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Mr. & Miss Show-Me Basketball were announced this weekend at the MBCA academic team banquet. Scott Suggs of Washington was named Mr. Show-Me Basketball. While Yvonne Anderson of Columbia Hickman received Miss Show-Me Basketball.
Suggs, a 6′7″ shooting guard, averaged 22.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.79 blocks per game this year. He broke Washington’s career scoring mark which had stood since 1953 & led the Blue Jays to their first district title in 23 years. I personally couldn’t agree more with his being chosen although Kramer Soderberg would have been an equally fine choice.
I do take exception to Anderson being picked as Miss Show-Me Basketball. All major awards such as this have political aspects and her selection is clearly influenced that way. She is a fine player with tremendous physical skills and is worthy of the award. But that could also be said for Kayla Rice of Westran & Kathleen Scheer of New Haven. And her statistical achievements were easily bypassed by others. Anyone who watched Hickman play saw that their offense was her first & foremost which led to her stats. Her leg up in the voting came from playing in Columbia and the publicity she received as a result of being the Daughter of Mizzou head coach Mike Anderson.
The choice here should have been Casey Garrison. Statistically she was better in every category playing against better competition than Anderson faced, she was a team leader that sought to involve her teammates as much as possible, and she led Bolivar to a state championship. Her shortcomings were playing in Bolivar and not being the daughter of the Mizzou basketball coach. Again, Anderson is an excellent player and most years would be a great pick. But Casey is an all-around talent and leader that we are not likely to see again soon and should have been recognized for it.
