Turner Buttry, Amiya Jenkins named 2022 Mr. & Miss Kentucky Basketball

On3 imageby:Zack Geoghegan03/20/22

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The state’s two top seniors were honored for their season-long performances before heading off to the next level.

Bowling Green’s Turner Buttry and Anderson County’s Amiya Jenkins were named respective winners of the 2022 Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball awards. The announcement was made on Sunday evening during a special ceremony in Lexington that gathered all 37 candidates on both the boy’s and girl’s sides for one final moment of recognition.

Buttry, a 5-foot-11 point guard, is committed to play his college ball for head coach AW Hamilton at Eastern Kentucky University while Jenkins, a 5-foot-10 wing, is committed to playing for head coach Kyra Elzy and the home state Kentucky Wildcats.

Jenkins earns Anderson County’s first Miss Basketball

Jenkins makes school history for Anderson County as the first to take home Miss Basketball honors. During her senior campaign, she led the Lady Bearcats to a 30-5 record and a spot in the Girl’s Sweet 16 Tournament. Unfortunately, Anderson County ran into eventual champion Sacred Heart in the opening round, falling 48-38.

Considered a four-star recruit by ESPN, Jenkins averaged 20.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 53.7 percent shooting from the floor and a 47.1 percent clip from long distance. She significantly improved her jump shot over the offseason and become one of the most dominant players in the state.

She’s a basketball player,Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy recently told KSR about Jenkins. “Why she fits our style, we can move her around at multiple positions. She’s a big guard, kinda what we do with our players now. She can play across the perimeter for us, if we need her to post up she can do that, she’s a big guard. Move her around defensively she can guard different players but what I love about her, she’s going to work and she wants to win.”

Jenkins chose to play for the Wildcats over the likes of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Penn State, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, and Belmont, signing her National Letter of Intent back in the fall.

Among other candidates for the award were Shelby Valley point guard Cassidy Rowe (Jenkins’ future teammate and roommate at Kentucky WBB), Bullitt East center Gracie Merkle, Marshall County point guard Halle Langhi, and Sacred Heart guard Josie Gilvin.

Buttry a well-deserving choice for Mr. Basketball

Buttry has been the lead guard for the Bowling Green Purples for years now, guiding his team to the Sweet 16 quarterfinals last season. This past year as a senior, he nearly returned to the state tournament, but Bowling Green was ultimately knocked out of the 4th Region Championship by Warren Central, which later fell in the title game to George Rogers Clark on Saturday.

During his senior year, Buttry, who committed to EKU in late 2020, led Bowling Green in scoring with 23.0 points per outing along with 3.2 rebounds. He was arguably the Commonwealth’s most efficient scorer, making 54.3 percent of his shots, an elite 51.8 percent from 3-point range (on 3.7 makes per game), and a state-leading 90.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Among other candidates for the award were Boyle County guard Luke Imfeld, Covington Catholic forward Mitchell Rylee, Muhlenberg County guard Trey Lovell, and Ballard center Maker Bar.

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2024-03-28