Collinsville vs Nashville: 5 Key Questions

Collinsville held on for the victory in a hard fought Championship game in the Nashville Thanksgiving tourney. Collinsville had the lead late in regulation but 3-pointers by <strong>Alyssa Cole</strong> and <strong>Emily Schnitker</strong> got them right back in it. Collinsville had the last shot but could not convert so the game went to Overtime. When <strong>Kristyn Mitchell</strong> hit a tough driving left handed layup to put Collinsville up 2 points it gave the Lady Kahoks the edge they needed. They hit just enough free throws and got enough stops to secure the victory. Here are a few key questions from the game. <ol> <li><strong>Does Collinsville have enough depth?</strong> Collinsville has a very solid starting 5 but they get a bit young once they go to the bench. They played 2 freshman, both of them provided some help and seemed to handle to the pressure of a big game. <strong>Jordan Gary</strong> is very athletic and seems most ready to handle the level of play that will be needed from the bench. She is an excellent athlete that can play at the pace that Collinsville would like to go. <strong>Jenna Scheller</strong> is a big bodied 6'2 post player that showed good touch around the rim. She is best in the half court game so Collinsville likely needs to slow the pace a bit when she is in the game. Jenna can be counted on in short stints to provide depth. The only other player to play in every game has been Senior <strong>Natalie Becker</strong>. Natalie is a 5'6 guard that has not contributed much to the box scores yet. Because of the aggressive nature of their defense Coach Billy will have to develop this bench to cover foul trouble.</li> <li><strong>Who is the go to scorer for Nashville?</strong> Everyone needs to have multiple players scoring to have the best team, but, most teams have a go to scorer that they can count on in tight games. Nashville may still be figuring out who that is or what type of play works best for them when they have to have a basket. They ran some effective sets that forced Collinsville to make a decision on where/ how they wanted to help and it led to an open 3 that was converted. But, they still seemed unsure of who could get a shot on their own if needed. To me that person is <strong>Alyssa Cole. </strong>Alyssa has really developed her game coming into her sophomore season. She can hit the 3 and when she is crowded she can take you off the dribble. She has become more of a power wing than a post player as her game grows. At 5'8 Alyssa cannot live in the paint but is effective at taking defenders into the paint off the dribble.</li> <li><strong>How far can the Collinsville senior class take them? </strong>The three senior starters, <strong>Faith Liljegren</strong>, <strong>Caite Knutson</strong> and <strong>Kristyn Mitchell</strong> will play a big part in determining how far Collinsville can go this year. Liljegren is the point guard and is the “captain” of their offense. She is a SEMO commit for soccer and is an excellent athlete. She handles the ball well, is calm under pressure and sees the floor well.Mitchell is a post player that can score inside and outside along with gathering rebounds. She is capable of creating her own shot off the dribble this year which came in clutch against Nashville in overtime. Knutson is a jack of all trades. She can play offense and defense both inside and outside. She can defend just about anyone on the court. Offensively she has nice moves inside the lane while also having the ability to hit the jump shot out to the 3-point line. These three will determine how far Collinsville can go. To get big wins during the conference season and come tournament time all three will have to be dependable scorers to get it done. Without a deep bench these ladies will have to be consistent and stay out of foul trouble. If they can do that, second place in the conference and a Regional title are possible for this group.</li> <li><strong>Who was the best defender on the floor? Rylee Luechtefeld </strong>and Caite Knutson were both fun to watch on the defensive end. Rylee was showing off her ability to change the game by blocking every shot, it seemed. Caite is so versatile that she can change the game on defense. In this game she was responsible for guarding Rylee. Rylee is 6'1 and has long arms so on offense she can be tough to stop inside but she is also capable of stepping away from the basket to score on the outside. That did not phase Caite at all. She can use her strength inside and athletic ability when the player goes outside. In the end Caite had the better night as Rylee was held to 6 points which is well below her expected output. These are two are fun to watch and college coaches should pay attention.</li> <li><strong>Who were the top college prospects in this game? </strong>The 2020 players mentioned above can all play at the next level. Liljegren is playing soccer but Knutson and Mitchell from Collinsville are both JC up to NAIA prospects at this point to me. Mitchell is a great student is a classic fit at the D3 level if that is what she chooses. She can play at the next level because of her ability to score the ball at all 3 levels. She can stretch the floor by hitting the three but will also use her dribble to get to the rim. Knutson is a 2/3/4 player depending on the level and the style of play. She is more than capable of defending all three spots and is a versatile offensive player too. She is a good fit at the JC level because of the upside she has to improve her offensive game with the daily routine of college basketball. Luechtefeld is a also a great fit at the JC level because if she can improve her lateral quickness and ball handling in tight spaces she has a low level D1/high D2 body and skill set for a stretch 4. Rylee can also choose to play at the NAIA or D3 level and make an impact. <strong>Astacia Bush</strong> from Collinsville is 2021 power guard that has potential at a lower level. She has the body and tough nosed, she could develop into a more consistent offensive threat with time. Another power guard/small forward at a lower level could be Cole from Nashville. Alyssa is a 2022 that came into her freshman year feeling most comfortable with her back to the basket. She has developed a good outside shot that she can hit from 3 and does a good job driving to the hole. At 5'8 she is somewhat limited in where she can play as she will not have the athletic ability to play guard at the D1 level but she can certainly play in college. The freshman mentioned above from Collinsville can certainly develop in college players as they have either the size or athletic ability that translates. Also Nashville has some young guards that I saw for the first time so I cannot tell where they fit yet.</li> </ol> All in all, this was a great game with some real talent to watch. I am excited to follow these two programs throughout the season.