PGH IL Top 250: Mason’s PG Evaluations
There was a ton of talent in the building at the Prep Girls Hoops Illinois Top 250 on Saturday. There were a ton of standouts at the event and we are continuing to push out our coverage from the event…
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Continue ReadingThere was a ton of talent in the building at the Prep Girls Hoops Illinois Top 250 on Saturday. There were a ton of standouts at the event and we are continuing to push out our coverage from the event this week. Over the next couple days I will be noting my standouts by position, starting today with the point guards.
Lauren Cohen – 5’8 PG – 2021 – Glenbard South HS
Cohen is a very solid lead guard who can score the ball really well. She displayed very solid vision with the ball in her hands on Saturday and showed me that she is a willing passer. I thought that she was solid all three games she played in and was consistently a very solid facilitator. Cohen is a very intriguing prospect with some length and savvy to her game.
Erin Houpt – 5’6 PG – 2021 – Danville HS
Houpt is as close to a true combo guard a player can be. She is very good both off the catch and off the bounce with her ability to skate into the lane with ease. She showed aggression with the ball in her hands both scoring and passing it. Houpt is quick with the ball allowing her to get to the lane and collapse the defense affording her an easy kick out. You can’t leave her open or she’ll knock down a jumper before you know it.
Lexie Sinclair – 5’8 PG – 2021 – Bartlett HS
Sinclair impressed me at the Expo by her willingness to play hard on both ends of the floor. She is a two way player who can get going quickly on the offensive end. I thought that she showed a lot of poise with the ball in her hands. She has the strength to finish through contact at the rim which a lot of point guards cannot do. She’s very stout defensively as well making her a true all-around player.
Elana Wells – 5’6 PG – 2021 – Burlington Central HS
Wells was one of the top players that I hadn’t seen prior at the event, and she was definitely one of the top guards. She showed a nice burst with the ball in her hands and was scoring really well at all three levels. She can play both the lead spot and off the ball but with her basketball IQ and quickness, I think that she is likely better suited at the lead guard spot at the next level.
Laila Barakat – 5’6 PG – 2021 – Stagg HS
Barakat got started slow on Saturday but she quickly proved to be among one of the top point guards at the event. She didn’t score a ton of points when I was able to see her play but her ability to get others involved and handle the ball really stood out quickly. A high motor player, Barakat is one of the top ball handling guards in the state. She wants to defend well and that shows each time she steps on the court.
Dawson Wright – 5’7 PG – 2023 – Warren Township HS
For a freshman, Wright has insane quickness and is going to be among the fastest players in the freshman class this upcoming year. It is likely that she’ll be among the quickest players in the state regardless of class as well. Wright can easily beat her man down the floor with or without the ball in her hand and that makes her very dangerous. Wright is going to be deadly with the ball in her hands as she gets accustomed to the high school game.
Brynn Tabeling – 5’4 PG – 2021 – Tuscola HS
A small point guard, Tabeling was very effective on Saturday as she showed her smarts and skill all day long. While she wasn’t as quick as some of the other guards she was just as crafty. She has a smooth looking shot from the outside and she also has a very solid feel for the game. Tabeling changes pace really well with the ball and kept the defense off balance all day on Saturday.
Alexis Kerstein – 5’5 PG – 2023 – Deerfield HS
Kerstein was another of the 2023 standouts on a day that gave us a ton of the top freshmen talent in the state. I thought that Kerstein played very solid defense and was ability to turn that defense into points. She is very good in transition as she made her way up and down the floor with ease. She stood out in part due to her aggressiveness at a young age but also due to her overall ability to make plays happen.
Kate Littleton – 5’6 PG – 2022 – Paris HS
Littleton came to Chicago to compete against athletes that she normally doesn’t have the ability to play and she more than held her own. I thought that she was very poised with the ball in her hands and showed the ability to collapse the defense well. Littleton shows a good feel for the game and ability to create for herself. This was a very good showing for her as she proved herself against some of the top athletes in the state.
Jessie Carlquist – 5’5 PG – 2020 – Hersey HS
Carlquist was one of a handful of seniors at the event and it was a great thing she came as she performed well. Carlquist was all over the floor defensively showing her ability to swarm the ball handler and create havoc. I also thought that she did a tremendous job of getting to the rim. As a small guard she needed to show a solid burst and she did just that. I see no reason that she doesn’t start seeing the interest of small colleges come through.
Josylin Doxie – 5’4 PG – 2021 – Proviso West HS
Doxie was able to perform at a high level even among a very talented group of guards. She has a very solid feel for the game and is very tight with her handling ability. Doxie has insanely solid court vision allowing her to find open teammates in transition easily. One of the players in this event who really needed to have a good showing did just that and impressed me. The next step is going to be having a great junior year.
Cheri Michalek – 5’4 PG – 2022 – Lockport Township HS
Michalek can play with the ball in her hands really well but she also moves really well without the ball. She displayed a very solid ability to score the ball as well as distribute. Michalek has a solid frame that holds strength and a very strong base. This allows her to absorb contact when she goes to the rim and tries to score. Fluidity runs rampant within her game and Michalek showed that on Saturday with how smooth she was.
Emma Raupp – 5’7 PG – 2021 – Schaumburg HS
Raupp was a very interesting prospect at the event on Saturday. She is a combo guard but I thought that she showed enough athleticism and handling ability to label her a point guard for the next level. Raupp is a dynamic offensive player who can score the ball well at all three levels and also displays very good vision and couples that with good decision making. She showed me a lot of really good things on Saturday.
Sidney Rogers – 5’2 PG – 2023 – Glenbrook South HS
If Rogers were six inches taller, she would be one of the top point guards in the state with her skill. Even though she isn’t, she is still one of the top freshmen in the 2023 class. She plays at just one pace, all out, and she can score from anywhere on the floor. She’s a crafty player who doesn’t back down from bigger players and she is going to be a very solid contributor on the court this winter. If she gets to 5’6/5’7 by her senior year I could see her gaining heavy D1 interest.
Kyla Smith – 5’5 PG – 2023 – Carmel Catholic HS
Smith was yet another one of the freshmen at the showcase that stood out quickly. Smith demonstrated a good feel for the game, a good motor, and very solid passing ability. I thought that she was easily among one of the top players in event as she just continually made plays. I enjoyed watching Smith play and while she has a bit to go developmentally still, you can see the makings of a very good point guard are there.
Amaya Rufus – 5’9 PG – 2021 – York HS
Rufus really surprised me this weekend with how solid she was in the open floor. She showed a knack at getting to the rim and finishing over the top of length. Rufus has a very solid frame that can hold strength and I think she’ll only continue to get stronger as she continues to mature. Rufus has a ton of potential and there were tremendous flashes of that at the Expo. This next year will be key for her.
Khaliah Reid – 5’5 PG – 2023 – Matea Valley HS
Reid was super impressive on Saturday setting the tone for her team on offense. She looked very confident with the ball in her hands and will only grow more confident in the coming months. She is a very solid guard who can do a lot of different things on the offensive end making her a very dynamic guard. She is a pest defensively who will pressure the ball all game long.