Race For The Legacy: Saturday Recap 17U
Race For The Legacy: Saturday Recap 17U The talent was through the roof Saturday as the 17U teams took the floor for the first time. Each team brought something unique and many different players were able to shine. Teams did…
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Continue ReadingRace For The Legacy: Saturday Recap 17U
The talent was through the roof Saturday as the 17U teams took the floor for the first time. Each team brought something unique and many different players were able to shine. Teams did fantastic working together and I was very impressed by teams simply just working hard on the court. The energy was consistent- up 50 or close game, players worked hard and got after it on every possession. Let’s take a look of some of the top players I watched yesterday.
Kace Urlacher Kace Urlacher 6'0" | PF Fremd | 2023 State IL | 6’0 W | Illinois Hustle 2022
Urlacher has an extremely high ceiling. She has long arms and great versatility, she’s a player that can also alter any shot in the paint. A rebounding machine, Urlacher was all over the glass on both ends of the floor. Her passing ability has been on display throughout the tournament as well, but it’s her mobility, IQ, and feel for the ame that really stand out. She was able to produce something each time her team passed her the ball.
Reanna Hutchinson Reanna Hutchinson 5'11" | CG Eau Claire North | 2022 State WI | 5’11 G | Team Wisconsin 2022 Select Black
Hutchinson is a mature prospect that possesses a great understanding for the game which was on full display Saturday. To start, she has great size and length for the combo guard position, and she has more than ideal height for the primary guard spot, which she actually seemed pretty comfortable playing. She’s very mature on the court; she’s smart and interacts with the game well. Hutchinson has a soft touch around the rim, even through contact. She is fundamentally sound. Defensively she pick-pockets guards and reads passing lanes well to make teals. She showed some impressive facilitating on Saturday as well.
Mya Moore Mya Moore 6'0" | PF Pius XI Catholic | 2022 State WI | 6’1 C | Wisconsin Shooters 2022 Gold
Moore always impresses me with her athleticism and movement on the court. She dominates on the block and demands the basketball inside. She’s relentless on the boards and uses her size and athleticism to get above her opponent to grab the rebound. Offensively, she can score well with her back to the basket or using a post move inside. However, Moore displayed much more than that during her games Saturday. Moore was attacking from behind the arc, taking her defender one-on-one and taking outside shots. This is a credit to Moore wanting more for herself as she could easily just sit on the block and do crazy numbers so seeing her adding more to her game is special.
Joy Bergstrom Joy Bergstrom 5'9" | CG Saint Viator | 2022 State IL | 5’11 G | Wolverinas
Bergstrom is a high knowledge player that produces offensively from everywhere on the floor. She’s extremely creative with the ball as she uses a variety of fakes to create space. She looks off the defense very well, especially in the pick-and-roll. She’s creative in the lane and near the hoop; she deceives defenders well when she has a step on them. Bergstrom was a master at drawing fouls and creating contact. She’s great at getting defenders to lunge at her. She’s a tough shot maker from anywhere on the floor- she can quickly heat up and hit the three ball for this team.
Tara Wellnitz | 5’11 G | Wisconsin Academy 2022
Wellnitz oozes with versatility on the floor. She showed she can score from almost anywhere on the court. She makes the defense guard her as she’s able to score so effortlessly. She helped lead her team to 2-0 Saturday with 14 points in their win over Illinois Hustle. She showed a great change of space which was fun to see. Her ability to play slow to fast really helped her decision making when attacking the basket or hitting an outside shot. She didn’t force much during her games Saturday and displayed a great mix of maturity and athleticism.
Avery Poole Avery Poole 5'7" | PG Monona Grove | 2022 State WI | 5’8 G | Let It Rain 2022 Black
Poole has a high ceiling for development at her position. The intangibles are there and she moves extremely well with the ball. She can handle it against pressure and finish coast-to-coast. She has a bag full of dribble moves that were on display during each game on Saturday. She sort of just makes it look easy when she’s on the court- letting the game come to her and getting open within the offense. I think she has the ability to be an impact defender as well, she’s long, athletic and quick.
