Montini Christmas Tournament: Underclassmen Evals

This past weekend I was at Montini Catholic High School for the final day of the Montini Christmas Tournament, which featured several of the best Girls Basketball teams in the state. I was present for six games on Saturday and noticed dozens of impressive players. I know that there were even more outstanding performances throughout the week, but here are some Freshman and Sophomores who stood out to me on Saturday: &nbsp; <strong>Mary McGrath</strong> of Hersey was all over the place in her teams win over Lake Zurich, and has several intriguing attributes. McGrath, a 5’11’’ Sophomore, is a solid rebounder and always seems to have a good idea of where the ball is going to bounce off the rim. Also a plus shooter. She finished with 8pts and 9rebs. McGraths’ Sophomore teammate, <strong>Aya El-Fiky</strong>, dominates in the lane on both ends. El-Fiky is also a superb rebounder and finishes well at the rim. She finished the game with 9pts and 6rebs. My third and final Hersey Sophomore to keep an eye on is <strong>Mary Kate Fahey</strong>. The 5’7’’ PG has a good outside shot, but typically looks to pass first. Her great ball handling skills allow her to create openings for her teammates and help the Huskies smoothly get into their offense. <strong>Juliana Cutrara</strong> of Marian Catholic really impressed as most Spartans struggled offensively against York in the Consolation Championship. The 5’6’’ Sophomore PG has rock-solid ball handling skills and is very quick with the ball in her hands. Cutrara finished with 16pts and collected 5 rebs. This is only my second time watching Benet play this season, but I really like what I’ve seen from Sophomore<strong> Molly Sheehan</strong>. The 5’8’’ PG has a limited role with two solid upperclassmen PG’s on the team as well, but she definitely makes the most of it. While Sheehan is able to score and shoot from the outside, her elite ball handling and passing ability is on constant display. While most already know her name, <strong>Sydney Affolter</strong> of Marist continues to be one of the top players on whichever court she steps on. The 5’10’’ Sophomore Guard can score at all levels and is able to use her size and quickness to dominate in the lane. Affolter finished with 14pts and 8rebs against Benet and was named 1^st Team All-Tournament. <strong>Brianna Wooldridge</strong> from Fremd continues to have a very successful Freshman season. She is an excellent rebounder on both ends and is able to cleanup for second chance points offensively. Plus free throw shooter. Wooldridge finished with 11 points against Mother McAuley. Perhaps the most dominant performance on Saturday came from <strong>Tatiana Thomas</strong> of Montini. Thomas seems to be a completely different player than the one I saw in early November at the Chicago Invitational Showcase. She was nearly unstoppable on the glass and scored at will inside. She finished with 20pts and 11rebs in the title game against Nazareth.