Marion Athletics -

Seven Marion boys basketball players and Coach Sammie Lewis earned postseason awards after helping their school to a school single-season record 29 victories, a second straight 5A East conference title, and just the fourth appearance in the state finals in program history.

Seniors Jalen Neal and Chandler Randle earned all-state and all-state all-tournament team honors, while classmates Jackson Black, Dexter Higgins, Jr., and juniors Dae'vion Bailey, Karlyal Hyland, and Korbin Littlejohn notched all-league nods.

Lewis earned his second straight 5A East Coach of the Year award in his second season at Marion.

Neal followed up an all-conference bid as a junior with an all-state nod this winter after he led the Patriots in scoring in the first two games of the state tournament, and recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in the state title game against Little Rock Parkview.

Randle earned a second consecutive all-state selection after leading Marion in scoring in the regular season, including a team-high 17 points in the state final. Randle will continue his basketball career next season at Henderson State University.

Black earned a second straight all-league nod after pacing the Patriots in blocked shots and dramatically improving his scoring and rebounding numbers. Black scored seven points with four rebounds in the Class 5A state final.

Higgins led Marion in assists for a second straight season this winter, and he capped his Marion career with 11 points, seven assists, and three steals in the championship game against Little Rock Parkview.

Bailey broke the regular rotation early this season, routinely running the offense and scoring.

Hyland gave Marion reliable outside shooting as a junior, leading Marion with 11 points in the semifinal victory over Farmington.

Littlejohn started most games in 2025-2026 for Marion in the backcourt. He hit an overtime game-winning three-pointer to defeat eventual Class 6A state champion Bryant in December, and he scored four points and had a pair of steals in the state title game against LR Parkview.

Lewis capped his second season at Marion with the most prosperous two-year stretch in school history, compiling a record of 55-12, with a sterling 26-2 mark in 5A East play, including back-to-back league titles, a state semifinal appearance in 2025, and a finals run this winter.