With the Summer session of AAU now completed, we will be taking a look back in August at some of the players and teams that made an impression over the Spring/Summer. Here are a few teams that impressed us this season.
The Truth 15U Silver
This unit was really fun to watch play .They improved a great deal over the spring/summer season. Their strengths include the way they share the ball and play excellent defense . The team is very balanced with Taylor Charles (Montini 2022) and Ashley Raymer (Providence Catholic 2021) with the way they play in the Post , MacKenzie Senffer (Yorkville 2021) and Dani Hedeen (Bartlett 2021) running the team /playmaking ability and wing play of Alison Kickel (Benet Academy 2021) , Faith Feuerbach (Sycamore 2022) and Gianine Boado (Dundee Crown 2021) . Plenty of college prospect potential in this group !
Mercury Elite 17U Ralston
This Mercury Elite squad finished up the summer with a very successful campaign . They play every possession really hard and are well coached. They have many excellent players including D1 commits in Maggie Bair ( Drake/ Glenbard South 2019) and Ashley Konkle (Western Michigan/ Benet Academy 2019) who both impact the game in many ways . We also like how the team plays together and can score on the offensive end of the court with multiple players. Wing/Posts players Kristin Ralston (Glenbrook South 2019), Allison Newberry (Batavia 2019) and Quin Earley (Benet Academy 2019) all can score from both the perimeter and in the paint. While Guards Clara Prasse (Benet 2019) , Karly Slatter (Prairie Ridge 2019) and Ryann Ogarek (Providence Catholic 2019 ) are quick with the ball and stretch the defense with their outside shooting and playmaking in the open court.
All In 17U Johnson
We watched this group play during their run to a bracket championship at the Run 4 the Roses . They impressed us with their up tempo offensive style of play and how they pressured the ball all over the court on defense. Led by Kansas State commit Jada Thorpe who put mega scoring numbers all summer. Thorpe was also surrounded by very good athletic players including Destiny Hall (Morgan Park 2019) , Tia Morgan (Marian Catholic 2020) , Tianna Johnson (Peoria Richwoods 2019) and Jessica Congress (Morgan Park 2019) all who are skilled offensively and make the teams pressure defense frustrating for their opponents .
Lincolnway Xplosion 17U
This team touts a combination of players from the Class of 2019 thru the Class of 2021. It has advanced to the bracket championship at the Run 4 the Roses and The USJN MIdwest Finale for an impressive summer. Taylor Gugiluzza (Lincolnway West 2020) and Sydney Affolter (Marist 2019) do a far amount of the scoring and both players have been recognized as one of the top players in their class . However what we really like about the team is how the other players contribute in different ways to their success . Three that come to mind are Class of 2019 Grace Hynes ( Mother McCauley ) who is a strong rebounder and very good all around player , Tara Hasting (Lincolnway West 2019 ) shoots it well from the behind arc and finds the open players in transition that result in quick scores and Nikki Mcdonald (St.Ignatius 2019 ) provides X factor intangibles on the both ends of the floor with her passing and defensive play both on and off the ball .
