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We’re putting a bow on the high school basketball season with some all-area team selections.
Earlier we released the boys large class teams. Now it’s time to look at the standouts from the area’s small class programs.
The 615 Preps small class coverage area includes teams in Division II-A as well as Classes 2A and 1A.
Players selected to these teams are selected based on their season-long stats and nominations from their head coaches. Here’s a look at those selected to the 615 Preps boys small class teams.
Player of the Year: Chris Washington Jr., Providence Christian Academy, Sr.
The area’s only Mr. Basketball winner this season, Washington capped off a dominant two-season run in Tennessee filling up his trophy case.
A top-50 recruit in the 2026 class, Washington was a double-double machine averaging 18.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and one block per game. In his final high school game, Washington scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
Coach of the Year: Layne Bussell, Smith County
Bussell’s second season with the Owls is one that no one in Carthage will be forgetting anytime soon as they won 20 or more games for the first time since the 2021-2022 season and won their first state tournament game as Smith County High School.
The program had one previous state tournament win in 1951 when it was Carthage High School.
A year after going 13-18, the Owls finished this season 24-12 while winning both their district and region tournaments. They opened up the Class 2A state tournament holding off Lewis County 61-60.
Team of the Year: PCA Lions
The year started off rough for the Lions lost their first three games. However, they quickly rebounded winning 29 of their next 32 games and closed the year on a 15-game winning streak.
Repeating as the DII-A champions, PCA only suffered one loss to a fellow DII-A team losing their first of what would be four meetings with BGA.
Set up by a brutal non-district schedule consisting of Kirkwood, Baylor, Bartlett, McCallie, Chattanooga Prep, Brentwood Academy and Knoxville Prep, only one other DII-A team outside of BGA was able to stay within single-digits against PCA.
First Team
Guard: Nick Anderson, PCA, Sr.
Guard: Zander Holt, BGA, Sr.
Guard: Cooper Williams, Smith County, So.
Forward: Camden Cole, Eagleville, Sr.
Forward: Lawson Lee, BGA, Sr.
Sixth: Avery Coles, White House Heritage, Sr.
Second Team
Guard: Miles Alexander, Cannon County, So.
Guard: Lawson Gillispie, BGA, Sr.
Guard: Braylin Davis, USN, Sr.
Forward: Alex Cheek, East Nashville, Jr.
Forward: Peyton Applegate, PCA, Sr.
Sixth: Carter Cox, Jo Byrns, So.
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