PLAYERS OF THE YEAR; ON TOP OF THEIR GAME

By now, we're familiar with Jackson's improbable Final Four run -- a team thought in preseason to be third-best in its district ended up the third-best team in the state.

We also know, by now, Andrea Koeper's importance to Jackson's team -- her leadership, her 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game.

But there was a time last May when Jackson's season and Koeper's career hung by a torn ligament.

And there was a also time in February when the Lady Indians' basketball lives were threatened by an ill-timed virus.

But those flaws of the flesh were overcome by Koeper's unblemished will to win and her infectious desire to compete.

Choosing Koeper as the Southeast Missourian's Player of the Year was an easy decision.

No debate. No recount. No dimpled chads.

Koeper, a two-time, first-team all-stater in Class 4A, is not only the most talented basketball player in our coverage area, but she endured the most adversity, the most pain.

She's living proof of what an athlete can do if she puts her mind to it.

One year ago ...

The story of Koeper's senior season and of Jackson's Final Four trip actually began during an AAU game late last spring when her knee gave out. Koeper tore her anterior cruciate ligament.

"Whenever it happened, I just fell to the floor and thought everything was over with, my whole career," Koeper said. "After I found out for sure I tore it, I was very emotional. But I just told myself, Hey, if you want to get out there, you're going to have to work.' And I just set my mind to it and said I would get back."

When Koeper sets her mind to something, watch out.

After Dr. Bill Kapp performed her surgery, it was up to Koeper to find a way back to the basketball court. At first, making it back in time for even part of volleyball season seemed impossible.

Randy Tingwall, a physical therapist at HealthSouth who worked with Koeper, said the normal recovery time for such an injury is eight to 12 months. Koeper made it back in five months and was able to play part of the volleyball season.

"She's one of the most hard-working athletes I've ever run across," Tingwall said. "She's phenomenal. I wish we could clone people like that. It was something, the way she worked. She was like a creature. She knew one speed and one speed only."

"When I first heard of it, I thought we'd be fortunate, if we got her back by Christmas time," Jackson coach Ron Cook said.

Koeper worked so hard, in fact, that the trainers had to slow her down.

"She was to the point where we had to hold her back because she was progressing that well," said Tingwall. "You don't want them in a position where they're not ready to be."

Said Koeper, "I was only supposed to go three days a week, but I went every day. Sometimes I would push myself too hard and it would swell up. That was very stressful."

Proving herself again

Before the injury, numerous colleges -- including a handful of Division I schools -- were keeping a close eye on Koeper. But many of those eyes drifted elsewhere after the injury.

"They say they're not going to stop looking at you because of this, but yes they do," said Koeper. "That was really stressful."

Koeper said she felt 85 percent healthy at the beginning of the season and by season's end she felt like her old self.

And that "old self" was good enough that Koeper got the Division-I colleges' attention again.

Koeper has decided to play basketball for Southeast Missouri State University.

"I'm very excited," she said. "It was a tough decision. But here, I'm close to my family and I love the coaching staff here. This way, my friends and family can watch me play next year."

Koeper was seriously considering Southern Illinois-Carbondale and SIU-Edwardsville.

Another setback

Just when Koeper was getting back on track and dominating again, luck turned against her once more. Two weeks before district play, Koeper came down with mononucleosis.

"You don't think something like that would happen two weeks before districts your senior season," Koeper said. "That was frustrating. But I just put my mind to it to get back in it."

There she goes again, putting her mind to something.

"Oh man, her dreams were at stake," Cook said. "At that time, she was 50 points from 1,000 in a career. I didn't say anything to her, but I was keeping tabs on that."

In retrospect, Koeper's absence made Jackson a better team in the long run as different players were forced to increase their roles. Jackson took a couple of lumps while Koeper was gone, but it also picked up some gutsy wins.

When Koeper did return, she wasn't at full strength. She lost 15 pounds in her two-week absence and didn't get back to her old form until the sectional round.

Happily ever after ...

Koeper's high school story ended like a fairy tale.

She led the Lady Indians back to the Final Four just a year after the team barely finished .500.

