WEST FORK — West Fork girls basketball coach Nathan Wells told Sydney Franklin to expect to be the focus of most opposing defenses even before the season started this year.
And she has.
“Oh my goodness, we’ve seen every kind of junk defense you can imagine to try to slow her down,” Wells said.
That hasn’t hindered the 5-foot-8 senior one bit, scoring 40 points on one occasion and in the 30s four or five other times.
Franklin is averaging 25 points per game, up from 18 last season, and has the Lady Tigers within one victory of advancing to their third consecutive state tournament.
Schedule
Class 3A Region I Tournament
At Paris
Girls
Wednesday’s Games
Game 1: No. 1 Greenland vs. No. 4 Danville, 4 p.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Paris vs. No. 4 West Fork, 7 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Game 3: No. 2 Mansfield vs. No. 3 Elkins, 4 p.m.
Game 4: No. 2 Cedarville vs. No. 3 Charleston, 7 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Consolation Round
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, noon
Championship
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6 p.m.
West Fork, the No. 4 seed out of the 3A-1 West, will take on 3A-4 champion and tournament host Paris at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“She’s adjusted real well,” Wells said. “She still gets frustrated at times, but she does a good job of keeping her cool.”
Franklin, who will play at Arkansas-Fort Smith next season, admitted to some frustration at all the attention from the opposition, particularly early in the season. She also tries to keep an eye out for an open teammate.
“I have to work extremely hard to get open shots,” she said. “But it’s helped my game learning how to use screens and finding my teammates.”
Wells said the team’s offfense has gotten more balanced as the season has progressed. Franklin is capable of scoring big numbers, but the Lady Tigers are better off when others get involved, Wells said.
“Really we’re better when Sydney gets 20 and some others get 10 or so,” Wells said. “Others players have stepped up though as the season went on, and we’re a better team because of it.”
Wells said Franklin is a player any coach in the state would love to have.
“She’s just a good overall player,” he said. “If we have a mismatch, we can post her up. She can shoot the three, take it to the hole, whatever we need really.”
Franklin has grown a bit since last year and has become stronger, which has helped her this season. She has also assumed more of a leadership role as a senior, which is fine with her.
“I like the leadership role, and I definitely think my team has accepted me in that role,” she said.
Wells said there’s no question about Franklin’s abilities, but that’s not all.
“She’s self-motivated,” he said. “In junior high, she was real little and skinny. She’s put on more size and strength as she’s grown. She’s just a great player. Our hardest worker, just a great kid.”