Miss Basketball Thread

[etownsparky]

Class AA

 

Favorites:

 

1. Jenna Adams, 6-1 Senior F, McMinn Central

2. Kayla Biles, 5-9 Senior W, Upperman

3. Mackenzie Sells, 5-10 Senior W, Livingston Academy

4. Emily Sissom, 5-7 Senior CG, Cannon County

5. Kendra Williams, 5-7 Senior PG, Bolivar Central

 

Others to Consider:

 

- Keiona Kirby, 5-6 Senior SG, Liberty Tech. Magnet

- Maelyn Cutshaw, 5-9 Sophomore CG, South Greene

- Haley Felker, 5-8 Senior W, Harpeth

- Cara Bowling, 5-8 Senior SG, Elizabethton

- Ann Jones, 6-2 Senior F, Liberty Tech. Magnet

 

There are a lot of tremendous players in AA this year. This is certainly not all of them, but if I had to give the ten that have impressed me the most thus far this season, these would be them.

I believe Adams and Sells certainly belong on the top 5 list. I'm not familiar with the others, so I can't comment. I also agree C. Bowling deserves consideration. While Cutshaw is certainly a quality player for SG, she is arguably not even the best player on her team - maybe next year...

Edited January 27, 2011 by etownsparky

[GCPioneer]

Bball, I agree with you about muhammad from ridgeway. She's one of the top five best players in the state reguardless of classification in my opinion. I haven't seen her this year, but saw her quite a few times over the past few years and was extremely impressed every time. People in this area are big on tt flowers from lake co. She is the difference maker for lake co. I'm not sure if she wins it this year, but should be nominated. I believe carly daniel from wayne co. will get the class a ms basketball.

[GCPioneer]

Bball, I agree with you about muhammad from ridgeway. She's one of the top five best players in the state reguardless of classification in my opinion. I haven't seen her this year, but saw her quite a few times over the past few years and was extremely impressed every time. People in this area are big on tt flowers from lake co. She is the difference maker for lake co. I'm not sure if she wins it this year, but should be nominated. I believe carly daniel from wayne co. will get the class a ms basketball.

[3shooter09]

Love seeing three young ladies all from 8AA considered in the top 5.

Edited January 28, 2011 by 3shooter09

[wcfields]

Class AAA

 

This is the easiest of the classes in terms of picking a winner. However, it is the toughest class in determining who the other two nominees should be. The favorites for a nomination should be:

 

1. Shacobia Barbee, 5-11 Junior F, Riverdale*

2. Kyra Kerstetter, 6-0 Senior W, Brentwood

3. Caya Williams, 6-1 Junior C, Mt. Juliet

4. Basharra Graves, 6-2 Junior F, Clarksville

5. Isabelle Harrison, 6-3 Senior C, Hillsboro

 

Others to Consider:

 

- Hasina Muhammad, 6-1 Senior W, Memphis Ridgeway

- Shanice Cason, 5-5 Senior PG, Siegel

- Ashlee Mitchell, 5-5 Sophomore PG, Tennessee

- Danielle Ballard, 5-9 Junior SG, Memphis Central

- Hannah Goolsby, 5-10 Sophomore W/F, Cookeville

- Jessy Ward, 5-7 Senior CG, Clarksville

- Armeka Booker, 6-0 Senior F, Oak Ridge

 

There are several really good players in AAA, but I would have to rank Armeka Booker of Oak Ridge in the top 5. She doesn't have the usual supporting cast the team has had in the past 10 years, she adjusted to a coaching change after the best girls' coach in Tennessee retired at the end of last season. Still, she has taken the team on her back and even though Knox Halls and Campbell County were picked to win the district championship, Armeka just led the Cats to an 8 point win at Halls to take sole possession of the district lead. If they can come through tomorrow against Campbell County, it's very likely OR wins the district. Just give her a little more credit.

[ptguard12]

I have only three things:

 

1. The numbers beside the names of the players who I believe are the frontrunners is not an indicator of which of those five I believe should be the nominees. For example, just becuase Carly Daniel (Wayne County) is listed at the "1." does not mean I believe she is anymore of a favorite than say the person who is at the "5." I just numbered them and put the names down for those five spots. The numbers mean nothing. In hindsight, I should have put bullets beside those players names. The star beside Barbee's name indicates that I feel she should clearly be the winner.

 

2. In AAA, you could literally throw 15 - 18 players' names in a hat, draw three at random, and have three great nominees. AAA is very deep this year. There are three teams that have multiple girls that could get a nomination based on individual play (Clarksville, Riverdale, and Memphis Central). Barbee is a done deal in my opinion as far as a nomination. Those other two spots are up in the air, and any number of girls could get those two nominations. Muhammad should likely be in the favorites, but it was tough to choose five only (and I set myself to that limit). I am big on Kerstetter as the one performance I saw of her this season was absolutely unbelievable. Very few of us were aware of how special she is as a player as she was the best kept secret in Tennessee coming into this season. Could you replace her with Muhammad? Certainly.

