2025 All-Freshman Superlatives
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The class of 2025 has so much talent and they showcased that talent all season long. Now, they’re showcasing it for college coaches as they are kicking off their travel seasons. Before we get too deep into this next chapter,…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2025 has so much talent and they showcased that talent all season long. Now, they’re showcasing it for college coaches as they are kicking off their travel seasons. Before we get too deep into this next chapter, I wanted to give out some awards to the 2025 class for their performances with their high school squads this past winter. There will be 11 total superlatives – the 5 in this article are more offense-related awards and the next 6 will be more focused on the defensive end. That article will be posted by the end of this week.
A couple of things to note: while some players could have earned multiple superlatives, only one was given per player. Please keep in mind that these are just for fun and they are based solely on the talent I got the chance to watch play this year.
MVPs
The most valuable players are the players that every single opponent focused on shutting down and yet, they still dominated all season long. These players will not only play at the highest level in college, but they will make it to the professional ranks if they want to. They are top-ranked players not just at the state level, but at the national level as well.
ZaKiyah Johnson ZaKiyah Johnson 6'0" | SF Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY | Sacred Heart | Kentucky Premier 17U EYBL
I can’t remember a time where a freshman accomplished the things that Johnson was able to accomplish in her freshman season. To name a few of those accomplishments, she won Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year award, MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year, won a KHSAA State Tournament Championship and was named the MVP of the tournament, and she was picked 1st Team All-State in every news outlet across the state. You put her against players much older than her and she still looks like the more experienced player because she is that talented. She can play any position on the floor. She can score on anyone almost at-will. She rebounds well, she makes good passes, and she does everything with such consistency.
Leah Macy Leah Macy 6'3" | PF Bethlehem | 2025 State KY | Mercy | Kentucky Premier 17U EYBL
While Johnson’s accomplishments were incredible, what Leah Macy Leah Macy 6'3" | PF Bethlehem | 2025 State KY did in her freshman season at Mercy is also really special. The KHSAA has 5 individual statistical categories in which you can see the top 50 players across the state and it is continuously updated throughout the season. While there were a couple of players that found their name in 3 of the individual categories, Macy was the only freshman I could find that finished the season in the top 50 in 4 of those 5 categories. She finished 6th in rebounds per game and in field goal percentage, 22nd in points per game, and 28th in free throw percentage. Macy attempted less than 2 shots from the 3-point line per game, so it would’ve been impossible for her to make it into the 5th category, the top 3-point field goal leaders, but she still shot the ball at a rate that was over 30% from deep on the season, so with more attempts, she probably could have found her way into that category as well. She could rely on natural skill and still be successful, but she works extremely hard every second she’s on the floor which only adds to her dominance.
Best Scorer Award
The Best Scorer Award is pretty self-explanatory: an award for the best overall scorer. This means they can score in a variety of ways and they do it all at a high percentage. Other teams try to stop them from scoring and they still consistently put the ball in the basket.
Peyton Bradley Peyton Bradley 5'9" | CG Meade County | 2025 State KY | Meade County | Kentucky Premier 16U EYBL
I could’ve justified giving Bradley almost every award, but I ultimately settled on this one because she is not only a phenomenal shooter, but she makes putting the ball in the basket look easy no matter how she scores it. She’s got excellent range and a quick release on her shot. Her form is excellent. She’s constantly putting herself in the right positions. She draws fouls and is a great free throw shooter. She basically can score in any way you could possibly think of. The numbers Bradley produced are further proof of her scoring ability as she finished the season as the state’s #1 3-point shooter, while also finishing 10th in free throw percentage, and 29th in points per game.
Sharp Shooter Award
The Sharp Shooter Award is given to a consistently high percentage shooter. The winner of this award is a player that likely hears “she’s a shooter” from the opposing bench multiple times throughout every game because if you leave her open, she’s going to knock it down.
Karmin Riley Karmin Riley 5'7" | CG Owensboro Catholic | 2025 State KY | Owensboro Catholic | Kentucky Premier 15U EYBL
Riley is a fantastic player, but she can really knock them down from 3. She finished 16th in the state in 3-point field goals made while shooting nearly 40% from deep. She doesn’t need much time to get her shot off and she can shoot it off the dribble or catch. She has great court awareness and since she can get to the rim or pull-up from anywhere, she can be a match-up problem for opposing teams. Although she is earning this award for her outstanding shooting ability, Riley gets numbers in just about every statistical category every time she plays and could have earned multiple of these superlatives if I hadn’t limited it to one per player.
Floor General Award
The Floor General Award is essentially the best point guard award, so it goes to a player who really facilitated their team’s offense. The winner of this award is a strong ball handler, passer, and leader.
Skylar Waller Skylar Waller 5'7" | PG Marshall County | 2025 State KY | Marshall County | Kentucky Premier 15U EYBL
Waller is just so poised and comfortable with the ball. She threads the needle perfectly and makes some phenomenal passes. She is an excellent shooter and driver, so defenses have to focus on stopping her, but the second help steps over, she knows where to find the open player. She’s got a high basketball IQ and excellent floor vision. Waller really has all the skills you would want in your point guard and although she just finished her freshman season, she facilitates the offense like a veteran would and shows zero fear. Waller was also the state’s top free throw shooter this year.