A’shauntee Hooten is leading the Doss girls’ basketball team to its best season in years.
The 5-foot-2 senior point guard is averaging 17 points and three assists per game for the Dragons (14-10), who are finishing up their first winning season since 2008-09 and are seeking their first Sixth Region Tournament appearance since the 2010-11 season.
Hooten is an outside markswoman for Doss. She has tied her own school record, which she set last season, with seven 3-pointers in a game twice this season.
“She’s definitely fun to watch, she’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached,” Doss coach Michael Crowe said.
The Courier-Journal: When did you start playing basketball?
Hooten: Probably about the seventh grade. I just felt like I didn’t do enough and I gave it a shot. I guess it went from there. I always thought it was fun-looking.
Did you watch basketball growing up?
I actually used to be a cheerleader, so that’s how I watched. I used to cheer in little league and used to watch them play basketball. And I was like, ‘Whoa, this is boring, I want to play basketball,’ so two years after that I started playing basketball. I was the only girl, it was a church league (at Fifth Street Baptist Church).
What was that like?
They were big, big boys. I was the only little one running around. I got playing time too, so I probably wasn’t that bad. They were always like, ‘Go get in the corner, go get in the corner,’ then they’d pass it to me on the fast break and I’d shoot it. That’s probably how I’m so tough.
Is that how you developed your outside shot?
Yeah. They wouldn’t let me do anything else. They were scared I was going to get hurt. I wasn’t scared though.
What’s the goal for this season?
Just try and get to the regionals. That’s all we’ve been saying all season long, ‘Go to regionals.’ For the whole three years I’ve been here we’ve always had losing records. Sophomore year, it was better than the year before that, then last year it got better. Now this year we have a winning record so far. We just really want to keep our winning record so we can say we did something.
Has it been hard the last couple seasons?
It’s kind of hard having a losing record for a really long time because people think less of you…Everybody just looks down on you like you’re less than what you really are, until you prove them (wrong).
What are your college plans?
Probably just go ahead and go to Eastern (Kentucky) and get me some degrees.
What do you want to do after college?
It keeps changing. I don’t know if I want to be an engineer or a teacher. It’s kind of hard to choose between the two. I know engineer is going to bring me a ton more money, but I’ve got a soft spot for being a teacher.
What are your interests off the court?
I like hanging out and spending money, my momma’s money.
What do you spend it on?
Shoes.
How many pairs do you have?
I’ve probably got like 40 pair. Probably 15 pair of Nikes and the rest are Jordans and Adidas and stuff.
You’ve hit seven 3-pointers in three games in your career, what’s that been like?
It’s like once it gets going, it’s hard to stop. I just did it this (last) week (against Waggener). I came downcourt, they left me open, so I shot first possession and hit. Next possession we came downcourt and they’re still in a 2-3 (zone). I was like, ‘Okay, y’all going to leave me open again? So I shot again…I think I hit four in the first quarter.
A’SHAUNTEE HOOTEN UP CLOSE
School: Doss.
Year: Senior.
Sports: Basketball, volleyball, softball.
Student-athlete: A’shauntee, who favorite subject is English, has a 4.0 GPA. She is in his third year on the varsity basketball team and her third season as a starter.
Family: A’shauntee, 17, lives with her mother, Olivia Hayes, and her father, Kareem Hooten, along with her aunt, Charisma Sutherland.
Doss coach Michael Crowe says: “A’shauntee, she’s just a joy to coach. She’s really turned it around and dedicated herself her senior year to pushing herself. We battle some times because she kind of struggles on defense, but she works hard and she tries and competes. I think she’s proved a lot of people wrong with her basketball play.”