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MARQUETTE — The Negaunee girls basketball team had another solid season in 2021 and the most important reason had to be the play of junior post player Alyssa Hill.

After already earning the honor of Mid-Peninsula Conference Player of the Year and a spot on the West PAC Dream Team, Hill got maybe her biggest award as she was named to the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association All-U.P. Dream Team.

Hill didn’t need much of an argument as her case was rock solid. She averaged 17 points per game, 12.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.4 steals and shot 53 percent from the field. She also notched a season-high 29 points to go with 15 boards against MHSAA Division 3 state semifinalist Calumet. Hill also had 22 points and 10 rebounds against Division 2 state quarterfinalist Escanaba.

Ishpeming's Jenna Maki, center left, tries to shovel a shot or a pass around the defense of Negaunee's Alyssa Hill in the third quarter of their high school game played at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Feb. 12. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

When asked what else made Hill deserving of a spot on the Dream Team, Miners head coach Mike O’Donnell said there were several reasons.

“I think her progression, over being a three-year varsity player now, she’s really come a long way, and her versatility,” he said. “She put in a lot of time last summer over the pandemic of making herself stronger, making herself more versatile, being able to step out and play on the perimeter, which ultimately, I think, kind of made her year this year because she really got the focus, you know every team’s game plan was to stop her and I think if she was just a post player, it would’ve held her down a little bit.

“But she was able to step away from the post and the pressure down low and knock down shots on the perimeter. I think that really just her maturity and progression in the game helped her become a better player this year.”

O’Donnell also said Hill did a great job of staying out of foul trouble without turning passive and she also improved in creating turnovers on defense. He also said that she still has the potential to be even better next season.

“I don’t think she’s anywhere close to her ceiling,” O’Donnell said. “Even with her versatility on the perimeter this year, I think we can expand that even more, and at the same time, now our goal for next year is going to be getting her out on the wing more, having her attack, attack on the perimeter, attack the basket with her drives and penetration at the dribble. I think that’s kind of the next step for her as she starts to eye the college game, she’s going to need to be able to do that.

“She’s not really a person who’s going to be just a post in college. She’s going to have to play on the perimeter a little bit as well. So that’s the next step in her progression and kind of what we’re looking for this offseason going into next year is her to be able to play from the perimeter.”

Hill was joined on the Dream Team by Escanaba’s Nicole Kamin, Calumet’s Elli Djerf, Menominee’s Emma Anderson and Ewen-Trout Creek’s Elise Besonen. Kamin, Djerf and Anderson were unanimous selections.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.