Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) released the finalists for this year’s Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards on March 22 and Charles Henderson senior Austin Cross is among the finalists for Class 5A.

Cross is coming off a stellar senior season in which he averaged 22.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assist and 1.6 steals per game in 2022, helping lead the Trojans to the Class 5A State Championship game for the first time. He also earned 112 three-pointers in 2022.

Cross earned 5A First-Team All-State honors from the ASWA and was First-Team AISA All-State with Pike Lib last season along with being named The Messenger’s Winter Male Athlete of the Year.

Cross was also named a finalist for AISA Mr. Basketball last season making him one of the only repeat Mr. Basketball finalists this season and the only to do so in multiple classifications. The other 5A finalists for Mr. Basketball include Valley’s Cam-Ron Dooley and Guntersville’s Brandon Fussell.

Mr. Basketball will be announced at the ASWA Banquet on April 6, which is sponsored by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association. Along with Mr. and Miss Basketball, the Super All-State team will also be announced at the luncheon. Super All-State is made up of the best players across the state, regardless of classification.