Mountain State Athletic Conference: Under-The-Radar Players to Watch

Opportunity leads to production, and in the Mountain State Athletic Conference -- the state’s premier Class AAA league -- there will be plenty of chances for underclassmen to assume more production responsibilities next season. As is the case with the end of every season, a wave of solid seniors will graduate and move on, leaving teams with holes to fill and coaches searching for candidates to do just that. This year, we saw plenty of underclassmen flash big-time potential and now, that potential will have to become the norm for teams to reach or stay atop the conference standings. Here is a look at some players that seem to have the talent and the right situation to excel next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153412" first="Sierra" last="Mason"] -- Parkersburg -- 2023 -- G</strong> The Big Reds’ quest for a third straight Class AAA title was halted due to the coronavirus and a group of four senior starters will exit this spring. But the cupboard is far from bare for Parkersburg and its deep rotation this season should pay dividends in the future as youngsters will hit the ground running with playing experience in tow. Mason impressed on both ends of the floor, making the most of her minutes while flashing athleticism and moxie in the face of one of the state’s toughest schedules. She figures to slot in at one of the two guard spots left by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153307" first="Maddi" last="Leggett"] (2020)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153276" first="Bre" last="Wilson"] (2020)</strong> and is capable of handling either. Obviously, a big up-tick in minutes figures to come and a lot of her success will bank on how she handles the increased responsibility. But the tools all seem to be there. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153435" first="Alanna" last="McKenzie"] -- Riverside -- 2023 -- C</strong> The Warriors will say goodbye to its all-time leading scorer, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153302" first="Jasmine" last="Symns"] (2020)</strong> and is still fighting to get out of the doldrums of the conference standings. But in averaging around 10 points per game as a freshman, McKenzie showed that Riverside could have at least one reliable option for the years to come. Checking in at over 6-foot, the size and physicality are there for McKenzie, no question. But without Symns running the point, perhaps the biggest obstacle for Riverside may be figuring out how to get McKenzie the ball on the block. Like all freshmen, McKenzie has to become more consistent on both ends of the floor and more refined in terms of footwork on the block and finishing at the rim. But when you tower over most of the defenders that are on you, obviously, the foundation is set. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153344" first="Kaiti" last="Swann"] -- Huntington -- 2021 -- G</strong> The Highlanders were among the most talented and, albeit, inconsistent teams in the state a year ago. The last holdovers from the team’s state championship in 2017 will depart this spring, including starters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153306" first="Alezha" last="Turner"] (2020)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153295" first="Madison" last="Slash"] (2020)</strong>. Swann is one of three returning starters along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153340" first="LaTahia" last="Jackson"] (2021)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153346" first="Ravyn" last="Goodson"] (2021)</strong>, giving Huntington a nice nucleus to build around. With Turner’s departure, the Highlanders lose their most experienced and consistent guard and while Swann and Jackson have both shown the ability to score, neither has had to orchestrate the team’s offense. Chances are, that responsibility will fall to Swann and her ability to handle that role will go a long way in determining just how far the Highlanders can advance next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153367" first="Mary" last="Lyle Smith"] -- George Washington -- 2021 -- F</strong> The Patriots seem to be set along the perimeter with point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153350" first="Vivian" last="Ho"] (2021)</strong> and the reigning state player of the year, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153323" first="Kalissa" last="Lacy"] (2021)</strong>, both returning. But GW will lose a big part of its front line with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153298" first="Lauren" last="Harmison"] (2020)</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153309" first="Aamyah" last="Washington"] (2020)</strong> and <strong>Neveah Harmon (2020)</strong> all graduating as well as wing player <strong>Kaya Thompson (2020)</strong>. How GW will handle the change to personnel remains to be seen, but even a shift in philosophy would have to include Smith. At 5-foot-10, Smith is the Patriots’ most experienced post and also is equipped with supreme athleticism, ranking as one of the state’s top goalies in girls soccer. In order for GW to succeed, Smith will have to improve on her consistency and confidence in being one of the team’s top three options. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153418" first="Mya" last="Toombs"]/[player_tooltip player_id="153416" first="Sidney" last="Harris"]/[player_tooltip player_id="153419" first="Kyra" last="Brown"] -- South Charleston -- 2023 -- G</strong> The Black Eagles lose just one senior, but it is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153286" first="Myra" last="Cuffee"] (2020)</strong>, the leading scorer on a team that struggled a bit offensively in key spots. Also, point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153353" first="Kiki" last="Terrell"] (2021)</strong> is a question mark after missing two straight seasons with torn ACLs. SC’s trio of freshmen at the guard position will have to collectively make up the gap in production while still holding up to high expectations on the defensive end as well. It was Toombs who worked her way into the starting lineup after Terrell went down a year ago and had mixed results as she adjusted to life on the varsity level. Both Brown and Harris also got their minutes down the stretch as well and if Terrell is indeed out for another season, the three will likely be fighting for two starting spots with all three needing to take steps forward to keep SC in the mix.