AAU Preview: Purple Aces 17U

PGH scouts feature ranked athletes from Kansas.

Lena June 21, 2020 @ 11:10 PM

AAU Preview: Purple Aces 17U Head Coach: Jim Doell Below is a preview of a talented Purple Aces squad. This team consists of athletic and quick prospects who have all seen a lot of success in a high tempo game. They are all in your face defenders and I’d expect them all to be resilient defenders. Offensively, the team is stacked with scores and dynamic players who can impact the game multiple ways. Roster #4 [player_tooltip player_id="132357" first="Sheridan" last="Flauger"] #5 Desiree Kleiman #10 Ella Bialkowski #14 Charley Apple #20 [player_tooltip player_id="132349" first="Carley" last="Duffney"] #20 [player_tooltip player_id="155770" first="Delaney" last="Clark"] #23 [player_tooltip player_id="132365" first="Laura" last="Nickel"] #30 Maddy McFerrin #32 [player_tooltip player_id="132363" first="Kylie" last="Schmidt"] #42 Emma Anderson (Michigan) #44 Olivia Zuege Key Players to Watch: Maddy McFerrin | 5’7 G | Green Bay Southwest HS McFerrin is a player teams don’t want to take lightly, her ceiling high. She’s a crafty guard who plays with much confidence and swag. Her skill set is so high and her basketball IQ is even higher. The way she shifts without the ball is impressive. Her movement on the floor is so fun to watch, she gets herself open with ease. She has great footwork to her perimeter shot. A quick defender is well, McFerrin does well with on-ball pressure. [player_tooltip player_id="132365" first="Laura" last="Nickel"] | 6’0 F | Marshall HS A sleeper prospect who could have a breakout summer for her team this season. Nickel is a coach’s dream as her fundamentals are just so solid. She is precise and composed with the basketball. She isn’t forcing things on offense but could easily take over. She can handle the ball and knock down from mid-range or impact from inside the paint. Confident beyond the arc, look for her to continue to add to her perimeter shooting percentage as well. A 1st team all conference selection for her HS team, Nickel averaged 16 points per game and shot 54% from the field. [player_tooltip player_id="132363" first="Kylie" last="Schmidt"] | 5’11 F | Mishicot HS Schmidt is a player who will put up huge numbers each game for the Aces. She’s a versatile forward who can play inside an out. She can shoot the ball and is super aggressive on the block. She averaged 18.8 points per game for her HS squad last season. She can shoot the three point shot off the pass or create the show on her own. Look for Schmidt to develop her attack off the dribble from the perimeter. Schmidt is committed to Purdue Northwest Charey Apple | 5’5 G | Notre Dame Academy HS Apple is going to be the go-to floor general for this squad. She sees the floor so well and does a great job playing with patience and poise. She’s beyond controlled with the ball and has very impressive ball handling skills. She can easily take over a game offensively if necessary. However, Apple is a lightning quick defender and plays aggressive the entire game. Look for her to grab multiple steals each time she’s on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="132349" first="Carley" last="Duffney"] | 6’0 F | Green Bay Preble HS Duffney is another prospect who will play inside and out for the Aces. She’s developed into quite the confident shooter and will certainly be a consistent outside scoring threat for her team. She gets up and down the floor well and thrives on her transition buckets. The forward averaged 18.2 points per game for her HS team last season. Duffney has great on-court vision and is crafty finding her open teammates. She is committed to South Dakota.