Is Manchester Memorial's senior Amra Elezovic a legitimate contender for Player of the Year honors in Division I girls' basketball this season?

Head coach Jack Quirk thinks so.

“She has as good a chance of winning it as anyone else,” said Quirk. “I don't think there's a coach who would question the fact that Amra is a competitor. She simply hates to lose and that's a very good attitude to have.”

Trinity head coach Patrick Smith said the 5-foot-11 Elezovic, who will be attending and playing for UMass-Lowell next fall, causes match-up problems for every team in the Division I circuit.

“We played against her four times last year and we tried everything,” said Smith. “If you start pounding her inside the paint and force her outside, she has the ability of hitting three-point shots with regularity. If you decide to attack her from the perimeter, she's so quick and athletic that she'll just drive the middle to the rim. If you double team her, she'll find the open player. She's quick, strong, big and athletic and, what's even more frustrating for opponents, she can literally play all five positions.”

Quirk called Elezovic “the total package who hasn't reached her full potential yet. She has a ton of ability and the best is yet to come.”

Elezovic's instincts are what sets her apart from many others, according to Quirk, who recalled a quarterfinal playoff game two years ago against Trinity at Memorial.

“She was a sophomore at the time and we were in a tie game with 10 seconds left,” said Quirk. “Trinity had the ball and they were coming out of a time-out setting up an offensive play in their end. Amra just read the play perfectly, intercepting a throw near the top of the free throw line. She dribbled the length of the floor and scored just before the final buzzer to win the game. It's her instinct for the game, her athletic ability, her quickness that as coaches we can't control.”

Smith said Elezovic, who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds last year (according to Quirk), is capable of scoring 36 to 40 points a contest.

“I totally agree with Patrick,” said Quirk. “Last year, because of a lack of depth, we weren't able to play an up-tempo game like a team like Winnacunnet. So possessions were a lot fewer, which kept her scoring totals around 14 or 16 points a game,. But I agree she's capable of scoring a lot more in an up-tempo game.”

Quirk said he can make one comparison between former standout Memorial standout Kindyll Dorsey and Elezovic. “They both love the game, both dedicate themselves to the game,” said Quirk. “Amra, as was Kindyll, is the total definition of a gym rat. For 365 days, you'll find Amra on a basketball court working on her game. She'll be playing against other girls, even against the guys. She's just determined to make herself better every day.”


Contact staff sports writer John Habib at jhabib@unionleader.com.