This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Chicagoland Invitational Showcase, which featured some of the best teams and players out of Illinois. The event was hosted by Fremd High School and provided much excitement throughout the day. Here are some of the top Post Players that I noticed:
A Senior leader from New Trier, <strong>Taite Ryan</strong> was a consistent force in the post. The 6’0’’ Forward was a workhorse throughout the game. She rebounds willingly on both ends of the floor which allows her to really help her team with second chance points. Ryan finished with 18 points and was named the MVP for New Trier against Lyons Township.
<strong>Lily Courier</strong> out of Lyons Township went back and forth with Ryan for most of the game and stood out for several reasons. The 6’0’’ Junior has solid post moves on the block to go a long with a notable mid-range jump shot. Courier dropped 19 points and was named MVP for Lyons.
<strong>Tatiana Thomas</strong> is just one of several Freshmen from Montini Catholic that will play a key role to the Broncos success this season. The 5’11’’ Forward showed athleticism and obvious talent on both ends of the ball. Composure from this young Montini team will be key for them in close games, and Thomas has shown that she can rise to the challenge.
A veteran squad such as Batavia will rely heavily on upperclassmen such as <strong>Ava Sergio</strong>. The 6’1’’ Senior is very difficult to score on in the post. Sergio is a rock-solid post defender and uses her length to be an Elite shot blocker. Offensively, she’s averaging over 10 PPG in the early part of the season.
<strong>Letti Drummond</strong> from Naperville North is a role player any good team would want. She’s a 6’0’’ Senior who moves well without the ball and finds opening in the lanes. Drummond is a strong presence down low and collects second-chance points as well as anybody.
Benet’s 6’2’’ Senior Forward <strong>Ashley Konkle</strong> is a tremendous all-around player. She positions herself well on the block and is very tough opponent to rebound against. Konkle is very savvy in the post and finishes at the rim at a very high percentage.
<strong>Brianna Wooldridge</strong> is the lone Freshman on Fremd’s roster and will be a key contributor throughout the season. The 6’2’’ Forward runs the floor well and is loaded with potential. Wooldridge fights for position well down low and is a very dominant rebounder.
