Conference Rankings: Can anyone unseat Baird from atop the LKC?

Joe's Note: These rankings are not a definitive statement on the talent in the conference. Instead, they are meant to start conversation and drum up excitement for the upcoming season and get people talking about the competition.   PARKERSBURG - What makes the Little Kanawha Conference the premier small school league in the Mountain State?   Its players, of course.   While legendary coaches dot the league, their job isn't on-floor execution. No. Instead, that gig falls to the players on the floor, and boy do they do it well. In fact, they regularly execute so well that it isn't unheard of to see four or five players each appear on first and second all-state teams. There's just no sportswriter capable of avoiding witnessing their strengths and stand out performances with many groups regularly making deep runs in the regional tournament or usually playing for multiple days at the state tournament. Those appearance simply strengthen the conferences grip on those spots by leaving instant positive impressions on those who see them play.   Try saying that about any other group of schools in the state and you would have to jump up to Class AAAA and the Mountain State Athletic Conference and Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. impressive company for sure. No other group, perhaps the Big 10 comes close. Having said that, here are the top 15 players currently leaving little question as to the LKC's status:   15-11: Bayley Frashure, Gilmer County; Jocelynn Yeager, Calhoun County; Deborah Hardbarger, Parkersburg Catholic; [player_tooltip player_id='434594' first='Jocelynn' last='Thorn'], Parkersburg Catholic; Maddie Hall, Roane County   10-6: [player_tooltip player_id='728512' first='Mary' last='Tokodi-Ruth'], Parkersburg Catholic; [player_tooltip player_id='382604' first='Hadleigh' last='McGoskey'], Ravenswood; [player_tooltip player_id='391467' first='Breanna' last='Price'], St. Marys; [player_tooltip player_id='153414' first='Brilynn' last='Florence'], Parkersburg Catholic; Faith Mason, Roane County   5 [player_tooltip player_id='371597' first='Addison' last='Davis'], St. Marys, CG, So., 5-8: Addie Davis comes in at the No. 5 spot. At least for now. After a summer of consistent improvement, Davis enters the high school season as an indispensable player possibly coveted by many if not all LKC crews.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/Addie-Davis.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-398356" width="250" height="167" /><figcaption>St. Marys' Addie Davis</figcaption></figure>   Splash her on a team and watch her study and quickly become acquainted with her teammates' strengths and weaknesses. What spawns from her observations is a combination of art and strategy. She executes when she wants, and dishes out assists whenever she likes. Or she uses all her gathered information to take over and score herself, which always makes for a valuable piece of game play. In other words, there's very little she can't do.   So, if she is so valuable, why is she in the fifth spot? Simple. Experience. The four players above her are veterans in the Little Kanawha Conference and possess more complete games than the Blue Devil. Not to spoil the surprise, but the top four regularly appear in the discussion for best LKC players, while Addie is just getting there. Seeing as all four are also seniors, it won't be long before Addie sits atop the conference, though, with her unique blend of leadership and scoring.   4 [player_tooltip player_id='379481' first='Abby' last='McDonough'], Doddridge County, SG Sr., 5-7: Taking our No. 4 slot is the undisputed leader of the Doddridge County Bulldogs: [player_tooltip player_id='379481' first='Abby' last='McDonough']. Blessed with great athleticism and an accurate shot, McDonough simply excels at making life hard for her opponents. Whether it's an inside shot, driving to the rim, or her feared 3-point bomb, there's always something to worry about with McDonough. Even running her off the 3-point line doesn't stop her from making something positive happen for Doddridge County. She'll try teammate Emily Gola. She'll try teammate Carrie Lloyd. She'll even try to penetrate and put something up at the rim with the hope to make it to the free throw line. There's no end to what she's willing to do for her team.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/Zoe-Davis.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-398357" width="263" height="175" /><figcaption>St. Marys' [player_tooltip player_id='371590' first='Zoe' last='Davis']</figcaption></figure>   3 [player_tooltip player_id='371590' first='Zoe' last='Davis'], St. Marys, W, Sr., 5-8: Watch out for the Number 3 player on our list, [player_tooltip player_id='371590' first='Zoe' last='Davis']. One year after going through an ACL tear recovery, she's looking like her old self. When the lights come up, she shines. When the games get tough, she gets tougher. There's simply nothing fun about facing this young lady one on one. In a game where strength opens up many different abilities, Davis possesses plenty of new tools from hours in the weight room.   