If winning the Class 3A state title wasn’t enough, Columbia Academy basketball is going to have to make room for two more awards in its trophy case.
Cougars star forward Tate Duncan has been voted 3A Player of the Year by coaches throughout the state, while head coach Dale Watts was chosen as 3A Coach of the Year, his 12th selection.
Additionally, guard Ras Pace was one of just seven players named to the All-MAIS Basketball Team for 3A.
Duncan said it’s for sure an honor to be selected as the class’s best player but that it’s really just a small part of the bigger picture.
“I’m excited I got it, but from the beginning — I guess it was a goal — but it was more about the team goal of winning state,” he said.
Although he was aware of the all-state team and suspected he would make it, Duncan said he didn’t know there was a player of the year award until it came out.
The 6-foot-5 forward dominated as a do-it-all big man, averaging 18.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 70% from the field. But when he was coming up in junior high and his first couple of years in high school he hated playing in the post and wanted to sit in the corner as a shooter. Then his growth spurt happened and he was forced to play down low more. When he realized how much he could dominate, he began to love it.
“Obviously I thank God for blessing me with my abilities and also all of the coaches, coach Watts, my parents and my family,” Duncan said.
Watts said there’s no question Duncan was the best player in the state in 3A.
“Everybody tried to put a different defense on him, and he was still able to come through individually and make his teammates better,” he said. “I’m just proud for Tate.”
Watts said Duncan worked extremely hard in the offseason and put in a lot of extra hours in the gym and on the court.
Watts called it a “tremendous honor” to be selected by his peers.
“I hadn’t been coach of the year in a long time so it makes you know people recognize the job you’re doing,” he said. “I feel humble and proud.”
The veteran coach was last named the top coach in his classification in 2012 at Brookhaven Academy.
Watts also praised Pace for being selected to the all-state team and said “it isn’t possible to say enough about Ras Pace.”
“Let’s face it: He’s a three-sport guy. Ras put in a lot of time basketball wise, but during football season he had to concentrate on football. During baseball season he was concentrating on baseball. But he still got in the gym more than most and would go in the gym and work on his own a lot of times,” he said. “For a kid to be a three-sport athlete and make the all-state team, it says a lot to me about Ras.”
Watts added that it’s important to note that Pace wasn’t just a three-sport player but a three-sport star, starting at quarterback for three years in football and starting at third base in baseball for three years while being in the starting rotation.
Pace averaged 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 49% from the field and 37% from behind the arc.
Both Duncan and Pace also played in the Class 3A-5A All-Star Game and were starters for the winning Blue Team. The Blue Team defeated the White Team 93-74 March 6 at Jackson Prep in Flowood, with Pace scoring 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting with three rebounds and two steals and Duncan adding six points on 3-of-5 shooting, five boards, one block, one steal and one assist. Both seniors played just under 20 minutes in the contest.
Duncan is signed to play baseball at Hinds Community College, while Pace is heading to Belhaven to play football. Although he is set to pitch at the JUCO level, Watts said he believes Duncan could also play collegiate basketball.
Duncan, Pace and Watts were key components in CA winning its fifth title this year.
Both Pace and Duncan are far more than just athletes. Pace is CA’s valedictorian, and Duncan is the salutatorian.
