Sunday Standouts – Top Performers of Week 1

This is the first installment of what I intend to be a weekly update of top player performances I witnessed during the past week. During week one of the Kentucky High School Basketball season, this week’s top performers include one 50 point scorer and a familiar face in a new place. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="157954" first="Rylee" last="Turner"] <strong>- ’22  5’9"/SG - Newport Central Catholic </strong> There could have been better performances on games I did not attend last week, but nobody that saw Turner score 50 points against Butler will believe they didn’t see the top performance of the week. I don’t know if you have ever seen anyone score 50 of their teams 62 points to win a game but let me try to impress upon you what that is like. For most of the game, Turner was at a sprint getting to the rim at will.  Right off the jump, she was grabbing defensive rebounds driving the ball up the court for a layup.  Stealing a pass and taking it up the court for a layup.  Blocking a shot, recovering the ball, and whisking up the court for a layup or running the floor opening herself up for a pass from a teammate that was pushing it up the court to eventually end in a layup, short jumper, floater, or forcing a foul. When there was no opportunity on the break she was penetrating from the top of the key or the win or the baseline to find another way to score.  She posted up to score with a quick-step over-the-shoulder move among others.  She hit open jump shots from 12 to 17 feet and made 22 of 28 Free Throws. Those that don’t know Kentucky High School Girls Basketball might think maybe this was against a team that wasn’t very good.  Some team that gets beaten like this by every good player that shows up.  But that was not the case.  Not only was Turner facing one of the traditional power in the sport but they played very good defense as evidenced in part by the way they held the rest of her Newport Central Catholic team to 12 points. The fact is Turner was not to be denied on this night and you should try to see this performance yourself.  This may be the most under-ranked player in the State in the current Senior class and if you don’t see her play this year and try to sign her you are going to regret it for the next several years. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="206005" first="Makya" last="Grinter"]<strong> - ’22  5’7"/CG - Male</strong> Grinter once again displayed her ability to take over a game with her defense and speed.  During more than a three-minute period of the game, I made no notes on any other player because she was doing everything of note.  She made three backcourt steals in a row that led to 2 layups and some foul shots.  She was so fast you might have thought there were two of her out there. She immediately followed that up with a fourth steal, drove from halfcourt to a layup through contact, and made the following free throw.  After that was a 5th steal and 2 times that she dove on the floor to secure alternating possession tie-ups.  I want to remind you again that this all happened in little more than three minutes that were the defining moments of activity that sealed the outcome of the game. Grinter finished the game with 28 points on 8/14 shooting. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="254279" first="Leah" last="Macy"]<strong> - ’25  6’2"/PF - Mercy </strong> I went to see a game at Mercy Academy last week and was surprised to see Macy’s familiar face in a new place where she began the game by winning the Tip-Off and continued to show why it is so many Division 1 coaches have been trying to sign her before becoming a High School student. She made an impact all over the court earning more a stats sheet that the first-time statistician (she did her best) could keep up with.  She scored on a couple of offensive putbacks and a tip-in, made a corner three, blocked a shot, and scored 17 points on 8/12 shooting.  She was her typical do-it-all self but tended to let the Guards handle to pressure being applied in the press. Her addition changes the shape of the 24th District and 6th Region this year and for years to come.