Jess she can
Carrothers scored at least 25 in each of Crown Point’s postseason games en route to state title
Carrothers scored at least 25 in each of Crown Point’s postseason games en route to state title.
Jessica Carrothers has been an impact player since the moment she stepped on the court for Crown Point.
But the 5-foot-7 guard elevated her game to another level as a junior this season.
Carrothers, the 2020-21 Post-Tribune Girls Basketball Player of the Year, sparked the Bulldogs in their run to the Class 4A state championship. She averaged 23.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.1 steals.
Crown Point coach Chris Seibert pointed to two primary areas in which Carrothers, also the player of the year last season, made the biggest strides.
“Most noticeable statistically was her 3-point shooting,” Seibert said. “She shot a higher percentage. She stretched the floor and forced teams to respect us in another area of the game.
“And she was physically stronger. She was in better shape, just to weather the constant grind of all the minutes she played every night. She just really increased her strength and conditioning.”
Carrothers shot 47.4% from 3-point range after shooting 30.9% as a freshman and 36.4% last season.
During the postseason, she scored at least 25 points in each of the seven games, including 25 in Crown Point’s 44-34 win against Brownsburg in the state final. She also had seven rebounds and five steals in that game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“One of my main focuses was endurance, especially during the postseason,” Carrothers said. “I knew I was going to have to have the best endurance I could. I ran extra miles on the treadmill.
“It was preparing for regionals with two games in a day and then just to keep going. My dad pushed me to go to the YMCA or get my miles in outside to prepare. Just running was what I focused on most.”
She also has racked up the accolades. Carrothers was named an Indiana Junior All-Star and appears positioned to be a contender, if not the front-runner, for Miss Basketball next season. She made the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass All-State Supreme 15 team for the third consecutive season.
And she was selected as the Duneland Athletic Conference MVP for the second straight season.
But Carrothers, who has offers from Butler, IUPUI, Toledo and Tulsa, has been cherishing the state title in particular.
“It really doesn’t even feel real,” Carrothers said. “I don’t know when it will. It doesn’t sound right when people say ‘state champ.’ Just the amount of times we joked about it and then it came true, it’s crazy to me.”
Crown Point should have an opportunity to compete for another state title next season, with an expected returning nucleus that includes Carrothers and forward Lilly Stoddard, a Purdue recruit who also was named a Junior All-Star. The Bulldogs also have been successful at the junior varsity level.
Carrothers plans to be ready as a senior.
“I’m definitely going to continue running,” Carrothers said. “That helped me out. I’m going to work on my strength and agility, my jumping and lateral quickness. I’m going to just continue to work on my dribbling and shooting too. I just want to be the best player I can.”