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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Maplesville High School’s Nehemiah McCary landed as an honorable mention on the Class 1A All-State Basketball Team earlier in March by way of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. The ASWA announced their All-State Basketball Teams, honorable mentions and coaches of the year with the dominant Maplesville freshman taking one of the four Class 1A honorable mention spots — his first selection to an all-state basketball team.

“He was a big part of our success,” Maplesville head coach Undra Rush said. “It is big for the program, and it shows we are headed in the right direction. It shows the hard work he and the team are putting together, and coming together to show Maplesville is not just a football school and a school that can hoop too.”

The 6-foot-3-inch freshman forward was dominant all season for the Red Devils averaging a double-double at 12.1 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game. He added a 2.3 blocks per game average to his staggering numbers as well.

Rush said McCary knows his own strengths and weaknesses on the court as well as his teammates, and that adds to his dominant presence. The offense flows through McCary a lot, but he is smart enough to understand when double teams come that a teammate is open, and he normally finds them. The freshman plays at his own speed, which led to standout performances during the 2024-25 season.

McCary had 11 double-doubles during last season in 15 games played. Of his 15 games played, McCary was in double-figure rebounds 13 times and scored in double figures 12 times. His most impressive outing came on Feb. 3 against Marion High School where he posted a triple-double with 17 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks. While he can score in many ways already, Rush added that McCary polishing his long-range shooting would unlock another dimension of his game that has yet to be tapped into.

“He has a nice midrange, and he is pretty accurate from three, but we just have to polish it up and be a little more consistent with it,” Rush said.

Adding some additional ball handling skills and improving his 3-point shooting will be points of emphasis for McCary this offseason to ensure he lands back on the Class 1A All-State Basketball Team again next season.