All-Holiday Tournament Team

Over the last week, I was able to attend two of the best Girls Holiday tournaments in the state in the State Farm Holiday Classic and the Montini Christmas Tournament. Both tournaments hosted several top teams in the state and dozens of talented student-athletes. To have a little fun, I wanted to put together my own personal ‘All-Holiday Tournament Team’, consisting of nine of my favorite players to watch from either tournament:

Molly Gannon – The 5’6’’ Senior PG from Chicago St. Ignatius was a ton of fun to watch down in Bloomington/Normal. Her crafty ball handling skills and deep three-point range combine for constant excitement. Gannon was named to the State Farm Holiday Classic Large School Girls All-Tournament team.

Lauren McDonald – Gannon’s Sophomore teammate at St. Ignatius will be a force over the next few seasons. McDonald is a natural scorer at every level with tremendous confidence.

Tenley Dowell – The 6’0’’ Senior Guard from Morton is as dynamic as they come. Dowell possesses the ability to take over any game with her leadership and scoring. She was named 1st-team AP All-State as a Junior and is committed to play at Butler. Dowell was named to the State Farm Holiday Classic Large School Girls All-Tournament team.

Courtney Jones – Jones is the type of player every coach dreams of having. The 5’8’’ Guard from Morton does anything needed to help her team win, including rebound, handle the ball well, and knock down shots from mid-range and beyond the 3-point line.

Maddie Scherr – My favorite player to watch last week, Scherr is a high-level player that absolutely dominates. She is as smooth as can be with the ball in her hands and a sharp-shooter from deep. In the only game I was able to watch Ryle play, she dropped 28 points against St. Ignatius. Scherr, a Junior, already has several Power 5 offers and was named to the State Farm Holiday Classic Large School Girls All-Tournament team.

Brianna McDaniel – The 5’11’’ Freshman from Chicago Kenwood did most of her scoring inside, but also has a great jump shot and can handle the ball well. McDaniel is our #1 Prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2022 and is already receiving High D1 offers.

Tatiana Thomas – Aside from Maddie Scherr, Thomas had the most dominating performance that I saw last week. I watched Thomas and Montini a few weeks back and she seems to be a completely different player today. Her aggressiveness on the glass and body control helped her bring in 20pts and 11reb in the Montini Christmas Tournament Championship.

Sydney Affolter – My first time watching Affolter and Marist play, she showed why she is our #2 ranked prospect in the class of 2021. Her size and speed allow her to get to the rim and ease and finish strong. Also very accurate from three. Affolter was named 1^st Team All-Tournament in Montini.

Kaylen Evans – The Junior Guard from Nazareth was tremendous in the Montini Christmas Tournament title game against host Montini. Her ability to drive and create shots for herself were on display as she dropped 14 points. Evans was named 2^nd Team All-Tournament in Montini.