First Day 5A State Tournament Performers

Day one of the 5A State Tournament did not disappoint. Many top players excelled to keep their hopes alive for a State Championship. The Greenwood Bulldogs survived a second-half run by Parkview to advance to the second round along with Jacksonville’s 5 point win over Russellville. <strong>Maddy Cartwright, Greenwood-</strong>Maddy is a 6’0” junior that can play any position on the court. With her size, she can go down low and post up, or she can make the mid-range jumper all day. Proficient with both hands, she assists in breaking the press when needed. If Maddy plays well in the tournament her team can go deep. <strong>Anna Trusty, Greenwood-</strong>Just a sophomore, Anna is 6’1” and has more room to grow. This forward shoots mid-range jumpers and can penetrate the lane. With her versatility, she can go get a rebound and will occasionally step out and play the swing guard position. <strong>Carley Sexton, Greenwood-</strong>Carley comes off the bench and supplies instant energy for her team. She plays much bigger than her 5’5” frame. Carley is strong to the basket and protects the basketball on offense. Just a sophomore, the future is bright for this team for the next few years. <strong>Jasmine Davis, Parkview-</strong>This 5’9” junior swing guard leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Jasmine plays with high energy and is all over the court. A solid shooter, she can penetrate to draw the foul. She has excellent court vision. She also displays excellent balance and footwork. Jasmine shares the ball well when double-teamed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="306791" first="Jordan" last="Gregory"], Parkview-</strong>Jordan is a scorer that comes off the bench. She works very hard to get open for a shot. At 5’9” she can create a mismatch at the point guard position. Jordan plays fast and loves to run the court and get the shot up as quickly as possible. She  is proficient at the foul line. <strong>Da’Kariya Jackson, Jacksonville-</strong>Da’Kariya is one of the top players in the tournament. She displays a multitude of skills including three-point shooting, open court vision, and excellent anticipation skills. At 5’10”, her versatility allows her to play all positions on the floor. This creates mismatches that her team can expose. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="305229" first="Alexis" last="Rowe"], Jacksonville-</strong>Alexis is a 5’11” forward that leads her team in rebounding. She scores mostly in the paint but she can get out on the fast break as well. Her strength and quickness inside creates multiple possessions on offense. On the defensive side, her inside strength creates fast-break opportunities with the quick outlet pass. <strong>Taliegha Ealy, Russellville-</strong>This is a player to watch in the future. Taliegha is an excellent shot blocker. She has the size at 6’0” to dominate in the paint on the defensive end. Not yet a scorer, but the potential is there with her skilled footwork inside. She’s very disciplined for a sophomore by allowing the game to come to her. I give her high marks and will be looking forward to watching her for 2 more years. <strong>Shyisha Willis, Russellville-</strong>Another Russellville sophomore, her strengths include rebounding and getting out on the fast-break. Predominantly a swing guard, Shyisha can play the point guard position as well. Her size at 5’10” gives her the capability to score inside. <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Brenna Burk, Russellville-</strong>The final super-sophomore trio from Russellville. Brenna is the point guard. The quarterback of the team. She starts the offense and is the outlet for the fast break. With excellent speed and quickness, Brenna can go left or right at full speed.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Russellville’s season is over, but because of these young players, there’s potential for this school to go deep in the next 2 years.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Bobby Brown<span id="more-395265"></span><!--more--></p>