Area Rankings: Who is the best player in the Huntington area?

Joe's Note: These rankings are not a definitive statement of the talent in the state. Instead, they are meant to start conversation and drum up excitement for the upcoming season and for the talent in the city going forward.   15-11: Ava Gaillon, Huntington St. Joe; Kendall Connolly, Point Pleasant; [player_tooltip player_id='379504' first='Haleigh' last='Crum'], Spring Valley; Jada Turner, Huntington; Avery Lucas, Lincoln County   10-6: [player_tooltip player_id='379526' first='Addie' last='Adkins'], Wayne; [player_tooltip player_id='388347' first='Mikayla' last='Stacy'] Wayne; [player_tooltip player_id='379497' first='Sophi' last='Aldridge'], Cabell Midland; [player_tooltip player_id='384100' first='Dria' last='Parker'], Spring Valley; [player_tooltip player_id='382709' first='Lacee' last='Smith'], Huntington St. Joe   5 [player_tooltip player_id='153413' first='Jazmyn' last='Wheeler'], Cabell Midland, PF, Sr., 6-1: Starting off the top 5 is a young lady who made huge strides in her defensive game these past three months: [player_tooltip player_id='153413' first='Jazmyn' last='Wheeler']. Where Wheeler had an offensive game ready for the big time, her capabilities on the other end usually got called into question. Not anymore. Fueled by the desire to become a full two-way player, Jaz took to cone drills among other footwork drills and now she moves well on the defensive end. Why is she No. 5 on the list? Well, the four girls above her play defense at a higher level at the moment. Making things more complicated, each one also has a more fluid game in terms of where you can put them on the floor. It is close between Jackson and her, but Jackson's athleticism and fiery attitude elevate her above Wheeler by just a few inches.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/Amara-Jackson-988x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-398993" width="183" height="190"/></figure>   4 [player_tooltip player_id='385771' first='Amara' last='Jackson'], Huntington, PF, Jr., 5-11: Jackson plays the game with a fiery passion - a love always showing on the court. No matter the opponent or situation, she brings 100 percent 100 percent of the time. Assigning her to guard Jaz Wheeler or Spring Valley's Hallie Bailey ends up resulting in the same effort with no loss of potency. Her agility and footwork keep her plastered on her assignment. Even the best players in the state are unable to get away from her grasp. She's just that sound in her defensive approach. Offensively, she may not have the 3-point game like Wheeler does, but she doesn't need it. Showing a certain comfort in the post, Jackson loves putting up and scoring the tough buckets asked of her. No questions asked. Of course, there's something to be said for Wheeler's ability to score from all 3 levels, but there's something also to be said about Jackson's high basketball IQ and unrelenting approach to the game. Don't misunderstand, now. Wheeler loves the game; she's shown that much in her first three years for the Knights. However, Jackson's IQ on defense ends up giving her an edge on defense.   3 [player_tooltip player_id='379522' first='Brooke' last='Adkins'], Wayne, PG, So., 6-0: So, what's better than a big who can step out and shoot the 3, rebounds and plays all positions, or a high IQ defender capable of shutting down the toughest players. How about someone that does both? Or [player_tooltip player_id='379522' first='Brooke' last='Adkins']. Yes. In at No. 3 is the breakout player from Wayne's run to a regional co-final and one of the most important players in the state in the Pioneer. Gifted with a nice floor vision and strength to pull off some sick passes along with a nice feel for getting in the lane, Adkins sits right where she needs to be as Wayne enters the season chasing a state championship. Even the harshest of critics would have a hard time finding something wrong with the summer Adkins had. While it's true that sister Addie closed the gap between them, she didn't close it entirely thanks to Brooke's hard work. Always finding some time to practice or shoot, Brooke enters the high school season owning a game built for a state championship run. She scores when she wants, handles the ball with a high IQ, and isn't going to hurt you with a dumb pass or ill-judged shot.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Daniels-1024x629.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426552" width="433" height="266"/></figure>   2 [player_tooltip player_id='384101' first='Allie' last='Daniels'], Spring Valley, PF, So., 6-1: Taking the No. 2 spot is the Timberwolves' Daniels. Capable of causing ruckus in the post, Allie brings a tough rebounding game alongside a scoring ability that in essence makes her a walking double double. Not the tallest nor the bulkiest post, Daniels is always finding a way to get the job done game after game as she creates points at all 3 levels and her long arms help her get rebounds unavailable to many players. Making her even more of a nightmare is her ballhandling ability. Though far from perfected, she can at least dribble around the perimeter and backdown her defender to get to the hoop. She can even bring the ball up the court from time to time. As far as a post player goes, that's more than you can ask for from many local posts. So, what separates her from Adkins? Is it the scoring, the height or her defense? None of those. It's her rebounding. While Adkins isn't asked to rebound, Daniels knack for pulling down boards creates extra possessions for her group and sometimes that can mean 15 or 16 more opportunities per contest. There's no avoiding that perk. None at all.   1 [player_tooltip player_id='153410' first='Jayda' last='Allie'], Cabell Midland, SG, Sr., 5-8: [player_tooltip player_id='153410' first='Jayda' last='Allie'] is the best player in the Huntington area. Hands down. Sorry, [player_tooltip player_id='384101' first='Allie' last='Daniels']. Sorry, [player_tooltip player_id='379522' first='Brooke' last='Adkins']. But when push comes to shove, Allie has shown time and time again that you want her on the court in the biggest of games. Save the arguments and the backchat. Are Adkins and Daniels capable of executing in crunch time? Of course. But Allie's been in a significantly bigger number of big games during her time as a Knight, and she's performed again and again. Take her groups win over Capital in the state quarterfinal last season? Against an athletic Cougars team, she showed up with big 3s and bigger steals. Each one helped bring the Knights closer and closer to victory. Then there's the fact that she's played alongside some of the best players in the country and soaked up some of the best basketball knowledge from the recently minted 17u UAA National Champions. Learning and possessing such value game knowledge, along with her own approach to the game and her firm clutch in the clutch put her at No. 1 on this list.

Joe's Note: These rankings are not a definitive statement of the talent in the state. Instead, they are meant to start conversation and drum up excitement for the upcoming season and for the talent in the city going forward.