AAU Preview: Playground Elite U17
Playground Elite- U17 Coached by: Jeff Smith and Shelby Reynolds. Below is a list of prospects playing their AAU season with Playground Elite. This team consists of players in the Class of 2021 and Class of 2022. As an official…
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Continue ReadingPlayground Elite- U17
Coached by: Jeff Smith and Shelby Reynolds.
Below is a list of prospects playing their AAU season with Playground Elite. This team consists of players in the Class of 2021 and Class of 2022. As an official member of Blue Star Basketball the team will be playing in multiple tournaments around the midwest this summer as well as the Atlanta Peach Splash in late July.
The team will play a high tempo offense, pushing the ball in transition and a high pressure in your face defense. Here are the players on the roster that are from Wisconsin and preview of what they will bring to the table for Playground Elite.
Daja Young | 5’0 G | 2021 | Homestead
A steady point guard with a good flow to her game, Young plays with great tempo. She has a controlled speed and is composed when attacking the basket. An inside scoring threat, Young will attempt the three if left open. She has swift handles on offense and the ability to thread the needle finding her open teammates. A defensive specialist for sure, Young will be expected to grab multiple steals per game for Playground.
Jaida Smith | 5’7 G | 2021 | Milwaukee Pius XI Catholic
A high scoring guard who can put up big numbers on offense. She’s midrange effective and has a great pull up off the dribble. She pushes the ball in transition and does a great job drawing contact. Smith will certainly be a shooter for Playground as she is super confident long range. A solid rebounder as well, Smith uses her body well to box out and her quickness to chase boards.
Jaiden Claypool | 5’6 G | 2021 | Milwaukee Riverside
A three year varsity standout at Riverside, Claypool will be super effective attacking the rim and getting her teammates open on offense. She has a smooth shot and is patient with the ball. She moves well without the ball and is an impressive passer. If left open, Claypool will knock down the perimeter shot but seems to be more confident attacking or off the pass mid range.
Ava Parcher | 5’6 G | 2021 | La Crosse Central
A scrappy guard who is super athletic and versatile with the ball. She has impressive handles and isn’t frazzled with high on ball pressure. She can move without the ball and has a high basketball IQ. On defense, Parcher is beyond scrappy and has great hands for altering shots and grabbing steals.
Jayla Butler | 5’6 G | 2022 | Milwaukee School of Languages
One of three class of 2022 prospects on the roster, Butler will get a lot of minutes on this Playground squad. She can simply score the basketball and has so many crafty moves attacking the basket. She developed her outside shot more during her high school season and will certainly look to knock more down this summer. She can handle the ball and pushes the break in transition.
Nakiyah Hurst | 6’0 F | 2022 | Milwaukee Academy of Science
Hurst is an ultra-talented forward who is receiving a lot of major college interest so far. She’s an athletic forward who can get up and down the floor. She can handle the ball in transition and finishes with poise at the rim. She’s versatile from the block. She has a smooth turn around jumper and does a great job balancing her body at the rim. A defensive threat as well Hurst using her combination of height and footwork to block shots and grab multiple defensive boards per game.
Aaleyah Jones Aaleyah Jones 5'5" | PG Milwaukee Riverside | 2021 State WI | 5’6 G | 2021 | Milwaukee Riverside
Jones is a scrappy guard who has a scorers mentality. She has impressive handles and uses crafty moves to fly by defenders into the lane. Jones does not shy away from contact and does a great job finishing strong in the rim. She is continuing to develop her perimeter shot and will knock it down from deep. She has great speed and is super hard to stop while she’s pushing the ball in transition.
Sophia Bachmann | 5’5 G | 2022 | Lake Country Lutheran
Bachmann will be a key shooter for her Playground Elite squad. She is a sniper from beyond the arc and is confident shooting from anywhere on the floor. She will also be a floor general for her team and use her on-court vision to find her teammates open.
Marchelle Bowden | 5’9 F | 2021 | Milwaukee Hamilton
Bowden is a talented forward who is used to putting up so many points for her high school squad. The Milwaukee Hamilton standout led the state in scoring and will impact her Playground Elite just the same. She’s a strong player who thrives off her offensive board put backs and her on the block play. She’s strong in the lane and has a bag full of crafty moves to get around the defense. She’s developing her three point shooting confidence and will hopefully continue to add that to her bag this summer.