15 Players to have on your radar: Mississippi Valley Conference

In this new series I will be exploring 15 players you need to know, by conferences that I cover in the Southern Illinois area. The players will be broken down into lists of 5. The first will be the starting 5. This list is the 5 best players, roughly based on position, in the conference. I will not be over the top on this and so you will see two guards, one of them may or may not be a point guard. However, you will not see 5 guards in the starting lineup. The second list will be players ready for a breakout season. This will be players that have most likely contributed on the varsity level but appear to me to be ready to have an even bigger impact in the 2020-21 season. These are players that should fight for 1st or 2nd team All Conference spots and have big seasons. The last list are newcomers to watch. They may or may not have already played some minutes on varsity but if they did they were in a complimentary role and I see them breaking out and showing more next season. Here is the MVC. &nbsp; Starting 5 <ol> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="123584" first="Clare" last="Breden"] is a 5’5 2021 Guard from Jerseyville. Clare is entering her 4th year as a starter and the leading scorer for her team. She has expanded her game and changed her role to become more than just a scorer. Clare can run the team and play the lead guard role very effectively and will likely take on more of that role at McKendree. For one last year she will need to score consistently to help the team endure the loss of a good 2020 class.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="123609" first="Tori" last="Standefer"] is a 5’6 2021 Guard from Civic Memorial. Tori will be entering year two post ACL surgery which usually means even more explosive ability returning and a 100% sense of comfort with her leg. If those things are true then expect to see Tori have a great year. She can play very good defense and has improved her offensive game to find more ways to score in the half court. Tori will need to take a step forward to replace the scoring and leadership left behind by [player_tooltip player_id="121865" first="Kourtland" last="Tyus"] and [player_tooltip player_id="121834" first="Anna" last="Hall"].</li> <li>Kristen Taylor is a 5’10 2021 Guard from Highland. Kristen played a big role in the success of the team in the 2020 season by using her all around game to contribute in different ways. As the senior year comes around Kristen will need to step forward as 3 key graduates have moved on in the backcourt for the Lady Bulldogs. Kristen will have more opportunities to handle the ball and score with the loss of those key players. She has a strong frame and a nice 3-point shot that will be the skills that will help her to expand her production.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="123603" first="Bella" last="LaPorta"] is a 6’0 2021 Forward from Highland. Bella became the driving force that led the Highland girls to the Super Sectional round in 2020. She was good for a double/ double just about every night down the stretch. A consistent jumper from the mid range helped to make her very hard to stop. Bella can consistently finish in the paint with either hand, rebound with the best and hit free throws at a high rate. I expect her to have a very big senior season.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124891" first="Alyssa" last="Powell"] is a 5’10 2022 Forward from Triad. Alyssa has been a consistent bright spot for Triad in her first two seasons. She combines good bounce and quickness with a high level motor to deliver points and rebounds. She is continuing to work on improving her game in the mid range to improve her opportunities on offense. The Lady Knights will have their 3rd different Head Coach in three seasons so there is some level of uncertainty to how Alyssa will be used, but no matter what she will find a way to produce.</li> </ol> Players ready for a breakout <ol> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124893" first="Kelbie" last="Zupan"] is a 5’5 2022 Guard from Civic Memorial. Kelbie has shown signs of becoming a top level player at CM. She has spent time behind a strong group of guards learning from some of the best. Kelbie will most likely play a much bigger role this year and will need to show consistent shooting and decision making.</li> <li>Alanna Brooks is a 5’7 2021 Guard from Mascoutah. Alanna showed the ultimate level of toughness and desire during her junior season by playing through a partially torn ACL. She was often limited by her knee brace and limping. But, she did not give up and kept giving her team all that she had to give. Alanna was able to show her ability to shoot the ball in the mid range and out to the 3-point line. Obviously she was not explosive off the bounce but as she recovers and prepares for her senior season she will be able to add that back to her game.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="160153" first="Chloe" last="White"] is a 5’8 2022 Wing from Jerseyville. Chloe took a big step forward during her sophomore campaign to show an ability to score that could be counted on by the Lady Panthers. She is best using her length to get into the lane and finish around the rim. Chloe can hit the outside shot but is still working to be consistent beyond the arc. Chloe will be counted on to increase her scoring into the 12 point range if Jerseyville is going to continue the momentum built late in the season by knocking off CM and Highland at home.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="148169" first="Sophia" last="Loden"] is a 5’10 2023 Forward from Mascoutah. Sophia had a very good freshman campaign where she was able to show the skills she has been working hard to improve. She brings a toughness and high motor that helps her to consistently deliver results against more experienced players. Sophia should step her scoring forward to another level as she continues to improve her outside shooting and her ability to beat competition off the bounce.</li> <li>Nora Gum is a 5'9 2023 Forward from Waterloo. Nora had a very good freshman campaign where she stepped up and scored 8 points per game and got 6 rebounds. She has a variety of ways to score inside the lane while working to improve her scoring in the mid range. Nora will be a big part of the young nucleus that hopes to lead Waterloo back into contention in the MVC.</li> </ol> &nbsp; New Comers to watch. <ol> <li>Harper Buhs is a 5’7 2021 Guard from Civic Memorial. Harper will be returning after missing almost all of her junior year to an ACL surgery. She is a very good defender and scores well in the lane. Harper has extensive experience and if healthy will be a huge asset to the team.</li> <li>Hannah Sontag is a 5’8 2021 Guard from Civic Memorial. Hannah was having an outstanding start to her sophomore year when she began the season playing very well on both ends of the floor.Unfortunately in December of 2018 she tore her ACL. During recovery for her junior season she tore it again. If Hannah can show the shooting and defense that she showed then, she will give the Lady Eagles a huge boost.</li> <li>Sam Lindhorst is a 5'7 2023 Guard from Waterloo. Sam was second on the team in scoring her freshman season at 8.5 per game. She showed some range to her shot by hitting one 3-point shot per game and hitting 32% of those shots. Sam has good vision on the court and will make passes to the open player but will most certainly provide the most value to the team this season by scoring the ball.</li> <li>Boston Talley is a 5’9 2021 Forward from Jerseyville. Boston is a nice left handed scorer that has shown the ability to shoot the ball consistently out to the 3-point line.She will be counted on to step into a bigger role and contribute on the defensive end next year. Boston has good touch in the paint and around the mid range. She has a scorers mentality and looks for her shot which will be important for Jerseyville to have as many scoring options as possible.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="160144" first="Claire" last="Christeson"]is a 6’0 2022 Forward from Civic Memorial. Claire has earned her minutes as a defensive stopper and high energy player up to now. Claire shows good skill and above average footwork and quickness that should translate to a big step forward in production with leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="121834" first="Anna" last="Hall"] gone. She should see more minutes and more chances to score in the paint while maintaining her ability to score in transition and off her defense.</li> </ol>