Jason Seamands isn't sure if Lexington Christian can win a fourth straight Touchstone Energy All "A" Classic this week.

But the coach does know that without star senior Sarah Beth Barnette the Eagles may not have even advanced to the small-school state tournament, which starts on Wednesday at Eastern Kentucky University.

"If Sarah Beth doesn't play well, we don't have a chance," he said. "You talk about pressure? She has to do it night in and night out."

The Eagles, who set a new state record for boys and girls by winning their third straight small school state title last season, graduated two big-time Division I signees from that team.

Without Courtney Clifton (Western Kentucky) and Anna Martin (DePaul), the Eagles have had to lean a great deal on Barnette, a 6-foot-2 swing player.

But you wouldn't know it to watch her play.

"She plays pretty relaxed and loose," Seamands said. "She's kind of laid back and carefree, so some of the pressure is rolling right off of her. She plays within herself. She plays with a ton of poise and confidence. She doesn't get rattled."

The University of Kentucky signee has scored 42.7 percent of her team's points this season.

That may have to increase after the season ended (to a torn knee ligament) recently for the Eagles' second-best scorer and leading rebounder.

Barnette is averaging 25.4 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Eagles, who have won 10 straight heading to Richmond.

Barnette also leads the team in steals (3.6) and blocked shots (2.1).

So far this season, she's making 51 percent of her shots, including 42 percent from three-point range, as well as hitting 77 percent from the free throw line.

Her pure shooting ability caught the eye of UK Coach Matthew Mitchell when Barnette was young.

But it was more than that, he said.

"It was a combination of tangible and intangible things that ... really drew us to her," UK Coach Matthew Mitchell said.

Barnette was just a freshman and sophomore when he was recruiting players like Clifton and Martin.

Barnette stood out to him even then.

"She was always really willing to play whatever role the team needs to play," he said. "If it wasn't scoring one night, I liked her aggressiveness on defense and her ability to rebound and she never let that suffer."

Seamands hopes Barnette will catch the eye of other coaches around the state under the bright lights of McBrayer Arena this week.

He'd like to see her more in the discussion for this year's Miss Basketball honor.

"I'm don't want to knock the other girls, but I don't know that many could be having a more complete year than Sarah Beth is having," he said.

In pre-season voting of the state's coaches, Barnette was fourth behind fellow seniors Samantha Drake (Nelson County), Antonita Slaughter (Louisville Christian) and Ebony Rowe (Paul Laurence Dunbar), who are all Division I commitments, too.

Seamands hopes exposure like the type a player gets at the All "A" Classic can help make up some minds.

"I hope coaches will vote based on performance and not prejudgments about what school a player goes to," Seamands said. "Coaches who have had to play against her know how dominant she can be. She can change a game."

The other three seniors are all averaging double-doubles or near double-doubles this season, including Ebony Rowe just across town at Dunbar.

The forward, who is putting up almost 20 points and 17 rebounds a game, has signed with Middle Tennessee State.

She recently broke her own school record for rebounds in a game with 29 against both Bryan Station and Madison Central on back-to-back nights.