5 Players Who Popped: Beat The Odds

I went down to Rhode Island on Friday night to check out a new and upcoming AAU program, Beat The Odds. Coached by Jamal Diggs, Beat The Odds builds a culture based on hard work and toughness while providing the tools necessary for the athletes to develop and improve their skill set. With players ranging from the class of 2022 through 2025, here were 5 players from the practice who caught my attention. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1385745723195641858   [player_tooltip player_id="277137" first="Mya" last="Jimenez"] - Cranston East - 5’10 - PF - ’24 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/prOkTpXSj2oqW6wjtBnoA-scaled-crop-1844x1211-1619364516.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277695" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/prOkTpXSj2oqW6wjtBnoA-scaled-crop-1844x1211-1619364516-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Jimenez is a gifted up-and-coming athlete who has the size to punish defenders down low and the shooting touch to be a threat from the outside. What I noticed first about Jimenez was her footwork and how comfortable she was around the basket. She trusts her post-game and will finish with either hand confidently. I like how Jimenez takes what the defense gives her, makes a move, and gets a bucket. There is no flash or over-dribbling, but instead, after the catch, she makes a quick decision with the ball. If the defense gives her the lane, she goes in and gets a lay-up, or if they leave her open for a 10-foot jumper, she will bury it effortlessly. All business, all the time, for Jimenez, and the future looks bright for this inside/out forward.   [player_tooltip player_id="277135" first="Kathy" last="Hernandez"] - Cranston East - 5’4’’ - PG - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277698" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/ihfFvp9bQR2IoEH8rVKIw-scaled-crop-1894x1244-1619364564-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Hernandez is a lethal sharpshooter who shows no hesitation when launching from the outside. She is efficient shooting off the catch but can also create and make shots off the dribble as well. Hernandez has a scorer mentality and uses her tight handle to generate space between herself and the defender to get a shot off. Hernandez can occasionally slide over to the 2 guard spot even at her height because of her three-level scoring capability. Hernandez is a speedy and shifty point guard who is challenging to stay in front of due to her quick first step, and once she gets into the paint will take matters into her own hands and score or kick out to her teammates, spotting up for jump shots.   [player_tooltip player_id="277139" first="Isabella" last="Dupret"] - Cranston West - 5’2’’ - PG - ’25 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/OnuE1TJFSLiAKbzajQqUkA-scaled-crop-1401x920-1619364623.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277701" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/OnuE1TJFSLiAKbzajQqUkA-scaled-crop-1401x920-1619364623-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Dupret’s activity on defense will get her ample playing time on any team. She is your classic undersized pesky defender who hawk slides well and makes ball handlers work. Her athleticism and quickness make up for her lack of height, and she consistently competes and digs in. What stuck out to me the most was how Dupret fought through screens. Her aggressiveness in going over the top of screens and staying in front of her assignment was fantastic to see from an 8th grader, and I feel that Dupret can be a big-time defender.   [player_tooltip player_id="277136" first="Thamia" last="Perez"] - Cranston East - 5’1’’ - PG - ’22 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/OUpfUkb9SxSUK0PDSS1g-scaled-crop-1532x1006-1619364672.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277703" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/OUpfUkb9SxSUK0PDSS1g-scaled-crop-1532x1006-1619364672-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Perez, like [player_tooltip player_id="277139" first="Isabella" last="Dupret"], is similar defensively where both are aggressive and tenacious on the ball. Perez differs because she is a good playmaker on offense. She makes accurate and timely passes, and her unselfishness leads to positive offensive possessions. More specifically, Perez throws an excellent bounce pass. Her placement of the pass puts her teammate in a scoring position, and they are crisp. You can tell by the way she carries herself and the confidence she has in handling the ball that she is one of the older athletes on the team. With so much young talent on Beat The Odds, it is vital to have a point guard like Perez who you can trust to facilitate your offense.   [player_tooltip player_id="277140" first="Jayna" last="Gunderway"] - Cranston East - 5’6’’ - SG - ’25 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/Ns46DubT1iHrXi4DVGuOQ-scaled-crop-1455x955-1619364729.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277705" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/Ns46DubT1iHrXi4DVGuOQ-scaled-crop-1455x955-1619364729-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Gunderway has a ton of upside because she is a long, athletic guard who plays bigger than her 5’6’’ frame. I like the way she runs the floor and is active on the defensive end. With Gunderway’s wingspan, she can make a name for herself by being a player who will defend both guard positions and be a disruptor in passing lanes. Beat The Odds emphasized one-dribble moves in the halfcourt during their practice. I believe Gunderway can develop a solid enough offensive repertoire to be a valuable two-way wing for her team with time.