Girls' State Hoops

[Norm Peterson]

Call me unimpressed with the Kissinger girls.  Nice players.  But not B1G caliber.  I said it in another thread, but any team that has that much talent should coast through the playoffs all the way to a state title.  In any class.  But especially in Class C or D. Seriously.  If they are that good, there shouldn't be anyone who could touch them.

 

Take all the D1 recruits in the state this year.  How many are there?  Probably not enough to fill two All-Star rosters.  Basically, they send a team of All-Stars out onto the floor every game.  I know they only lost once, in the finals, but it shouldn't have been a contest.

 

So far, the D1 recruits are 0 fer in state hoops today.  Maddie Simon's team went down too.  Now, Maddie was impressive.  Pius was nothing without her on the floor.  They simply couldn't score if she wasn't out there dishing assists or drawing defensive pressure.  And she was clutch.  Hit some really big 3s, made some very nice passes.  Great length at the guard spot and wow can she get up and down the floor.  Very impressed.

 

Now, one thing about Maddie's shot, you can really see why having a low release point matters.  She really had to have a lot of separation in order to even attempt a three (which forced her further out from the basket to about NBA range for a couple of those shots).  She'd be well served to try to draw the ball a little further back overhead so that she can obtain a higher release point so that the defense can't block her shot so easily.  And you simply cannot hit a mid-range jumper off the dribble if you have a low release.  So, work on that, Maddie. 

 

The other thing I'd like to see her add to her arsenal is a dribble drive.  Easier said than done.  We've been saying for years that Ray Gallegos needs to add dribble penetration to what he does and so far he hasn't.  But Maddie is still very young.  She has great tools and terrific athleticism.  She just needs to be able to take her defender off the dribble and get to the rim.  Preferably going either right or left.

 

Also, again this year, very impressed with the girl from Northwest.  Just a terrific all-around player with a great nose for the basket.  She will be awesome at UNK.  Very good player.

[huskerchode]

The Kissinger girls have played on the same club team with Jess Shepard for quite some time. And Jess gets a lot of attention on defense, leaving those girls with wide open shots under little or no pressure. I feel these girls have been over rated for quite some time. Nice girls, nice family, but I think there could be some struggles in college. Sadie Murren also played with them for a while, and she looked fantastic knocking down threes back then. But now she's at the end of her sophomore year and isn't getting a single meaningful minute.

Maddie will continue to improve and has better speed than a lot of girls we see in this state. She's not KK Houser fast, but she is definitely above average. I would like to see Chloe Akin-Otiko play tonight, will probably switch back and forth between the Husker game and Bellevue West game. No one in the state has Chloe's speed, and she gave Jess Shepard fits a year ago in the championship game. This year she may give Ibis fits.

[Norm Peterson]

OMG!!! Did you just see that jump shot Kiana Ibis just hit?  WOOOOOW!  She already has a couple of blocks.  She is holding down the middle on D.  Great physique.  Terrific size.  And that is one fantastic looking left-handed jumper.  Holy mackerel.  Wow.  Sign that girl now.

[huskerchode]

I really hope we get Ibis. She has an impressive list of offers, though, hard to turn down Stanford.

[swmckewon]

  We've been saying for years that Ray Gallegos needs to add dribble penetration to what he does and so far he hasn't. 

The irony is that Doc thought he could do that above anything else. 

[HuskerFan86]

I was thinking the same thing about Ibis! Her offensive game isn't developed at all, but she has a really nice looking jumper and plays fantastic defense. It's rare to see a high school girl elevate like that on her shot. I think she has all the tools to be a really good B1G player. I could see her developing into a smoother, more offensively dynamic version of Haillie Sample...defense stopper with length at the small forward spot.

 

Do we have room to sign Shepard, Simon, Ibis, and Lanie Page? If so, that's the best class Nebraska has ever signed and will have us winning B1G championships for years to come. Imagining a team with Theriot as a senior, Allie Havers, next year's freshman class, and the class of 2015 should make Husker fans VERY excited.

 

I also really like Chloe Akin-Otiko. I don't think Nebraska has ever signed a player from the Bellevue West program, men or women, even though they've produced 7 or 8 D1 players this decade. So I don't plan to get my hopes up too much that we will see her playing in a Husker uniform.

[huskerchode]

I like Akin-Otiko, too, and if she decides to play college basketball I would like to see her in a Husker uniform. BUT - I'm hoping she chooses track over basketball. She is such a special track athlete I would hate to see her step away from it.

[Silverbacked1]

Erick Strickland was a T- Bird I believe.

[Norm Peterson]

I like Akin-Otiko, too, and if she decides to play college basketball I would like to see her in a Husker uniform. BUT - I'm hoping she chooses track over basketball. She is such a special track athlete I would hate to see her step away from it.

Haha!  Go look at my comments at last year's girls' state tourney about her!  I called her as a 9th grader.

[Norm Peterson]

So, what are Ibis's measurables?  And what offers does she have?

[huskerchode]

I believe I heard them say Nebraska, Creighton, Arizona State, Stanford, and I can't remember the rest.

[HuskerFan86]

I don't think she actually has an offer yet from Stanford, just strong interest.

