Video: Highlights of Duncanville's Ciera JohnsonSometimes the Player of the Year seems almost preordained. A candidate emerges early, stays healthy, and she carries her team to statewide — if not national — glory.
2016 is not one of those years. What follows is a list of eight potential candidates for Player of the Year, and all are exceptional talents with bright, bright futures. At this point, though, none has made a completely compelling case, though there's still plenty of time. But note that it takes more than individual excellence to rise above the pack — a Player of the Year must make those around her better as well.
*Statistics and records accurate as of Jan. 18MaxPreps Girls Basketball National Player of the Year Watch
Photos by MaxPreps photographers/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
At 6-2, Boley is a multi-talented player for the top team in Kentucky. Through 18 games, she's averaging 25.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.6 assists per game, and her shooting is outstanding. Not only is her overall percentage from the field 60%, she hits 52% from three and 88% from the line.
Kaila Charles, Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 2016 (Maryland)
The star of the No. 2 team in the country, the 5-11 wing is an athletic penetrator and defender. She averages 23.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game for a team that has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
Lauren Cox, Flower Mound (Texas), 2016 (Baylor)
An athletic 6-4, Cox is a USA Basketball veteran and is the focus of her Flower Mound team. She averages 19.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 2.8 assists for 17-4 Flower Mound, which doesn't quite have the supporting cast that some other candidates can rely on.
Crystal Dangerfield, Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 2016 (Connecticut)
Some are concerned about her size (5-6) at the next level, but in high school Dangerfield can dominate a game as only elite point guards can. She averages 23.4 points a game for the No. 11 team in the nation, but will be tested in Tennessee's brutal postseason gantlet.
Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.), 2016 (Undecided)
The biggest prize left in the 2016 recruiting pool, Ionescu is a do-everything 5-11 guard. She's averaging 28 points a game, but she also hands out eight assists each time out — not to mention the six rebounds and six steals a game. She's long, athletic, and very, very intense.
Joyner Holmes, Cedar Hill (Texas), 2016 (Texas)
A classic power forward, the 6-3 Texas recruit is strong and physical, but also has a developed mid-range game. Cedar Hill is one of many very good teams in Texas, and fans there would love nothing more than a postseason matchup between Holmes and Flower Mound's Lauren Cox.
Ciera Johnson, Duncanville (Texas), 2016 (Louisville)
The centerpiece of the balanced Duncanville attack, the 6-4 post averages 15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks for the No. 3 team in the nation. But if you haven't seen her, it's no surprise — Duncanville doesn't leave the state of Texas during the season.
Jackie Young, Princeton (Ind.), 2016 (Notre Dame)The 5-11 Young broke Shanna Zolman's all-time girls scoring record in Indiana, and followed that up by breaking Damon Bailey's boys scoring record. She's averaging a mere 37.9 points a game for unbeaten Princeton. She also hands out 5.4 assists a game and grabs 9.2 rebounds, but despite taking 24 shots a game, she's shooting 63 percent from the field. She hits 46 percent from three and 87 percent from the line.
