Girls' basketball postseason awards

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Defensive Player of the Year:

Rayleigh Amis

While she spent much of her senior season developing into an offensive threat, Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis was a defensive stopper from the start.

Frequently used as the lone man-to-man defender in box-and-one defenses, Amis routinely guarded the other teams' top scorer, regardless of position.

At 5-11, Amis has the size to defend post players and the quickness to matchup with guards out on the perimeter.

"Her defensive effort was absolutely remarkable," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "I don't think there was another player who did more for their team than Rayleigh."

Because she was forced to defend the opponent's top player, Amis rarely had a chance to rest. She averaged nearly 30 minutes per game for the last half of the season.

Runner-up:

Taylor Clark, sophomore, Cloverdale.

Clark's length and head for the game put her in a consistently impactful position underneath the basket. Oppenents found it nearly impossible to score in the paint when Clark was prowling.

Sixth-man of the Year:

Taylor Stoltey

Taylor Stoltey

Greencastle was loaded with sophomore talent this season, leaving playing time short for Taylor Stoltey. She earned a good portion of minutes at the junior varisty level for the first half of the season before emerging as a key player for the Tiger Cubs down the stretch.

Stoltey played both guard and forward positions, using her speed and athleticism to contribute to the team in a variety of ways, picking out a new skill each night.

Though she started in the postseason, Stoltey spent most of the season coming off the bench to make plays in spurts.

Runner-up:

Brooke Cundiff, junior, South Putnam.

Cundiff was the Eagle's backup point guard, though she frequently spent time with the starters or began the second half on the court.

Cundiff had a calming influence on her teammates due to her kind demeanor and fiery aggressiveness.

Senior of the Year:

Leanna Masters

See Player of the Year story for details.

Junior of the Year:

Bethany Wiatt

Wiatt began the year as an offensive afterthought but gained confidence throughout the season.

As the Cougars point guard, she faced the difficult task of facilitating the offense of her teammates as she became North Putnam's most efficient scorer.

Wiatt finished second in the county in field goal percentage and was the Cougars' most-willing low-post scorer.

With the improvement she showcased during her junior season, Wiatt is poised to be a threat for Player of the Year next season.

Runner-up:

Alex Basile, Greencastle.

Basile's scoring took a step back as the Tiger Cubs' younger players emerged beneath her, but she displayed improved ball-handling and decision making from her All-County performance as a sophomore.

Her assists and steals totals both increased from last season and she led her team in both categories (2.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game).

Sophomore of the Year:

Jessica Lenihan

Greencastle won its sectional despite being exceptionally young. Four sophomores played heavey minutes for the Tiger Cubs, but Lenihan was the best of the bunch.

Lenihan led the team, and finished second in the county, with 11.5 points per game.

Though her defense has room to improve, Lenihan is capable of scoring in a variety of ways on the offensive end.

She has range out to 15 feet but when she needs a basket she lowers her shoulder and gets to the rim.

Her rebounding was inconsistent, but if she can improve on the glass Lenihan is the favorite to be the 2014 Player of the Year.

Runner-up:

Callan Taylor, Greencastle.

Taylor is an aggressive player who set the school-record for turnovers in a season this year.

Despite the mistakes, Taylor brings more to the table than she takes off it. She shot a team-high 36 percent from three, exhausted the opponents point guard with full-court pressure and scored 9.2 points per game, second on the Tiger Cubs.

Freshman of the Year:

Taylor Nauert

Taylor Nauert

While Taylor Nauert was the lone freshman in the county to receive notable playing time, North Putnam's center of the future likely would have been in position to get this title had there been competition.

Nauert has great size but plays with grace and athleticism that allows her to perform on the perimeter and in the post.

She began the season getting minutes primarily on the junior varsity team, but emerged as the Cougars' go-to offensive option in a number of games down the stretch.

Her rebounding and post-touches helped North Putnam's opponents stay honest.

Nauert will likely succeed Sam Lucas as the Cougars key offensive weapon next year.

Runner-up:

Katie Hewitt, South Putnam.

While she struggled to find consistency and playing time this year, Hewitt has an impressive basketball-mind and, when she was on the court, put her team in a position to succeed with her floor-spacing.

Hewitt failed to find her shooting touch this year but with the team's top-three scorers graduating, the Eagles will count on Hewitt to take up more of the offense next year.

Most Improved:

Amillia Nally

Amillia Nally

Nally is an incredible athlete but entered her senior year still learning to play basketball.

Installed as the Clovers' point guard, Nally was inconsistent but displayed abilities as both a scorer and passer.

Nally learned to play the point guard position with a pass-first mentality first, but maintained her aggressiveness.

She averaged more than three assists per game, top-five in the county, and was also third on her team in steals, points, rebounds and free throws.

Runner-up:

Bethany Wiatt, junior, North Putnam.

Wiatt's role in the Cougars' offense took a turn midseason.

While the team struggled to score against Cascade, Wiatt attacked the basket.

From that point on, she gained confidence and started working the ball in the post. Combining savvy and court-vision, Wiatt put together a solid finish to the year.

Congratulations to all the girls' basketbal postseason award recipients.

See the All-County team here.

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