When asked to describe Lookout Valley’s April McCann, the first word to cross one opposing basketball coach’s mind is “nightmare.”
For the Lady Yellow Jackets, their senior point guard has been a dream come true. She has become one of the area’s best all-around players.
“When she was a freshman, she was scared to death, but one thing she wasn’t afraid to do was get the ball and go with it,” Lookout Valley coach Kristen Clounch said. “Since then, we’ve developed her footwork and worked on shooting the ball from beyond eight to 10 feet, and just taught her all the skills you need to know in order to play the game. She’s pretty tough. I’m glad I don’t have to guard her.”
Tough might be an understatement for a player averaging 22.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.4 assists per game. Those numbers have climbed every year as McCann has gone from the only freshman starting with four seniors to Lookout Valley’s only senior this year.
“I’ve grown a lot since then,” McCann said. “I’ve learned to be more patient and let the game come to me. I feel like I’m the leader now because I’m the only senior, and I know I have to step up. I think it’s a lot of pressure because I’ve been playing for so long that I should always know where to be and what to do. It’s frustrating sometimes, but I do my best to try and stay positive.”
While McCann said point totals aren’t a priority for her, the Lady Jackets have relied on her to lead their offense the last three seasons. Her scoring numbers have remained remarkably consistent, regardless of the competition or the defenses opponents have used against her.
“We’ve tried everything under the sun to slow her down,” said Whitwell coach Eric Zensen, whose team competes in District 6-A with Lookout Valley. “We try to deny her, but even then she scores 20-plus points. She’s just an offensive machine, and this year I think she’s really improved her midrange and outside jumpers. She’s always been good at getting to the basket, but now that she has that outside shot, it makes her even more difficult to defend.”
Zensen’s Lady Tigers came away with a 60-55 win Tuesday to secure a second-place spot in the district, but McCann scored 25 points. She and Lookout Valley’s six juniors have led the team to an 11-6 record and third place in the 6-A standings, and Clounch expects to see her team improve even more as more players get involved in the offense.
“April’s assists average has gone up this year because her teammates are starting to finish their shots more, and she wants to give them the ball,” Clounch said. “She’s really a tremendous passer, but she doesn’t get recognized much for that because she’s such a good scorer. But as a result, we score more points and she doesn’t feel like she has to do it all.”
Once this season ends, McCann’s focus will shift to her plans for continuing her basketball career, likely at the junior college level. Her goal is to play for two years and then get recruited to a four-year school, and her coach fully expects McCann to have that opportunity.
“‘Special’ is the best word for her,” Clounch said. “A lot of coaches don’t get the privilege of coaching a player who is so naturally talented. To have been able to help mold her and watch her grow has been such a blessing.”
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