Kentucky’s Top Returning Scorers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I was looking through the KHSAA stats, I noticed that 5 of the top 10 scoring leaders from last season have now graduated. I pulled the stats for the top 15 scorers that are returning this season, and I wanted to look at and discuss those players a bit. There were also some interesting numbers that I found in my research, so I wanted to first point out 5 of the consistencies I saw and then I'll get into the players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li><strong>Rebounding is important!</strong> 8 of the 15 leading scorers also led their team in rebounds last season. Out of the 7 that did not, 4 were the 2nd leading rebounders on their team, and the remaining 3 were their respective team's main ball handler (and they still averaged 2.5-6.5 rebounds per game).</li><li><strong>With more shot attempts comes more scoring opportunities.</strong> I know this is an obvious statement, but when you look at the numbers, it's impossible to deny that this is a major factor. The numbers truly speak for themselves: 3 players took 300-400 shots. 8 players took 400-500 shots. 3 players took 500-600 shots. 1 player took 600+ shots.</li><li><strong>However, you also have to be able to make those shots.</strong> All 15 players shot 40+% overall. While that number isn't great, these players are <em>at least</em> hitting 4 out of every 10 shots they take. The average field goal percentage is 48.5%, so majority are hitting nearly half the shots they take. 2 players shot over 60%, which placed both of them in the top 5 for overall field goal percentage last season. Shot selection is key.</li><li><strong>Become a consistent outside shooter.</strong> 12 of the 15 leading scorers last season shot 30+% from 3. The 3 players that shot under 30% did not take nearly as many attempts on average (2 of them averaged only 1 attempt per game). If you can't shoot 3's, don't just try to force up outside shots, but it is definitely beneficial to work on becoming a consistent outside threat.</li><li><strong>Get to the free throw line!</strong> 10 of the 15 players shot over 70% from the charity stripe last season. However, what stuck out even more than percentage was how many free throws were shot. The <em>least</em> amount of free throws taken by any of these players last season was 128. Majority shot around 180-200, which means they're getting to the line at least 3 times (for 2 attempts) every game.</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those were the biggest takeaways I got from looking through the numbers and similarities/differences, so if one of your goals is to become a top scorer in the state, I highly recommend keeping those things in mind as you go into this upcoming season. Now, we're going to look at some of those players, starting with the top 7 leading scorers going into this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e43e48b781","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["173759"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The Belmont commit is the state's leading returning scorer going into this season. Last year, Feltner led Lawrence County to a 27-8 record while racking up 26.9 points per game. To truly put into perspective how incredible that accomplishment alone is, that means that Feltner scored nearly 1,000 points in a single season. Unless the KHSAA record books are missing some stats, there have only been 10 players to score 1,000+ points in a single season in the history of Kentucky girls basketball. Her 372 free throw attempts are the 3rd most attempts in a single season and her 275 free throws made are the 7th most in KHSAA history.rnrnFeltner is a strong and tough guard that can score on just about anyone. What is most impressive about her overall game is how hard she plays and how hard she works on the court. You won't find many players that crash the boards and fight for rebounds the way that she does. In fact, she nearly averaged a double-double last season, falling just short at 9.2 rpg. Feltner is one of the most efficient and versatile scorers I've seen. She can score inside or out and she can score in a variety of ways. If you give her looks around the basket, she's going to score or get fouled. She can knock down shots at the mid-range level or extend beyond the perimeter. She has a good looking shot and if she can get her outside shooting percentage back up to where it was her sophomore year, I think she'll easily average 30+ ppg and 10+ rpg throughout her senior season. Regardless, I have a strong feeling she's going to add even more accolades to her already impressive list come March 2023.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["376791"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Wilkins is the youngest on this list as she is only a freshman this year, but the talented young star finished as the state's 3rd leading scorer last season as an 8th grader. If you just look at her numbers on paper, they would be impressive even if she was a junior or senior. I mean she shot just short of 50% from the field, 30.6% from 3, and 71.3% from the free throw line while averaging 25.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg. When you consider that teams put a sharp focus on stopping Wilkins along with the fact that she faced a few really tough teams (including 3 teams that made it to the KHSAA Sweet 16 last season), it is even more crazy to think about what she was able to do on the court night in and night out. Wilkins has a lot more talent surrounding her this year at CAL, but she was still able to help Eastern finish with their best record since the 2018-19 season at 17-11.rnrnWilkins is a long, versatile player who has all the skills needed to be successful. She can elevate over defenders to score on them from anywhere on the court, but she can also get to the hoop, finish floaters, and knock down outside shots. She just plays her game when she gets out there and it's really entertaining to watch. As I mentioned above, she will have a lot more talent surrounding her this year, but I only see that helping her overall game. Will she be able to take as many shots as she did last year? Well CAL graduated their leading scorer who had a similar number of shot attempts last season and Wilkins can certainly fill that void in their offense this season. Only time will tell, but Wilkins will definitely be a player to watch for the next 4 seasons.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["167101"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"I may be wrong on this, but at least from what I saw, Trinh was the primary ball handler for Greenwood last season, so a point guard making this list is impressive in itself. Even more so when you're the 3rd leading returning scorer in the state. Trinh also finished as one of the top 50 free throw leaders in the state after shooting 77.7% from the charity stripe last season. Her ability to score at all 3 levels makes her a tough defensive assignment. She is a crafty and fearless player who not only creates scoring opportunities for herself, but also for her teammates.rnrnTrinh has good handles and good speed. She can shoot the outside shot with deep range and she shoots it at a high percentage (35.3%). She's not typically the strongest player on the floor, but that doesn't stop her from getting buckets around the basket. Trinh can finish tough shots and she can score in a variety of ways inside of the perimeter. However, despite how well she can score, she is also an excellent passer. In fact, she racks up quite a few assists in every game she plays in. Trinh should remain on this list for the next 2 seasons based on what she's done thus far.