This week’s Fab Five photos feature two former girls’ basketball players who were named to the All-MIAC team last month (Danica Cambrice and Tamira McLemore), a former prep football standout who played his final season last fall (Malik Rucker), a former prep girls’ basketball player and state champion as a player who coached a high school team to a state championship (Kiara Buford), and a two-time state girls’ basketball champion who completed her sophomore season at the collegiate level (Ashley Bates).

St. Catherine’s sophomore guard Danica Cambrice (St. Croix Lutheran) earned all MIAC honors, averaging 19.3 points per game this past season. Credit: Photo courtesy St. Catherine’s University
Augsburg’s Tamira McLemore (Eagan), a sophomore guard, was named to the All-MIAC team after averaging 13.7 points per game for Augsburg University. Credit: Photo courtesy Western Michigan University
Augsburg’s Tamira McLemore (Eagan), a sophomore guard, was named to the All-MIAC team after averaging 13.7 points per game for Augsburg University. Credit: Photo courtesy Western Michigan University
Ashley Bates (Hopkins), a guard who led her team to a couple of state championships, recently completed her sophomore season at Hampton University. She averaged close to 10 points per game for the Pirates. Credit: Photo courtesy Hampton University
Kiara Buford, who led St. Paul Central to four straight state Class AAAA state girls’ basketball tournament appearances – including state titles in 2007 and 2008 – before embarking on an outstanding career at the University of Minnesota, led Robbinsdale Cooper to the Class AAA crown last month Credit: Photo by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald is a contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.