For a school like
Spring Garden (Ala.), a player of the caliber of
Ace Austin comes around once in a lifetime.
Named the MaxPreps Player of the Year in Alabama after leading the Panthers to a Class 1A state championship, Austin has reached some remarkable milestones. She led Spring Garden – with a 9-12 enrollment of 168 – to a record of 203-10 in six seasons including four state championships (2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025). She has also been named to the All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association six times (second team as a seventh grader), making her the first player to achieve the feat.
A 5-foot-6 guard, Austin concluded her career with 3,940 points (seventh in state history), 1,382 rebounds (27th), 1,429 assists (second) and 863 steals (second).
As a result, Austin has been selected as the Small Town National Player of the Year for 2024-25.
Austin heads a group of six All-America teams with five players on each. To be eligible, players had to compete at schools with an enrollment under 1,000 students in towns with a population under 10,000.
Kyle Jinks of
Fairview (Grant, La.) is the Small Town National Coach of the Year. The 2024-25 season proved to be a milestone year for Jinks, who has had a career full of milestones. With a win over Midland in December, Jinks won his 1,000th game. He has a career record of 1,019-143 and owns one of the highest winning percentages (.877) in high school basketball history.
Jinks has won 14 state championships in his 28-year career at Fairview with 23 district titles. The Panthers won the Class B state championship in Louisiana this year, marking the fifth state crown in the past six seasons.
Players on the Small Town All-America team were selected based on team success, individual honors and statistics.
In six seasons of varsity basketball, Ace Austin led Spring Garden to four state championships and 203 wins. (PHOTO: Brad Campbell)
First Team
SMALL TOWN NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
5-6 | Guard | Senior
The MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year became the first six-time all-stater in Alabama after leading Spring Garden to a 36-1 record and a Class 1A state championship. She averaged 26.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 4.2 steals per game.
Tori Oehrlein, Crosby-Ironton (Crosby, Minn.)
5-11 | Guard | Junior
All-state guard averaged 29.9 points for the Rangers (30-1), marking the fourth time she has averaged over 29 points per game in a season. She averaged 35.1 points last year, 31.1 as a sophomore and 29.5 as a freshman. With her senior year yet to play, Oehrlein has 4,427 career points.
Iyanna Wade, Clairton (Pa.)
5-4 | Guard | Senior
Wade
finished second in the nation in scoring at 38.8 points per game. A
four-time all-state pick, she finished her career with 3,119 points,
ranking second in WPIAL history.
Tamia Watkins, Andrew Jackson (Kershaw, S.C.)
6-2 | Center | Senior
A member of the South Carolina Coaches Association All-State team, Watkins averaged 30.1, 14.3 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 3.3 assists per game while leading the Volunteers to a 29-2 record. She scored 2,758 points in her career and grabbed 1,496 rebounds.
Gabrielle White, Seaforth (Pittsboro, N.C.)
5-10 | Guard | Senior
Led the Hawks to a 28-3 record, averaging 18.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game. The Virginia signee scored 1,939 points and grabbed 1,097 rebounds in her career.
Second Team
Blair Baugus, Wayne County (Waynesboro, Tenn.)
6-0 | Forward | Senior
A
two-time Class A Miss Basketball in Tennessee, Baugus won the award as a
senior after averaging 22.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. She
finished her career with 2,539 points.
Emmah McAmis, Central Wise (Norton, Va.)
5-6 | Guard | Senior
McAmis led Central Wise to four
straight state championship games and became just the second player in
Virginia girls basketball history with over 3,000 points at 3,041. Averaged 27.9
points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a senior.
Megyn Meekins, Nocona (Texas)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
The
Class 2A Division 1 state tournament MVP, Meekins averaged 23.3 points and 4.7 assists per game. She finished her
career with 3,124 points.
5-11 | Forward | Senior
The MaxPreps Player of the Year in Mississippi won a third straight state championship at Ingomar while averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She scored 3,499 points in her career.
Henley West, Hammon (Okla.)
6-5 | Center | Senior
West had 45 points in the Class B state championship game to lead Hammon to its second state title in three seasons. She averaged 23.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in earning All-State honors by the Tulsa World. She finished her career with 2,212 points and 1,220 rebounds.
Third Team
Blayke Brackens, Fairfield (Texas)
5-11 | Forward | Senior
Named
the Super CenTex Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune,
Brackens averaged around 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five
steals per game. She was named MVP of the Class 3A Division 1
state final while leading Fairfield to the crown.
