Defending state champs have loaded deck this season
Five Butler High School seniors signed to play college basketball Tuesday – from left, Janna Lewis (Tennessee State), Jaelynn Penn (Indiana), Bre Torrens (Bellarmine), Tasia Jeffries (Saint Louis) and Teri Goodlett (Eastern Kentucky). Photo courtesy of Butler High Athletics.
Likely the state’s No. 1 team entering the 2016-17 season and already ranked in the top 25 nationally, the Butler High School girls basketball program celebrated its college-bound seniors Tuesday as five players signed letters of intent to play on the next level.
Here’s a brief look at all five:
* Jaelynn Penn (5-9, G, Indiana) – A top candidate for Kentucky’s Miss Basketball award, Penn averaged 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds last season and earned first-team All-State honors from The Courier-Journal.
* Janna Lewis (5-8, F/C, Tennessee State) – Lewis ranked second on the team last season in scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg). She was named an honorable-mention All-State selection by The Courier-Journal.
* Tasia Jeffries (5-8, G/F, Saint Louis) – Jeffries averaged 9.6 points and 3.0 rebounds and was the Bearettes top 3-point shooter, hitting 45 of 110 (40.9 percent). She earned third-team All-State honors from The Courier-Journal.
* Teri Goodlett (5-5, G, Eastern Kentucky) – Goodlett averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
* Bre Torrens (5-4, G, Bellarmine) – Torrens averaged 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
Butler finished 31-5 last season and won its second state title in three seasons. The Bearettes will open the 2016-17 season Nov. 29 at Male.
