The cornerstones of the future are being laid for several girls' basketball programs in Utah County. But not only will these girls set the standard for roundball in coming years, many of them are leading their teams already.

Just when you think the high school talent might be dwindling because of such graduations of Sandy Marvin and Lindsey Freeze, a new group of youngsters always comes along to take their places. There are still plenty of juniors and seniors out their leading their teams to victory, but not quite waiting in the wings are the young guns, some of whom have decided the time has come to make their presence widely known.

And this year's crop of underclassmen has some especially impressive resumes and plenty of talent on display on the hardwood. These are definitely players to watch, not just this year, but deep into the future.

Sophomore sensations

Amanda Farish, 5-foot-11 center/forward, Lone Peak: Before the season even started Lone Peak coach Keith Flood was singing Farish's praises saying that the only thing the talented youngster lacked was experience. And now as the year progresses, Farish's seasoning is well underway as she takes over the paint for the already versatile Knights.

"She's an outside shooter who can penetrate. She's incredibly athletic," said Flood in what seems a real understatement.

Farish dropped 20 points on region rival and one of the top teams in the state, Timpanogos, in her first region contest. She has great ball control for a post player and uses her back-to-the-basket abilities and an all-out tenacity to take over underneath. She rebounds, plays defense and averages over nine points per game for a team laden with talent.

Jenna Johnson, 5-foot-7 guard/forward, Spanish Fork: This tough athlete came straight from volleyball to the basketball court and didn't miss a step along the way. As the season has extended, her minutes have increased and she's taken all opportunities to show everyone who's seen her play just what a special player she can be.

"She's a great shooter, who's already playing a lot of minutes for us," said Spanish Fork coach Ryan McGuire. "She's certainly one of the top young kids in Utah County and there are a lot of good ones. She plays well every night, and she's obviously our future."

Johnson has gone from being a solid cog in the Dons' gameplan to the team's leading scorer, averaging nearly 10 points per game. She can handle the ball, stop and shoot, or drive to the hole with plenty of confidence.