Jackson finished 22-7, returning to Columbia for the sixth time, its first trip since 1998.

"Ending the season with a win is awesome," Koeper said. "There's not much more you can ask for. That was our goal at the beginning of the year and we got there."

She ended up leading the team in points, steals, assists, rebounds and three-point percentage. She was voted by her teammates as the best defensive player. She played every position on the floor at one point or another. She earned first-team all-state honors for the second straight and was named co-SEMO Conference player of the year.

"She's focused," said Cook. "She's a complete player and she spent a lot of extra time working. And she does the same thing with her homework."

Now, Koeper has entered another chapter of her life.

No one knows for sure how Koeper will play at the Division I level.

But she's put her mind to it.

And we all know what that means.

2001 ALL-STAR TEAM

GIRLS

Jamie Amberger

School: Perryville

Year: Senior

Ht./pos: 5-11 forward

Key stats: 15 points, 13 rebounds

Notables: Broke a school record with 26 rebounds in a single game and tied a record for most free throws made in a game with 14. Helped lead the Lady Pirates to an appearance in the District 1 finals. Second-team all-state selection.

Loren Groves

School: Scott City

Year: Freshman

Ht./pos: 5-9 forward

Key stats: 18 points, 11 rebounds

Notables: The only freshman to make our all-star team. A stellar athlete, Groves placed high in the AAU junior Olympic track meet in hurdles and the long jump. Watch out for this girl.

Andrea Koeper

School: Jackson

Year: Senior

Ht./pos: 5-foot-10 forward

Key stats: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Notables: Led team in points, rebounds, steals, 3-point percentage and assists. Led the Lady Indians to a third-place finish in Class 4A. Played every position on the court. Intends on playing at Southeast Missouri State University.

Deana McCormick

School: Notre Dame

Year: Junior

Ht./pos: 6-0 center

Key stats: 15 points, 8 rebounds

Notables: Arguably the best -- and certainly most fundamentally sound -- high school center south of St. Louis. Had stellar games in the sectional and quarterfinal games in the state playoffs. Hours and hours of practice have produced a Southeast Missourian staff favorite -- an old-school hook shot with either hand. A second-team all-state selection.

Lisa Millham

School: Notre Dame

Year: Junior

Ht./pos: 5-10 guard

Key stats: 15 points, 4 assists

Notables: Probably the region's best shooter with 88 threes on the year -- a school record. Known for her cool demeanor and good decision-making. Two-time, first-team all-stater with one more year to go.

SECOND TEAM

Rebecca Below

School: Delta

Year: Sophomore

Ht./pos: 6-0 center

Key stats: 21 points, 7 rebounds

Notables: Helped the Lady Bobcats to a Class 1A, District 1 championship.

Katie Dougherty

School: Cape Central

Year: Senior

Ht./pos: 6-1 forward

Key stats: 15 points, 8 rebounds

Notables: Aside from Koeper, probably the most versatile player in all of Southeast Missouri. Ended up with 1,036 career points and played in 102 straight games.

Jenna Leet

School: Jackson

Year: Sophomore

Ht./pos: 6-0 guard

Key stats 14 points, 3 rebounds

Notables: Her height, long arms and shooting ability add up to a lot of potential. Known for her clutch play -- she scored 18 points against Poplar Bluff in the District 1 championship game when Koeper had just four; and was 17-for-22 from the free throw line in an overtime win over Cape Central.

Ashley Millham

School: Notre Dame

Year: Sophomore

Ht./pos: 5-10 G

Key stats: 11 points, 4 rebounds

Notables: Probably the best athlete on Notre Dame's state runner-up team. Scored 25 points in Notre Dame's state semifinal win over Elsberry. Could score more -- and probably will next year -- but accepted her role as the team's third option behind Lisa Millham and Deana McCormick.

Jennifer Vandeven

School: Chaffee

Ht./pos: 5-10 point guard

Year: Sophomore

Key stats: 20 points, 9 rebounds

Notables: Had an area-leading 48-point game this season. Led team with 4 steals per game and shot 77 percent from the free-throw line.