AL.com Boys Basketball Power 10: J.O. Johnson stakes claim as state's best
Posted March 11, 2016
AL.com Boys Basketball Power 10: J.O. Johnson stakes claim as state's best
on March 10, 2016 11:15 AM, updated March 10, 2016 12:09 PM
2016 AHSAA BASKETBALL CHAMPS
Who was Alabama’s best boys basketball team during the 2015-16 season?
Go with J.O. Johnson, the high-flying Class 5A champion led by Mr. Basketball front-runnerJohn Petty.
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The Jaguars ended the season in style,smashing Sumter Central 87-43 in the state semifinals and then running away with a 71-50 victory over Faith Academy in the championship game. The Jags fell in the Steel City Invitational championship game in December, won The Huntsville Times Classic a week later and then roared through the postseason to give coach Jack Doss his ninth career state title.
“We are a showtime team and like to dunk,” Doss said after the final.
The Jags perfectly blended style and substance, with Petty and Samford signee Justin Hopkins filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis.
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Earlier this week, AL.com asked fans to pick the state's best team, and fans chose Homewood over J.O. Johnson. Homewood got 41.3 percent of the more than 8,000 votes, while J.O. Johnson was second with 26.9 percent of the vote.
Here’s a complete look at the season-ending Power 10, AL.com’s ranking of the top 10 teams regardless of classification:
Power 10 (March 10, 2016):
1. J.O. Johnson (29-5)
Jags flexed muscle with two huge wins in State Finals.
2. McGill-Toolen (29-6)
The Jackets won 13 of their last 14 games and took home the Class 7A title.
3. Homewood (31-5)
The Class 6A champs won the Steel City Invitational, too.
4. Central-Phenix City (32-2)
The Red Devils won 31 straight before falling four points short in the 7A final.
5. Sacred Heart (29-8)
The back-to-back 1A champs dominated throughout the season.
6. Spain Park (23-10)
The Jags found late-season consistency before falling in the state semifinals.
7. Gadsden City (23-8)
Titans fell in the Northeast Regional 7A final to Spain Park.
8. Lanett (28-6)
Coach Richard Carter got first state title in 45-year coaching career.
9. Madison Academy (22-12)
The Mustangs dominated 3A, even when Joshua Langford missed a bunch of games.
10. Carver-Montgomery (27-4)
The Wolverines lost to Muscle Shoals on a dramatic buzzer-beater in the 6A semifinals.
The next 10 (in no particular order): Ramsay, Faith Academy, Muscle Shoals,Keith, Lee-Montgomery, Mountain Brook, Lee-Huntsville, Westminster Christian, Huffman, Park Crossing