By Chris McCarthy/Editor
Hokes Bluff’s Issac Haas added one more highlight to his high school basketball resume last week.
The 7-2, 300-pound senior center scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 13 minutes of action in Alabama’s 90-83 victory in the 24th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game on Mar. 21 at Jackson State University.
Alabama, which made 29-of-43 free throws and out-rebounded Mississippi 55-46, has now won three in a row and holds a 13-11 edge over Mississippi in the series that started in 1991.
Haas, who signed with Purdue University in November, said he enjoyed the experience of playing with some of the state’s top talent.
“Overall, for the time I was in [the game], I thought I did pretty good. I was able to take some shots and get some rebounds and did pretty well (4-for-6) at the free throw line. I give a lot of credit to [Alabama] Coach [Reginald McGary] to have some of the best players in Alabama come together and play as a team and for one purpose. But we did have a lot of fun during the practices leading up to the game.”
This past season, Haas averaged 20.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.4 blocks while helping the Eagles to a 27-6 record and the program’s first-ever trip to the regional tournament in its current format. Haas was named to the ASWA Class 4A all-state first team earlier this month.
“I thought that Isaac played real well,” said Hokes Bluff boys basketball coach Greg Watkins. “[Mississippi] basically defended him like every one did around here, and when he got [the ball] in the post, he either scored or got fouled. It was just a really special accomplishment that Isaac was one of 12 kids across the state to be picked for the team.”
Haas said that he is participating in an approved individual workout program before reporting to Purdue’ West Lafayette, Ind., campus on June 12.
This story was supplemented by ahsaa.com