DAYTON, Ohio — The state tournament for high school girls basketball is in full swing.

The OHSAA has been holding this tournament for nearly 50 years and while the basics of the game remain the same since the tournament debuted in 1976, the skill set of the players has reached a new level. 

Jim Dabbelt has been covering girls basketball for almost 40 years and said it’s different now than it was back then.

“Back in the old days there was not, there were not many chances to really improve your game unless you went out in your driveway or you maybe got into the gym at the school,” Dabbelt said.

He’s seen first-hand how the game has grown over the years.

“You have so many coaches, so many people that are interested in trying to get you better," he said. "There’s a lot of camps. There’s a lot of opportunities to get better, and I think kids are taking advantage of that with an expanded AAU schedule, more traveling, more competition and just a chance to improve your game."

Dabbelt said Ohio, along with Texas and California, are constantly producing players good enough to play at the collegiate level. He credited it to improved AAU camps, travel teams and girls getting involved in basketball at an earlier age.

“The young kids coming up are very talented, we’ve got some great middle school and young high school kids coming up through the system,” he said.

The sport really started to become popular in Ohio back in the 90s, Dabbelt said. He said it was because of players like Marlene Stallings and Katie Smith. Now, he said, it’s players on the Ohio State women’s basketball team that are bringing the excitement for the next generation.

“Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon, both Ohio bred and born and high school superstars that went to Ohio State, and they’re just keeping the fires burning with the great talent that wants to be here in Ohio,” he said.