USJN Gateway Challenge weekend recap

On a wonderful Mother's Day weekend the USJN put on a great event in St. Louis. I was happy to get to see 11 different teams in a 24 hour period. Most of those teams are Illinois teams or at least have Illinois players. I love to see talent but I try to focus on the Southern Illinois kids. This article highlights one player from each team I saw this weekend. <ul> <li><strong>Amelia Bell </strong>is a 6'1 2021 4/5 from O'Fallon. She plays for the St. Louis Eagles 16U team. Amelia is tough and will not back down from anyone. Her hustle and constant effort are her strengths. She runs the floor hard and hits the offensive boards with relentless effort. Amelia is garnering D1 attention and is one to follow the next two years.</li> <li><strong>Bella McCartney </strong>is a 5’10 2021 forward from Jacksonville Routt. She plays for the Illinois Inferno 17u team. Bella was in foul trouble the game I saw due to her aggressiveness. She will need to be smart but has the potential to really help a small college program. Bella is an energy player that can finish around the rim.</li> <li><strong>Mia Nicastro </strong>is a 5’11 2022 wing from St. Charles West in Missouri. She plays for the Blue Star Silvey 16u team. Mia has the skills to hit the 3 and get to the hole. What I really liked was her toughness. She was able to hold her own in the lane with 2020 kids and didn’t back down. One to watch for D1 coaches.</li> <li><strong>Makayla Best </strong>is a 5’6 2020 guard from O’Fallon. She plays with the Southern Illinois Hawks Elite 17u. Makayla is a strong and fast guard that can play the combo role. While she can handle the ball and push it up the floor she is used to playing the 2 guard. Her shot looks really good and she was draining 3’s in the two games I saw. She can defend and plays with energy. Her play the last two weekends will definitely draw attention from college coaches.</li> <li><strong>Natalie Iberg </strong>is a 5’8 2021 wing from Greenville. She plays with the Blue Star Renken 16u team. Natalie is a great athlete that can find ways to use her speed on the floor. She is excellent on defense, whether on the ball or off the ball. She can quickly transition into getting down the floor to score. If she can improve her outside shot to force defenders to honor it, she will be a force.</li> <li><strong>Kristyn Mitchell </strong>is a 6’0 2020 stretch 4 from Collinsville. She plays for the Blue Star Renken 17u team. Kristyn is a scorer. She can hit the 3 but also finds space around the lane to hit shots. She is strong and crashes the boards to get easy baskets. Kristyn can play at the D3/NAIA level and help a team shore up the front line.</li> <li><strong>Cassidy Kretschmer</strong> is a 5’11 2021 forward from Breese Central. She plays for the Southern Illinois Hawks Elite 16u team. Cassidy is strong inside and can finish around the rim with both hands.Cassidy has the potential to help a smaller school in a 3/4 role the more she expands her wing game.</li> <li><strong>Haylee Sagle </strong>is a  5’11 2021 wing from Taylorville. She plays for the Predators 16u Lowis team. Haylee is a smooth player that can hit the 3 but also work in the paint. She really took over the game I watched and went on 2-3 basket runs to extend their lead. Haylee might not be a D1 athlete but she has skills to play in college for sure.</li> <li><strong>Olivia Hill </strong>is a 6’0 2020 wing from Fremd High School in Chicago. She plays for the Illinois Rockets 17u Red team. Olivia has the ability to score at all three levels. She plays hard and within the team framework. She will make the right pass but if you leave her open, she will bury it. Holds an offer Purdue Fort Wayne.</li> <li><strong>Kenzey Decker </strong>is a 5’7 2021 point guard from Glenwood. She plays for the Predators 16u Marvel team. Kenzey is not the strongest player on the floor. She might be one of the most determined and toughest. Kenzey doesn’t back down one inch. She can get to the hole and will hit the three when left open. Could be a good fit for a D3/NAIA team looking for a leader.</li> <li><strong>Jordan Peete </strong>is a 5’5 2020 point guard from Ladue High School in St. Louis. She plays for the St. Louis Eagles 17u team. Jordan is very quick with the ball in her hands. She makes excellent decisions in the open floor and in the horns set. Jordan is very adept at being patient and setting up her defender in the screen and role game.</li> </ul> More analysis and coverage to come by position and class. The event was full of talent and I just saw some of it! This event is always a great one to put on your calendar.