Santa Monica College Fall League: Standouts

The high school basketball season may not officially start for most teams until mid to late November, but fall leagues present a good way for teams to incorporate new players and plays while returning players get an opportunity to keep themselves fresh. Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, CA has played host to the Sailors fall league every Saturday. Teams that have participated include Palisades, Brentwood, Alemany, Crossroads, and Culver City. I stopped by the league this past Saturday, and here’s a look at some of the top players that I saw. <strong>1. Jordyn Jiron – Alemany 2021</strong> Jiron stood out for her ability to run an offense as a true floor general. Point guard is a tough position for many players because it requires major focus and the ability to really put team needs ahead of personal ones. Jiron did a solid job quarterbacking the offense, especially out in transition. She is adept at finding her teammates and getting them easy looks. Doesn’t look to score all that much, but she can if need be. Good on ball defender on the perimeter. <strong>2. Jane Nwaba – Palisades 2020</strong> The younger sister of Brooklyn Nets guard David Nwaba, Jane is a force in the paint. She is a good interior defender and shot blocker. She contests everything near the rim and she has great defensive instincts in terms of properly challenging a shot. She has good size and is a good rebounder who can box out properly. In terms of her offense, she runs the floor well in transition and can finish at the rim. <strong>3. Sammie Arnold – Palisades 2021</strong> Arnold is great hustle player. She plays tough and is constantly moving around on the court, never stationary. She’s a tough defender on the perimeter. She does a lot of little things that contribute to winning such as battling on the glass for rebounds or diving on the floor for a loose ball. Offensively, she’s a pretty good shooter from three-point range. Spots up well and is ready to catch a pass. Drawing interest from a few D1 and D2 schools. <strong>4. Taylor Plummer – Crossroads 2020</strong> Plummer is a solid scoring guard. She can handle the ball and run an offense if need be. In transition, she runs the break well and is able to go coast to coast and finish plays at the rim. She has decent footwork in the paint for a guard and she can take advantage of smaller defenders and score in the post. Decent shooter from distance. Defensively, she has good length on the perimeter. Solid on ball defender. <strong>5. Althea Hill – Crossroads 2022</strong> Hill is a lights out shooter when she is wide open, especially from the three-point line. Any inch of separation from her defender, and that shot is going up. She uses fakes well if a defender is rushing at her when she’s at the three-point line. She’s able to take a couple hard dribbles and get off a midrange shot. Can handle the ball if necessary and finish at the rim. She seems to always be in the right place at the right time on the court. <strong>6. Emma Dudley – Brentwood 2023</strong> Dudley is a strong interior player. She’s a good rebounder who fights hard on the glass, especially on the offensive end for second chance opportunities. She’s a pretty solid defender in the post; she contests shots well. Offensively, she finishes well at the rim either by being in position, or securing an offensive rebound and going back up with it. She can shoot a little bit from three-point range. <strong>7. Amber Furch – Brentwood 2023</strong> Furch has the makings of being an explosive scoring guard. She has a nice step back jumper. She is a good outside shooter who can pull-up in transition from the three-point line. Good ball-handler who can attack the rim and finish around bigger defenders. She can also draw contact at the rim and get herself to the free-throw line. She has a good feel for the game and has solid court awareness and vision.