2022 State Tournament Performers Part I

The 2020 Nebraska State Tournament was full of ups and downs, including a bright set of rising players from the Class of 2022.  This will be the first of a two-part series in which I will share my thoughts on some of the 2022 players that I saw at the Nebraska State Tournament. I would first like to point out players that I have previously scouted on prepgirlshoops.com that I saw in Lincoln; they are: [player_tooltip player_id="94543" first="Megan" last="Belt"]-Millard South Adrianna DiPrima-Omaha Westside [player_tooltip player_id="94501" first="Taylor" last="McCabe"]-Fremont Macy Bryant-Fremont Ella Walters-Norris [player_tooltip player_id="94517" first="Bailey" last="Kissinger"]-Hastings St. Cecilia Abby Boyes-Bennington Taylor Sedlacek-Bennington Erison Vonderschmidt-Falls City Sacred Heart <strong>Sarah Shepard (5’10" Forward, Fremont): </strong>Shepard has very good length and is a solid defensive player for the Tigers.  She would probably score more if it were not for the outstanding play of McCabe, and she does finish well around the rim.  She is a decent shooter from the arc, and her left-handed shot mechanics indicate to me that her shot will continue to improve as she grows older.  I see her as a high NAIA level player with a chance to push for a Division II school, but she needs to get stronger and more explosive. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94530" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] (6’0" Forward, St. Paul): </strong>I really liked Poppert’s game watching her play for the Wildcats, who were making their first state appearance since 1993.  She has good range on her jump shot and can also rebound well.  Her off the bounce game is very good and she can cover alot of ground in just a couple of dribbles.  Like most younger players, she needs to get stronger, and it will be interesting to see how she plays next year without her sister to play along side her, but she has a great upside and could push for a Division II roster spot in a couple of years. <strong>Elizabeth Trausch (5’8" Guard, Hastings Adams Central) and Jessica Babcock (5’7" Guard, Hastings Adams Central): </strong>I am going to list these teammates together, as their games are similar.  Both of them can shoot it from range and both can put the ball on the floor, but Trausch is probably the stronger shooter, while Babcock is probably better off the bounce.  Both players are tough, hard nosed kids who are going to play a competitive schedule at their high school, and they keyed a late season run that ended in the state semi-final.  Definitely two players to keep an eye on in the future. <strong>Sydney Emanuel (5’6" Point Guard, North Bend-Central): </strong>No one made a better name for themselves than the Emanuel siblings, and Sydney was a key component of their state championship run.  A calm, cool, collected traditional point guard for the Tigers, Emanuel is a very good defender who attacks the ball well but has a great mind for the game.  She is a good shooter, but she seems more comfortable going to the rim and drawing contact, which she seems to thrive on.  She takes very good care of the ball, and Emanuel would be a very good prospect for an NAIA school that plays a traditional style in the next couple of years. <strong>Kaylee Stricklin (5’10" Forward, Humphery St. Francis): </strong>Stricklin is a raw athlete who is extremely physical around the basket; she might have been the strongest player that I saw at the state tournament.  She is a physical defender who is great on the boards at both ends of the floor, and the majority of her scoring comes off of transition or offensive rebounding.  She will need to work on her offensive skill set, but she would be a player to watch for an NAIA school who is looking for an athletic, hard working post player.