2020 Class B “Super 7”

As we finish our coverage of the 2019-20 season, and as we wait anxiously to have basketball return, let’s take a look at the seven best players in Nebraska’s Class B this past winter. <strong>The Season in Review: </strong>There was not alot of doubt in most people’s minds as to which squad was the overwhelming favorite coming into the season.  Crete returned almost all of its scoring and, with the steady hand of head coach John Larsen, the Cardinals ripped thorugh the regular season undefeated.  Quality squads, like York, Norris and Grand Island Northwest, all took their shots at the Cardinals, but were defeated.  It wasn’t until the sub-district final, when Maly badly turned her ankle, where Crete fell to Beatrice. <strong>Recapping the State Tournament: </strong>A solid field of teams descended on Lincoln, and every game was highly contested.  Scottsbluff pulled a mild upset over Bennington, but then the Bearcats ran out of gas the next day against Beatrice.  Top-seeded Crete survived an overtime upset bid by Norris, then pushed through a triple overtime thriller, 48-47, to defeat [player_tooltip player_id="94290" first="Whitney" last="Brown"] and Grand Island Northwest for the fourth time this season.  Crete and Maly finally hit their stride in the final, with Maly ending the day with a 20/10 double-double and a convincing 53-26 victory over Beatrice. <strong>Plum’s Predictions: </strong>6-1 at the state tournament; Scottsbluff’s upset over Bennington was the only red mark on the scorecard. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">THE SUPER SEVEN</span></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94287" first="Morgan" last="Maly"] (6’0" Forward, Senior, Crete):</strong> Maly and her teammates were on a mission this season, and the Creighton commit let her game do her talking.  Averaging 20 points and nine rebounds a game, Maly’s development over the years and the way she has learned how to read defenses has been tremendous, and she will be a joy to watch at Creighton, along with Class A "Super Seven" player [player_tooltip player_id="94286" first="Jayme" last="Horan"]. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94290" first="Whitney" last="Brown"] (5’7" Point Guard, Senior, Grand Island Northwest): </strong>Brown, a Nebraska walk-on, may have the chance to earn immediate minutes for the Cornhuskers next season after averaging 18 points and 3.5 assists a game for the Vikings.  Brown saved her best for last, lighting up the state tournament with great floor play without sitting a second in their season-ending triple-overtime loss to Crete.  A tough, hard nosed player, Brown will make things competitive at Nebraska for all of her teammates. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94334" first="Miley" last="Prine"] (5’10" Forward, Senior, Bennington): </strong>For the first time since 2009, the Badgers made the trip down to Lincoln, and Prine was the catalyst, averaging 17.5 points and six rebounds a game.  A relentless competitor and finisher who plays with a slashing, attacking style, the Hastings College soccer commit was a great leader on the floor with her play for Bennington. <strong>Carley Leners (5’9" Forward, Senior, Beatrice): </strong>Leners was a four-year starter for the Lady O, and her senior campaign brought her squad to the state title game.  Leners, a Hastings College basketball commit, averaged 14.2 points a night along with 7.3 rebounds.  She plays the game with a relentless intensity and is a versatile defender.  Look for Leners to do really good things for the Broncos the next four years. <strong>Breanna Stai (6’0" Forward, Junior, Norris): </strong>The Titans were the proverbial "team no one wants to play" at the end of the season, and they proved that by upsetting York in the district final and pushing Crete to the limit in the opening round of the state tournament.  Stai was the catalyst of this, averaging 13.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.  Norris, with Stai and the majority of the roster back next season, figures to be one of the favorites next season in Class B. <strong>Mattie Johnson (6’0" Forward, Senior, Sidney): </strong>A dual-sport standout for the Red Raiders who will be playing Division I volleyball at the University of South Dakota next season, Johnson led the Red Raiders to another state tournament appearance this season, losing another first round heartbreaker to Grand Island Northwest.  An outstanding athlete who averaged 14.7 ppg and 5.6 rpg, Johnson would have been an outstanding addition to a Division II squad anywhere in the country. <strong>Yara Garcia (5’8" Point Guard, Scottsblugg): </strong>A lightning fast point guard who can go end to end about as fast as anyone in the state, Garcia led the Bearcats to their first ever state tournament victory this season.  Averaging 16.2 points, three assists and three steals a game, Garcia made herself noticed at Lincoln by many scouts.  She should be getting looks by junior colleges or NAIA schools by this point.