Postseason honors for West Memphis basketball

Blue Devils, Lady Devils standouts earn All-State, All-Conference accolades

By BILLY WOODS

WM School District

The West Memphis basketball program has long been a powerhouse in the Arkansas high school ranks, with players earning a multitude of honors. That tradition continues in 2021, as several Blue Devils garnered postseason accolades.

Three West Memphis boys basketball players earned postseason individual honors.

The Blue Devils ended with a 12-12 record, a third-place finish in the 5A-East Conference and a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.

Senior point guard Jordan Mitchell made the allstate team and the all-tournament team as well as all-conference. Mitchell, who has been courted by a few mid-level college programs such as Oral Roberts, North Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana, led the Blue Devils in scoring by averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

Senior Calvin Butler and junior Kameron Barnes each made all-conference. Barnes averaged 12 points per game and 6 rebounds while Butler, the team’s top 3-point shooter, averaged 8 points and shot 84 percent from the freethrow line.{/div} Additionally, five West Memphis Lady Devils reaped the benefits of a magical state tournament run by earning postseason

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individual awards.

Despite an 11-15 record, the Lady Devils came within one game of winning West Memphis High School’s third state championship, coming up short in the title game against Jonesboro.

But all five starters earned accolades from their postseason run.

Sophomores Janiyah Tucker and Clemisha Prackett earned all-state honors after leading the Lady Devils in scoring and rebounding this season. In addition, both made the all-state tournament team as well as all-conference.

Tucker led the West Memphis girls in scoring with a 16.5 points per game average. She shot 52 percent from the field and pulled in 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 assists per game.

Prackett averaged a double- double for the season with 11.4 points per game and 11.6 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks per game.

Ninth-grader Aniyah Price and seniors Terika Inmon and Ta’Nya Burnett all made the all-conference teams. Price averaged 7.6 points per game along with 3 rebounds and 2 steals.

Inmon pumped in 7.3 points and 3 rebounds while Burnett averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

West Memphis had several student athletes earn postseason honors, including sophomore Janiyah Tucker (1) and senior Jordan Mitchell (12).

Photos by Billy Woods