Class 1A State Tournament: All-Tournament Team
Another year of IHSA girls basketball has come and gone as we ended it on the campus of Illinois State University at Redbird Arena Saturday. America’s original March Madness was full of exciting games and players over the past few days. The Brimfield Indians came away with the 2022 state championship. Here is my all-tournament team:
Ella Lune Ella Lune 6'0" | PF Brimfield | 2022 State IL | Brimfield – MVP
Ella scored 28 points, grabbed 10 boards, and blocked 6 shots. The senior ended her remarkable high school career by walking off the court as a champion. Ella had her mid-range pull up jumper working for her all weekend long. Her strength and ability to finish strong at the basket makes her a tough matchup for many defenders. She stepped up on the defensive end of the ball in the championship game blocking 6 shots and earning my MVP award.
Elynn Peterson | Brimfield
Ice in her veins. Elynn hit the go ahead free throw with 2 seconds left on the clock to give her team the 1A state title. She gets it done all over the floor by handling the ball well, rebounding very well for her size, pesky on defense, and distributing the ball at a high rate. Her tournament ended with her scoring 14 points, grabbing 9 boards, and 9 takeaways in her 2 games.
Sophie Bedell | Brimfield
Sophie is a glue player that any coach would love to have on their team. She stepped up and did anything her team asked of her all weekend. Bedell is a tough player who plays hard. Sophie put together a nice tournament averaging 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 1.5 assists to walk off the floor as a state champion in her final game.
Taylor Burcham Taylor Burcham 5'6" | CG Galena | 2024 IL | Galena
Taylor was impressive in the championship game and the reason Galena stayed in the ball game scoring a game high 15 points. She stepped up and hit big shot after big shot for the Pirates. Burcham has excellent range as well as the ability to finish tough around the bucket. Taylor averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in the tournament.
Gracie Furlong | Galena
Gracie was one of the more impressive freshman of the weekend and is someone who plays like they have been out there with varsity opponents for years with her confidence. Her semifinal performance was one that stood out to me in an efficient game where she went 6-8 from the field while dropping 13 points driving to the basket and finishing strong. This is a name we’ll hear more of as time goes on.
Addie Hefel | Galena
Addie is a player who knows her role and doesn’t try to do too much for her team but knows when to score. The sophomore was impressive throughout her tournament averaging 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assist, and 3 steals a game. She is a stat sheet filler that will only improve as she gains more confidence.
Maggie Furlong | Galena
The senior is a leader who knows her role on the team. She has a great shot from anywhere on the floor and very efficient shooting it as well. She had her shot from deep working in the championship that we didn’t see much of in the semifinals. Maggie ended the tournament averaging 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Sydney Richards | Neoga
Sydney averaged 14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in her two tournament games. She was a huge factor in the third place game putting up a double-double with 18 and 10. The junior is an athletic scorer who can get it done from anywhere on the floor and used that ability to help her team bring home the third place trophy.
Haylee Campbell | Neoga
The sophomore dominated the block in her two games for Neoga. Haylee averaged 11.5 points and 12 rebounds where she was able to rip down 16 boards in the third place game. She does a good job of putting herself in position to grab a rebound and score on second chance buckets.
Katie Baker Katie Baker 5'9" | CG Serena | 2022 State IL | Serena
Katie was the bright spot for Serena scoring 25 points in the tournament. She scored a game high 17 of those in the semifinal game. The all-stater is a competitor with a good mid-range and perimeter shot. She also has the ability to put the ball on the floor to score around the basket. The senior competed for her team all weekend long.
Aaron Stout is a new scout for Prep Girls Hoops Illinois, and is trying to bring more coverage to central and southern Illinois. He and the rest of PGH Illinois staff seek to cover the entire state by keeping subscribers up to date with player evaluations, recruiting info, and statewide news. Our audience often supplies with some of our best information. If you have any information on players, teams, or statewide news in Illinois, please email Aaron Stout at prephoopsaaron@gmail.com or DM him through Twitter @Astoutprephoops.