A slam dunk... Elizabethton's Ashley collects TSWA All-State honors - www.elizabethton.com

A slam dunk… Elizabethton’s Ashley collects TSWA All-State honors

Published 3:56 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2020

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File Photo/Ivan Sanders Nico Ashley of Elizabethton pulls up for a rising jumper over Alex Garrett of The Webb School.

File Photo/Ivan Sanders Nico Ashley elevates for a jump shot over The Webb School's Jordan Jenkins in the 2019 Arby's Classic.

File Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton senior Nico Ashley was named to the 2019-2020 TSWA All-State boy's basketball team for Class AA.

File Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton's Nico Ashley swoops up and under the goal for a reverse lay up against U-H.

File Photo/Ivan Sanders Nico Ashley puts the exclamation point on a bucket by throwing down a two-handed slam dunk against the Bucs. Ashley was named to the TSWA All-State team for Class AA.

BY IVAN SANDERS

STAR SPORTS EDITOR

ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com

When basketball fans entered John Treadway Gym to catch an Elizabethton boy’s basketball game this past season, everyone came expecting to get a highlight-reel slam dunk from 6’4″ senior guard Nico Ashley.

And, for the most part, Ashley didn’t disappoint as he averaged nearly one dunk per game on the season with most coming at critical times that both got his team and the fans into the game.

The senior led the Cyclones in scoring with a 21.8 point per game clip while playing superb defense adding several blocks over the course of the season.

For his efforts, Ashley was selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State boy’s team for the 2019-2020 basketball season.

Ashley was joined on the team by Sullivan East’s sophomore Dylan Bartley, Sullivan South senior Ben Diamond, and Greeneville sophomore Reid Satterfield in Class AA.

University High’s Caleb Meredith, a junior, made the Class A team.

According to Ashley’s head coach, the work that he put in led to him being selected.

“Nico is an outstanding young man and a great athlete,” said Cyclone head coach Lucas Honeycutt. “He is one of those kids that did a lot of developing from start to finish.

“Whichever school picks him up will be getting a great athlete and kid. He could end up somewhere that he could really turn people’s heads.”

Honeycutt feels like Ashley will probably start out the junior college route.

Class AAA

Alden Applewhite, Germantown Houston, Jr.

Joe Anderson, Maryville, Sr.

Quante Berry, Bradley Central, So.

Kendrick Holland, South-Doyle, Sr.

Reed Kemp, Franklin, Jr.

Wes Maples, Sevier County, Sr.

Kavion McClain, Whitehaven, Sr.

Brandon Miller, Cane Ridge, So.

Jonathan Milloway, Oak Ridge, Jr.

JP Pegues, Hillsboro, Jr.

Duane Posey, Memphis East, Sr.

Will Pruitt, Mt. Juliet, Sr.

Micah Simpson, Morristown East, So.

Grant Slatten, White County, Jr.

JaCobi Wood, Cleveland, Sr

Class AA

Nico Ashley, Elizabethton, Sr.

Dylan Bartley, Sullivan East, So.

Ben Diamond, Sullivan South, Sr.

Marcus Fitzgerald Jr., Pearl-Cohn, Sr.

Ty Hurst, Carter, Sr.

J.J. Johnson, Jackson South Side, Sr.

Jaylen Jones, East Nashville, Fr.

Edward Lacey, Fulton, Sr.

Johnathan Lawson, Wooddale, Jr.

Brandon Maclin, Jackson South Side, Jr.

Tyrone Marshall, Pearl-Cohn, Sr.

Trey Morrow, Scott High, So.

Alex Rush, Upperman, Jr.

Reid Satterfield, Greeneville, So.

Jon Turner, South Gibson, Sr.

Class A

Zach Amonett, Pickett County, So

James Anderson, Madison Academic, Sr.

Nathan Bowling, Oneida, Jr.

Nate Brackett, Rockwood, Sr.

David Dixon, Memphis Academy of Health Sciences, Jr.

Taylor Groves, East Robertson, So.

Trey Johnson, Cosby, Jr.

Lucas King, McKenzie, Sr.

Dalton Marsh, Red Boiling Springs, Sr.

Ryley McClaran, Eagleville, Sr.

Ben McMillan, Union City, Jr.

Kaleb Meredith, University School-Johnson City, Jr.

Charterio Porter, Booker T. Washington, Sr.

Peyton West, Monterey, Sr.

Amauri Young, Loretto, So.

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