Lakewood Ranch's LaDazhia Williams and Tina Hadley selected as Florida's top player and coach in Class 7A

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Lakewood Ranch 6-3 junior LaDazhia Williams has been named the Class 7A girls basketball Player of The Year and Mustangs head coach Tina Hadley has been selected the 7A girls basketball Coach of The Year by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches.

Williams averaged 16 points and 7.1 rebounds despite fighting off some injuries that limited her playing time this past season. She led Lakewood Ranch to the Class 7A state final game and averaged 16.7 points in the Mustangs' six postseason games.

Last season in earning Bradenton Herald Player of The Year honors, Williams averaged 19.8 points and 10.2 rebounds.

She is the No. 2 career scorer for the Lakewood Ranch girls basketball program with 1,457 points and is closing in on leader Kristen Fulmer (1,509 points).

Williams has been offered by nearly all the major college women's basketball programs, including South Carolina, and is being recruited by national powers Connecticut and Stanford.

"I am really proud of the fact that she was voted player of the year especially with the injuries she had in what was an up and down year," Hadley said.

The 47-year-old Hadley just completed her ninth season. Taking over a struggling program, under her tutelage the Mustangs were 22-8, 21-10 and 23-7 the last three seasons. They reached the Final Four for the first time this season and reached the regional final the last two years.

"Anytime a coach receives an honor by their peers and colleagues it is very sweet. I put a lot of work and time into it and to finally get it seen is appreciated," Hadley said.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch's LaDazhia Williams and Tina Hadley selected as Florida's top player and coach in Class 7A ."