Basketball experienced somewhat of a renaissance in Bulloch County this season, as success was abound for many of the local programs.
    Six of the eight teams in Bulloch County made the playoffs while three won their region tournament and another two winning both their region regular season title and tournament title.
    However this article isn’t about going in depth on the team’s individual seasons — it’s about the individuals on the teams who made it all possible. There were a handful of great players in Bulloch County this season, and now it’s their time to get their share of the spotlight.
    So without further delay, let’s take some time out to honor the ten best players from both boys and girls teams this year in Bulloch County. The following selections were made by yours truly based off stats, all region honors and how much each player meant to their overall team’s performance.

First team All-County boys
    Forward: Cam Harvey, Senior, Statesboro: The region 2-5A player of the year, Cam Harvey can make the claim to be the best overall player in the county from either boys or girls side. Harvey led Statesboro in scoring and rebounding while being the driving engine to Statesboro’s region title run.
    Guard: Timmy Williams, Senior, Portal: The region 3-A player of the year, Williams led Portal in scoring and boasted one of the highest three-point shooting clips in the county. Williams was the undisputed leader for a Panther team that finished fourth in their region and finished ranked in the top-20 of class A.
    Forward: Dra Harrison, Junior, Bulloch Academy: When Harrison transferred from SEB in December he in part helped turn BA’s season around 180 degrees. Upon arrival Harrison led the Gators in scoring and was the offensive focal point in an undefeated region run and championship.
    Guard: Pierless Brown, Sophomore, Southeast Bulloch: Brown is a classic microwave scorer. Once the sophomore heated up, no one could get hotter from beyond the arch. Brown was the only player in the county to drop multiple 30-point games this season, including one against Islands in one of the biggest upsets across the state.
    Center: Ronald Williams, Junior, Portal: Williams’ inside prowess proved to be an excellent compliment for Timmy Williams’s outside shooting success. Williams was the only boys player in Bulloch to average a double-double this season while also leading the county in blocks.

Second team All-County boys:
    Guard: Tray Burns, Junior, Statesboro: While he didn’t boast gaudy stats, anyone who watched Statesboro play basketball this season knew how crucial Burns was to the Blue Devils’ offense. Burns play was good enough to earn a spot in the all-juniors game being played in Augusta this April.
    Guard: Don Aaron, Sophomore, Bulloch Academy: Aaron’s play picked up in a big way when Harrison came aboard, but there’s no doubting the do-it-all man for the Gators didn’t play a big part in BA’s region title run. Aaron hit a number of big shots down the stretch of the season and was a key part of BA’s comeback win over Pinewood in the region title game.
    Guard: Desean Taylor, Senior, Southeast Bulloch: While Brown has numerous highlights for SEB, Taylor was part of the glue that helped keep the Yellow Jackets from completely falling apart when they had two departures from the team. His play was good enough to earn him second team all-region in one of the toughest regions in the 3A classifications.
    Forward: Jordan Wright, senior, Statesboro: When Statesboro was experiencing their injury trouble, Wright was one of the key pieces that helped keep the Blue Devils afloat during the rough stretch. Wright was named an all-honorable mention 2-5A player for his contributions this season.
    Center: Caleb Carter, senior, Southeast Bulloch: Alongside Taylor, Carter was a part of the senior leadership that helped stabilize SEB when they were reduced to a six man rotation.
Carter was a second team all-region selection while leading SEB in rebounding and blocks.

First team All-County girls
    Guard: Lacy Robins, freshman, Statesboro: Robins was unquestionably the best freshman in the county if not one of the best freshman in the entire state of Georgia. Robins led Statesboro in scoring and steals while being the best player in a region championship team.
    Guard: Abby Newton, freshman, Bulloch Academy: Newton’s season was overshadowed by her former BA teammate Robins, but it didn’t change the fact Paul Webb found a knockdown shooter and potential new leader for his team the next three years. Newton was second on the team in scoring and first in three-point shooting percentage.
    Forward: Aaliyah Sandifer, junior, Southeast Bulloch: Sandifer was unquestionably SEB’s best player until she went down with an injury late in the season. Sandier was a double-double threat every night she stepped out on the court and should return as the Yellow Jackets best player next season.
    Forward: Keisonna Rollins, senior, Statesboro: Rollins was the backbone of a stingy Statesboro defense that allowed 53 points per game and routinely held opponents to less than 40 percent shooting a night. Rollins led Statesboro in rebounds and blocks as well as being a first team all region selection.
    Center: MiKay Sands, senior, Bulloch Academy: Without a doubt no player in the county was more valuable to their team — boys or girls — than Sands did to the BA girls. Sands ended the year as BA’s all time leading scorer in addition to being the only girl in the county to average a double-double this season.

Second team All-County girls:
    Guard: Molly Mikell, senior, Statesboro: On a night where Robins maybe wasn’t having the best shooting night, Mikell was there for a quick bucket when her team needed her. Even after coming into the season injured, Mikell was able to drop 19 points in the Blue Devils first round playoff win over Locust Grove. 
    Guard: Cole Robertson, senior, Southeast Bulloch: Robertson was the primary ball handler and creator during SEB’s playoff qualifying season. She proved to be a reliable passer, defender and free throw shooter down the stretch as well.
    Forward: Krystyn Turner, junior, Southeast Bulloch: Perhaps the best perimeter defender in the county, Turner started to find her offense as the season rolled along in helping SEB get to the playoffs. Turner stuffed stat sheets with routinely grabbing rebounds, steals, blocks and a handful of points.    
    Forward: Arieanna Wiggins, senior, Portal: While Portal’s ladies had a rough go of things this season, one of the few bright spots came in the form of Wiggins. Wiggins led the Panthers in scoring and was named second team all-region in addition to being one of the better outside shooters in the county.
    Center: Sara Howard, senior, Southeast Bulloch: Howard — who could also be a frontrunner for most improved player — was the defensive anchor in the middle for a solid SEB defensive side. She led the Yellow Jackets in rebounds and blocks this season.