Charlotte-area high school basketball players of the week
Girls
Dazia Lawrence, Mallard Creek: Named tournament MVP of the East Lincoln Winter Jam after scoring 30 points and adding four steals and four assists in a 75-54 win against a Davidson Day team that was ranked No. 4 in the Sweet 16.
Janelle Bailey, Providence Day: Bailey averaged 24.3 points and 12 rebounds last week in the prestigious TITLE IX tournament in Washington, D.C. Bailey, a North Carolina recruit, averages 24 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Destiny Johnson, East Lincoln: 37 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two seals in a 66-57 win against North Mecklenburg Tuesday. She had 26 points in a loss to Sweet 16 No. 1 Mallard Creek Wednesday.
Gabby Smith, Hickory Ridge: 20 points, eight rebounds in win against Harding. She had 12 points and 13 rebounds in a come-from-behind win against Ardrey Kell.
Zaria Wright, Concord First Assembly: Wright had 19 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 57-45 win over Hampton (Tenn.) in the Dominos Carolina Invitational championship game. She averaged 20 points for the tournament and was named MVP.
Boys
Lavar Batts, Concord Robinson: Virginia Commonwealth recruit had 35 points, making 12-of-18 free throw attempts, in an 86-75 win over Cabarrus County private-school power Cannon last week at the John Wall tournament in Raleigh. Batts also had seven assists, five rebounds and two blocks.
Zane Rankin, Butler: 26 points in a 91-82 win against Kings Mountain in the championship game of the Cleveland County Holiday tournament last week. Rankin was named tournament MVP.
Bryant Thomas, South Mecklenburg: 19 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks in a 54-34 win against AL Brown Thursday. He had 13 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks in a 56-46 win against Cuthbertson Friday.
Tracus Chisholm and DJ Burns, York Prep: Chisholm had 27 points, five rebounds, three steals against Charlotte Catholic, and 15 points, 12 rebounds against Country Day at the Hoodies House tournament last week. Burns had 13 points, eight rebounds, eight blocks, five assists against Catholic, plus 16 points, 11 rebounds against Country Day. He was named MVP of the tournament’s local division field.
Devon Dotson and Trey Wertz, Providence Day: Led Chargers to upsets over two national top 20 teams (No. 11 DeMatha Catholic, Md., and No. 18 Sunrise Christian, Kan.) en route to the Hoodies House tournament national division championship last week. In those games, the junior guards combined for 99 of Providence Day’s 116 points.
This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Charlotte-area high school basketball players of the week."