Flores, Simmons are finalists for Miss/Mr. Basketball awards

The efforts of Andrea Flores and Jackson Simmons haven't gone unnoticed by the rest of the state. On Thursday morning, both were announced as finalists for the TSSAA Miss Basketball and Mr. Basketball awards in their respective classifications. Flores, a Mississippi State signee, was one of three Miss Basketball finalists in Class 3A, along with Dyersburg's Chelby Jordan and Cumberland County's Sydney White. The Daniel Boone senior leads the Tri-Cities area in points per game with 22.5. And she ranks in the top 10 in several other categories, grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game while dishing out 3.1 assists and recording 2.4 steals. Shooting-wise, she averages 2.5 makes from 3-point range and 75% from the free-throw line. Simmons, who recently signed with Milligan University, is a Mr. Basketball finalist in Class 2A alongside Gatlinburg-Pittman's Jayden Barton and Chattanooga Prep's Derrick Roberson. Simmons has been the region's top scorer with 25.0 points per game for Unicoi County. And he's been clutch from the charity stripe as well, shooting 84.7% while hitting 2.3 shots from 3-point range per game. A statewide committee of sportswriters selected winners based on performance during the regular season, as well as academics and character. High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists. The Mr. And Miss Basketball Awards will be presented in Murfreesboro, at MTSU's Tucker Theater, on March 10 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The event will be open to the public. Division II-A Miss Basketball Finalists Haylen Ayers, University School of Jackson Kayte Madison Bjornstad, Providence Christian Academy Jules Ferrell, Middle Tennessee Christian School Division II-AA Miss Basketball Finalists Meeyah Green, Webb School of Knoxville Ava Jarrett, Lipscomb Academy Ava Jones, Hutchison School Class 1A Miss Basketball Finalists Laila Downs-Darden, McEwen High School Rayanna Fisher, Greenfield High School Zoey Nicholas, Pickett County High School Class 2A Miss Basketball Finalists Maliyah Glasper, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Wylie Kee, Huntingdon High School Kaegan Young, Cascade High School Class 3A Miss Basketball Finalists Andrea Flores, Daniel Boone High School Chelby Jordan, Dyersburg High School Sydney Wilhite, Cumberland County High School Class 4A Miss Basketball Finalists Cecilie Brandimore, Franklin High School Kimora Fields, Bradley Central High School Natalya Hodge, Bearden High School Division II-A Mr. Basketball Finalists Lawson Lee, Battle Ground Academy Segond Sompa, Grace Christian Academy Christopher Washington, Jr., Providence Christian Academy Division II-AA Mr. Basketball Finalists Cade Murphy, Knoxville Catholic High School Trey Pearson, Pope Saint John Paul II Preparatory School Fred Smith, Jr., Briarcrest Christian School Class 1A Mr. Basketball Finalists Camden Cole, Eagleville High School Will McCrary, Jackson County High School Darion Taylor, Humboldt High School Class 2A Mr. Basketball Finalists Jayden Barton, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Derrick Roberson, Chattanooga Preparatory School Jackson Simmons, Unicoi County High School Class 3A Mr. Basketball Finalists Ty Cobb, Upperman High School Nick Steen, Fulton High School Markylon Terry, Fatte-Ware Comprehensive High School Class 4A Mr. Basketball Finalists Justin Frison, Houston High School DJ Okoth, Bartlett High School Cutter Sisk, Beech Senior High School