Who is expected to stand out at the 1A-2 District Tournament?

The 1A-2 District Tournament has begun! This conference is one of the best in the 1A Classification, featuring top teams like Greers Ferry Westside and Rural Special. Those teams have double byes in this tournament and Viola and Norfork have single byes. Calico Rock, Shirley, Concord, and Timbo have all played in the first round, but let us take a look at one player from each of the eight teams who is expected to stand out amongst the rest.   Greers Ferry Westside Lady Eagles    [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] is the Lady Eagles' star center. She is a presence on both sides of the ball and her two-way play will be increasingly important in the district tournament.   Cossey is hard to keep off the glass. She uses her length and strength to position herself in the perfect spot under the rim. Her athleticism allows her to out-jump everyone else on the court, snagging every board she sees.   On the offensive end, she will back her defender well into the post, then she will turn and shoot a high-percentage shot. With Cossey's activity on the offensive glass, she scores a lot of second-chance points, racking up double-doubles with ease.   Greers Ferry Westside is full of talent, as they are about as close to a superteam as you can get in this classification. However, the way that [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] plays will be a deciding factor in this tournament.    Rural Special Lady Rebels    [player_tooltip player_id='465508' first='Rayleigh' last='Turner'] has been Rural Special's top player all season and I doubt that stops during tournament play.   Turner is a fantastic 3-point shooter. She is deadly off the catch but even better off the dribble. Turner is a shooting threat as soon as she crosses half court, because she can get into a groove by walking down and pulling up from distance. It is likely Rural Special will play Greers Ferry Westside in the district tournament championship, and they have already seen her light up the scoreboard as she had 29 points against them earlier this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='465508' first='Rayleigh' last='Turner'] will be leaving behind a legacy with Rural Special. The North Arkansas College commit has surpassed 1,400 points in her career, but she is not finished until her squad can get some hardware.    Viola Lady Longhorns    [player_tooltip player_id='877662' first='Taylor' last='Reese Richardson'] is one of the 1A classification's top young talents, averaging 18 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. She is a star for the Lady Longhorns and she looks to continue her great play in the tournament.   Richardson can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry. She is an inside-outside threat. She can drive hard to the basket and finish through contact, and she can step back to knock down a triple. The sophomore is a solid facilitator, as she keeps her eyes up, always looking for the open teammate.   The sophomore guard is a solid rebounder. She uses her 5'11" frame well, crashing the glass and soaring over the opposition. On defense, she jumps all over loose balls. If an opposing ball-handler is too loose with their handles, then she will swipe it away and start the fastbreak.   Viola will play Concord in the second round of the tournament tomorrow, so find a way to watch Taylor Richardson go to work.    Norfork Lady Panthers    [player_tooltip player_id='1090361' first='Maggie' last='Tyrone'] does not hesitate when she has a good look from outside. She is problematic for the opposition, and that will serve her and the Lady Panthers well as they are set to face Calico Rock on the 17th.   Tyrone recently had a great game against Izard County. She had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals along with 3 made 3-pointers. Defenses have to go out and contest her along the perimeter, as Tyrone has no problem dialing it up from way downtown. When she has an in-rhythm shot off the catch, she will knock it down regardless of the defensive pressure.   With her length, Tyrone is a solid rebounder and defender. She deflects multiple passes a night, often coming away with steals and triggering the fastbreak.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090361' first='Maggie' last='Tyrone'] is one of the better shooters in the 1A-2, and if she can get it going in their tournament game against the Lady Pirates, they have a good shot of winning.    Calico Rock Lady Pirates    [player_tooltip player_id='1192812' first='Kaidence' last='Cook'] is one of several players on this Calico Rock team who can be huge difference-makers when given the chance. Her play will be important if the Lady Pirates want to get past Norfork.   Cook had 11 points in the first round of the 1A-2 District Tournament against Shirley. She also starred in Calico Rock's late January victory over Concord, putting up 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.   In that contest versus Shirley, Cook was finding success when moving off the ball. She crashed the offensive glass, getting a putback to separate the Lady Pirates from Shirley early. Cook plays some solid defense as well, displaying her worth on the court as a solid two-way player.   [player_tooltip player_id='1192812' first='Kaidence' last='Cook'] has a bright future, but for now, Calico Rock needs her to have another solid two-way performance against Norfork tomorrow.    Concord Lady Pirates    [player_tooltip player_id='1192830' first='Laiken' last='Cornett'] had a solid performance in the first round of the 1A-2 District Tournament to lead Concord past Timbo, and she will need to repeat her efforts against Viola.   Cornett had 15 points last night in the victory. She plays well on both ends of the floor, with her defensive play often dictating her production on offense. Cornett had a similar performance against Shirley in late January where she had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. A lot of her offensive play came from forcing turnovers and taking them the other way.   She will step in front of a pass, reading plays like a book. Cornett uses her length to crash the glass as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1192830' first='Laiken' last='Cornett'] will be an important player for Concord as they look to make a push into the 1A-2 tournament. Keep an eye on this Lady Pirate team.    Timbo Lady Tigers    [player_tooltip player_id='1192824' first='Mallory' last='Mosley'] led the way for Timbo in their loss to Concord in the first round. Despite the loss, the senior guard finishes her Tiger career on an individual high-note.   Mosley put up 19 points against Concord. When she gets the chance, she can absolutely light it up from beyond the arch. She had multiple games this season with 2 or more triples, causing problems for the opposition. The guard does not hesitate if she has a good look off the catch, draining shots with or without a significant defensive presence around her.   [player_tooltip player_id='1192824' first='Mallory' last='Mosley'] was one of the top shooters in the 1A-2 this season, and she did her part keeping Timbo within striking distance against Concord.    Shirley Lady Blue Devils    It was a long season for the Lady Blue Devils, finishing with just a singular win on the year. They closed out the year against Calico Rock in the first round of the district tournament with a loss. Despite that, Akayla Rocha had a productive game.   Rocha put up 13 points in the loss to Calico Rock. Over the course of her career in Shirley, she has had plenty of success. She is a solid defender who can force multiple turnovers a night. Rocha can also light it up from beyond the arch when given the chance.   Akayla Rocha leaves Shirley basketball after a solid career and they will be searching hard for a player who can replace her two-way output.    The 1A-2 District Tournament will continue until the 21st, and there are some great games on tap for tomorrow. Norfork faces Calico Rock at 4:00 PM while Viola takes on Concord later that day at 6:30.   Rural Special will play the winner of the Viola and Concord game, and Greers Ferry Westside will play the winner of the Norfork and Calico Rock game. Make sure to find a way to go and check out these teams and their impactful playmakers.

The 1A-2 District Tournament has begun! This conference is one of the best in the 1A Classification, featuring top teams like Greers Ferry Westside and Rural Special. Those teams have double byes in this tournament and Viola and Norfork have single byes. Calico Rock, Shirley, Concord, and Timbo have all played in the first round, but let us take a look at one player from each of the eight teams who is expected to stand out amongst the rest.