BallNGems Reno Showcase: Top 2022s

Grassroots basketball events have been popping up all over the country recently with high school basketball still relatively postponed, and this weekend Reno, NV played host to the BallNGems Fall Showcase. The two-day event featured some of the top talent from the Northern California area as well as players from neighboring areas such as Washington and Nevada. Each class was well represented from 2021 all the way down to 2025/26. I attended the event both Sat Oct. 17 and Sun Oct. 18. Here’s a look at some of the top players from the class of 2022 that I saw: 1 Valentina Amsaric - Woodside Priory HS (Los Altos, CA) [caption id="attachment_216039" align="alignnone" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-216039" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/IMG_1880-225x300.jpg" alt="Valentina Amsaric" width="225" height="300" /> Valentina Amsaric; Woodside Priory HS 2022[/caption] &nbsp; Amsaric is a good shooter for her size. She’s a 6’1 forward who can play on the wing and can play in the post as well. In drills, she showed an ability to knock down midrange jumpers and she can also use the glass as well. She has good footwork in the post; takes her time to get a good shot and attack the defense. Uses fakes and can get her defender in the air. 2 [player_tooltip player_id="204052" first="Abby" last="Kennedy"] - Half Moon Bay HS (Half Moon Bay, CA) Kennedy stood out to me for one specific reason: her defense. She’s a wing who excels playing perimeter defense. She bends her knees and stays low to the court. Slides her feet well and can keep up with the player she’s guarding. She contests shots well and makes it difficult for opposing players to score. A real in-your-face lockdown defender. 3 Kylee Lange - Coleville HS (Coleville, CA) [caption id="attachment_216038" align="alignnone" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-216038" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/IMG_1873-225x300.jpg" alt="Kylee Lange" width="225" height="300" /> Kylee Lange; Coleville HS 2022[/caption] &nbsp; Lange is a tough point guard. She’s very strong and she uses that to her advantage. She can take advantage of when she’s being guarded by smaller players. She can easily bump them off and out of her way when she’s making a move to the basket. She has some nice fakes and hesitation moves in her bag. She’s decisive and quick when making a move off the dribble, no hesitation. 4 Eiley Tippins - Incline HS (Tahoe Vista, CA) [caption id="attachment_216040" align="alignnone" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-216040" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/IMG_1874-225x300.jpg" alt="Eiley Tippins" width="225" height="300" /> Eiley Tippins; Incline HS 2022[/caption] &nbsp; Tippins stood out to me for the potential that she has. She’s still a work in progress, but there’s no doubt that she has the tools to be an effective big. She can be a very good interior defender who anchors a team’s defense; she has the height and length. What she does have now is a work ethic that’s largely unmatched. She gives it her all and keeps working even if she’s dead tired. Very coachable; pushes through and keeps hustling. &nbsp;