Working Overtime: Just Basketball with Janai Jackson
Last week, I dropped in on a workout session featuring two C4 Elite/MCW Starz team members: Ashlee Talbot and Brooke Paquette. The session was run by Janai Jackson, who since 2014, has used her “Just Basketball” program as a platform…
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Continue ReadingLast week, I dropped in on a workout session featuring two C4 Elite/MCW Starz team members: Ashlee Talbot and Brooke Paquette. The session was run by Janai Jackson, who since 2014, has used her “Just Basketball” program as a platform to develop talented athletes of all ages and skill levels. This particular workout focused on ball handling, shot creation, and conditioning.
Ashlee Talbot – Dracut/C4 Elite-MCW Starz – 5’6” – PG – 2023
Talbot is one of the hardest-working players, and she lives in the gym. Talbot is the first person in the gym and the last person to leave kind of athlete, who is always looking to improve her skills any way she can. Watching Talbot up close, you immediately notice how excellent a ball-handler she is. Talbot was weaving in and out of the cone drills seamlessly with the ball on the string, rarely losing control. She has an aggressive scorers mindset who shows a quick first step and burst when attacking the hoop. Talbot is great at changing speeds and switching gears to get past her defender. Talbot is also very skilled in attacking and finishing with her off-hand, making her even more of a threat with the ball. Her ability to be efficient at all three levels scoring the ball combined with her athleticism makes Talbot a nightmare to guard one-on-one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl8qQGnk3o0
Brooke Paquette – Bishop Guertin/C4 Elite-MCW Starz – 5’8” – SG/SF – 2023
Paquette is a lethal outside shooter who can be an absolute force scoring off of screens. She does an excellent job setting her feet before the catch, so she is ready to fire as soon as her fingertips touch the ball. Paquette was hitting nothing but the bottom of the net once she got warmed up during the workout, which implies that during in-game situations, when the sophomore wing gets in a rhythm, she can be unstoppable. As automatic of a spot-up shooter that Paquette is, she also can shoot effectively off the dribble. Showing a smooth mid-range stroke on her dribble pull ups, Paquette has the potential to be an extremely dangerous scorer with her handle and shot innovation ability continuing to develop. Playing next to a potent offensive threat like Talbot, who can draw attention to defenses from her penetration, Paquette should have no problem converting open shots created for her at a high rate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbmY2BGDQdc&t=3s