Three from Class of 2011 make national lists

Posted by RRR on Oct 27, 2010 at 7:56am | Page Views: 3,688

Three players from the Class of 2011, all Junior All Stars, have been ranked on two long-standing Top 100 national lists this week. Bria Goss of Ben Davis (Kentucky) and Liza Clemons of Fort Wayne Snider (Purdue) are both ranked in the All-Star Girls Report Top 100 and Blue Star Basketball Top 100 lists, while Torrie Thornton of Carmel (Purdue) appears on the Blue Star list. All three are considered strong contenders for 2011 Miss Basketball honors.

Goss, a 5’10 combo guard, is the returning lead scorer for the two-time 4A state champion Ben Davis Giants, who are on a 58-0 winning streak. She is ranked No. 18 by ASGR and No. 19 by Blue Star. As a junior, Goss averaged 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists on a talented squad. She hit the winner for her team in the waning seconds of the 2009 4A state finals against South Bend Washington, and has lost only twice during her high school career. The all-around heady, athletic and hard-working guard is headed to Kentucky next season, where she can make an immediate impact for the Wildcats, who were picked to finish second in the SEC this season behind Tennessee. Goss and the very deep Giants open the defense of their 4A state title against Brownsburg at home on Saturday, November 13.

Clemons, who transferred to Fort Wayne Snider this season after the doors at Elmhurst closed this past spring, is ranked No. 65 by ASGR and No. 67 by Blue Star. As a junior, the 6’3 forward/center averaged 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks while shooting 55% from the field for the Trojans. She helped her team capture the 3A state finals over Owen Valley with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 2009 as a sophomore.  Clemons, a classic back-to-the-basket presence, committed early to Purdue as a soph and will provide some power in the post when she arrives on the West Lafayette campus next season. She will suit up for Snider the first time when the Panthers take on Heritage at home on Wednesday, November 10.

Joining Clemons in the paint at Purdue next season will be 6’1 Carmel forward Thornton, who was ranked No. 62 by ASGR. As a junior, the lefty averaged 13.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.2 blocks per game for the 14-7 Greyhounds, earning her a spot on the Junior All-Star Core team. As a freshman in 2008, Thornton helped her team to a 4A state title, scoring 9 points and pulling down 7 rebounds for an 84-72 victory over South Bend Washington. A lanky, fluid forward with perimeter skills and more finesse than power,  Thornton will begin her final prep campaign on Wednesday, November 10, when the Greyhounds travel to Cathedral.

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