7th Region Sleepers at the Mid-Season Point
There are so many great players in the 7th region. You could take the 3rd best player off of some of these individual teams and I could almost guarantee they would be a top 3 player in the entire region…
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Continue ReadingThere are so many great players in the 7th region. You could take the 3rd best player off of some of these individual teams and I could almost guarantee they would be a top 3 player in the entire region for at least half of the other regions across the state of Kentucky. Now, I feel it’s important to mention that the 7th region isn’t the only region in Kentucky that I feel that way about, but for this article, I feel it’s important to highlight some of the top players in the 7th region that deserve some recognition for what they are accomplishing this season.
Reagan Bender Reagan Bender 5'9" | SF Sacred Heart | 2024 State KY | Sophomore | SF | Sacred Heart
The reason Bender made her way onto this list is because she plays on a team that is absolutely loaded with talent which makes it hard to receive as much recognition as I feel she deserves. Bender can shoot the basketball at an extremely high level. She has such a quick release on her shot and can shoot it from anywhere on the floor. Despite the fact that she is just a sophomore, Reagan has definitely made a name for herself as one of the best shooters in the state and is easily a top 5 player in her class. Beyond being a top tier shooter, she can pass, dribble, and defend at a high level as well.
Angelina Pelayo Angelina Pelayo 6'3" | C Sacred Heart | 2024 State KY | Sophomore | C | Sacred Heart
Pelayo made it on this list for the same reason as her teammate above, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been absolutely dominating in her sophomore season. I mean she has the 4th best field goal percentage in the state and the only players shooting the ball at a higher percentage than her are all upperclassman. She’s strong, physical, and can move so well down low. I have been extremely impressed by her defensive ability as well, especially when it comes to blocking shots. Pelayo is a high level player all-around and I think she would be the best player on a lot of teams in this state.
Abigail Embry Abigail Embry 5'9" | SG Christian Academy Louisville | 2022 State KY | Senior | G | Christian Academy of Louisville
Abigail Embry Abigail Embry 5'9" | SG Christian Academy Louisville | 2022 State KY is one of my favorite players to watch play defense. She’s long, quick, and has great hands. Despite being a big fan of her defensive abilities, I was really impressed by her offensive skills when I got to watch her play this season. She has such a quick first step and can adjust her body around the basket to finish in ways most players aren’t able to, but she can also really shoot the ball. In fact, Embry’s shooting almost 40% from deep midway through the season. The senior guard consistently works to get her teammates involved on offense and will always pass up her own shot if a teammate has a better shot.
Destiny Jones | Sophomore | PF | Central
Jones has produced multiple double-doubles this season despite her team playing a really tough schedule thus far. She can elevate over other players to grab rebounds and she really has great touch around the basket. There were times on defense that she got caught having to guard someone at the 3 point line and it seemed like they were about to blow past her, but she somehow kept herself in a position to stay with them and block their shot. This would’ve been impressive if it happened once, but it has happened multiple times this season and I would expect it will happen multiple more times in her sophomore season as well.
Brianna Wilkins | 8th Grade | G | Eastern
Brianna Wilkins is averaging the 3rd most points per game in Kentucky and she hasn’t even started high school yet. As just an 8th grader, having all eyes on you whenever you’re on the floor would be very intimidating for a lot of young players, but Wilkins makes it look easy. She has great size and length, can score the ball at all 3 levels, and has great handles. She really can do it all already and her potential is through the roof, especially considering the fact that every time I have heard someone talk about Wilkins, the first thing they say is how hard she works. High level player.
Savannah Gardner Savannah Gardner 6'0" | SF Christian Academy Louisville | 2024 State KY | Sophomore | SF | Christian Academy of Louisville
It is impossible to not notice Gardner when she’s on the floor because she works harder than almost anyone I’ve ever seen every second that she’s out there. She can score in a variety of ways and because of that, she is a hard match-up for a lot of teams. If you’re defending Gardner, you’re not going to be able to take any plays off. The sophomore goes after every single rebound and has great hands defensively. She makes great moves to the basket, but if you play off of her, she can shoot the ball extremely well. In fact, Savannah is shooting over 40% from deep this season.
Amirah Jordan | 7th Grade | PG | Male
Jordan may be a 7th grader, but she’s a 7th grader who has the ability to mesmerize you when you watch her play. She’s a spark on both ends of the floor. What she lacks in strength, she makes up for in speed and skill. And I feel the need to mention that her strength doesn’t even come off as a weakness when she plays, she is just young so she’s still growing and getting stronger, but she’s already a high level prospect as is. She can handle the ball at an elite level, sees the floor really well, and can shoot the ball from deep – it truly is impressive to think about what Jordan is doing at the high school level as just a 7th grader.
Ellie Heid Ellie Heid 5'6" | CG Portland Christian | 2023 State KY | Junior | CG | Portland Christian
Heid is on this list because she plays at one of the smaller schools in the area and there just aren’t as many eyes on her games, but she will definitely catch your eye when you watch her play. She isn’t super big, but she is super quick, has really good handles, and can really put the ball in the basket.