2024’s Making an Early Impact in Week 1
Illinois hoops has started! As expected there is a group of 2024’s making an early impact in the smaller schools around Southern Illinois. Here is a look into some of the girls making an early splash. Grace Nelson is a…
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Continue ReadingIllinois hoops has started! As expected there is a group of 2024’s making an early impact in the smaller schools around Southern Illinois. Here is a look into some of the girls making an early splash.
Grace Nelson is a 5’9 guard from Altamont. Grace has had an explosive debut to her high school career. Through 3 games she has an incredible 36.6 points per game scoring average. Grace has shown excellent ball handling and speed that allows her to play very well in a fast paces game. In the half court she can get in the lane off the bounce and has an improving 3-point shot that makes her just impossible to guard at times. This long athlete is one to watch as she has the natural talents that lend itself to having D1 potential.
Kloe Frobe is a 5’9 Point Guard from Lincoln. Kloe has come out and let her team in scoring the first two games, which they split with T-Town and Taylorville. Kloe has obviously spent major minutes in a gym both watching and playing the game. Her instincts and understanding of how to play the game measure off the charts for an incoming freshman. She handles the ball very well and can get into the lane whenever she wants. Kloe sees the floor well and is just as happy setting up a teammate. In the win over Taylorville she used her dribble and her understanding of the game to get to the line all day long. Kloe has D1 level skill and understanding of the game, she is going to be fun to watch.
Claire Seal is a 5’10 Forward from Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond. Claire has started off her high school career with two nice games, combining to average 14.5 points and 9 rebounds in those games. She is a hard nosed player that can rebound and fight inside but also shows some skills with the ball in her hands. Claire has a knack for finding the right spot on the offensive boards to get the ball and create additional scoring opportunities that are key to winning games. The key to her future as a college player will be any additional growth and the improvement of her perimeter skills, but at the least Claire has the potential to be a stretch 4 at the small college level.
Denver Anderson is a 5’11 Wing from Mt. Zion. Denver has an impressive combination of inside and outside skills for a young player. She can shoot the 3-ball from well behind the line while also showing a nice game in the post. Off the dribble Denver is becoming more effective at getting to good spots to score and is showing a nice ability to score at the rim. Through two games against quality opponents in Charleston and Teutopolis Denver is averaging 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. She is going to be fun to watch as she could be a nice wing at the next level or an exciting stretch 4, only time will tell.
Katie Campbell is a 5’9 Guard from Greenville. Katie spent a good part of the game running the point for the Lady Comets in their opener against Roxana. She is potentially a 1-3 depending on her growth and development. What I like most from Katie this early in her career is her versatility and toughness. Not only can she run the point but she can into the lane and post up hard. She has the mentality to succeed in the lane and play through any kind of contact. Katie is best right now in the open floor with the ball in her hands. She does a good job of getting to the rim and recognizing where the open pass is if she is cut off. Katie is new to AAU/Travel ball and I expect her game to really grow between now and the start of her sophomore campaign with the varsity minutes and AAU season to come over the next 6 months.
Emilee Travnicek is a 6’2 forward from Althoff Catholic. Emilee is a really long stretch 4 type player that is not done growing. She will need to have her strength catch up to her length to maximize her potential, but you can see the potential. She has obviously been taught the right way to play the game as she boxes out consistently and is a good passer. In her debut against Belleville East she had 12 points and 14 rebounds by using her long arms and good positioning. As she gets stronger and more explosive Emilee will be hard to stop. For now, she has good touch and very long arms that allow her to get shots off in the paint.
Amiah Hargrove is a 6’2 Forward from Christopher. Amiah is a special talent that has the potential to be a high level D1 player. She has the athletic skill to go with a great frame and a great work ethic. In high school basketball you will mostly see her in the paint for 1A Christopher but in AAU ball with BBE she can show her all around game. She took a little while to get going in her high school debut but she ended up with 23 points and an overtime victory. I expect to see many more points and many W’s over the next 4 years.
Amayah Doyle is a 5’10 Forward from Carterville. Amayah had a nice 21 point effort in her high school debut. She is a really strong and athletic player that can contribute inside and in the mid range. Amayah is an outstanding softball player that can use her athletic gifts on the basketball court too. She will look to team with her older sister Alecia to keep the Carterville Lions train running.
Jilyan Burgener is a 5’9 Guard from Central A&M. Jilyan is a nice left handed offensive player that is developing her skills on all 3 levels. She is a smart player that does a good job of getting to the right spots for open shots and creating offensive opportunities. Jilyan can hit the deep 3 but is best when she does not fall in love with that shot but takes the ball to the mid range more often. This is important because she is very good shooter and defenders will try to push her farther out and lower her shooting percentage. The more she uses the bounce the better she will be. Jilyan had 11 points and 6 rebounds in her first game as a high school player and has the game to play at the next level.
Jayce Privia is a 5’8 Guard from Porta/Ac. Jayce has worked her way into the starting line up as a freshman and is off to a good start. Jayce has an average of 8.5 points per game in her first two games. She has been playing very good defense and locking down her opponent and creating offense from her steals. She has 2 three pointers in the first two games and is showing signs of becoming an excellent point guard/combo guard.