July AAU: 2022’s Under the Radar

&nbsp; Through the first two weeks of July some players are really starting to stand out and show that they deserve some additional attention from the recruiters out there. This would normally be a very important time for the rising juniors to get their reputation built with the college coaches. In the world of 2020, this is a bit different of a process. Here is a list of girls I have seen that are showing they are a bit under valued at this point and need some additional looks. <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="159965" first="Madyson" last="Rigdon"] is a 5'8 Guard from Paris and IE Havoc. Maddie is an excellent defender that happens to play AAU ball with three D1 level guards. On any other team she would be a player that the team is built around. But, Maddie is not selfish and plays hard in her role off the bench. She recently got her first offer from the St Louis College of Pharmacy, an NAIA school. Maddie doesa good job on offense of getting to the rim and finishing with her length. She will continue to draw interest as she gets more exposure and hopefully has a big school season.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124854" first="Kate" last="Littleton"] Kate is a 5'6 Guard from Paris and IE Havoc. Kate is another player, like her teammate Maddie Rigdon, that falls under the radar while playing with an extremely talented group on her AAU team. Kate is a very good shooter with deep range that is going to be primed to have a breakout season on her school team. She has been a nice player off the bench in her first two high school seasons but will definitely be counted on to step up her role this year. As she improves her game off the bounce Kate will be expected to score in the 15 point range each night. She is fast and athletic and can therefore guard and play well in an up tempo game. NAIA/D3 schools should be watching her closely.</li> <li>Azaria Moore is a 5'11 Forward from Granite City and Brad Beal Elite. Azaria is a talented player that shows a very good feel for the game. She comes from a family of great basketball talent and experience so she has learned it from an early age. Azaria has a strong body and is willing to do the little things for a team. She is not a player who is out to get her own, she will set screens, rebound and pass before she worries about scoring herself. Azaria is probably best suited as a stretch 4 that can take advantage of a slower post by taking her away from the basket and beating her off the dribble. This probably makes her best suited for top NAIA/D3 programs or lower level D2 programs.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124880" first="Adrenna" last="Snipes"] is a 5'5 Point Guard from Alton Marquette and Crossover Elite. Adrenna is a dynamic point guard that can score or facilitate, whatever  the team needs. She has been a stat stuffer through her first two high school seasons putting up close to 20 points per night with 5 rebounds and 5 steals along with 3 assists per game. She has an offer from UIS and should garner plenty of interest in her last two seasons. Adrenna plays with an AAU team that is not known on the Regional or National scene so they tend to fly under the radar, but her ability will draw the colleges coaches to Alton Marquette over the next two years.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124863" first="Maya" last="Osborn"] is a 5'5 Combo Guard from Marshall and the Heart of Illinois. Maya has really been playing well early in July for her Heart of Illinois squad. She is a well known outside shooter, yet she is finding ways to get open and has been hitting her 3's at a good percentage. What has been impressive is her improved on ball defense where she has been really pressuring opposing guards. Maya is a great program/team player in that she hustles, rebounds and is always in the mix for loose balls. Maya is not the ideal size that college coaches looks for at the D1 and high D2 levels, but she is one to take a look at and ignore the measurables as she can just go.</li> <li>Ella Lune is 6'0 Forward from Brimfield and the Heart of Illinois. Ella is a small school player that has flown under the radar but is showing consistent results in the summer that are hard to ignore. She is a long player that uses her wing span to be a problem on defense. Ella can defend on the ball but is also very good at picking up blocks in the help side. She is rebounding at a very high rate and showing improved offensive capabilities. Ella is finishing consistently inside and in the mid range along with putting the ball on the floor in the open court and advancing it herself. She is looking a lot like an ideal stretch 4 that should be tracked by higher level programs ( D2 and above).</li> <li>Delaney Cook is a 5'8 Guard from Peoria Christian and Heart of Illinois. Delaney is a another player that has not been on the radar yet but needs to be watched. She is playing very well defensively by using her athletic ability and strength to handle different types of players. Delaney has shown a consistent shot from the 3-point line that has become a weapon for her. She plays well off the bounce, especially in the open court where she can get to the rim and absorb contact while finishing.</li> <li>Gracie Kizer is a 5'7 Guard from Pekin and Heart of Illinois. Gracie is a player that has good instincts on the offensive end of the court.She has a scorers mentality and reads the defense well. She has a good understanding of when to pop her jumper and when to go to the hole. She does a good job of playing slow to fast through patience before she puts the ball down or through her hesitation dribble. She can burst on that first step and create space and driving angles. Gracie has nice finishes too by using a combination of runners/floaters and finishes at the rim. She handles shot blockers well by doing a good job of getting elevation on her layups and then also releasing the ball at the high point of her jump. Gracie should be watched by very high level D3/NAIA programs and D2's as well.</li> </ul> As we continue to be able to watch the girls show their talents I look forward to being able to continue updating this list and adding to it. &nbsp;