Super Seven: New team, same style for three-time honoree Taylor Turney

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Although Liberty nursed a lead that stretched to more than 20 points in the third quarter against outmatched Foothill in last year’s Sunrise Region Championship Game, one player prevented the Patriots from ever feeling secure.

Sharpshooting then-junior point guard Taylor Turney poured in the vast majority of her game-high 27 points in the opening three quarters to keep the Falcons competitive.

“We had one of the best defenses in the state, but we had to change to a different defense to stop her from getting the ball,” Liberty coach Chad Kapanui said. “You have to game plan better for a player like that. It’s scary.”

Kapanui can rest easy knowing his team is the one that will inflict that fear on opposing coaches this season. The 5-foot-8 Turney transferred to Liberty through open enrollment to finish off her historic high school career.

Turney has averaged at least 15 points, four assists and four rebounds per game in every season since she was a freshman. She’s become one of only two players to ever make the Sun Super Seven girl’s preseason basketball team for three consecutive years.

“We have a lot of good players (at Liberty), so I was trying to figure out how I would fit in,” Turney said. “It’s going good. I’m going to be scoring a lot more, and going to the basket a lot more.”

She’s lived up to the promise so far, averaging 17.5 points through seven games, including a 26-point outburst in a close game against Foothill last week.

“She's unlike any other player,” Kapanui said. “She can just take over any game if she wants to, and score 25 to 30 points. You just can’t find players who can do that on the high school level.”

College coaches took notice this summer, as Turney regularly drew a crowd while playing on the AAU circuit. She gathered a handful of scholarship offers, including one from UNLV.

But a Mountain West Conference rival stood out because of their dedication and uptempo style of play. Turney committed to San Jose State before her senior year began instead of prolonging the recruiting process and trying to accumulate more offers.

“They supported me since Day One,” Turney said. “They saw me toward the middle of the summer, and they went to all of my games the rest of the summer. I liked that.”

Turney hopes the move to Liberty helps prepare her in new ways to play at the next level. While she was often chained to the point-guard position at Foothill, Turney switches between the two backcourt spots at Liberty depending on what the Patriots need.

Kapanui gushes about the flexibility Turney affords his team. Formulating ways to use Turney sure beats trying to find ways to stop her.

“She was a nightmare for us,” Kapanui said. “She’s a nightmare for all opponents.”

There’s so much talent in the valley this year that we had to expand our team to 10 players. Here’s the rest of the 2015 Sun Super Seven:

Celine “CeCe” Quintino, junior guard, Liberty

The 5-foot-6 junior guard is the biggest reason for Turney’s newfound freedom.

A pure point guard, Quintino might be the best passer in town. Kapanui describes her as one of the best ball handlers he’s ever seen in high school basketball.

“I facilitate,” Quintino said. “I like getting my teammates involved — basically feeding everyone else, bringing the energy.”

Quintino averaged six assists per game in her sophomore season, helping Liberty reach the state tournament before it lost to Bishop Gorman in the semifinals. UNLV offered her a scholarship over the summer.

That could set up Quintino and Turney to become opponents again one day in the future, but for now, they’re eager to play off of each other.

“I’ve been playing point guard since I was little, so obviously, I’m trying to adapt my game a little more to be a scorer,” Quintino said.

Raychel Stanley, senior forward/center, Bishop Gorman

Stanley joins Turney as the only three-time members of the Super Seven team.

She’s every bit as dominant in the post as Turney is on the perimeter. Stanley has averaged double-digits in scoring and at least nine rebounds in every year of her high school career.

“I think I’ve matured a lot,” Stanley said. “My basketball IQ is a lot higher, and I think I’ve restocked my post moves.”

Stanley’s goals for the 2015-16 season include bringing Gorman its first state championship since 2010 while preparing herself for college. A longtime recruit, Stanley announced in September that she would play at Loyola Marymount next year.

“I chose the school because I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, and I know there I’ll be happy as a student as well as a player,” she said.

Madison Washington, senior forward/center, Bishop Gorman

The most sought-after class of 2016 recruit in the valley, Washington grades out as a four-star player, one of the top 100 in the nation, according to ESPN.

She has potential beyond even the high averages of 14 points and nine rebounds that she put up last year after her first Super Seven recognition.

“My game has grown just off the court, my leadership skills have definitely improved,” Washington said. “I hold people more accountable. On the court, I think my defense, my shot and my perimeter skills have all improved.”

Washington previously menaced opponents on the inside, but she’s started to develop an inside-out game. She might play as much small forward as power forward this season for the Gaels in preparation for college.

Washington decided to commit to Oregon State last month.

