CHICAGO – Multiple area girls received votes in the Illinois' Ms. Basketball in a poll conducted of state basketball coaches and media members.
The award, co-sponsored by the Chicago Tribune and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association recognizes the best boys and girls basketball players throughout Illinois. Edwardsville Mark Smith was named on 61 ballots with 41 first-place votes this week to capture the Mr. Basketball honor.
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Rock Island's Brea Beal was named Ms. Basketball in the girls' side voting with 165 points (25-11-7 on 43 of 124 ballots cast); Hardin-Calhoun's Grace Baalman finished fourth in the balloting on 69 points (8-7-8 on 23 ballots), with Civic Memorial's Allie Troeckler finishing seventh on 53 points (7-4-6 on 17 ballots) and Edwardsville's Makenzie Silvey taking eighth on 51 points (4-6-13 on 23 ballots). Granite City's Addaya Moore also received three points on three third-place votes.
The honors to Smith and Beal are the first time since the 1998-99 season both Mr. and Ms. Basketball honors have been won by players from outside Chicagoland; Lincoln's Brian Cook and Nokomis' Molly McDowell were honored that year.
Smith and Beal will be honored at the IBCA’s annual banquet May 6 at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena.
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