Elevate Your Game: 12 Prospects Who Shined In NOVA

Elevate Elite/Nova 94 director Bruno Corras put together a nice weekend of hoops in the Northern Virginia area over the weekend. The location was spread out among five high schools that were all fairly close to each other. This is what spring basketball is all about; good competition, nice venues and no cover charge for spectators. It's still early on in the club season so teams are still getting things together and trying to forge identities, but there were some good individual performers. <strong>Cori Barnes, 2022, Power Move Black</strong> Cori has good size for a guard and her 3 point range is impressive. She knocked down some long bombs and looked confident when launching. She has excellent instincts on her shot block attempts, swatting a couple away emphatically. <strong>Kaila Pruitt, 2021, New World Elite</strong> I jotted down some notes while watching Kaila for the first time; Athletic. Soft touch. Long. Active. Kaila is a bit raw skill wise but she is a legit six feet tall and had a positive impact in the game I watched. I am definitely going to follow her this summer and next season at Northern High School. <strong>Janiah Williams, 2020, New World Elite 17U</strong> I saw Janiah in the fall at at my Unfinished Business showcase. She is a legit six foot wing with significant length. She is a good 3 point shooter and puts up a healthy number of attempts per game. She's an above average athlete and is very active defensively, playing passing lanes and contesting entry passes. She plays high school ball at Eastern High in DC. <strong>Tahlia Stanherlin, 2020, MD Lady Shooting Stars</strong> Tahlia is one of my favorite players in the area. She is a strong, physical player that loves to mix it up. She bangs in the post, hits the glass hard and can handle the ball. She is an excellent on ball defender and can guard any position. She is about 5'7" or so and her best position is on the court. I hope college coaches don't try to label her. Just put her on the court with 4 other players and watch good things happen. <strong>Kaylah Barnes,2020, New World Elite 17U</strong> Kaylah is a smooth lefty with a killer step back three ball. She is listed as a 6'2" wing from Riverdale Baptist. She has a college ready body and used it to finish through contact and punish smaller defenders. Her vertical is impressive as she finished near the rim a couple of times. She took over the game at times and should attract some high level offers this summer. <strong>Anna LeMaster, 2020, Elevate Elite</strong> I was very impressed with Anna's pace throughout the day. She is a ball of energy and fun to watch. She is a tough cover in the open court and has a nasty pull up jumper. With her slick handle and passing game she lived in the lane all day and was able to set teammates up for easy looks. Her 3 point game is on point as well. <strong>Sherese Pittman, 2021, Cap City Ballerz</strong> Sherese is still a smooth operator and one of my favorite players from the 804 area. At six feet tall she can facilitate the offense and set up teammates, or just take over the game and score at almost at will. She is very skilled and plays at a measured pace. Big time prospect. <strong>Laci Johnson, 2021, Elevate Elite</strong> Laci is a gamer. She is a 5'3 pit bull that stays in attack mode. I was impressed with the way she boxed out bigger players on a regular basis. She also set some solid picks. She will launch a three without warning and knocked down a good percentage of them in the game I saw. She goes to Herndon High. This kid will be on a college roster somewhere. <strong>Adiaja Bender, 2021, Team Loaded 703</strong> Adiaja is an imposing 6'3" post player with an impressive wing span. She challenged, blocked or altered a bunch of shots and rarely let anyone penetrate unimpeded. She has that wiry build and strength that allows her rebound and finish inside. She attends Woodbridge High. <strong>Arries Ealy, 2021, Power Move 2020 Gold</strong> Arries is a six foot wing with a lot of potential. She has started to develop her handle and looks more comfortable in transition. She has added a couple of finishing moves to her bag and has the potential to be an exceptional defender if she continues do develop. She attends Coppin Academy. <strong>Nhaikyia Smith, 2020, MD Lady Shooting Stars</strong> I watched two games and Nhaikyia was much better in the second game. She is a true point guard, looking to pass first and get the team into their sets. She has good instincts, a good feel for the game and usually made the right play. She didn't have a great shooting day but she scored and made some plays. Very tough player that will mix it up physically and provide leadership. <strong>Aurea Gingras, 2020, Elevate Elite 17U Platinum</strong> Aurea plays at a quick pace and does not take any plays off. A very skilled guard that can make all the passes from all the angles. She has excellent handles and can score from all three levels. Very exciting player to watch. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;