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Jamaya Chenault","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Frankfort","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Chenault is an All-Region player for a reason. I mean she was not only one of the state's leading scorers last season, but she also had the 2nd best field goal percentage in the entire state last year. Chenault is a big point guard which leads to a ton of mismatches. She has strong handles and she's not going to let you easily steal the ball from her no matter who she has guarding her. She's also stronger than 99% of the players that guard her. Chenault is an excellent rebounder as well, so she's going to make you work on both ends of the floor.rnrnChenault averaged an impressive double-double last season - 23 ppg and 11.3 rpg. Her 11.3 rebounds per game actually were tied for 14th best in the state, so she was one of the very few players that finished in the top 15 for u003cemu003emultipleu003c/emu003e statistical categories. She has great touch around the rim and she can finish tough baskets. One area she can improve in throughout her senior season is her free throw shooting. Chenault definitely can knock down free throws, but adding more consistency can only improve her stellar numbers from last year.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["199611"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Christian has a ton of skills and will be looking to finish her high school career with a bang this season. That being said, if I had to pick only one thing that makes Christian stand out, I would have to go with her passing ability. The way she sees the floor and delivers passes to her teammates is incredible. The fact that she can get buckets all game long is an added bonus. Throw in her defense and ball handling skills, and it is easy to see why she has had so much success at East Jessamine.rnrnChristian is a crafty finisher and she can finish through contact. She finishes on both sides of the rim and in the paint. She also can stretch the defense with her ability to knock down outside shots. In fact, she shot 33.7% from 3 last season. Chenault has strong handles and a really quick first step as well. She makes hustle plays, can block shots, and reads the passing lanes well. She also consistently crashes the boards and could even end up averaging double digit rebounds this season. It's not surprising to see Chenault's name in multiple statistical categories at the end of any game she plays in. If she can knock down shots and free throws more consistently this year, she could easily average 30+ ppg this upcoming season.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["167099"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"If I'm being honest, Steele is always one of my personal favorites to watch because she truly does u003cemu003eallu003c/emu003e of the little things. With her talent level, it would be so easy for her to get away with not doing some of the things that require pure effort on the floor, but that's just not her attitude at all. She is a team-first player through and through, and yet, she is one of the state's leading scorers which speaks volumes to the kind of player she truly is. If Steele can create for her teammates, she is going to do it. She is an excellent passer and she can throw some absolute dimes through traffic. She really crashes the boards well, especially for a guard. Steele can also handle pressure extremely well with her strong handles and high basketball IQ. Defensively, she can be a lockdown defender and she stays ready to get out into the passing lanes for steals.rnrnAnd I guess since this is an article about the leading scorers returning, I should also mention that she can really put the ball in the basket at a high level. Steele finishes shots at the rim even when it looks like there's nothing there. She can hang in the air and shift her body to finish in really tough situations. Steele can score at all 3 levels and she does it at an elite level. She can knock down 3's from deep range and she shot nearly 40% from 3 last season so she's consistent. Steele was the lone player on Russell's team last season that averaged double digit points, and yet, she helped them finish with an impressive 26-6 record.rnrnu0026nbsp;","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["200350"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Guess does a little bit of everything when she steps on the court and there is certainly a reason why she is a 3x All-Region player. She should hit 2,000 career points early this season which is impressive in general, but especially impressive when you consider that she's playing in a region in which 9 of the 15 teams finished with a winning record last season. She truly works out there and she does a great job of staying in control on the offensive end, which only helps her get more scoring opportunities. Guess can handle the ball and she uses both sides of the floor so well. Her basketball IQ shines when you watch her play.rnrnGuess has a knack for getting into the paint or to the rim, no matter how many defenders she has to get past to get there. Her mid-range game is really strong as well. She can pull up from anywhere on the court, so her versatility definitely makes her tough to defend. When she gets into the paint, she does such a good job of staying in control. Guess uses jump stops effectively and when she shoots it, she isn't just throwing the ball at the basket. She really looks for the best scoring opportunity possible. When she draws fouls, she knocks down free throws as well. She also knocks down outside shots consistently. Outside of simply putting the ball in the basket, Guess does a good job of staying with plays and following her shot. She also recognizes mismatches and can post up if the opportunity presents itself.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101aa2acf0e"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Final Glance</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll discuss the remaining 8 players later this week, but here is a look at the averages from the 7 players above and where they finished last season:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li>[player_tooltip player_id='173759' first='Kensley' last='Feltner'] - 26.9 PPG (Leading scorer last season)</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='376791' first='Brianna' last='Wilkins'] - 25.1 PPG (#3 last season)</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='167101' first='Leia' last='Trinh'] - 23.1 PPG (#7 last season)</li><li>Jamaya Chenault - 23 PPG (#8 last season)</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='199611' first='Jermyra' last='Christian'] - 22.3 PPG (#10 last season)</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='167099' first='Shaelyn' last='Steele'] - 21.9 PPG (#11 last season)</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='200350' first='Taylor' last='Guess'] - 21.2 PPG (#13 last season)</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->