Wyoming East sophomore Cadee Blackburn showed flashes of putting it all together on offense during her freshman campaign.
There were times where she was her team’s most effective shooter off the dribble from outside and created her own shot better than anybody on the team.
Her sophomore season saw her incorporate a more aggressive approach and the numbers supported her cause.
Blackburn averaged a team-high 16.4 points per game, leading the team in free throw percentage and 3-point percentage. Those contributions helped Wyoming East win its second state championship in three seasons.
For her efforts, Blackburn has been named the 2022-23 Lootpress Offensive Player of the Year.
Other players in consideration for the award were Cadence Stewart (Greenbrier East), Riley Meadows (PikeView), Gracie Harvey (Summers County), Josie Cross (Beckley) and Abby Dillon (Beckley),
Averaging just over eight points per game last season, Blackburn took the next step this year, but her development wasn’t just about becoming a better scorer. Wyoming East has a rich history of producing floor general archetype point guards, but Blackburn was a scorer before a distributor. In order to take the next she needed to improve as distributor when teams clamped down on her.
“We were just in the gym all the time and played in tournaments all the time,” Blackburn said. “(Assistant coach) Ryan (Davidson) had me working on all our offensive stuff. I just tried to listen to him a lot and become a better point guard and get better at passing.”
“I wanted to work on shooting and passing,’ Blackburn added. “I think I improved a lot from last year in those areas.”
The sophomore had explosive showings all season, scoring 36 points against Greenbrier West and 30 in the Class AA semifinals against Petersburg.
But her growth was evident in the Class AA title game. Despite scoring just four points, she didn’t force shots and worked within the framework of the offense. Though it wasn’t a coincidence she was limited. Summers County head coach Chad Meador admitted to face guarding her all game in an effort to limit her effectiveness, the ultimate compliment. He had high praise for the all-stater.
“She plays with great moxie,” Meador said. “Her command and her presence on the floor is a little intimidating. As an opposing coach, you think she’s going to will this team to victory. You couple her with Maddie Clark, the first-team all-state captain, it makes her that much better. I think her leadership will continue to grow but she can do it all. She can score at the rim and from the perimeter and that will continue to improve over the rest go her career. She’s fearless and you have to have that feature to be as good as she is. She doesn’t look to be scared of anything. I’d love to have her.”
Blackburn will receive a $500 scholarship from the Lootpress Foundation and be honored at the Lootpress Spring Player of the Year Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 27 at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention center.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
Lootpress Offensive Player of the Year Winners
2022: Hannah Perdue, PikeView, Sr.
2023: Cadee Blackburn, Wyoming East, Soph.
