“Duh”: Looking at five Class AAA players playing up to the hype

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>PARKERSBURG - If anyone were to ask about these five girls and their performances through the beginning of the season, the easiest response to the question "Did they do what we know they can do," would be duh. Just duh. No additions or explanations needed. You wouldn't even need to bring up the "Well, kinda but here is where she didn't excel," "She could be better than this, but overall solid," or the dreaded "Meh" explanations or exasperations. Just duh will do: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='379522' first='Brooke' last='Adkins'], Wayne, PG, 6-0, So.</strong> - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='379522' first='Brooke' last='Adkins']</strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooke-adkins/"></a> is the Wayne County Pioneers' leader. At least, right now. Following countless hours in the gym over the summer, she's repeatedly risen beyond her sophomore status into the ranks of a senior. “She just leads, it is like she's a natural at it,” <strong>Makayla Stacy</strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/mikayla-stacy/"></a> said. Spreading across the opening parts of the season are a plethora of examples – lessons that just can't be ignored. When anyone on the team makes a mistake, she's right there to show them she makes them, too. And, it's OK. “It's really freeing when you have your leader coming up and telling you that,” Stacy said. Yet, it doesn't end there. When the team needs her to take over the scoring load, she's there with a “Can Do.” And when she's out in front leading the Pioneers' wicked zone defense, you can bet she's showing everyone just how far their arms should stretch and how fast their feet should move.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='375427' first='Sophie' last='Nichols'], Ripley, SG, 5-11, Jr.</strong> - [player_tooltip player_id='375427' first='Sophie' last='Nichols'] wanted to help steer Ripley to a state tournament berth way back in November. She wanted to help her group make history by any means necessary. Nichols wanted to help score, if that is what it took. Nichols wanted to help lead, if that is what it took. Well, so far, so good. Ripley sits smack dab in the Charleston hunt as Nichols sat in the thick of things throughout December. Not only has Nichols accomplished her goals, but she's done it over a consistent basis. More often than not, Sophie combined all four of her goals into a single goal for every game, and it came out on the court just like that. She hasn't been deterred and she hasn't been stopped. In every game the Vikings have played, she's done exactly what she set out to accomplish. Sometimes, one aspect may stand out a little more than others, like her scoring, but in the end everything is there, all the time. On the season, she's averaged 16.7 points on 48% shooting with 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496346' first='Kenly' last='Rogers'], East Fairmont, SG, 5-7, Jr.</strong> - [player_tooltip player_id='496346' first='Kenly' last='Rogers'] knows how to make the best of what talent she has been gifted. Oh yes. Tell her she can't do something, and she's going to find the best and most efficient way to make it happen to the best of her abilities. Perhaps it wouldn't be the way others would do it, but who cares. Her shot works for her. Her attitude works for her. Her approach works for her. Over and over again, she pushes herself consistently higher as her Bees look for a state tournament appearance after a hot start. She herself currently owns averages of 14.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153426' first='Olivia' last='Toland'], North Marion, SG, 6-0, Sr.</strong> - Olivia's game doesn't look the same as it did during the state tournament last March. Not even a little bit. Slotted into a new role with the departure of several key players, the Husky made adaptations for the better. Now, or at least in December, she's no longer the kid who looked to shoot first, but she's made the extra pass, and dribbled in from the 3-line if it meant a higher chance for her to score. In short, she's transformed her game to meet the needs of her team, and it's paid off. She still scored at a high-clip in the opening month, but her other stats rose across the board, as well (i.e. 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.8 steals and nearly 2 blocks for game). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153429' first='Taylor' last='Maddox'], Nitro, SG, 5-7, Sr.</strong> - When you talk about one of the top scorers in Class AAA, you can't forget about [player_tooltip player_id='153429' first='Taylor' last='Maddox']. She has the ability to put the ball in the basket from just about anywhere in the half court. She's having a standout senior year, too. So far, she's been the go-to scorer for head coach Pat Jones as the Wildcats are right back in the thick of the state title conversation. There's only been one contest where she hasn't scored in double-digits, but in the loss to PikeView she still helped get her teammates the ball with six assists. Overall, there's been no drop in her ability or on-court effort even after she signed with West Virginia State University. Her month stat totals read thusly after one month of the season: 16.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.9 steals per contest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='379526' first='Addie' last='Adkins'], Wayne; [player_tooltip player_id='342224' first='Ava' last='Edwards'], Nitro; McKennan Hall, Ripley; Ashlynn Riley, Lincoln; [player_tooltip player_id='398436' first='Halle' last='Crouse'], Logan; [player_tooltip player_id='382865' first='Emma' last='Elliott'], Liberty; [player_tooltip player_id='384095' first='Kynna' last='Britton'], Sissonville; [player_tooltip player_id='379486' first='Avery' last='Childers'], RCB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->