It was a season of exceptional teams on Brazos Valley basketball courts.

Three teams -- Calvert, Hearne and Normangee -- came within a single victory of qualifying for the state tournament. A fourth team, the Centerville Tigers, qualified for regionals.

Bryan was the champion and A&M Consolidated was a strong postseason contender that emerged from a powerful District 13-5A. Five teams from the district won more than 20 games.

Overall, six Brazos Valley teams won outright district championships.

The players named to The Eagle's 33rd Annual All-Brazos Basketball Team captured the spirit of teamwork that dominated basketball in the area, improving their teams with their strong individual games.

On the All-BV first team, Bryan point guard Allyn Cooks and Consol's Timmy Hamilton were go-to guys for their playoff teams. A third guard, Centerville's Aaron Gwosdz, joins them along with a pair of players who might be better known for their football prowess, Navasota junior Dexter Pratt and Hearne senior Forrest Rucker.

Pratt recently committed to play football at LSU, while Rucker will play wide receiver at North Texas. Both have solid hoops credentials.

The Coach of the Year was Normangee's Alan Andrus, who edged out Hearne's Broderick McGrew in close voting. Both directed regional finalists.

Cooks ran the show for Bryan, who had a dominating run through district play. With opposing teams intent on altering his team's game plan, Cooks kept the Vikings running their style. The lean point guard would penetrate, finish the play, dish off or earn a trip to the free-throw line. He averaged 18.5 points a game and led his team in assists (6.0 per game) and steals (3.4).

Hamilton could play either point or shooting guard for the Tigers. He put up 19 points a game while averaging 4.9 assists and 3.4 steals.

Gwosdz triggered Centerville's run to the 2A Region III semifinals. Shy off the court, Gwosdz was the Tigers' trigger man on it during a 31-3 season, averaging 18 points and five assists to earn the 22-2A MVP Award.

Navasota was 23-3 and won 23-3A with one of the most explosive teams in the area, scoring 90.2 points per game in district play. Pratt averaged 16 points in a well-balanced attack, and the big-play junior also keyed the Rattlers' defense.

Rucker was Hearne's big guy who could run, score, dunk and intimidate. He took charge after the injury to teammate Jamie Smith at the beginning of district and helped carry the Eagles to the regional title game. Rucker scored 18.9 points with 12.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks shots a game.

The second team included 25-A MVP Chandrick Evans, Normangee's strongest inside presence who was just as comfortable working from outside. Evans averaged 14.8 points and 12.3 rebounds, often starting and finishing a balanced attack. District 28-A Division II MVP Kealton Thompson of Calvert played a similar game, also leading his team to the Region IV championship game. His 18 points, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks per game led the Trojans.

Bryan's Royston Lister lit things up with his 3-point shooting for the Vikings while averaging 17.1 points per game. Sul Ross State-bound guard Jacorey Gilbert of Madisonville scored 17 points per game. Franklin junior Jake Russ led the Brazos Valley in scoring with 24.3 points per contest.

On the third team are a pair of inside players, Anderson-Shiro's Cody Aikin and Consol's Ray Holliday, as well as a Bryan standout Stan McGruder, who often started outside and weaved his way in. Freshman point guard Jon Allen of Brazos Valley Home School and Normangee junior Justin Mullinnix complete the third team.

Three third-team members -- Aikin, Holliday and Mullinnix -- are on the Eagle's All-Academic first team.

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