If Kentucky college hoops had ‘All-State teams,’ this is what they would look like
The movie “Anora” was the big winner at this year’s Academy Awards.
Here in Kentucky, we may lack the glamour of Hollywood, but we, too, can salute the best performers from our state’s primary entertainment sector.
If the commonwealth had All-State teams designed to honor the best in Kentucky men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball for 2024-25, they might look like this:
Men’s All-State
▪ Forward: Devontae Blanton, Eastern Kentucky. A throwback who played his entire college career at one school, the 6-foot-6, 214-pound super-senior (16.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.2 steals) will leave EKU as the only player in school history with more than 2,000 career points (2,050), 800 career rebounds (837) and 400 career assists (429).
A product of Macedonia, Ohio, Blanton had 12 games this season with 20 points or more and four points-rebounds double-doubles.
▪ Forward: Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville. The 6-6, 205-pound super-senior (15.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.6 apg) will enter play in the ACC Tournament having scored in double figures in 14 of U of L’s past 15 games.
A transfer from James Madison, Edwards has 10 games with 20 or more points.
▪ Center: Amari Williams, Kentucky. The 7-foot, 262-pound super-senior (11 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.3 blocks) is one of the unique players in college hoops. Offensively, the Nottingham, England, product initiates offense for the Wildcats while, defensively, he protects the rim.
A transfer from Drexel, Williams (13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists) outplayed national player of the year candidate Johni Broome (nine points, six rebounds, one assist) of Auburn head-to-head even as the Tigers rocked the Wildcats 94-78 on March 1.
On the season, Williams has nine points-rebounds double-doubles and had a triple-double — 12 points, 11 boards and 10 assists — in UK’s 98-84 loss at Mississippi on February 2.
▪ Guard: Otega Oweh, Kentucky. The 6-4, 215-pound junior (16.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 steals) has been UK’s Rock of Gibraltar — he has scored in double figures in 29 of Kentucky’s 31 games.
A transfer from Oklahoma, Oweh finished the regular season by scoring 20 or more points in five of the Wildcats’ final seven games.
▪ Guard: Chucky Hepburn, Louisville. The 6-2, 190-pound senior (16.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.4 steals) is a First Team All-ACC selection.
A transfer from Wisconsin, Hepburn had 37 points vs. Pittsburgh and set a U of L single-game record with 16 assists against SMU.
▪ Coach of the Year: Pat Kelsey, Louisville. Took over a program that was 12-52 overall, 5-35 in the ACC in the previous two seasons, and went 25-6, 18-2 ACC.
▪ Player of the Year: Amari Williams, Kentucky
▪ Freshman of the Year: Julius Thedford, Western Kentucky. The 6-4, 190-pound Memphis product was averaging 12.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg before his season ended after 18 games after dislocating a kneecap and tearing a ligament.
Women’s All-State
▪ Forward: Katelyn Young, Murray State. The 6-1 super-senior (21.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.2 steals) had her jersey retired at MSU’s Senior Day and is the cornerstone of Murray State’s Missouri Valley Conference co-championship team.
A product of Oakwood, Illinois, Young is Murray State’s all-time leading scorer (2,946 career points) and all-time leading rebounder (1,192).
▪ Forward: Teonni Key, Kentucky. A 6-4 transfer from North Carolina, Key (11.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.7 blocks) has 11 points-rebounds double-doubles.
Key’s season high, 20 points, came in Kentucky’s 61-55 loss at Texas A&M on Jan. 23.
▪ Center: Clara Strack, Kentucky. The 6-5 sophomore (15.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.4 blocks) is the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
A product of Buffalo, New York, Strack closed out the season with a flourish, going for 29 points and 15 rebounds vs. Tennessee and 23 points and eight boards at South Carolina in the regular season’s final week.
▪ Guard: Haven Ford, Murray State. Kentucky’s 2023 Miss Basketball, the former Rowan County High School star had a breakout season as a college sophomore.
Ford (15.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.1 steals) has six double-doubles this season — four of the points-rebounds variety and two of the points-assists type.
▪ Guard: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky. The 5-6 super-senior (19.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 6.9 apg, 1.0 steals) tied the UK single-game scoring record when she poured in 43 points in a 95-86 win at Oklahoma on Feb. 2.
The former Virginia Tech star was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches.
▪ Coach of the Year: Rechelle Turner, Murray State. Led MSU (22-7, 16-4 MVC) to a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. It is Murray State’s first women’s basketball regular season league championship since 2008-09 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
▪ Player of the Year: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
▪ Freshman of the Year: Tajianna Roberts, Louisville. A 5-10 product of San Diego, Roberts (13.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.7 steals) dropped 21 points on now-No. 1 UCLA in her first college game and never looked back.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
