2018 MIAA Boys' Basketball All-Tournament Team

Senior guard Walter Dew-Hollis helped TechBoston capture its first ever state championship, and was a nightmare for opposing defenses during the state tournament.   Photo by Joe Parello.

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

The MIAA Basketball season has officially come to a close as the state finals in Springfield this past Saturday put a cap on another exhilarating season of high school hoops.

Mansfield claimed its first state championship in program history with a 67-54 win over Franklin in the Division 1 State Final, while TechBoston finished off a nearly flawless run in dominating fashion. Watertown completed its late postseason surge with a victory over Easthampton to claim the Division 3 title, and Angel Price-Espada put on a performance for the ages to guide Pope John to the Division 4 championship.

SuiteSports’ will have its full season All-State team out on Thursday, but for now here is our MIAA Boys' Basketball All-Tournament Team and Most Valuable Player.

All-Tournament First Team

PG – Angel Price-Espada, Jr., Pope John

Angel Price-Espada was electric for the entire duration that he was on the floor for Pope John in its run to the Division 4 state championship. After scoring 19 points in the Tigers’ sectional final win over Austin Prep, and pouring in 11 points to go with 10 assists in the state semi-finals, Price-Espada put up one of the top performances in recent state championship memory. The junior guard netted a jaw-dropping 49 points on 10-of-16 from three-point range to lead Pope John to a 89-57 win over Maynard in the Division 4 State Final. 

SG – Walter Dew-Hollis, Sr., TechBoston

TechBoston claimed its first state championship in history with Walter Dew-Hollis as the fulcrum of the Bears’ success. Dew-Hollis was explosive all tournament long, and was at the center of each of the Bears crucial late game bursts. Over TechBoston’s sectional final, state-semifinal, and state championship victories, Dew-Hollis averaged 19 points and seven rebounds per game, while shooting 47-percent from the field.

SG – Levar Williams, Jr., Burke

All season, Levar Williams was one of the most automatic shooters from beyond the three-point line and that was no different during the state tournament. Williams scored 22 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to lift Burke past Bishop Stang, before following it up with four treys against Apponequet to guide the Bulldogs to their first sectional championship since 1998.

SG – Damani Scott, Jr., Mansfield

Mansfield’s offense was clicking on all cylinders in the postseason largely due to the emergence of Damani Scott. The junior wing proved effective going to the basket, shooting from beyond the arc, and on the offensive glass. Over the course of the Hornets' final four postseason games, Scott averaged 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, and two assists per game on 52-percent from the floor, as Mansfield claim its first state championship in program history.  

SF – John Korte, Sr., Watertown

Watertown’s John Korte dominated the Division 3 field, using his length, size, ball-handling and shooting to carve up opposing defenses. Behind Korte’s postseason prowess the Raiders turned a seven-seed in Division 3 North into a sectional championship before knocking off Burke and Easthampton to claim the championship. Korte’s top performance came in the state semi-finals against the Bulldogs where he dropped 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and tallied five blocks.

All-Tournament Second Team

PG – Chris Edgehill, So., Franklin

Chris Edgehill was the centerpiece of a second consecutive run to the state championship game by the Panthers. Edgehill averaged 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds over the course of Franklin’s four postseason games.

SG – Ant Moynihan, Sr., Easthampton

Easthampton earned a berth in the Div. 3 State Final largely led by the play of Ant Moynihan, who showed off his range from behind the three-point line throughout the state tournament. Moynihan scored 27 points to land Easthampton a sectional title before scoring 15 against Sutton to send the Eagles to their state championship game in program history.

SG – Ghared Boyce, Sr., Everett

Everett claimed its first sectional title since 1994 with Ghared Boyce running the show on offense. Boyce reached the 2,000 point-plateau in the Crimson Tide’s Sectional quarterfinal win over Waltham, scored 21 points against Lowell and then topped it off by pouring in 28 points, including 21 in the second half, in the sectional final versus Lawrence to send Everett to the TD Garden.

SG – Andrew Johnson, Sr., Apponequet

Apponequeut sprinted to the Division 3 South final undefeated largely due to the play of Andy Johnson. The senior pushed the Lakers past Norwell in the south sectional semis, scoring 28 points and corralling 11 rebounds, then kept the Lakers in the game in their sectional final tilt against Burke, netting a game-high 27 poinys.

SF – Johnny McCoy, Sr., Mansfield

Alongside Scott, McCoy picked up on his big regular season with an impressive postseason. McCoy’s length proved to be a tough cover for most opponents as he scored 25 points and 23 points versus Newton North and Brockton, respectively, before finishing his season off with a 18-point, nine rebound performance in the Hornets' Division 1 State Final victory over Franklin.

Postseason Most Valuable Player 

Walter Dew-Hollis, Sr., TechBoston

In a tournament full of great individual performances, Dew-Hollis was perhaps the most consistently dominant offensive force, and a pesky defender all tournament long to boot.

An efficient scorer who served as the emotional engine of Tech Boston's historic run in Division 2, Dew-Hollis' tournament will not soon be forgotten in Dorchester, or the entire state for that matter.