Meet Keeley Carter, the best Class AA girls player who wasn't a Miss Basketball finalist

MURFREESBORO — Meet Keeley Carter — the best Class AA girls basketball player in Tennessee not recognized as a Miss Basketball finalist.

Carter is a 5-foot-7 junior guard who led Macon County to a 56-38 rout of Covington on the opening day of the TSSAA girls basketball state tournament Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center. 

She was the best player in District 8-AA, located on the Upper Cumberland, which traditionally features some of the top high school girls basketball players in Tennessee.

But she wasn't named a Miss Basketball finalist. And her coach doesn't know why.

"I don't see how she wasn't one of the three finalists for Miss Basketball," Macon County coach Larry White said. "I think it's the biggest injustice in this state that has ever happened."

Cumberland County's Gracee Dishman won the Class AA Miss Basketball honor. Brainerd's Kimia Carter and South Greene's Braelyn Wykle were finalists. Wykle is the lone one of the three playing this week in the state tournament.

All Tennessee basketball coaches and members of the media are permitted to vote on the Mr. and Miss Basketball awards. A statewide sports writer panel then uses that preliminary vote to help decide the finalists and winner.

It is a regular-season award.

Macon County (30-5) plays the Cheatham County at 10 a.m. Friday in a Class AA state semifinal.

Carter scored a game-high 28 points on 9-of-11 shooting against Covington (28-5). She was also 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Carter had five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

"I just come out ready to play," said Carter on not being recognized. "It doesn't matter to me what trophies we get. I just want the team trophies."

This year she's averaged 18.5 points and grabbed 7.6 rebounds with a grueling schedule, which included Division II-AA state champion Ensworth.

She has offers from Alabama Huntsville, Austin Peay, Carson-Newman, Trevecca and UT Martin. MTSU's coaching staff, including coach Rick Insell, watched Carter's game from their reserved seating section.

Carter burst on the high school basketball scene as a freshman starter at Macon County when she led them to a state quarterfinal appearance. Last year the program reached the final, falling in overtime to 8-AA rival Upperman.

That experience showed against Covington. Carter looked comfortable in the first half, scoring 12 of Macon County's 24 points despite sitting the final six minutes with two fouls.

"She had her stuff today," White said. "She played really, really well — especially in the second half."

Schedule:TSSAA high school girls basketball state tournament 2019 pairings

Where to park at state:TSSAA basketball tournaments to impact traffic, parking around MTSU

Where to eat:TSSAA tournaments: Best places to eat in Murfreesboro

Who will win state:TSSAA girls basketball state tournament 2019 preview and predictions

Day 1 roundup:State tournament roundup: Macon County's Keeley Carter scores 28 points in quarterfinal win

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.