dunning Jr. are two-time Super All-State players. Hubbard made it in 2020.

* Pisgah’s Molly Heard, this year’s 2A player of the year, won in 3A as a sophomore.

* Prattville Christian’s Ella Jane Connell is a two-time 3A player of the year.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

(First released March 20)

GIRLS

7A: John David Smelser, Vestavia Hills

6A: Melissa Bennett, Oxford

5A: Kenny Hill, Guntersville

4A: Katie Barton, St. James

3A: Natasha Smallwood, Susan Moore

2A: Mike Collins, Sulligent