[Bugeaters1]

The Kissinger girls have played on the same club team with Jess Shepard for quite some time. And Jess gets a lot of attention on defense, leaving those girls with wide open shots under little or no pressure. I feel these girls have been over rated for quite some time. Nice girls, nice family, but I think there could be some struggles in college. Sadie Murren also played with them for a while, and she looked fantastic knocking down threes back then. But now she's at the end of her sophomore year and isn't getting a single meaningful minute.

Maddie will continue to improve and has better speed than a lot of girls we see in this state. She's not KK Houser fast, but she is definitely above average. I would like to see Chloe Akin-Otiko play tonight, will probably switch back and forth between the Husker game and Bellevue West game. No one in the state has Chloe's speed, and she gave Jess Shepard fits a year ago in the championship game. This year she may give Ibis fits.

Is she Laudermill fast

[huskerchode]

I would say Okin-Otiko is Laudermill fast. But Simon isn't as fast as T, but above average speed for a girl her height.

[HuskerFan86]

I don't think I've ever seen a Nebraska high school player block shots as easily and cleanly as Ibis. Even Hooper, Cady, and some of the best future NU volleyball players didn't block shots like that in high school. She dominates the game from the defensive end.

[Norm Peterson]

Hope we get her.  

 

And, from what they said on the TV, Akin-Otiko won the 100 and 200 at girls' state track meet last year as a 9th grader.  And I don't think she's slowed down since.  That's fast.  So, yeah, I'd say she's T fast.

[Norm Peterson]

One thing watching the Class A game that was just reinforced to me is how much Maddie Simon needs to develop a dribble drive game.  She has to be able to get to the rim so that people don't just close her out on shooting and basically silence her on the offensive end.  If she has it, she didn't show it tonight.

 

And I want the Huskers to get Ibis.  Very impressed.  Best player I've seen all day.

[huskerchode]

Akin-Otiko also won the long jump, and she set a state record in the 200. She was also Gatorade Track and Field athlete of the year.

Just remembered that Benson moves down to class B next year. Could we see a Benson vs Pius X final at state?

Akin-Otiko really needs to work on those free throws.

[huskerchode]

Ibis is a long jumper that has gone to state track the past few years.

[swmckewon]

So, what are Ibis's measurables?  And what offers does she have?

She's 6-2. I suspect it comes down to Creighton, Nebraska and maybe Stanford. 

[swmckewon]

Do we have room to sign Shepard, Simon, Ibis, and Lanie Page? 

Absolutely. NU graduates 4 next year (Cady, Sample, Laudermill and Jeffrey). 

 

It'd be a very good class. 

[DocSadler]

I also was not impressed with the Kissingers. Sure they can shoot, but that's all they did was jack up 3 pointers! Live by the 3.. Die by the 3. Too much talent to not win Class C. Connie Yori did not give the older two sisters much recruiting attention either.

I've been told that Ibis is leaning towards a west coast school but that was the rumor during a recruiting visit during Husker football season so things may have changed. She moved to NE from S Dakota as some of you know, so she isn't exactly a true Nebraskan. I would not be surprised if she looked elsewhere when she chooses a school. That being said I hope she picks Nebraska. It is clear that we are in good hands as far as guards go, however we can use some more depth in the post positions.

Congrats Jess on Gatorade POY... Again. Keep it up!! , She is playing with a new club team this summer I believe the All Iowa Attack. Should be interesting to watch her keep improving. Tough break for Fremont at State as they didn't have enough weapons to surround Jess to win.

Maddie scores the majority of her baskets on drives to the hoop Norm so I slightly disagree with you there. I agree her jumpshot has a low point of release but she already has a dribble drive in her bag of tricks. Now she just needs to perfect it and work on finishing the shot while playing through contact. She developed into an outside shooter this year and elevated her game to the next level.

The future is very bright for the Lady Huskers

[DocSadler]

One more thing: I had heard class of 2015 will be a 5 player class if we can get the right players.

We will have room, there will be 1-2 transfers after the season..

[huskerchode]

Any chance Brianna Craig transfers from KState to the Huskers?

[Norm Peterson]

Doc, I'm going by what I saw in the final.  Maddie appears to have pretty good touch/feel and can hit those distance shots, but her mechanics impair her ability to get the shot off even at the HS level.  It's a slow wind up and a low release and so she needs a lot of space.

 

In the finals, I did not see her attack (much) from the dribble.  She had some points in transition and some perimeter jumpers and that's where most of her points came from.  Still, I LOVE her length and athleticism at the 1.  She might not be uber quick but her speed and quicks are certainly adequate and her length makes up for what she might lack in quicks.  If she can work on fixing that jumper and improving her dribble drive (she should be able to get to the rim at will against this level of competition), she'll have an awesome senior year.

 

Ibis is a really good player who has a high ceiling.  Her physique is truly impressive.  Truly.  This is a girl who will be strong enough to battle college-level 4s down low and she can also shoot from the outside, making her a threat for the pick and pop.  To me, she was the most impressive player in any of the finals on Saturday.  Not necessarily from how she performed but just what her upside is.  I look at Kiana Ibis and I think about some of the bigs Connie has had and she blows some of them away athletically.  I think Coach Yori could take Kiana and develop her into a truly splendid player.  Very definitely an upper-level D1 caliber recruit IMO.