“I wanted to be a part of something amazing, and I knew that Oregon State was the perfect fit,” she said.

Megan Jacobs, senior guard, Bishop Gorman

Jacobs is the final member of Gorman’s Big Three.

While she may have spent her high school career behind Stanley and Washington in scoring totals, she’s been the heart of the powerhouse basketball program by ensuring the triumvirate always thrives off of each other.

“I think we’ve just pushed each other year after year,” Jacobs said. “We’ve gotten better. When one slacks, we’ve got to pull them up. I wouldn’t have wanted to experience my high school career without them.”

Gorman pushes the pace, and the two-time Super Seven recipient is tasked with making sure they do it under control. The point guard averaged six assists per game last year.

Jacobs committed to the University of Utah in the offseason.

“The coaches, I’ve had a good relationship with them the last few years,” Jacobs said, “and the girls are just amazing. I’m ready to get there and ready to get to work.”

Justice Ethridge, sophomore guard, Centennial

Ethridge had one of the most storied freshman seasons in Nevada history last year.

She may have almost always been the youngest player on the court, but she was also usually the best player on the court. Ethridge led the Bulldogs to their first state championship since 2011 by averaging 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per game.

“It was kind of rough coming straight out of middle school to Centennial basketball but I feel like I made the transition good,” Ethridge said.

She feels like she’ll get better in a number of areas this season. A lethal three-point shooter, Ethridge wants to score with more variety.

She’s spent the offseason improving her driving and midrange skills, knowing stagnation isn’t an option at one of Nevada’s top programs.

“We just have to know to play for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back,” she said. “All the teams before us played hard, and we’ve just got to keep up the good work.”

Tanjanae “Nae’Nae” Wells, senior guard, Centennial

Coaches often say that every great team needs veteran leadership.

Wells will provide that to the defending state champions, as she’s one of only two returning seniors to the Bulldogs.

“I can push them,” Wells said of her teammates

She plays with a ferocity that confutes any assumptions made by her diminutive stature. The 5-foot-4 guard is a defensive stopper, and facilitator on the other end.

Most importantly, she forms Centennial’s emotional core.

“I like to talk on the court,” she said. “I like to talk to my team if they’re doing wrong. I’ll pick them up and tell them what to do.”

Bailey Thomas, senior guard, Centennial

Thomas starred on a state-championship winning team last season — just not Centennial’s.

The 5-foot-9 guard led Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to a second-straight title before her family moved to Las Vegas. She’ll immediately transition into a role as a primary scoring option at her new school.

“The coaches and teammates are very welcoming,” Thomas said. “It’s still a big family.”

She racked up a wealth of scholarship offers before committing to West Virginia, where she hopes to study criminology, earlier this year. The Mountaineers may get a more versatile player than they even imagined.

Thomas said she was focused on gaining new skills at Centennial.

“I was at point guard at my old school and I’m moving to shooting guard,” she said, “so you’ll get to see a little combo — shooting and handling the ball.”

Sam Thomas, junior guard, Centennial

Bailey Thomas’ younger sister has an ideal skill set for basketball’s modern age. Sam Thomas can play every position on the floor.

“Wherever the coaches need me,” Sam Thomas said, “that’s where I’ll play.”

Centennial coach Karen Weitz has found spots for her, as Sam Thomas is the team’s leading scorer through three games. She exploded for 30 points in a 75-32 victory over Cedar (Utah).

No wonder colleges are drooling over Sam Thomas’ potential on the next level. She hasn’t yet picked where she’ll go but has collected scholarship offers from a number of Big Ten and Big 12 programs.

She was another key contributor on Marian’s back-to-back state championship team, and found the transition to Centennial seamless with direction from her older sister.

“She makes me feel comfortable on the court and she pushes me to do my best,” Sam Thomas said. “I know if I’m struggling, she’s there to pick me up.”

Essence Booker, sophomore guard, Spring Valley

It was the year of the freshmen last season in local girl’s high school basketball, as Booker joined Ethridge as players who guided their teams to gold in their maiden seasons.

Booker was even more prolific statistically, recording 19 points, six rebounds and five steals per game in leading Spring Valley to a 30-1 record and Division 1A state championship.

“I’m not trying to speak bigheaded or say we’re going to repeat (this year), but I plan on working to get there,” Booker said.

The Grizzlies are the favorite given Booker’s the mixture of Booker’s dominance and work ethic. As great of a season as she had last year, Booker expects more out of herself in 2015-2016.

She’s spent most of her free time locked in the gym working to improve.

“Last year, I was more of a shooter and driving to the basket, finishing,” Booker said. “This year, I worked on my midrange and my handles to penetrate and kick to my teammates.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.