43 Hoops freshmen are more than ready for the Meltdown

Some players improve incrementally, gradually getting better over time and growing their game step by step. That would be Kaila Youngs of Delano. Others seem to burst onto the scene and rapidly raise their standard of play. That would be Ava Cusciotta of Rockford. Ultimately the two talented athletes from 43 Hoops 2022 are headed toward similar destinations, and they are currently riding the same train to get there. Youngs and Cusciotta are the locomotives that drive Olivia Antilla’s squad of incoming sophomores and they’ve got some other prospects on board, as well. [caption id="attachment_70490" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sophomore-to-be Ava Cusciotta of Rockford (Photo courtesy of Hometown Source)[/caption] “I think last weekend was really a breakout weekend for Ava, especially playing against top competition out of state,” said Antilla. “From last summer to this summer she has become an outstanding and efficient scorer, and she’s just a workhorse. She is a force inside, and over the last three tournaments she has been effective from the outside, too, both from mid-range and also from three.” The things that struck me immediately upon seeing Cusciotta for the first time about 18 months ago were, a) how physical she was, b) how relentless she was, and c) how well she matched up against bigger, more experienced players. Last week against Team Pennsylvania, the 5’9 Cusciotta had to guard a giant 6’3 post. Ava did an admirable job while scoring 15 points and adding 4 rebounds herself. “I love how physical she is. That’s how she can guard bigger players in the paint,” Antilla said. “When you play against a player like Ava you get extremely tired. The girls she guards also get really annoyed and frustrated with her. She gets players off their game and away from how they want to play.” We watched Rockford several times during the high school season and Cusciotta was impressive every time. She was the third-leading scorer for the Rockets behind Sydney Manthana and the now-graduated Neely Griffin, and played multiple positions throughout the season. She’s got quality skills that keep getting better. She’s pretty choosy about where and when to take a shot which is why she’s efficient from mid-range. If the three is there she’ll take it but Ava is by no means a volume shooter. At the tournament in Louisville last week Cusciotta averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. She was 11 and 8 against A’ja Wilson Elite. She shot 60 percent from the field against the Tennessee Shooters and recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. All of that is important, of course, but it is Cusciotta’s level of effort that stands out the most. “She has a motor!” Antilla said with admiration. “She can go all game, every game. You will never hear her complain. You will never see her level of effort go down… She just never gives up. She holds herself accountable, she holds herself to a high standard which shows in how she plays. Ava will do those things that other people don’t want to do. She is literally out there giving everything she has, and it’s contagious.” Yin and yang Cusciotta’s level of energy has definitely had an impact on Youngs, a lengthy forward who knows how to put the ball in the basket. We certainly knew about Kaila entering the summer season, but because she plays at a very much under-the-radar program at Delano we really didn’t know that much. At the AAU State Tournament in May Kaila was among the top scorers in the Class of 2022, leading 43 Hoops to a top-10 finish. At the Lake Slam Youngs was bothered by a sore back but still impressed the heck out of our evaluators. That earned her a solid ranking of #62 when the updated Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 rankings came out a couple of weeks later. Cusciotta, by the way, is #64. In Louisville Youngs also averaged 12 and 6 and has consistently been in that range over the past few tournaments. Defensively she is active and engaged. “There were multiple games this weekend where she had over 5 blocks. She’s amazing at timing it and using her arms,” Antilla said. “Offensively she can cause some real match-up difficulties because of her length. Being 5’11 with a 6-foot wingspan it’s hard for a smaller guard to defend her.” There’s no question in our minds that both Cusciotta and Youngs are scholarship-level prospects. Given the way they have played in the second half of the AAU season I would not be surprised at all if their class ranking improves again. Seek and ye shall find Olivia Antilla played high school basketball at Osseo. She went on to play JUCO ball and then Division 1 at Florida A&M where she graduated in 2016. This is her first season coaching at 43 Hoops. Liv describes it as a great experience so far and is pleased with the progress the team has made. “We have come extremely far, with just buying into what I wanted to establish as a team,” Coach Antilla said. “We really do play as a team. We have kind of taken on that underdog mentality.” One of the frustrating things, however, is how they haven’t been able to play against the top teams in the class. 43 Hoops Antilla is usually placed in second- or third-tier tournament pools so they don’t get the opportunity to really test themselves. The team’s most notable win so far is an April victory over Stars 2022 Bjorgaard. They have multiple wins over Suns Bluestar, and beat the second DTA Academy team, but they haven’t met up with anyone from the Fury or North Tartan. Their situation at the Meltdown this weekend is similar in nature. As is usually the case for teams outside of the premier pools at a major event you won’t find this 43 Hoops team on one of the main stages. They’ll compete in 9th Grade Division 3, and you’ll need to go hunting a bit to find them. Here’s the schedule: <ul> <li>11:00 a.m. Saturday vs Cincy Shock-Hoosier (Jefferson 3)</li> <li>3:00 p.m. Saturday vs MD Blazers 2022 (Kennedy 1)</li> <li>9:10 a.m. Sunday vs MN Suns Bluestar 2022 (Kennedy 6)</li> </ul> Four more faces from 43 Hoops 2022 If the college coaches find their way to the hinterlands to watch 43 Hoops this weekend you can be sure they have come to watch Youngs and Cusciotta. Those two are definitely the best players to consider for post-high school play, but they are by no means the only prospects on the team. Here are a few more names to know along with Coach Antilla’s thoughts on their respective games. Abby Grussing, 5’10 guard, Minnetonka (ranked #66) “Everybody knows that Abby is very, very athletic, and she can get to the paint a lot easier than a lot of players I have seen,” Antilla said of Grussing, who has a big body and a lot of speed. “She is so fast as well as strong. We have been working on change of speed and playing with composure. I think she has gotten better on that over the summer. We have been working on shot selection, as well, and not forcing the drives and reading the kicks better.” Ruby Carlson, 5’5 guard, Orono “Ruby is a good shooter, and her shot selection has really improved,” Antilla said, adding that Carlson is getting better at handling pressure defense when she has the ball and has improved her ball handling. She is also developing a nice floater. Most of all Antilla loves Carlson’s fire. “She plays with a chip on her shoulder and is extremely physical. She will battle with you all day. No matter how big you are or how small you are she is going to bring the fight to you.” Aiyana Knight, 5’6 guard, Cambridge-Isanti Knight is an emerging prospect for 43 Hoops, and has made her mark on the defensive side of the ball. “I truly believe she is one of the best defenders in the 2022 class,” Antilla said. “She will apply pressure for 94 feet without fouling. She takes pride in her defense and it is spectacular. She always guards the best player, here or out of state. She forces turnovers and causes chaos.” Lucy Hertel, 5’6 guard, Holy Family “She is our Energizer Bunny and can literally go 100 miles per hour the whole game,” Antilla said of Hertel. “Down the stretch she has been a consistent scorer for us. She is extremely strong for her height and causes problems on mismatches. She can defend on the perimeter and she can shoot the deep three. She is always going hard and is an amazing teammate.” Top photo: Former Florida A&M player Olivia Antilla leads the 43 Hoops 2020 squad. Standing to the left of Antilla (#10) is Kaila Youngs of Delano. (courtesy photo)