Top 20 players in Class 3A Idaho high school girls basketball
Here is an inside look at the Top 20 players in Class 3A Idaho high school girls basketball.
There are dozens of standout 3A girls basketball players in Idaho and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. DM or tag us on Twitter or Instagram @sbliveid and let us know about players worthy of fans’ attention in 2020-21.
MORE TOP PLAYERS: CLASS 5A | CLASS 4A | CLASS 3A | CLASS 2A
The list is in alphabetical order.(Feature photo courtesy of Jason Duchow Photography)
TOP 20 GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN CLASS 3A
G Holly Ansley, sr., Bonners Ferry
Ansley has shown over the last three years what she can do with the ball in her hands. She has averaged at least 14 points per game, earned first-team all-state honors as just a sophomore and was a multiple-time All-Intermountain League selection. But without being the primary ball handler this season? Yeah, she’s still really good. Ansley scored a career-high 34 points, dropped 19 points in a quarter and just joined the 1,000-point club. Not to mention her numbers of 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals and a block per game.
"Holly started at point guard her first game as a freshman and has set the tone of how we play ever since,” Bonners Ferry coach Travis Hinthorn said.
PG Zoie Armstrong, sr., Marsh Valley
Armstrong has really done it all in her four years with the Eagles. A three-year starter. Check. A multiple-time All-South East Idaho Conference selection, including being a first-team pick with 12.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.9 assists per game last season. Check. And more than 1,000 points scored in her prep career. Check. But there is one thing that has eluded her. State. But with 14.2 points, 4.1 steals, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game she has Marsh Valley firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot.
“Zoie is one of those players that you don't want to hold back, you let her play her game and players react to her leadership abilities,” Marsh Valley coach Kyle McQuivey said.
F Emma Barclay, sr., American Falls
Barclay has stepped up in a major way since watching her twin sister and fellow All-South East Idaho Conference selection from last season Grace Barclay tear her ACL in the first game of the season. Emma Barclay is averaging 11.1 points on 54% shooting to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She spoke to several schools about basketball including Antelope Valley College in California, but her future lies with volleyball at Blue Mountain Community College in Oregon.
“Emma is also a good athlete, super strong girl and not afraid to get physical on both ends of the floor,” American Falls coach Stephen Grigg said. “(She) can really jump out of the gym (and) is a good finisher around the basket.”
G/P Maddy Erickson, sr., Weiser
Erickson has been a constant staple in the Snake River Valley Conference the last three years. Three first-team All-Conference honors prove that. She does it from both the outside and the inside with 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals alone last year. Those numbers are even better this season at 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game.
“She is one of the most hardworking individuals I have ever coached," Weiser coach Laraine Harrison said. “She goes the extra mile each day to improve her skills and fundamentals of the game of basketball.”
C Mardee Fillmore, sr., Sugar-Salem
Fillmore is arguably the best post in Class 3A. She has a strong case for the state too. The 6-foot-1 center was both the Mountain Rivers Conference Player of the Year and an All-State first-team selection with 14.7 points on 52% shooting and 8 rebounds per game. It also led to the Diggers winning the state consolation championship. The Utah State Eastern signee is averaging 11.1 points on 50% shooting, 7.4 rebounds. 1.4 steals and almost a block per game for the No. 1 team in the state.
“Mardee is one of the most dominant posts in the state,” Sugar-Salem coach Crystal Dayley said. “The focus of every team we play is to stop her and she is often double teamed but still finds a way to score.”
F Ella Fischer, sr., Filer
Fischer started playing basketball in the third grade, and the rest as they say, is history. A prolific four-year varsity career for the 5-foot-9 forward with the Wildcats ensued. She is a multiple-time All-Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference selection, including being the league’s Player of the Year in 2019-20. She also earned All-State second-team honors last season with 11.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game. Fischer just eclipsed 1,000 points for her prep career and leads the team in points (14.7), rebounds (9.8) and steals (3.6). She is signed on to play at College of Southern Idaho.
“(A) player with a nonstop motor and ability to rise to any occasion,” Filer coach Mike Amaya said. “She enjoys being challenged and has inspired her teammates to be better and not settle.”
PF Adia Goff, sr., Snake River
An injury-riddled final season still hasn’t slowed her down much. After missing the first four games and being limited for nearly half the season, Goff is still averaging better than 8 points and almost 6 rebounds. So she still should be in line for another All-South East Idaho Conference selection after earning one last year with 7.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
“She rebounds well and will defend physically,” Snake River coach Jeff Steademan said. “She scores and shoots the 3-point shot well, making her a tough matchup.”
F Austyn Harris, jr., Parma
Harris has big shoes to fill. Her sister Adyson was the SRV Player of the Year last season, a career 1,000-point scorer and collegiate player at Eastern Oregon. But the younger Harris is well on her way too. She was right behind her sister as an All-League first-team selection with 10 points and almost 5 rebounds per game last season. Harris is once again averaging 10 points, but has upped her production on the boards to 6.2 per game.
"Austyn has developed into a scoring threat from both inside and outside,” Parma coach Michael Calkins said. “She sees the court extremely well and has a high basketball IQ".
P Hailey Harris, jr., Sugar-Salem
Mardee Fillmore’s counterpart in the paint can’t be ignored either. She earned All-conference second-team honors with 10.5 points and 6 rebounds per game as just a sophomore last season. And this season, Harris’ statline is right in line with her counterpart. She is putting up 10.8 points on 52% shooting with 7.3 boards and 1.1 steals per game.
“Hailey is one of the smallest posts I've coached but plays six inches taller than she is,” coach Crystal Dayley said. “She is one of the hardest working, most coachable players I have ever coached and does so much for us on both ends of the floor.”
