The concensus front runners are Mathies and Rainey.

 

It isn't close with those two compared to the Jones kid. She is a good high school player but the other two kids are waaayyy better players.

 

I don't know about waaayyy better, but I agree Jones is more of a dark horse candidate compared to the other two, and it would be a surprise if she were to win it.

Mathies is in a league of her own. Rainey and Jones are great players, and I think right now Jones is the third best player in the state behind Mathies and Anna Martin, with Rainey being the fourth best player.

I really never get to see Mathies or Jones play but it would be hard to believe Martin and Clifton from LCA are not right up there in the consideration.

Anna Martin and Courtney Clifton of LCA have had great years also but being on the same team I would think it would split the votes.

I think Martin and Clifton are phenomenal players. I think they are right in that second tier with Jones behind Mathies and Rainey.

Im sorry, my above post came off worse then I intended. Tolliver hasn't really drawn any consideration because outside of the 8th region (and the northern Kentucky area) Tolliver is an unknown. She hasn't done a lot to help herself by way of exposure (at least I dont think). I'm not sure she plays AAU ball or attends any of the recruiting camps. Simon's only shot on the big stage last year, Tolliver may have had her worst game in two years. Her numbers aren't extraordinary either. Don't get me wrong, 20ppg and 5rpg are nice stats, but they don't make her stand out either. A lot of kids score 20 a game (and the best scorers are even over 30) so that's not helping her cause. As far as the defense thing goes, that is a lot harder to judge. A good defender is a lot of times "unoticed" by the large majority who may only see SK once or twice a season. If I'm not mistaken Ponzer usually draws the toughest defensive assignment for SK (at the guard position anyway). I know Ponzer was on Greenwell when they played E-Town.

 

Anyway to sum, she really hasn't done herself any favors by not playing AAU ball or trying to get her name out there through camps or other areas. Her high school stats don't really make her stand out among the others either. When you combine all that with the low coverage girls high school sports get anyway, it's easy to see why Tolliver isn't recognized as one of the top few players across the state.

 

 

She will get her chance this week, and I expect she will do very well, but in the end she isn't the same calibur player as those names being thrown around for Ms. Basketball right now. But that's just my opinion, I guess a lot of that is in the eye of the beholder......

 

Thank you for furthering your explanation. I just like to know how the thought process works. Sometimes in our own world, we are a little sheltered and it is hard to see the big picture so, we will enjoy watching Tolliver and others play.

Is Mathies any relation to the former Male player?

To clear things up about Tolliver, she played for the same aau team since she was 10. She quit that team about half way through her last season. That team has won the aau state tournament the last 4 years in a row. 13's,14's,15's, and 16's. I have personally talked to 4 D1 college coaches who offered Chelsea a scholarship. The closest school was just over 5 hours away and she didnt want to be that far from home. She has had a stellar high school career scoring around 2300 points and playing as good as defense from the guard position as anyone in the state.

I personally have seen each of the aforementioned players at the high school and aau level. I watched several of these girls at aau nationals last year and can tell you at 5'5 Tolliver is as good if not better than all these girls, not taking anything away from the others as they are all special players.

IMO if LCA goes deep in the tournament Clifton or Martin would either one have one of the top spots. There are many great 2009 players and have raised Ky girls basketball to a new level!!

Good luck to all the young ladies in the state tournament !

To clear things up about Tolliver, she played for the same aau team since she was 10. She quit that team about half way through her last season. That team has won the aau state tournament the last 4 years in a row. 13's,14's,15's, and 16's. I have personally talked to 4 D1 college coaches who offered Chelsea a scholarship. The closest school was just over 5 hours away and she didnt want to be that far from home. She has had a stellar high school career scoring around 2300 points and playing as good as defense from the guard position as anyone in the state.

I personally have seen each of the aforementioned players at the high school and aau level. I watched several of these girls at aau nationals last year and can tell you at 5'5 Tolliver is as good if not better than all these girls, not taking anything away from the others as they are all special players.

IMO if LCA goes deep in the tournament Clifton or Martin would either one have one of the top spots. There are many great 2009 players and have raised Ky girls basketball to a new level!!Good luck to all the young ladies in the state tournament !

 

 

Why did Chelsea quit her final season of AAU ball? I am very surprised by that.

 

2300 points and still counting too!

 

Class of 2009 did seem to have a lot of very talented guards across the state!

To clear things up about Tolliver, she played for the same aau team since she was 10. She quit that team about half way through her last season. That team has won the aau state tournament the last 4 years in a row. 13's,14's,15's, and 16's. I have personally talked to 4 D1 college coaches who offered Chelsea a scholarship. The closest school was just over 5 hours away and she didnt want to be that far from home. She has had a stellar high school career scoring around 2300 points and playing as good as defense from the guard position as anyone in the state.

