ZGB Wheel of Champions Standouts: Mass Elite
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On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to watch Coach Shannon Norton’s Mass Elite team take on the Bay State Jaguars and Mass Huskies in the Zero Gravity Basketball “Wheel of Champions” tournament. I was highly impressed by the way the…
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Continue ReadingOn Sunday, I was fortunate enough to watch Coach Shannon Norton’s Mass Elite team take on the Bay State Jaguars and Mass Huskies in the Zero Gravity Basketball “Wheel of Champions” tournament. I was highly impressed by the way the ladies played across the board. They were engaged, played as a cohesive unit, and competed until the final buzzer leading to a fun afternoon of basketball. Four players, in particular, stood out from Sunday who got my undivided attention and played a significant role in the team’s success.
Rylee Barrieault Rylee Barrieault 5'3" | PG Winchendon | 2023 State New E – Oakmont – 5’5’’ – PG – 2022
Barrieault immediately stood out because she is the best on-ball defender on the team. Every defensive possession, she met the opposing point guard at halfcourt. She effectively cut off angles and forced turnovers, making it extremely difficult for her assignment to facilitate the offense. Barrieault is a strong, physical point guard who works harder than anyone on defense. What I loved about Barrieault was on the first play during the matchup against the Mass Huskies, the 5’4’’ guard got back screened by the opposing center, setting up an easy layup. Later in the game, the Huskies tried running the same play, and Barrieault had the awareness to recognize the pick was coming and eluded it, causing the play to break down. That was just one of the many examples of Barrieault showing great instincts and a high defensive IQ. On offense, she was tremendous; Barrieault took care of the basketball in both games, and even though she is more than capable of creating offense for herself, she made an effort to get her teammates involved, move the ball and not force anything when handling the ball.
https://twitter.com/MassEliteHoop/status/1376726040081539081
Rachel Guinn – Clinton/Eastern Nazarene Commit – 5’11’’ – SG/SF/PF – 2021
Guinn showed her versatility on Sunday, doing a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. I already knew she was an excellent knock-down outside shooter, but the rest of her offensive arsenal shined too. Guinn is 5’11’’, but she plays like she is a giant with how aggressive inside she is scoring on the block. She is an excellent passer in the low and high post, finding cutters all game long, and when the defense sagged off her, she would confidently hit open jump shots. The most underrated part of Guinn’s game is her help-side defense. She understands the game so well and is very good at anticipating where the ball will go, leading to her being in the proper position at the right time on defense. Guinn is also one of the toughest players in the gym. She plays with an edge, competes at a high level which lit a fire under her team, and set a tone for the day.
Too easy for Splash Sister @RachelGuinn_ ❗️This is what she does❗️🔥🏀⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/qAAwRJQAyz
— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) March 30, 2021
Avery Hallinan Avery Hallinan 5'10" | CG Amesbury | 2022 State New E – Amesbury – 5’11’’ – SG/SF – 2022
Hallinan was showing her full offensive arsenal on Sunday, scoring at all three levels efficiently. She has good size and length, which helps her get her shot off against any defender. Her athletic frame allows her to play close to the rim, where she can clean up on the offensive glass and get putbacks. Hallinan loves being physical inside and makes a living ripping boards off the rim and securing extra offensive possessions for her team. She was the driving force behind a run that helped Mass Elite win their game vs. the Jaguars. Hallinan hit a difficult transition, layup on a defender, a spot-up three-pointer, and got to the line multiple times down the stretch to help put away the opposition. She understands the importance of spacing and always found holes in the defense to take advantage and score. Hallinan is so versatile on offense and is one of the toughest players to defend in the halfcourt.
🚨Player to Watch🚨
Avery Hallinan (2022)
Amesbury/Mass Elite
5’11’’
Wing@averyhallinan11 has been in her bag all game long🔥scoring from the inside and outside, relentless on the glass and has @MassEliteHoop in the drivers seat today! pic.twitter.com/wD5RqLpzgt— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) March 28, 2021
Gabby Redford Gabby Redford 5'10" | SG Amesbury | 2022 State New E – Amesbury – 5’10’’ – SG/SF – 2022
Redford was electric scoring the basketball, and both the Bay State Jaguars and Mass Huskies had no answer for her on defense. Redford’s number of points is irrelevant; I was mostly impressed by the variety of ways she scored. She is a great finisher and can get to the rim at will. Her mid-range game is polished, and Redford is an outstanding three-point shooter. I liked the way Redford pushed the ball in transition. She is an excellent ball-handler who always has her eyes up, looking down the court. Redford is a certified playmaker, whether it be for herself or her teammates, and is constantly scanning the court, feeling out her surroundings so she can make the right decision with the basketball. Redford is an athletic perimeter defender who shows active hands and is aggressive, especially when trapping the ball handler. Redford is one of the better all-around payers I have seen so far this spring, and her performance Sunday certainly raised her stock.
Yesterday’s highlights pic.twitter.com/tYhsL8kC8B
— Gabby Redford (@gabbyredford7) March 29, 2021