G/F Grace Jackson, sr., Parma
Like teammate Austyn Harris, Jackson has a pretty-well known sister. Only hers is arguably the best player in program history. Madison Jackson was a three-time Player of the Year and holds just about every school record. But the younger Jackson has made her own name. She is all but assured to be a four-time All-Conference selection, and is the probable SRV Player of the Year this season with 17.8 points — up more than six points from a year ago — 6.2 rebounds and 3 steals per game. She has also committed to playing for the United States Merchant Marines.
"Grace has really stepped up her scoring this season and has been a great facilitator for her teammates,” Parma coach Michael Calkins said.
C Blayre Jeffs, sr., Timberlake
At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Jeffs may not only be the most intimidating player in the classification, but in the entire state as well. And she backs it up too. Jeffs was an All-State second-team and All-IML selection with 7.6 points and 6 rebounds last season. The scary thing is she’s even better this year at almost 9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. But her future is track and field, as Jeffs is signed to Western Colorado University for throwing.
“Powerful post player that is hard to stop in the paint,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said.
F Brooke Jessen, sr., Timberlake
There’s an argument that Jessen should have been the State Player of the Year with 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3.1 steals last season. She was statistically better in two of the four major categories (rebounds and steals) of the winner and teammate Taryn Soumas (more on her later). However, Jessen still racked up All-State and All-IML first-team honors. But the 5-foot-11 forward is making another strong case this season with 19.1 points, 9 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 2.2 assists and almost a block per game. Jessen is signed with NCAA Division I University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
“Extremely versatile; can play any position on the court,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said.
P Brooke Johnson, sr., Parma
Johnson is the best defender on the team and has a case for the entire classification as well. She is averaging almost eight rebounds — almost double what she had last year — and 3.3 blocks this season to go along with 2.6 steals per game. The former All-SRV second-team pick can also score when needed at 7.6 points.
“She is constantly asked to shut down the opponent's best player,” Parma coach Michael Calkins said.
G Mckenzie Long, sr., American Falls
The Beavers haven’t been to state in 15 years, but with Long, their fortunes could be changing. The All-South East Idaho Conference first-team pick from last season has them in the thick of an intense league battle with 15.8 points on 43.1% shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Long has offers from Snow College (Utah) and Portland Community College (Oregon) along with interest from others like the College of Idaho.
“Great all-around athlete, she can light up the scoreboard, handle the ball and is a total gym rat,” coach Stephen Grigg said. “She is a great leader and poses lots of matchup problems for other teams.”
G Alexis Monson, jr., Filer
People know Ella Fischer, but if Monson was on almost any other team, she would be the one who everyone was talking about. So as a running mate, there may not be a better one in the state. She’s complemented Fischer very well the last few seasons, including last year when she earned All-SCIC first-team honors. Monson is doing so again and making her own name this season with 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists — leads the team — and 2.9 steals per game.
“She has great court vision and has the ability to guard multiple positions,” coach Mike Amaya said. “(I’m) excited to see what this season has in store for her.”
G Rylie Neville, jr., South Fremont
South Fremont coach Jacob Zarpentine thinks Neville needs more exposure. And he has a point. She earned All-Mountain Rivers Conference second-team honors with 12 points, 6 rebounds and a pair of steals per game last season as just a sophomore. Neville is at 14.5 points — at one point she was above 17 points — 5.2 boards and a steal a game this year.
“No offers or interest from schools, but she is talented enough in my opinion to go play college basketball,” Zarpentine said. “She has a complete all around game that can complement any college team.”
W/P Alx Roe, jr., Gooding
Derrick Lyons didn’t know a lot about the team when he took over this season. But it didn’t take him long to realize who his playmaker was going to be. Roe earned SCIC second-team honors last season. And this year she is a walking double-double at 13.3 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 2.4 steals per game.
“Alx is always the player on the floor fighting for a loose ball, taking the toughest assignments, and getting the most defensive attention without losing intensity until the end of the game,” Lyons said.
PG Abbi Roubidoux, so., Fruitland
Roubidoux does it all for the Grizzlies. She leads them in points (9.3), assists (3.5) and steals (3.8) and grabs five rebounds per game to boot. And Roubidoux is only a sophomore. As a freshman she made quite the impression with 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.6 assists per game to earn All-SRV second-team honors. It's scary to think how good she'll be as a junior and senior.
“Abbi loves to compete and never quits. She leads by example and works hard all the time,” Fruitland coach Amber Drollinger said.
PG Taryn Soumas, sr., Timberlake
Don’t let her size fool you. At just 5-foot-3, Soumas runs the show for the defending state champions. She was both the State Player of the Year and the IML MVP with 16.8 points, 3.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game last season. She also set a school record with 61 3-pointers to lead Timberlake to its third title in five years. And Soumas could be on her way to a repeat in more ways than one. She already broke the career 3-point record earlier this season and has rode that to a stat-line of 12.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and nearly 3 steals per game.
“Great all-around basketball player and leader,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said.
PG Josee Steadman, sr., Snake River
There may not be a better shooter in the classification - or the state - than Steadman. She broke the 3A state tournament 3-point record with 15 in three games to lead the Panthers to a runner-up finish last season. She also averaged 15.2 points, 5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. It all helped her rack up both All-State and All-South East Idaho Conference first-team honors. But this is nothing new. The point-forward is all but guaranteed to be a four-time all-league and all-state player with 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2 steals per game this season. Steadman will also play for NCAA Division II Colorado Mesa University next year.
“Josee Steadman is our team leader and is one of the tougher matchups in the state for opposing teams,” Snake River coach Jeff Steadman said. “She has worked hard on being able to score the ball well. She is one of the best 3-point shooters in the state.”
