Opening Day Standouts at the IHSA Girls State Finals(1A) – Game 1

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The state finals always bring a different environment, and in the 1A class, especially, many of these players are evaluated through livestreams and film throughout the season simply because those programs are often farther from where I'm usually covering. Getting the chance to finally see them live on the biggest stage of the year adds another layer to the evaluation, and day one of the IHSA Girls State Finals did not disappoint. Win or lose, several players made their presence felt when the lights were brightest. Below are six players who stood out on opening day.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1796685"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a960c59bfcb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>Murphy plays with a strong sense of confidence, and it shows up in the way she impacts the game from possession to possession. Her length at her size is a huge piece of why she does not need many dribbles to get to the rim when she decides to drive, and it also allows her to extend the court when she lets it go from beyond the arc. There is a natural pace to how she operates. Nothing rushed, but always under control. When a player is putting up 20 points per game, regardless of how they get it, it speaks to a level of consistency, and her pace of play matches that production. If the next level is what she decides on, she has the type of game that can bring some real heat to a program.</em> | 18 pts, 8 rebs, 6-7 FT</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1796675"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a960c59be4e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>Hope has all the intangibles of a standout player in her area, as well as the state, and it shows in how she carries herself on the floor. Her length, frame, and solid ball handling skills allow her to operate from all areas of the court, which is a big reason she notched 1k points before coming into this game. Offensively, she can impact the game in multiple spots, and defensively, she can hang her hat on blocking ability. The potential is there, and with the tools she already brings to the floor, her game continues to trend upward.</em> | <strong>8 pts, 5 blks, 5 rebs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1796676"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a960c59beab"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>Easily one of the favorite players that I watched today. Brown has a certain flair and aura to her game that is loud, but she backs it up. Early on, she had some big moments in the first half that swung this game and helped set the tone. The confidence shows in how she approaches each possession. You can tell there is not a moment when she is not ready.</em> | <strong>8 pts, 6 rebs, 2 stls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1796723"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a960c59bf12"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>Multiple times throughout this game, Henry came up big for her team. From the start of the game, she showed up on the boards, where she made her presence felt early. As the game went on, she had some crucial finishes at the rim that shifted the momentum each time her team needed it.</em> | <strong>16 rebs &amp; 11 pts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1320444"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a960c59bf6f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>Kassing has been the go to scorer for this program all year (20 ppg). This game took her out early due to foul trouble, but she still found a way to fill out the stat sheet. On the court, she was used as a decoy at times and made key assists that kept her team in the game. Games like this are what coaches at the next level want to see. If your scoring is not working, what else can you do?</em> |<strong> 9 pts, 5 ast, 3 stls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1796763"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a9cadbbb3d0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><em>If you jump straight to the scoring column to find a player, you will miss out on players like Olivia. No attempts in this game, but she made her presence felt in every possession. She was a big problem on the boards and defensively stopped a ton of plays from happening at the rim. A glue type of piece that can really change the outcome of a game. </em>| <strong>9 rebs, 3 blks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->