HUNTINGTON -- Huntington High's Whitney Bays has displayed unlimited potential on the court this season as a junior, creating a buzz that made her one of the most highly-touted high school girls' basketball prospects in the nation.

Bays' talent and skill level have put her in a class of her own. That's evident with her selection as the Rat A. Thom award winner as the state girls player of the year. The award from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association is named for Russell "Rat" Thom, a respected former Kanawha County coach and official.

She distanced herself from the competition by receiving more than triple the votes of any other player. Bays received 58 votes for the award. Summers County player Emily Blevins was second with 17.

The 6-foot-2 Bays is a power forward averaging a double-double of 25.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Bays is considered such a dynamic player because of the versatility that allows her to punish teams with her physical inside presence and smooth outside shooting touch.

"I'm shocked to receive this award, but very happy at the same time," said Bays, who leads the Highlanders into the Class AAA state tournament this week as the No. 2 seed. "I would just like to thank my family, coaches and teammates for always being there for me."

Winning individual accolades is something Bays considers a compliment, but it's far from the most important thing on her list. Since the beginning of the season, she dedicated herself to the team and ultimate goal of winning a state championship.

Huntington High lost in the state championship game the past two years.

Bays wants to erase those memories by capturing the elusive prize.

"I feel like this is our year and I'll be able to appreciate all the individual awards when we win the state title," she said.

Bays is the centerpiece of a team ranked No. 2 in the state with a 21-3 record.

The state championship quest begins at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday when the Highlanders play seventh-seed Woodrow Wilson in the first round of the state tournament at the Charleston Civic Center.

"I thought Whitney had a good shot at getting this award this year and I'm very proud of her," Huntington High coach Lonnie Lucas said. "There is no player close to her talent-wise in the state and I think every coach that has played against her would agree with that."

Bays is attracting the attention of NCAA Division I schools across the nation. Coaches from top-tier women's programs scouted every game this season including representatives of Connecticut, Florida State, Maryland, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Marshall, Georgia, North Carolina, Depaul, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

With another year of high school remaining, Bays said she has received interest from nearly every Division I school by letter, e-mail or calls to her coaches.

"At first it was a little distracting with all the recruiters, but now I just act as if they're regular people in the stands," Bays said. "I'm just really hard on myself and I'm always trying to find ways to improve my game."

Colleges are waiting to learn what school Bays will select, but for now she's focused only on winning the state championship.

"I love pressure and I want the ball in my hands in the final seconds of the game," Bays said. "It was tough to lose in the state championship the past two seasons, but it has definitely given me extra motivation."

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