Who's the best girls basketball player in the South Shore League? Local coaches weigh in

Based on the latest MIAA power rankings that came out Tuesday, nine of the 11 South Shore League girls basketball teams are on target to qualify for the playoffs. That includes Division 3 title contenders Norwell (No. 2) and Sandwich (No. 8) and Division 4 hopefuls Cohasset (No. 9) and Carver (No. 17).

So, in college parlance, this would be a Power Conference. Recall last year, when Norwell and Rockland were Division 3 semifinalists, just missing out on an all-SSL state championship game.

This winter's edition of the league is chock full of stars such as Norwell's Maddie Oliver, Cohasset's Sarah Chenette, Abington's Ella Williamson and Rockland's Maggie Elie. We've chronicled many of their exploits so far, but this time we're tapping into our SSL Insiders for some information. And who's more inside than the league's coaches?

Following in the footsteps of colleague Jason Snow, who surveyed the Patriot League girls coaches and Patriot League boys coaches, we've decided to do the same with the South Shore League. We sent out a survey to the league's coaches (hailing from East Bridgewater, Middleboro, Norwell, Randolph, Rockland, Sandwich, Abington, Carver, Cohasset, Hull and Mashpee).

Here are the questions we asked, and the anonymous replies we received.

Note: A boys basketball version of this story will be published soon.

1. Which opposing South Shore League gym has the craziest student section/best home-court advantage?

"Rockland: Unfortunately, not a lot of the students show up to girls games until the tournament. (But) we always have a tough time playing there because it's small and the fans are right on top of you."

"Sandwich has the best home court. (They're) excited to be in the league so general excitement for league games, long ride, and rowdy fan section."

"Sandwich: They had a band, loud music and a loud crowd."

"Rockland is very challenging place for opposing teams. Great high school environment with big crowds and it has an intense feel to it."

2. Which South Shore League player/team has displayed the best sportsmanship?

"Reagan Dowd from Norwell. She is a fierce competitor on the court, humble and poised off."

"Rockland is consistently hard-working when you play them but kind and courteous when they're not in between the lines."

"Middleboro: They play with great energy, great attitude and always demonstrate great sportsmanship."

"Hull always displays sportsmanship despite their record."

"I think most of the South Shore league teams display good sportsmanship. Middleboro and Norwell are two of the better teams in the league and go about things the right way, as do their coaches. Carver and Abington don't have the best records, but the girls play hard and play the right way."

3. Who is the toughest player to game-plan against in the South Shore League?

"Maddie Oliver from Norwell. She can play every single position on the court! She can play inside, she can shoot 3's, she can bring the ball up against any type of pressure. She is a nightmare to game plan against."

"Maddie Oliver from Norwell. She can do it all and score in so many different ways that you can take away a part of her game and she will just change how she beats you."

"Maddie Oliver: She’s too strong and physical for guards and she’s too fast and athletic for bigs. She’s the total package!"

"Sarah Chenette of Cohasset"

4. Who is the most underrated player in the South Shore League?

"Natalie Kerstein from Middleboro. She does so much for them on both ends of the court. She is the primary ball-handler on offense and is the captain of the defense. She can score from anywhere on the court."

"Reagan Dowd from Norwell. Everything in Norwell runs through her and she excels in all phases of the game, but the scoring average isn't in the top 10."

"Jackie Pohl from East Bridgewater: She’s an 8th-grader and runs their offense from the point guard position. Plays good defense and is a tough player."

"Fallon Ryan from Hull: She's currently the league's seventh-leading scorer and averaging a double-double, and a near triple-double the majority of games this season. She's the heart and soul of her team's offense, and the backbone of their defense."

"Hailey Iwanski is a very skilled sophomore from Middleboro. She is super aggressive with active hands on defense and has moves on the offensive end as well."

5. Who is the best defensive player in the South Shore League?

"Holly Panttila from Norwell. Defends every position relentlessly, rebounds extremely well at her size because of her jumping ability, and has become a single-person press."

"Hailey Iwanski from Middleboro: She plays aggressive, anticipates passes, hunts the ball and protects the rim with blocks. Her defense ignites their team!"

"Maggie Elie from Rockland. She is a guard but very strong, can defend all 5 positions and is a great rebounder."

"Rebecca Rix from Abington is one of the best defensive players in the league. She is tough, smart and defends guards, forwards and centers. She rebounds, blocks shots, takes charges, contests shots and anchors the Abington defense."

6. Who is the best 3-point shooter in the South Shore League?

"Reagan Dowd from Norwell. Poised and deadly from beyond the arc."

"Natalie Kerstein from Middleboro. No question you cannot give her any space to set her feet and (even then) she still can beat you."

"Natalie Kerstein from Middleboro: Natalie is a knock-down shooter who is always a threat from deep."

"Ella Williamson from Abington. She has unlimited range and when she is on, she is a very dangerous scorer."

"Ella Williamson from Abington can light it up from beyond the arc. She has Caitlin Clark range, coupled with a quick release."

7. Which South Shore League team will make the best push for the state title?

"Norwell. They are the best all-around team in the league. They can play any type of game they want to play – low-scoring, defensive battle or first-to-65-wins. They have every category covered ... scoring, defense, shooting, rebounding, coaching."

"Cohasset in Division 4, if fully healthy, can make some serious noise."

"Norwell: They are deep and have enough talent to make a deep run."

"Norwell in D3, Rockland/Cohasset in D4: These teams have experience the players to make things happen in their respective divisions."

8. Which South Shore League player is most likely to be a coach one day?

"Maggie Elie from Rockland. So smart on and off the court. Always demanding the best from her teammates. The sport would be lucky to have her as a coach some day. By that time I'm glad I'll be retired so I don't have to face her."

"Maggie Elie from Rockland. She is a playmaker who doesn't seem to care about scoring, just creating for teammates, and that mindset is helpful for a coach."

"Maggie Elie from Rockland: She’s a general on the floor and is always getting her teams organized and in position."

"Emily Punchard from Hull: She's spent her senior season on the bench as a manager due to a torn ACL and has been a huge part of the coaching component this season."

"Rebecca Rix from Abington has a very high basketball IQ and is a coach on the court. She understands where everyone should be on the court both offensively and defensively at all times."

9. What is the best rivalry in the South Shore League right now?

"Possibly Sandwich and Norwell. They are two of the top teams in the league and have split the season series. It will be fun watching them play in the state tournament."

"Carver & Cohasset: Both similar level skill-wise and have been going back and forth the last few years."

"Norwell vs Sandwich: Two top teams in the league."

"Norwell vs. Rockland and Carver vs. Cohasset"

10. Who is someone behind the scenes in the South Shore League that deserves a shoutout?

"I think the Athletic Director Assistant at Rockland takes great pride at meeting you when you arrive as a visiting team, constantly making sure we have everything we need as an opponent."

"Chris Burneika, assistant AD from Rockland."

"Sophia Moxley of Middleboro: She hasn’t played a minute this season but has been to every practice and game supporting her teammates."

"Hull coach Jaime Standridge has done a great job behind the scenes staying on all the coaches to get scores and stats, and videos to Hudl. Thank you, Coach!"

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Local girls coaches talk South Shore League high school basketball