Queen of the Commonwealth: Day One Standouts
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I could legitimately probably include 25+ different players in this article because there was that much talent in the building. However, I wanted to narrow this down to one player from each team I got to watch Tuesday and I…
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Continue ReadingI could legitimately probably include 25+ different players in this article because there was that much talent in the building. However, I wanted to narrow this down to one player from each team I got to watch Tuesday and I am going to try to leave off any seniors that are already committed to play at the next level. Please keep in mind that I was flipping between gyms throughout the night, so I got to see some teams more and some teams less, and I didn’t get to watch the four teams that played in the last game(s) of the night. However, here are the players that really stood out to me on day one of the Queen of the Commonwealth.
Bradley never disappoints when I watch her play. When she releases the ball, I just assume it’s going in and am shocked when it doesn’t. Give me her shooting over anyone. Off the dribble, off the catch, on the move… she can straight up put the ball in the basket at a high level. It amazes me when I see all of their opponents focus on stopping her because her ability to create shots or make good passes to her teammates is even more clear and makes it clear how special of a player she is. I don’t care where she ends up committing, whatever school lands her at the next level is getting an absolute steal.
Highlights
Kylie Clem
Kylie Clem
Clem was a huge part of Corbin’s comeback attempt in the 2nd half of their game on Tuesday. She was finishing shots around the basket, she was coming up with steals and rebounds, and she was making good passes. She made great cuts to the basket and her teammates not only recognized that, but clearly trusted her to make a play when they needed it most. She also knocked down shots further out and consistently played with a lot of toughness.
Mikee Buchanan
Mikee Buchanan
Everyone needs a Mikee Buchanan on their team. She is definitely the kind of player who can be described as a “glue player.” That was true last year when they made it all the way to the state championship and it is still true this season. She is very solid on both ends of the court and does all of the little things that might not always show up on the stat sheet (her stats are very strong too though). The Mustangs graduated some key players and had some question marks going into this season, but they have truly proven that they still have a very tough team.
Benningfield was doing a little bit of everything, but I was so impressed by her work on the offensive boards. She was constantly working to grab rebounds off the rim and she did a great job of finishing tough baskets in the paint and at the rim. She was also handling the ball well and making good moves to get past the defense. I didn’t get to watch a ton of this game, but Benningfield was impossible to not take notice of even in that short period of time.
Barren County was very undersized in their 1st game of the tournament, playing one of the longest teams in the state, so the way they continued fighting until the end was impressive. Varney was definitely the bright spot for the Trojanettes and she really kept them in the game in the 1st half that I got to watch. She was scoring in a variety of ways, making good passes, really working hard to get open, and crashing the boards hard.
Highlights
Good luck to anyone that has to try to go against Frazee down low. She is an absolute force in the paint, using her strength to hold off defenders and finishing so well around the basket. She has excellent hands and she reads defenses well. She’s a strong rebounder and a good passer as well. Sometimes you see post players that try to shoot it every time they get the ball down low… not Frazee – she is so smart about when to take it and when to kick it. She also finished with a double-double.
Highlights
Tinelli was able to contribute in just about every way possible in Bullitt East’s win on Tuesday. In the limited time I got to watch their game, she came up with steals, nailed a 3, distributed the ball to teammates, and grabbed some rebounds. Her speed and ball handling skills were on full display. She reads the passing lanes so well defensively and was involved in so many different ways offensively.
Highlights
Madisonville got off to a rocky start, but Sword’s skillset was still very clear in the loss. She was making nice moves to create space from her defenders, and she wasn’t afraid to attack the defense. She has shifty ball handling moves and really uses her body well to shift the defense. Her shots weren’t falling in the limited time I got to watch her team play, but her shot looked smooth and she wasn’t hanging her head after a miss. Made good passes and got into the passing lanes defensively.
Miles was definitely the difference maker for her team in their first game of the tournament. She led them in scoring and on the boards, finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds. She really competed from start to finish, no matter how much her team got down. I loved the intensity she played with on both ends of the court and how hard she crashed the boards, despite her team being pretty undersized down low. She also went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Carter is so quick and she does so many valuable things on the court. From steals to assists to scoring, she impacts the game in a big way. By the time I got over to her game, her team was already up by a pretty good amount. Instead of taking plays off or slowing down, she was playing with the same intensity you would expect in the start of the game. She made it very difficult for the defense to stay in front of her and once she got a step on them, she simply made good stuff happen, creating well for teammates.
Noel is most definitely a glue player and there’s no question why she holds a number of D1 offers. The freshman plays like an experienced vet, constantly making the right plays. She’ll give up a good shot for herself if it means getting her teammate a great shot. She has excellent court vision and is a true 2-way player. Noel can knock down 3’s or get to the rim on top of her ability to distribute and make plays. She’s a truly special player.
I was really impressed by the way Randolph impacted the game in ways that went so far beyond scoring. I knew she put in some serious work in the off-season, but it was so clear watching her play. Defensively, she constantly got her hands on the ball, coming up with multiple deflections and steals. She was also getting into the passing lanes for steals. She was elevating to block or alter shots and to grab rebounds. Randolph also had a really nice finish over a defender with good length.