The term 5-tool player is spoken often when baseball scouts analyze talent for recruiting and MLB's draft. In the case of
Medicine Valley (Curtis) point guard
Stella Heapy we are borrowing that term for the high school girls basketball court.
Heapy didn't lead Nebraska in scoring, assists, rebounding, steals or blocked shots a year ago. But she does them all very well. In fact, the 5-foot-9 junior is the only Nebraska girls basketball player to qualify for this week's Top 10 in all five statistical categories. In order to be considered for this week's Top 10, a player must dominate in three of the five categories.
Due to her performance as a sophomore, Heapy produced the state's top returning stat line after averaging 16.8 points, 3.0 assists, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.3 blocked shots while leading a young Raiders squad to an 11-12 record.
Derek Bantam's star player put together a double-double six times a year ago, scored 20 points or more five times and reached double figures in 20 of 23 games last winter. Heapy also scored a career-high 27 points in a 47-37 triumph over Wallace as sophomore.
Wakefield senior
Alex Arenas reached 4-tool status as a basketball player a year ago and she takes over the No. 2 spot after averaging 11.7 points, 3.1 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 0.1 blocked shots.
Olivia Loomis-Goltl of
Bridgeport (Bridgeport) rounds out the Top 3 after producing 19.6 points, 5.6 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 0.3 blocked shots an outing.
Callie Ann Cooper of
Southern (Wymore) and
Leyton (Dalton) sophomore
Zaili Benish round out the Top 5 after averaging 20.8 and 21.3 points a game respectively a year ago. Cooper added 8.6 rebounds per game to her line while Benish utilized her quick hands to grab 5.3 enemy balls per contest last season.
Bridgeport's
Ruthie Loomis-Goltl joined her sister Olivia in the Top 10 at No. 8 after averaging 20.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots last winter.
Classes C1, C2, D1 and D2 are all represented in this week's Top 10. But that does not mean that returning athletes in Classes A and B did not produce All-State caliber stat lines a year ago.
Carly Purdy of
North Platte takes the top spot in the Cornhusker State's largest classification after producing 14.4 points, 0.4 assists, 10.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocked shots as a junior a year ago.
Marin Rasgorshek of
Crete, meanwhile, generated Class B's top returning stat line by throwing down 12.0 points, dishing out 1.0 assists, pulling down 7.0 rebounds, swiping 0.6 enemy balls and swatting 2.7 blocked shots last year as a sophomore.
In order to be considered for this week's Top 10, an athlete had to post an average of at least 10.0 points per game. Then, those athletes were given higher consideration for averages of 3.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and/or 1.0 blocked shot.
Nebraska's Top 10 returning girls basketball stat lines
1. Stella Heapy, Medicine Valley (Curtis)16.8 Points | 3.0 Assists | 7.6 Rebounds | 3.0 Steals | 2.3 Blocked Shots
2. Alex Arenas, Wakefield11.7 Points | 3.1 Assists | 7.8 Rebounds | 4.1 Steals | 0.1 Blocked Shots
3. Olivia Loomis-Goltl, Bridgeport19.6 Points | 5.6 Assists | 6.1 Rebounds | 3.6 Steals | 0.3 Blocked Shots
4. Callie Ann Cooper, Southern (Wymore)20.8 Points | 1.1 Assists | 8.6 Rebounds | 4.2 Steals | 0.2 Blocked Shots
5. Zaili Benish, Leyton (Dalton)21.3 Points | 3.3 Assists | 4.6 Rebounds | 5.3 Steals | 0.1 Blocked Shots
6. Ann Bose, Southern Valley (Oxford)18.5 Points | 2.5 Assists | 8.0 Rebounds | 4.6 Steals | 0.7 Blocked Shots
7. Caylin Barnett, Southwest (Bartley)17.8 Points | 2.2 Assists | 10.1 Rebounds | 3.0 Steals | 0.5 Blocked Shots
8. Ruthie Loomis-Goltl, Bridgeport20.0 Points | 1.2 Assists | 7.1 Rebounds | 1.3 Steals | 3.5 Blocked Shots
9. Chloe Hanel, Clarkson/Leigh (Clarkson)18.5 Points | 3.8 Assists | 4.6 Rebounds | 4.4 Steals | 0.9 Blocked Shots
10. Madison Abbenhaus, Bloomfield17.8 Points | 3.2 Assists | 4.4 Rebounds | 6.1 Steals | 0.5 Blocked Shots
