Andover Central senior guard Tiffany Bias was named Kansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year. Bias, an All-State selection by The Eagle in 2008-09, has signed to play at Oklahoma State. \

Andover Central plays its quarterfinal game of the Class 5A tournament today.

There should be no surprise that Bias was named the player of the year. She’s easily the best player in the state — she runs the point for the Jaguars, has superb ballhandling skills, can singlehandedly take over a game with her offense or defense and is the toughest player I’ve ever seen. She once broke two teeth in a game and came back in moments later to lead her team to a victory.

The full news release is below.

Andover Central High School STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE® Kansas GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (March 11, 2010) — In its 25^th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Tiffany Bias of Andover Central High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Kansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year.  Bias is the first Gatorade Kansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Andover Central High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Bias as Kansas’ best high school girls basketball player.  Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award announced in March, Bias joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball award-winners, including Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Diana Taurasi (1998-99 & 1999-00, Don Antonio Lugo HS, Calif.), Maya Moore (2005-06 Collins Hill HS, Ga.), Rashanda McCants (2004-05, Asheville HS, N.C.), Shyra Ely (1999-00, Ben Davis HS, Ind.) and Lisa Leslie (1988-89, Morningside HS, Calif.)

At the time of her selection, the 5-foot-7 senior point guard had led the Jaguars (22-0) to a top-20 regional ranking.  Entering Wednesday’s Class 5A state tournament quarterfinals, Bias boasted averages of 20.5 points, 7.4 assists, 5.5 steals and 3.5 rebounds per game.  A two-time returning First Team All-State selection as named by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, Bias shot 42.6 percent from the field and 72.7 from the free-throw line through 22 games.  She was a sophomore on the 2007-08 Andover Central High Class 4A state championship team.

Also a standout track and field athlete, Bias has maintained a 3.40 GPA in the classroom.  A member of the Future Business Leaders of America and her school’s elite show choir, she has volunteered as part of multiple holiday community-service initiatives to benefit underprivileged children on behalf of the Just About Kids club.

“Tiffany Bias is a heck of an athlete,” said Joel Branstrom, head coach of Olathe Northwest High, which faced Andover Central during the 2009-10 regular season. “She’s so hard to guard. She’s very quick. She scored 22 on us, but she could’ve scored 42 if she wanted to. She has an array of moves; she’s not just taking the ball to the basket. She can shoot the 3-pointer, pull up, take a set shot, or drive the lane and finish with either hand. She does what’s necessary to make her team better.”

Bias has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Oklahoma State University this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Bias joins recent Gatorade Kansas Girls Basketball Players of the Year Taber Spani (2008-09, Metro Academy), Kendra Frazier (2007-08, Labette County) and Morgan Boyd (2006-07, Olathe East) among the state’s list of former award winners.