Nebraska Top 250 Expo: All-Expo First Team

The 2020 Nebraska Top 250 Expo was loaded with talent. The best of Nebraska High School Girls’ Basketball was on full display, and the best players across the state proved why they deserve that title. Players from across the state came together and put on a display of high-level basketball from start to finish. Here are the top performers from the day: [player_tooltip player_id="94501" first="Taylor" last="McCabe"] | Fremont High School | 5’9 Junior Guard It is no surprise that McCabe is headlining the Nebraska Top 250 Expo. Her skillset was on full display on Saturday. She is an all-around offensive threat, most often defined by her shifty ball-handling and ability to quickly pull the trigger on her shot from pretty much anywhere on the floor. McCabe plays fearlessly and confidently, not hesitating to shoot step-back threes and contested threes - and she has earned the right to take these shots. She also acts as the floor general for her team, seeing the entire court and constantly finding teammates for wide-open opportunities. It is apparent that the players around her look to her as a leader whenever she steps on the court. Ellie McCarville | Douglas County West Community Schools | 5’8 Sophomore Shooting Guard McCarville put on a good showing throughout the course of the Expo. She was constantly active on both ends of the floor, running the floor on offense and putting on constant pressure on defense. Her ability to get her shot off from anywhere on the floor, regardless of the defensive pressure, earned her a spot on the Nebraska Top 250 Expo First Team. She also stepped into the role of facilitator for her team, proving that she has the ability to make those around her better. She was frequently threading passes in the lane to slashing teammates, and the value she provided to her team went far beyond the scoring column. J’unti Franklin | Lincoln High School | 5’7 Junior Guard What stood out about Franklin from the get-go was her athleticism and quickness. If she got even a step on her defender, she was gone. However, it also quickly became apparent that raw athleticism was not the only asset she brought to the floor. Franklin displayed impressive ball handling and the distributing abilities of a veteran point-guard. This point-guard skill-set, combined with her knock-down three-point shooting ability, makes her nearly impossible to stop. On the other end of the floor, Franklin wreaked havoc. She was constantly active on defense, picking off passes and tipping balls. She made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. Jailynn Brill | Lincoln High School | 6’2 Sophomore Forward Brill is the kind of post coaches dream of. She was a force inside during the Expo, proving her strength and toughness every possession. She plays well with her back to the basket, finishing with touch around the rim while keeping her body in between the ball and the defense. Brill also used her strength to seal any defender who tried to front her. She got her team multiple extra defenders because of her ability to pull down offensive rebounds so effectively. She is active and has a nose for the ball, following the flight and using her length and athleticism to simply out-work the defense. [player_tooltip player_id="174467" first="Freddie" last="Wallace"] | Lincoln Southwest High School | 5’11 Junior Forward Wallace embodies the ideal type of positionless player that marks the direction many college programs are moving. She is strong and physical in the post, but also has the ability to push the ball, lead the break, and finish or dish to her teammates. Wallace also ran the floor well in transition and got many scoring opportunities by simply outworking and outrunning the defense. She is also able to step out to the perimeter and knock down the three consistently. Her active rebounding ability rounds out her versatile skill-set. Wallace proved that she can be effective at pretty much every position on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="94546" first="Aaniya" last="Webb"] | Omaha Central High School | 6’0 Junior Forward Webb is another player who can essentially play every position on the floor. Her size and length make her a talented defender. She constantly has active hands and her ability to anticipate leads to many tipped passes and steals. On the offensive end, there is no limit to Webb’s range. Throughout the Expo, she was taking and making shots from multiple feet behind the three-point line. Her shooting ability and explosive first step make her a matchup nightmare. These skills, combined with Webb’s court-vision and ability to lead the break, make her a versatile asset to any team she is a part of. [player_tooltip player_id="94395" first="Kaysia" last="Woods"] | Lincoln High School | 6’0 Senior Forward Woods is long, athletic, and shifty. She displayed the ability to slide through the lane and finish with finesse and touch over bigger defenders. However, despite her skill-set as a post player, she was not afraid to step out to the three-point-line and show her range. This made her a tough matchup for her post defenders, who were not accustomed to stepping out and guarding on the perimeter. She also displayed strength on defense, the ability to handle the ball, and the ability to act as floor general when leading the break. Overall, Woods is the prototype positionless player that many coaches are looking for.