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More awards for local basketball stars as USA Today names all-state teams

Central Valley’s Lexie Hull looks to pass around the defense of Woodinville’s Alena Coomar during the girls State 4A championship game on March 3 at the Tacoma Dome. CV won the title game 70-39. (Patrick Hagerty / For the Spokesman-Review)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

It was an historic season across the region for high school basketball and the awards keep rolling in for those at the top of the class.

USA Today published its all-state teams earlier in the week and state champions in Washington and Idaho were prominently featured.

Central Valley all-everything Lexie Hull was named as Washington state player of the year and twin sister Lacie Hull was named to the second team.

The Greater Spokane League MVP, Associated Press state player of the year and two-time Gatorade state player of the year, Lexie Hull led the Bears to a 29-0 season that included a State 4A title and the GEICO Nationals championship. A Stanford signee, Hull averaged 20.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

Lacie Hull, who will join Lexie at Stanford, shared Seattle Times co-players of the year honors with her sister and was named to the AP first team.

On the heels of being named 2017-18 National High School Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA), CV coach Freddie Rehkow was named state coach of the year by USA Today.

On the boys side, Gonzaga Prep junior forward Anton Watson was named to the state first team and coach Matty McIntyre was named state coach of the year.

Watson, who was named to the Associated Press all-state first team and the Class 4A state player of the year, led Gonzaga Prep to a state title and averaged 21.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. He was the GSL boys MVP and the Seattle Times all-state player of the year.

McIntyre, the ninth-year head coach, guided the Bullpups to a 26-0 season and a 54-52 win over Federal Way in the State 4A title game, where Watson was named tournament MVP.

Idaho

Post Falls senior Melody Kempton was named USA Today’s girls state player of the year.

Kempton, a 6-foot senior post player committed to Gonzaga next season, led the Trojans to a 24-2 record and a 5A State championship this past season. Kempton averaged 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 63 percent from the field.

Kempton finished her prep career as her school’s leader in points (1,486), rebounds (892) and blocked shots (211).

A four-time Inland Empire League Player of the Year and three-time all-state selection, Kempton is rated as the nation’s No. 20 forward in the Class of 2018 by espnW.

Post Falls senior Bayley Brennan and Sandpoint senior Grace Kirscher were named to the second team.

Brennan was an Idaho Statesman 5A all-state first-team selection. She averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

Kirshcher was a 4A all-state first-team selection. The Eastern Washington commit racked up 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.

In addition, Trojans coach Marc Allert was named girls coach of the year by the Idaho State Coaches Association last week.

Post Falls’ Jake Pfennigs was named to the all-Idaho first team. An Oregon State baseball commit, Pfennigs averaged 17.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists leading the Trojans (20-11) to the 5A State semifinals.