Each season, the culmination of the Outside the Huddle Top 50 player countdown is the naming of our annual First Five, the highest preseason honor for OTH basketball coverage.
The First Five traces its lineage back to The News-Sentinel’s years of presenting “Fabulous Five” teams of the area’s best five players in both boys and girls basketball. This player is part of our sixth season of naming First Five players.
No. 2 – Addison Baxter, Columbia City
It is one thing to breakout during a season as Baxter did as a freshman. It is another thing to continue to getting better and more special the next season when every eye and every scouting report is now firmly pointed at you. Baxter continued to be special and play at a highly effective level all of her sophomore season as she is in play to be an Indiana Junior All-Star coming up this season. She averaged 18.5 points to lead Columbia City to a NE8 title and one of northern Indiana’s best teams regardless of class. The combo guard stayed so balanced, averaging 4.7 assists and she helped the Eagles offense become one of the best flowing we saw all of last season. Baxter also averaged a team high seven rebounds per game and she just hustled and outworked opponents on a nightly basis. She is a future Division 1 star and one of the brightest to come through the Eagle program that has had some really good players in recent memory.
COACH’S QUOTE ON BAXTER:
“Tenacious at attacking the basket and very good passer, she can score in a variety of ways (inside, outside, transition, and half court) and is difficult to guard, very versatile and plays many positions extremely well, has a motor that does not stop.” – Columbia City coach Amy Shearer
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