Top Small School Duos in Southern Illinois
In this article I will explore some of the top duos in 1A and 2A in Southern Illinois. This list is not based on scoring only. In some cases there may be more than two top players to a team…
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Continue ReadingIn this article I will explore some of the top duos in 1A and 2A in Southern Illinois. This list is not based on scoring only. In some cases there may be more than two top players to a team and I will make the selection based on who I think deserves the recognition. On teams at this level, two strong players can be enough to make a strong tourney run.
Jeniah Thompson and Abbey Crain are now seniors and have been a big part of the program at Carterville for the last two years. As the starting point guard ( Crain) and leading scorer ( Thompson), they provide the direction and leadership for a 16-1 2A championship contender. Jeniah averages 14 points and 8 rebounds while Abbey averages 12 points and 4 assists per game. Jeniah has a very strong frame that she uses well in the paint to get her shots. Abbey is a true leader and point guard that does a great job of pushing the ball up the floor in transition.
Sarah Isaf and Jenna Gates are both seniors for another great 2A contender in Paris. Paris 19-0 so far and is a likely candidate for the number one spot in the latest AP poll. Sarah has returned from a knee injury her junior season. She can shoot it coming off screens or off the bounce. At 6ft she has the height to shoot over the top of smaller players and get clean looks. Sarah is leading the team scoring 17 per game. Jenna is stat stuffer. She averages 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 7 assists every game. It is very common when Paris needs a bucket for Jenna to be passing to Sarah to get the shot they want.
Jillian Hamilton and Rachel Holthaus have formed a great 2022 duo at Pana. These two are consistently the top scorers for a 15-6 team. Jillian is a 5’11 forward that leads the team in scoring at 14.9 per game. Jillian also gets 8.9 rebounds per contest. She is an elite athlete that has a huge upside. Rachel is an up and coming 5’6 point guard. Rachel handles the ball well in pressure and sees the floor well. She averages 3.5 assists and also 9.1 points per game. Rachel has some nice hesitation moves she uses to spin and get into the lane to score. Watch out for this young duo.
Rylee Pickett and Megan Hallemann are both seniors at Greenville. Rylee is a guard that excels as a spot up 3 point shooter. She has taken over some of the ball handling chores this year and is trying to score more off the bounce. She has improved in those areas but is still deadly off the catch and shoot. She is averaging 12 points per game and has already made 40 threes. Megan is a 6’4 post that excels on the defensive end of the floor. She is blocking 5 shots per game and getting 9 rebounds. Greenville encourages you to drive at Megan as she affects many more shots than she blocks. On the offensive side Megan is also averaging 12 per game. She has a reliable shot in the paint and will keep getting better as she improves her strength to get position and handle contact better.
Bree Portz and Emily Smith are a pair of guards from Marissa. Smith is a 2021 and Ports 2022. Bree is scoring at 17.6 per game and Emily at 13.2. Bree is shooting at a 50% clip for the season while Emily has taken more threes and is shooting at a lower 39% rate. Both stuff the stat sheet with Smith getting 5 rebounds and 3.5 steals and Portz 3.6 assists and 4 steals per game. Marissa is having another good season at 13-4 and can expect to continue to stack wins over the the rest of this year and next year with this talented guard duo.
Shannon Lampe and Claire Toennies are two 2020 wings that are leading Mater Dei to another good season. Both girls are averaging 13 points per game to lead the team. Both are shooting over 75% from the line and are shooting 6 free throws per game. They know how to play in the system and get their shots. Both can hit the 3 but it is not a major part of their game. Lampe is extremely athletic and excels on the defensive end too. Both gather right at 5 rebounds per game and Lampe also brings 3 assists and 4 steals per game to the team. Mater Dei looks to be a contender to make a tourney run in 2A this year.
Adrenna Snipes and Abby Williams are 2022 players for Alton Marquette. Snipes is well known to many in Southern Illinois after being named small school player of the year by the Alton Telegraph as a freshman. She can do it all on the floor for Coach Green. She averages 19.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 5.4 steals per game. She is excellent at getting into the lane and converting shots with her quickness and jumping ability. Williams is also in her second year of starting and has picked up her scoring this year to provide a reliable second option for the Lady Explorers. She is shooting 48% from behind the 3-point line and scoring at 10.5 per game. Abby leads the team in rebounding at 6.4 despite being an undersized 4. On most teams Abby would play more of a 3 but is a versatile and tough enough to be used anywhere she is needed.
Ashlyn Sturdy and Allison Campbell are 2020 guards from TCSV. Ashlyn has been an All State player and one of the top guards in Southern Illinois the past two years. She will likely finish her career with over 2,000 points and over 500 rebounds, assists and steals. She is leading her team again this at 20.3 points per game. Not only is Ashlyn an excellent all around player, she does a good job of being a leader. She works well with Campbell who is a 3-point sniper. She has 50 threes already this season and scores at 10 per game. Together they also form one of the best defensive combinations in the area. These two will hound ball handlers and force numerous turnovers.
The season is inching towards tourney time and these girls will certainly have something to say about who advances out of the southern area in 1A and 2A.