Herald-Leader 11: Names to know in 11th Region girls’ basketball this season
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2021-22 High School Basketball Preview
The Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com is publishing season preview stories leading up to the start of the 2021-22 high school basketball season on Monday, Nov. 29. You can read everything we’ve published to this point by clicking on this drop-down list. All of the stories are also available in our print and e-editions.
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The 2021-22 Kentucky girls’ basketball season is scheduled to tip off Monday. Here are 11 of the best players, in alphabetical order, playing for teams in the 11th Region this winter as put forth in a survey of region coaches.
Anaya Brown, Lafayette (Sr.): Brown, a 6-1 guard/forward committed to Tennessee-Martin who also runs track and cross country, led the Generals with 17.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. Coach Allison Denton said Brown can guard any position on the floor, shoot into passing lanes as well as block and alter shots. As for her offense, “she understands how to get to the rim and how to create her own shot, and she makes the other four players on the court better.”
Aziah Campbell, Paul Laurence Dunbar (Sr.): Campbell, a 5-9 guard who earned second-team all-city honors last year, has offers from Spalding and Spoon River College and is gaining interests from more, Coach Nick Runyon said. She averaged 10.1 points and four rebounds per game. “Aziah is a strong lead guard with dynamic ability to get into the paint off the bounce and has excellent defensive skills,” Runyon said.
Nevaeh Carter, Franklin County (Sr.): Carter, a 5-6 guard who has brought energy and intensity every year since eighth grade, averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Flyers last season. Playing alongside last season’s Miss Basketball, Brooklynn Miles, Carter was second on the team in assists with an average of four assists and two steals per game.
Kylee Dennis, Sayre (Jr.): Dennis, a 5-11 guard and first-team all-city player, averaged 23 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Spartans. Coach Bart Bellairs calls her “maybe the best transition guard in the state.” Injured in the offseason, her return date has not been set. She has received an offer from Bellarmine.
Maddie Kauffman, Tates Creek (Sr.): Kauffman, a 5-5 guard, has committed to to play at Lindsey Wilson. She led the Commodores in scoring last season, averaging 15.3 points per game, and made a team-high 42 three-pointers on 111 attempts, a rate of 37.8%. She scored 28 points with five three-pointers in an overtime win against Lafayette in the 43rd District championship.
Patience Laster, Franklin County (Sr.): Laster, a 5-9 forward, was named 11th Region tournament most valuable player last season after a nine-point, 16-rebound game in the finals. Laster has led the Flyers in rebounding every season since eighth grade and has more than 1,300 points and 1,000 rebounds for her career. She averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds as a junior.
Kenady Tompkins, Scott County (5th-year Sr.): Tompkins, a 6-0 guard/forward, returns for another senior season for the Cardinals after averaging 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game a season ago. She will be the focal point for the Cards attack again this season. “Everything we do, the ball will have to touch her hands,” Coach Steve Helton said.
Katherine Truitt, Lexington Catholic (Jr.): Truitt, a 5-10 guard, led the Knights in scoring and rebounding with 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, respectively. Also a decorated defender on LexCath’s soccer team, Truitt “is one of the toughest competitors I have ever met,” Coach Lee Tegt said. “She impacts the game in multiple ways and on multiple levels.”
Allison Wallace, Frederick Douglass (Sr.): Wallace, a 5-9 guard forward, earned second-team all-city honors and averaged a team-high 14 points per game last season while also grabbing 7.4 rebounds. “She shoots the ball really well, and people don’t talk about it a lot, but she’s a great rebounder, too, and she’s a great leader out there,” Coach Daryl Moberly said. Wallace recently announced her commitment to West Alabama.
Lauren Walton, Lafayette (Sr.): Walton, a 5-6 guard, averaged 11.2 points per game, shot 37.5% from three-point range and made a team-high 85.9% of her free throws. She has offers from West Alabama, DePauw and Midway. “She can knock down threes and she has a great pull up jumper,” Coach Denton said, adding Walton also is “a calming presence on the court when things become too fast and our team is out of sorts. … She is a great coach on the floor.”
Timothi Williams, Great Crossing (Sr.): Williams, a 5-8 senior guard, led the Warhawks with 15.4 points per game last season. “Timothi is very athletic and a great defender,” Coach Glenn Wilson said. “She shoots the three ball very well and can get to the rim anytime — a great leader.” She has offer from Notre Dame College.
Others nominated — Berea: Madison Howell, Madison Howell, Chelsea Lovins; Bryan Station: Tania Woodall; Frankfort: Jamaya Chenault; Franklin County: Jhaven Meade; Great Crossing: Rachel Smith, Ava Schurman; Henry Clay: Allison Stone, Kennedy Williams; Lafayette: Olivia Cathers; Madison Central: Bailey Hensley; Madison Southern: Reece Estep; Scott County: Emma Price; Tates Creek: Alisce Lyvers.
Methodology: The 11th Region’s 19 coaches were asked to rank the 10 best players in the 11th Region. The list reflects the players put forth by the nine coaches who responded to the survey.
2021-22 Season Preview
This is the seventh of eight stories the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com is publishing in the coming days previewing the 2021-22 high school boys’ and girls’ basketball seasons, which are scheduled to tip off Nov. 29.
This story was originally published November 28, 2021 at 1:56 PM.