Arianna Smith Arianna Smith 6'0" | PF Shorewood | 2023 State WI | 5’8 G | ABP Athletics
Smith took control for her teammates yesterday and became a clear leader on both ends. She’s a scorer. She knows how to get to the basket and make things happen. She uses her body, possibly the best I’ve watched yesterday. With her lack of size, Smith is still able to control her opponent by the strength she has backing in or catching defenders off guard with her handles.
Summer Srodulski | 5’11 G | Illinois Hustle
Srodulski is a do-it-all prospect with high wing versatility because of her combination of skill, size and agility. She played so versatile on both ends of the court. She can truly play and defend any position on the perimeter. She’s a great off-ball threat as well because of her noticeable feel for the game. She moves off the ball well and understands spacing exceptionally well. She was the difference maker for her team on Saturday.
Clare Diener Clare Diener 5'10" | SG Cedarburg | 2022 State WI | 5’11 G | Chapman Basketball Academy
Diener is going to make it happen. Sitting next to another 17U team watching Chapman Basketball Academy play, one kid goes “Diener is a bucket. She never misses.” It caught my attention and I made sure to watch close. It was facts. Diener is a certified bucket. She can score at all three levels and will make the defender play her game. She doesn’t force anything or overwhelm herself with speed or fancy moves. She gets to the basket or finds her spot to knock down the perimeter bucket.
Riley Spencer Riley Spencer 5'7" | CG Westosha Central | 2022 State WI | 5’8 G | WI Impact 2022 Nikolic
Spencer’s downhill drive is very hard to stop, and she’s looking to finish with contact inside every time. Defenders had a very tough time staying in front of her on Saturday. She has great energy on the court and the offense speeds up immensely when the ball is in her hands. Great movement and footwork, Spencer can create for herself off the dribble or using a screen. Her awareness for where she was on the court was impressive.
Kate Huml Kate Huml 5'7" | CG Janesville Craig | 2022 State WI | 5’8 G | Let It Rain 2022 Black
Huml was offensively very sound yesterday and showed versatility and poise on the floor. She’s a patient scorer because she understands the flow of the game well. She gets to the spot and knocks it down with consistency. She does a very nice job of squaring her shoulders to be able to hit mid range jumpers. She showed some range as well and hit a couple deep three’s in their last game against Gallo Sports. Huml finished with 15 points to lead her team.
Lexi Bugajski Lexi Bugajski 6'0" | PF New Berlin Eisenhower | 2023 State WI | 6’0 W | Wisconsin Impact 2022 Witt
Bugajski is an athletic forward that has the potential to put on a show for any team. She is an effective offensive player that knows how to score the ball. Scoring from both the post and the pertimer, she is a versatile prospect that fits the modern game. The ability to score inside and out is what made her such an impact player on Saturday, she’s a mismatch either way it goes and she capitalizes on it. She also showed great ability to find the open player when she was being doubled inside.
Emily Fisher Emily Fisher 6'0" | SF Libertyville | 2023 State #48 Nation IL | 6’0 W | Wolverinas
Fisher has arguably the largest ceiling in her class, especially defensively. She’s so physically gifted and developing very fast. Her shot was a bit streaky but she had the right idea when she attempted them- never forcing anything from deep. Her ball-handling skills are very impressive and her control attacking the rim is elite. She can go coast to coast, finish in transition or catch the ball on the block. High basketball IQ and understanding of how to get to the spot. Fisher displayed a crafty touch and toughness each time the ball was in her hands.
Audi Crooks Audi Crooks 6'3" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2023 State #42 Nation IA | 6’3 C | CY Select Wolves
Crooks is extremely versatile as she’s a lob threat, good passing big, and capable of stretching out the floor at this level. She excels in the traditional center role and she will thrive at the next level doing so. Unstoppable with her back to the basket and super aggressive as a rebounder. Crooks did a fantastic job commanding the ball down low. She was double, sometimes triple teamed and still yelled for the ball and made the basket or was fouled. She has impressive hands, catching all kinds of entry passes from guards. She catches the ball at a high rate, and has such a soft touch. Crooks proved why she is the #1 player in the 2023 class in Iowa.