4A All-Idaho girls basketball team: Bishop Kelly junior named player of the year
GIRLS FIRST TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LYDIA NIETO, BISHOP KELLY
Why she is Player of the Year: The 5-7 junior guard carried the Knights to their second straight state runner-up finish. She averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game while leading BK on and off the court.
Coach’s comment: “She understood she didn’t need to score for us to win, and she got her teammates involved. She can shoot, distribute, rebound and defend,” Bishop Kelly coach Derek McCormick said.
What others are saying: “She is the kind of player who can turn a game around by hitting some big-time 3s and getting her team back on track when down,” Emmett coach Laraine Harrison said.
What’s next: Nieto returns for her senior season and third shot at a state championship.
▪ [RELATED: 5A All-Idaho Team]
▪ [RELATED: 3A All-Idaho Team]
▪ [RELATED: 2A All-Idaho Team]
▪ [RELATED: 1A Division I All-Idaho Team]
▪ [RELATED: 1A Division II All-Idaho Team]
GRACE KIRSCHER, SANDPOINT
A second-team pick last season, the 6-foot junior guard moves up to the first team. Her length and smooth shot puts her naturally on the wing, but her IQ allowed her to slide over to point guard, averaging 16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.4 steals.
KAELA MCCLURE, JEROME
McClure filled nearly every role on a young team. The 5-4 senior guard ran the offense and drew the top defensive assignment all while stretching defenses well beyond the 3-point line. She averaged 17.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
BLAIR RADFORD, WOOD RIVER
The 5-9 senior point guard controlled both ends of the floor as the Wolverines’ defensive ace and top offensive weapon. She poured in 15.6 points a game while keeping a hand in everything else, averaging 2.3 assists and 3.6 steals a game.
JILIAN GILCHRIST, MINICO
Only a broken hand could slow the Spartans’ 5-7 senior guard. Her speed and 3-point prowess (35 percent) made her a matchup nightmare for opponents as she scored 15.8 points a game and added 1.7 steals.
COACH OF THE YEAR: ANDY JONES, MIDDLETON
Jones led the Vikings to a 21-6 record and the state championship, his sixth as a coach.
SECOND TEAM
Player | School | Height | Year | Position | Stats |
Natalie Robison | Skyview | 5-8 | Senior | Point guard | 18.1 ppg, 6.7 reb, 3.4 ast |
Lexi Mitchell | Middleton | 5-10 | Soph. | Forward | 7.5 ppg, 6.3 reb |
Morgan Hall | Preston | 5-7 | Senior | Wing | 11.9 ppg, 3.6 reb, 3.3 stl |
Kylie Meadows | Mtn. Home | 5-10 | Junior | Forward | 15.7 ppg, 8 reb, 1 blk |
Morgan Mitchell | Emmett | 6-1 | Senior | Forward | 14.6 ppg, 8.8 reb, 2.7 blk |
How are the teams selected?
The All-Idaho teams are selected by a statewide coaches’ vote. Coaches are asked to nominate their own players for their classification’s All-Idaho teams. They then vote on a ballot built from those nominations. The Idaho Statesman tabulates the votes and publishes the results.
This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "4A All-Idaho girls basketball team: Bishop Kelly junior named player of the year."