Serenity McNair is The News & Observer girls HS basketball underclassman of the year

For the first time, The News & Observer allowed readers to name the high school girls’ basketball underclassman of the year for the region.

In a close vote, Serenity McNair of Greenfield High in Wilson was selected this year’s winner.

This sophomore point guard averaged an even 24 points per game this season over 24 games, and canned 64 3-point shots, tops among sophomores in North Carolina. McNair also added 5.2 assists per game, and 4.1 steals.

To be a nominee, a player had to be a freshman, sophomore or junior in The News & Observer’s coverage area and rank among the top 15 in North Carolina in their class on MaxPreps in a major statistical category — points, assists, rebounds and steals. Overall stats were used to complete the nominations, and all stats listed were through games played Monday, Feb. 28.

Note: This is not the All-N&O or our all-state Super Team and will have no bearing on those selections, which will be named later this year.

Other candidates included:

Daneesha Briggs, Beddingfield (Wilson): The junior shooting guard ranks second among juniors in points per game with 25.3, and first overall among juniors with 86 3-pointers made.

Kaitlyn Adams, Bunn: The junior small forward has scored at a 23.9 points-per-game clip this season, good for fifth among NC juniors. Adams is also ninth in NC with 11.3 rebounds per game, averaging a double-double.

Sydney Barker, Jordan (Durham): The junior point guard from Jordan High averaged 21.5 points per game and dropped in 408 total points in just 19 games this season.

Staci Williams, Holly Springs: Among the top of the heap in assists, Williams averaged 5.1 assists per game this season.

Miriam Abdelbarr, N.C. School of Science and Math (Durham): This junior racked up an impressive 5.4 steals per game this season while averaging 17.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Emerson Thompson, Falls Lake (Creedmoor): This sophomore guard is averaging 19.1 points per game this season, and also logged 10 rebounds per game to average a double-double. She also led all sophomores in N.C. with 6 assists per game, a true triple threat.

Lexi Smollen, Woods Charter (Chapel Hill): The team leader, this sophomore has averaged 18.6 points this season.

Janeen Hamideh, Triangle Math and Science (Cary): In a smaller sample size, this sophomore center posted an impressive 12.6 rebounds per game, and split her 189 boards evenly on offense and defense.

Kennady Milligan, South Wake (Fuquay-Varina): This crafty sophomore guard led her team with 4.5 assists per game.

Isa Roman, Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh): This sophomore was a big piece of her team’s success this season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM.

Justin Pelletier

The News & Observer

Justin is a 25-year veteran sports journalist with stops in Lewiston, Maine (Sun Journal), and Boston (Boston Herald). A proud husband, and father of twin girls, Pelletier is a Boston University graduate and member of the esteemed Jack Falla sportswriting mafia. He has earned dozens of state and national sportswriting and editing awards covering preps, colleges and professional leagues.