ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Denver Stuckey

School: Kelly

Class: Senior

Sport: Basketball

Position: Point Guard

Coach: Kent Mangels

Week report: Stuckey led the Hawks to the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament championship last week, putting Kelly back in the state rankings. The 6-foot-1 Stuckey erupted for five 3-pointers and 28 points in the Hawks' 86-66 championship win over state-ranked Scott City. In a 69-67 semifinal win over Delta, Stuckey scored 17 points, including the game-winning basket with 5-seconds left. He also totaled 18 points in an 81-69 opening-round victory over Oak Ridge. Kelly ended the week 16-2 overall and 4-0 in league play. The Hawks are ranked fifth in Class 2A.

On the season: Stuckey, a two-year starter that moved up to the varsity as a sophomore, is a threat to do anything on the floor. Returning as an all-conference selection last season, Stuckey averages 16 points, nearly eight rebounds and three assists a game. Despite playing point guard, he's still Kelly's top rebounder.

Coach's comments: "Denver brings a lot of things to the table. He's a big, strong guard and he has a real nice overall game. He's always played the point for me and does a good job handling the ball, but he'd probably be more comfortable at shooting guard. He hit some big shots in the tournament, especially that last one in the semis. He carried us through the first half against Scott City and then he got other people involved in the second half."

Melissa Palmer

School: Jackson

Class: Junior

Sport: Basketball

Position: Forward

Coach: Ron Cook

Week report: Palmer played a key role last week in two dominating performances by the Lady Indians. The 5-foot-10 Palmer scored 17 points Tuesday in a 70-39 win at Kelly and tossed in 13 points Saturday in a 69-45 road-win over Nerinx Hall. Jackson completed the week ranked third in Class 4A with a 14-1 record.

On the season: In her first season of varsity action for the Lady Indians, Palmer has filled a void on the inside along with sophomore Cherish Tillman. Palmer, a junior varsity starter a year ago, averages 10 points and leads the Lady Indians with 4.5 rebounds a game. She's also shooting a sparkling 54 percent from the field.

Coach's comments: "We lost two key inside players from last season, but Melissa and Cherish Tillman are doing sensational. They've stepped in and helped out a great deal. Melissa's playing real strong on the defensive end and she's shooting a good percentage from the field. She's an aggressive player that works hard all the time."