by Keith McCoy
In Montgomery, the Alabama boys and girls all-stars knocked off their Mississippi rivals in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star games at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on the campus of Alabama State University on Friday, March 20.
The boys team, coached by Hoover High’s Charles Burkett – coming off leading the Bucs’ to their first state championship – got some help from his own Dylan Smith. The Texas-Pan American signee scored 12 points in Alabama’s 101-88 win. He added four assists.
Smith was a late replacement for Clay-Chalkville’s Hasan Abdullah, who had to miss the game due to a leg injury.
Burkett directed the Bucs (27-9) to the Class 7A state championship, winning 50-43 in the finals to beat two-time state champion Mountain Brook.
It was the fourth straight win in this series for Alabama, which holds a 14-11 edge overall.
In the girls’ 93-87 win over Mississippi, the Lady Bucs’ Jada Smith scored 15 points in the cause. She has signed to play college ball at Union University.
Alabama now leads the girls series 13-12.