Reesie Jinks, Fairview (Grant, La.)
5-5 | Guard | Senior
A three-time state POY by the Louisiana Sports Writers
Association, Jinks led Fairview to a Class B championship. She
averaged 23 points per game and led Fairview to five state championships
in her six seasons on varsity.
Ashlyn Koupal, Wagner (S.D.)
6-0 | Forward | Junior
The
MaxPreps South Dakota Player of the Year, Koupal also ranks among the
top juniors in the country by HoopGurlz. She averaged 22.2 points, 10.4
rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Red Raiders.
Keyiona McDaniel, Kountze (Texas)
5-9 | Guard | Senior
The
Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Player of the Year and the Class 3A
Division 2 state tournament MVP led Kountze to the state title and a
31-3 record.
5-9 | Guard | Senior
Rager led Pecatonica to a 30-6 record and the first state championship in school history. She earned Class 1A POY honors and averaged 18.2 points per game. She also scored over 2,000 career points to make her the school's all-time leading scorer.
Fourth Team
Chauncey Dixon, McIntosh (Ala.)
6-2 | Center | Senior
Dixon
earned Class 1A All-State honors for the fourth straight year,
averaging 18.7 points, 14.8 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 3.3 assists per
game.
Easton McCullough, Farmington (Ark.)
5-9 | Guard | Freshman
Named
the state POY as a freshman by All-Arkansas Preps,
McCullough led Farmington to a Class 5A state championship and a 30-1
record while averaging 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4
steals per game.
5-9 | Guard | Sophomore
Already the school's all-time leading scorer with over 1,550 career points as a sophomore, McGregor was the Division 4 Player of the Year after averaging around 39 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and five assists per game.
Lauren Olsen, Douglas (Wyo.)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
The
Bearcats went 106-6 with Olsen on the varsity. She earned MaxPreps
Wyoming Player of the Year honors while averaging 27.9 points, 4.5
steals and 3.6 assists per game as a senior. She finished her career with 2,687
points.
Fifth Team
Emmi Almeida, Caruthers (Calif.)
5-8 | Guard | Junior
Led Caruthers to a Division 2 state championship, averaging 12.4 points per game for the Blue Raiders.
Madelynn Deprey, Caribou (Maine)
5-9 | Guard | Senior
Put up 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.8 assists per game in leading Caribou to a 21-1 record and the Class B state championship. She earned MaxPreps Player of the Year honors for Maine.
Izzy Eisbach, Nodaway Valley (Greenfield, Iowa)
5-8 | Guard | Junior
Named to multiple all-state teams, Eisbach led the state in scoring average at 31.9 points per game. She also averaged 9.7 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.1 assists per game. She begins her senior year with 1,534 career points.
Ashlen Garrett, Skyline (Urbana, Mo.)
5-4 | Guard | Senior
The Class 2 Player of the Year averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 steals and 2.2 assists per game while leading the Tigers to a 29-3 record and state title.
Paige Lofing, Huntley Project (Worden, Mont.)
5-9 | Guard | Senior
Lofing
averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 steals, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while
leading the Red Devils to a 23-2 record and Class B state
championship. Headed to Gonzaga, Lofing earned MaxPreps Montana State
Player of the Year honors.
Sixth Team
Kendal Brueggen, Hesston (Kan.)
5-10 | Guard | Senior
Brueggen
led the Swathers to a 25-1 record while averaging 20.4 points, 5.6
rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game. She made the Wichita Eagle's Top 5
team, recognizing the top five players in the state.
Oen Deters, Centralia (Kan.)
5-6 | Guard | Senior
Guided Centralia to a 22-0 record and a Class 1A state championship. She
averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 steals per game.
Lyric Green, Dodge County (Eastman, Ga.)
6-0 | Forward | Senior
The
Class A Division 1 Player of the Year averaged a double-double
during the season with over 20 points per game and over 2,000 points in
her career.
Elsie Larsen, Strafford (Mo.)
5-9 | Guard | Junior
Already committed to Colorado State, Larsen produced 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Breanna Lindert, Washington (Okla.)
5-10 | Forward | Senior
The state tournament MVP while leading the Warriors to a 30-1 record and a Class 3A state championship, Lindert averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. She finished her career with 1,275 points.