And she plans on bringing every facet of her game to the forefront of the league. She really took her injury hard and worked overtime in her recovery efforts. During the process, she found a new shooting form and gained the always valuable coaches' eye while watching games from the bench.   Adding those new and improved qualities into an already strong and smart player makes maker her capable of making life hard on those trying to keep the Blue Devils from a date with Wyoming East in the Class AA state championship game. You really don't want to be on Davis' bad side when she decides to go off. In Class AA, where one or two big time performances can mean the difference between a win and a loss, allowing Davis to beat you isn't advisable.   2 [player_tooltip player_id='153427' first='Rebekah' last='Rupert'], Ritchie County, C, Sr., 6-1: What places Ritchie County's talented post player at the No. 2 spot on this list? Is it her scoring ability? Is it her rebounding? Or is it her endless double-double potential?   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/12-10-20-RC-Rupert-1100x738-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-378008" width="202" height="265" /><figcaption>Ritchie County's [player_tooltip player_id='153427' first='Rebekah' last='Rupert']</figcaption></figure>   None of those.   Rather, she sits as the second-best player in the conference thanks to one big thing: Her versatility. Though her Swiss army like talents have been mentioned plenty of times in other articles on this site, it can't be overstated just how valuable her ability to getting off the block can be. It is immense. She offers so many different options for head coach Dave McCullough to turn to during a game. If an opposing coach throws a quicker guard on her in an effort to stump her down low, then she'll simply dribble around her defender or take her off the dribble.   And with her 6-foot-1 stature and strong body, that matchup often winds up in a win-win for Rupert. Even if she doesn't score, there's bound to be a mismatch somewhere else on the floor, one that Rupert can often see and exploit thanks to another great part of her game: Her passing. She really never hurts her team when in a bind.   As a big, she sees more, and whips passes around at lightning quick speed to her teammates. If they miss the shot or give it back to her, the process can start all over again and in a game where there's no shot clock, it really becomes a matter of time before something good happens for Ritchie County. By leaving Rupert with enough time, she's going to make a play. She's that talented and strong and all of this is why she's the No. 2 player in the LKC.   1 [player_tooltip player_id='153421' first='Sydney' last='Baird'], Webster County, CG, Sr., 5-7: Baird is the best player in the Little Kanawha Conference's East Division.   Coincidentally, the same thing goes for her overall placing in the entire LKC.   If you did not see this coming, then you haven't been paying enough attention. No one else in the league combines her mix of leadership, scoring and clutch play. Not Rupert, or McDonough or the Davis twins. Try as they might, there's no catching the Highlander. Simply put, Baird's standing alone. Now there is nothing wrong with those four players and their overall games, quite the contrary. Each one appears on this list because they stand out and have the proven track records for placement. Baird's simply taking her game a step farther.   Above the others is a higher level of player where traits blend together seamlessly, and attack and execution happen effortlessly. That's where you find Baird. She never shrinks from the big moment and simply lives for the next play then the next play then the next play. That usually means she's looking for one of her numerous ways to score, which creates big problems in itself.   As different as everyone is on this list, Baird does something the others struggle to at times: She creates her own shot. With that comes a freedom that simply can't be matched on the offensive end. Being able to spoil a D's best laid plans simply can't be understated, with Baird performing the feat with ease. Her ability to read defenses sets her up for a possibility of attacks, and then she uses every option at her disposable during every attempt. It's part of what makes her so deadly. That chance to always keep you opponents guessing creates confusion and panic, and Baird feeds off of it. Yet, her game doesn't end there ... she's a performer in the clutch. During AAU summer ball with the OV Dragons, she hit not one, not two, but 3 game-winning buzzer beaters while playing point guard and often assuming a natural scoring role. You don't often get a point guard as clutch as that on just one team. There's certainly something to be said for all those traits together in a player. Combine those traits with everything else she has, and you have what could be one of the most talented scorers to come out of the LKC in a long time coming in at the No. 1 spot.

Joe's Note: These rankings are not a definitive statement on the talent in the conference. Instead, they are meant to start conversation and drum up excitement for the upcoming season and get people talking about the competition.