Video analysis: 2022s with scholarship potential, part 2

Size matters. So does speed. Sometimes the latter trumps the former and you have a small package that delivers big results. That’s certainly true in the case of [player_tooltip player_id="109134" first="Charita" last="Lewis"] of St. Cloud Cathedral. Many observers hold the belief that ’Tiny’ Lewis is the fastest player in the state, with a quick first step that rivals [player_tooltip player_id="109738" first="Alexis" last="Pratt"] of Stillwater, and ball-handling ability that is right up there with the best of them. Today Tiny tops part 2 of our video analysis of 2022s with scholarship potential. Despite being just 5’4 or 5’5, Lewis has to be considered a scholarship-level prospect along with fellow point guard [player_tooltip player_id="57959" first="Hope" last="Dudycha"] of Austin, and forwards [player_tooltip player_id="57963" first="Maria" last="Counts"] of Providence Academy and [player_tooltip player_id="147450" first="Grace" last="Massaquoi"] of Holy Angels. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109134" first="Charita" last="Lewis"] – combo guard, St. Cloud Cathedral</strong> Sometimes I feel sorry for the defenders of Central Minnesota who have to guard Lewis. There’s only so much typical high school players can do to contain a player who is as quick as she is. The video offers plenty of examples where Tiny employs terrific lateral movement, the ability to change speeds and superior ball-handling skills, a package that proved to be lethal this winter as she was able to get to the rim almost at will. She is also a terrific shooter, with a sweet mid-range, pull-up jumper and a consistent stroke from deep territory. The most amazing thing is the fact that Lewis was a hockey-first athlete until the past year or so. She jumped in with both feet last summer with DTA Academy and was a revelation, rising to #39 in the class rankings. She led Cathedral in scoring this year at 19 ppg, reaching double figures in every game including a 31-point performance going head-to-head against [player_tooltip player_id="109748" first="Ivane" last="Tensaie"] of Concordia Academy, who is pretty much her mirror image. Lewis will play for North Tartan 2022 EYBL. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlD1Asm3Jk&amp;list=PL5ZZj4unj-73KVT3p6j0BQjGAFTdPt_Ve&amp;index=11&amp;t=6s">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57959" first="Hope" last="Dudycha"] – point guard, Austin</strong> The 5’5 floor general knows how to run an offense. She’s intelligent, she’s patient and she goes about her business in a calm and calculated way that gives off a positive vibe. She can also shoot the basketball! Hope executes the catch-and-shoot beautifully, in one continuous motion that results in a quick, high shot which lands at a high percentage. Dudycha, whose twin sister [player_tooltip player_id="109176" first="Emma" last="Dudycha"] also plays for the Packers, shot 51.8% from two-point range, 37.4% from three and 85.2% at the line, producing nearly 14 points per game. She also had 63 assists and 61 steals. Quarterbacking one of the state’s most consistent offenses, Dudycha rose 20 spots in the rankings last fall and is currently rated as the #67 prospect in the class of 2022. Hope is not very big but she has the attributes that make up for a lack of size – a wide variety of shots, the ability to beat players one-on-one, great ball-handling skills and very good court  vision. She play again this summer for Southern Minnesota Fury. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13804794/5e7908cb4205f80c84bc764c">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57963" first="Maria" last="Counts"] – forward, Providence Academy</strong> The thing I like most about Maria’s game is its simplicity. She knows who she is, she knows what she does well, and she goes out and does it on a consistent basis. At 5’11 with a big frame and plenty of strength, Counts is a handful inside at both ends of the floor. She has very nice footwork and a pocketful of quality posts moves. She’s elusive in traffic, has good touch around the basket and doesn’t lack mobility. Counts has a very nice mid-range game, as well. Maria averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds per game on a class AA state tournament team, along with 2.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. Her best offensive outputs came in some of Providence’s narrowest wins. I like what that says about her. Maria comes from a bonafide basketball family with a history in the game that goes back a long way. I am most familiar with older sister [player_tooltip player_id="1490" first="Anna" last="Counts"], a current standout at Minot State, and younger sister [player_tooltip player_id="148338" first="Grace" last="Counts"], who is an excellent prospect in the 2023 class. Hardcore fans will be familiar with grandfather Mel Counts, who played more than a decade in the NBA as a member of the Celtics and Lakers among others. Maria is currently ranked #86 in the 2022 class and rising. She’ll return to Metro Stars Garcia this summer. <a href="https://youtu.be/vu1sQJm-53E">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="147450" first="Grace" last="Massaquoi"] – guard/forward, Holy Angels</strong> Grace is an intriguing prospect. I have seen her listed anywhere from 5’10 to 6’0, but there’s no need to quibble over an inch here or there because she is an imposing physical specimen and plenty athletic. These are the obvious things, but there is a lot about the sophomore that remains to be discovered. We first watched Massaquoi in AAU ball a couple of years back when she was on Rob Ware’s very strong UVA squad. Her potential was obvious. Yes, she was very raw, but you could see what was possible. From there she went to Minnetonka, but things did not work out, she ended up leaving the school and was out of the basketball picture for many months. This winter Massaquoi resurfaced at Holy Angels and put together an impressive campaign for the class AAA state tournament team. Grace averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, while shooting 43% She played hard-nosed power basketball at both ends of the court and was a key piece of the Stars’ attack. Grace played with more poise and maturity, demonstrating that she is once again a player to be reckoned with. Massaquoi was a top 50 prospect two years ago and will realistically return to that level if she continues to perform the way she has of late. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13924933/5e67d54e32dcb215ecd70b74">Watch the video</a>