 

3. Lastly, I take more into consideration a team's strength of schedule and the individual's performance against that type of schedule than I do a team's overall record. A great team can be made up of solid players at all five spots and have some depth on the bench. However, they may not have a "star" player. The best player in a class may not necessarily be on a team with a great record, and certainly may not be on a team that is "ranked" by the AP. A great example of this that comes to mind was Meredith Richardson at Bradford in both 2003 and 2004. Was Richardson the best player in Class A that year? It is debatable, but I believe so. Did her team have a great record in either of those years? Not even close, they were 13-19 in 02/03 and 11-16 in 03/04. She is a prime example of a great player on a not so great team that won Miss Basketball because of her individual accomplishments and performances, not her team's record.

 

Those of you who know me on here, know I see a lot of basketball year round. I see more teams and players than 99% of the people in Tennessee as I roam around watching whoever I want each night (I was at Hickman County and Page tonight) and I follow the AAU/Club ball scene every summer. These are my opinions and nothing more. Many respect them, but others could care less. Me posting who I think the favorites are won't have much of an impact. However, I have had four individuals so far this year with ballots who have e-mailled me asking for my input on players. Last year, I had nine. Keep in mind, these are only nominations people. A committee will sit down and look at all of the players nominated and decide who the three Miss Basketball nominees will be. Very likely, most of the players I mentioned (and some I did not) will be sent in on a nomination form. The committee will then decide on the three nominees. Some great players will get recognized, and a lot of other great players will be left off.

Edited January 28, 2011 by ptguard12

[MemphisHoops]

The top 3 players down here in Memphis in my opinion:

 

1. Danielle Ballard- Central

2. Aaliyah Whiteside- Central

3. Ariel Hearn- Arlington

[PHargis]

Much respect PT, but I'm surprised! I think senior Hasina Muhammad ranks better than an "also ran". AAU All-American, McDonald's All-American nominee, Auburn signee, offers from Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M, and a long list of others. 2010 All District, All Region and All State. Averaging 19 points per game with a game high 31 points against a 5th ranked Potters House team. Hasina is a fantastic young lady and a perennial honor roll student as well, with a 4.0 gpa. ESPN Ranked top 100 player, 2nd in Tennessee in her class... come on!

BBE, you may have done it already but put your list on this site so we can see your selections. What schools do your selections go to would help also. Nobody on here makes any decision as to ultimate winner. Others do the certification of the results. coacht T just collects some of the names.

 

I did find her and she goes to Ridgeway. A selection to go to Auburn means she had to go thru a selection process there. Don't know what an also ran might be but thats surely not her opinion. A 4.0 is a great feat. Potters House means really nothing nor does ESPN. If second in her class scholasticly in Tennessee, now thats really good. The only problem might be the young lady had no opportunity to be seen in the rest of the State with her school. Others would like to have seen her since she is a senior. She must be a fine person and qualified. Qualified people in the State always like to be seen as much as possible in the State.

Edited January 28, 2011 by PHargis

[JPII]

AA

* Any one of the ladies from Elizabethton. It doesn't look like they will be stopped this year.

[CCHSfan87]

AA---There are alot of exceptional players in this class. I don't know how a committee would actually pick but being from Cannon...of course my vote would be with Emily Sissom. Emily's career is very impressive. However, Emily as a young lady is also very impressive. Not sure if that plays into results from the committee or not but she is one of those kids that has so much more to offer than basketball. In watching Biles and Sells two others listed who are also in CC's district, Sells seems to be pretty level headed but Biles seems to have a little excessive attitude. She actually drew a fist against a girl in a game I saw her play. I'm not taking anything away from any of them because they are all exceptional players and on any given day we all have attitude but if looking at the person as a whole I would say Cannon's Emily Sissom would have to be in the top. Of course I'm sure those of you who know any of the others personally would have strong feelings about them as a whole person and not just an exceptional player. My vote would be 1. Emily Sissom, 2. Sells, 3. Biles....WOW what a district 8AA has.

[onthego]

AA---There are alot of exceptional players in this class. I don't know how a committee would actually pick but being from Cannon...of course my vote would be with Emily Sissom. Emily's career is very impressive. However, Emily as a young lady is also very impressive. Not sure if that plays into results from the committee or not but she is one of those kids that has so much more to offer than basketball. In watching Biles and Sells two others listed who are also in CC's district, Sells seems to be pretty level headed but Biles seems to have a little excessive attitude. She actually drew a fist against a girl in a game I saw her play. I'm not taking anything away from any of them because they are all exceptional players and on any given day we all have attitude but if looking at the person as a whole I would say Cannon's Emily Sissom would have to be in the top. Of course I'm sure those of you who know any of the others personally would have strong feelings about them as a whole person and not just an exceptional player. My vote would be 1. Emily Sissom, 2. Sells, 3. Biles....WOW what a district 8AA has.

I will agree with you on Biles. I have watched Mckenzie grow up and she is a great person off and on the court. I do not know Emily but I am sure either one of these two would be a great pick for Miss Basketball. Good luck to each of them.

[PANTHER2331]

AAA- Sophomore- Ashlee Mitchell from Tennessee High School. Broke the single season school record for steals as a freshman and fell 2 assists short of the school record as a freshman. This season- 14.5 ppg, 6.6 rbs, 4.1 assts, 4.5 stls.