I personally have seen each of the aforementioned players at the high school and aau level. I watched several of these girls at aau nationals last year and can tell you at 5'5 Tolliver is as good if not better than all these girls, not taking anything away from the others as they are all special players.

IMO if LCA goes deep in the tournament Clifton or Martin would either one have one of the top spots. There are many great 2009 players and have raised Ky girls basketball to a new level!!

Good luck to all the young ladies in the state tournament !

 

No one knows better than you IBALL...just curious, what schools offered? I have to assume so, but was her HS coach aware of these offers?

Im sorry, my above post came off worse then I intended. Tolliver hasn't really drawn any consideration because outside of the 8th region (and the northern Kentucky area) Tolliver is an unknown. She hasn't done a lot to help herself by way of exposure (at least I dont think). I'm not sure she plays AAU ball or attends any of the recruiting camps. Simon's only shot on the big stage last year, Tolliver may have had her worst game in two years. Her numbers aren't extraordinary either. Don't get me wrong, 20ppg and 5rpg are nice stats, but they don't make her stand out either. A lot of kids score 20 a game (and the best scorers are even over 30) so that's not helping her cause. As far as the defense thing goes, that is a lot harder to judge. A good defender is a lot of times "unoticed" by the large majority who may only see SK once or twice a season. If I'm not mistaken Ponzer usually draws the toughest defensive assignment for SK (at the guard position anyway). I know Ponzer was on Greenwell when they played E-Town.

 

Anyway to sum, she really hasn't done herself any favors by not playing AAU ball or trying to get her name out there through camps or other areas. Her high school stats don't really make her stand out among the others either. When you combine all that with the low coverage girls high school sports get anyway, it's easy to see why Tolliver isn't recognized as one of the top few players across the state.

 

 

She will get her chance this week, and I expect she will do very well, but in the end she isn't the same calibur player as those names being thrown around for Ms. Basketball right now. But that's just my opinion, I guess a lot of that is in the eye of the beholder......

 

So basicly what you are saying is that she didn't play AAU (which has nothing to do with school ball IMO) and Coach Stowers didn't let her score 40 a night in blowout wins so she would average 30+ and 10 boards. Okay I get it now.:irked::irked:

So basicly what you are saying is that she didn't play AAU (which has nothing to do with school ball IMO) and Coach Stowers didn't let her score 40 a night in blowout wins so she would average 30+ and 10 boards. Okay I get it now.:irked::irked:

 

Having 30-40pt blowouts in 1/2 your games probably doesn't help much either. I'm sure they determine the competition each of these kid's are playing against on most nights. Way too much stock put into scoring points.

If I read these correctly and take it all in, I would say that Miss Basketball has great stats AND her team winning against the best competiton (State tournament should provide that) is what it takes.

 

Based on that, I would say the Matheis girl would be the winner. Rainey has great stats, and has for several years, but her team did not make it past first round of districts and I cannot remeber what her team did last year. Last year Tia Gibbs was behind Monique Reed, who led in both scoring and rebounding her junior year and was second her senior year, in most conversations about Miss Basketball until the state tournament but we all know how that turned out.

 

Both Martin and Clifton are phenomenal guards but will have a tough time beating out Matheis. Jones is not in that tier IMO - she is a nice player and does have the team success to go with it. If they have a good run and win the whole thing- who knows.

 

As for Tolliver, she is a nice player, has good stats, and had success with her school team being at state two consecutive years. Unfortunately, the 8th region is not a high-ranked competitive team/player talented region. You can be the best player of your region, which she is this year, no one to give her any competition for that award (maybe Fultz from Anderson Co.), but to be the best player in the state? There are some very talented players ahead of her-IMO. I will say that Whitney Ballinger, Carroll Co, was mentioned as a Miss Basketball candidate when she was a senior back two years ago and I wondered then how she got consideration or who threw her name in the hat. IMO if Ballinger was in the mix, I can see why you think Tolliver should be.

 

I too would like to know who decides who is a candidate - is it just assumed or is there a committee that does that?

So basicly what you are saying is that she didn't play AAU (which has nothing to do with school ball IMO) and Coach Stowers didn't let her score 40 a night in blowout wins so she would average 30+ and 10 boards. Okay I get it now.:irked::irked:

 

 

 

because she didn't play AAU people don't really know who she is, it has nothing to do with the award. If Simon had won the Lex Cath tournament or something like that it certainly would have helped her cause. Unfortunatly the 8th region has hardly been a power house for girls basketball the last several years and people don't pay a lot of attention (outside the region, anyway).

 

 

I think if you watched the top players/teams in the state on a regular basis you would understand why she gets overlooked. Mathis and Rainey are on a whole other level, as well as the jones kid from Etown.

You are right Miss KY doesn't mean much. We had a memeber of our guys team get snubbed as well. But you know he probably wouldn't trade that State Tourny MVP for Mr. Basketball. Go Chels and kick some tail!!!!