Sunday Tournament Standouts: Top 5 Players
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On Sunday, I bounced back and forth from the Zero Gravity Level-Up challenge at the Sudbury Fieldhouse and the HoopGroup Jamfest Tournament at Mill Works. Many players played at a high level resulting in one of the hardest lists I’ve…
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Continue ReadingOn Sunday, I bounced back and forth from the Zero Gravity Level-Up challenge at the Sudbury Fieldhouse and the HoopGroup Jamfest Tournament at Mill Works. Many players played at a high level resulting in one of the hardest lists I’ve had to create. From the class of 2021 down to 2025, there were eye-popping athletes on every court you passed. Here are the top 5 that I observed:
#5: Ashlee Talbot Ashlee Talbot 5'6" | PG Dracut | 2023 State New E – Dracut/MCW Starz – 5’6’’ – PG – ’23
’23 PGH Rank: WL
Talbot was one of the most consistent players from the weekend. Sunday, in particular, she stood out because of her ball security and decision-making. Talbot was being guarded at times by elite on-ball defenders who are known for forcing turnovers, and the 5’6’’ point guard was excellent at keeping her composure and not getting sped up. She was efficient in shooting the ball from the outside and facilitated her team’s offense better than most. Specifically, at the end of the game vs. the Lady Rivals separated her from the pack. In a tight game, Talbot had the ball in close range where 99.9% of players shoot the ball; but she turned it down, kicked it out to her teammate at the top of the key for an assist, and was a situation where MCW needed a big-time play. The unselfishness of that play and the trust Talbot has in her teammates, in general, made her stand out. Talbot’s performance raised her stock big time.
#4: Kendall Eddy Kendall Eddy 5'8" | CG Brooks | 2023 State New E – Brooks/Lady Rivals – 5’8’’ – CG – ’23
’23 PGH Rank: #33
Eddy was another player who impressed on both days, but Sunday, she caught everyone’s attention with her showstopping play. Eddy is terrific at scoring at all three levels. She can open up the floor with her long-range shooting and is one of the best players creating offense off the bounce. Her handle is eye-popping, and with her length and athleticism combined with her tight crossover arsenal, it makes her one of the most challenging guards to stop. I also liked seeing Eddy use her long wingspan and athleticism to play defense at a high level. This was my first time getting a good look at Eddy in a 5 on 5 live ball situation, and she did not disappoint. With how she impacts the game on both ends, there is a path for Eddy to jump the ranks.
🚨’23 PGH-NE Top 35 Alert 🚨
Kendall Eddy (‘23)
Brooks/Lady Rivals
5’8’’
Combo guardPGH Rank: #33
Pos Rank : #11@kendall_eddy32 is having a big weekend! Terrific shooter and playmaker off the dribble. Stock WAY up 📈📈🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/1BAFtUBDWK— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) April 11, 2021
#3: Maya Hilvert Maya Hilvert 5'8" | PG Medfield | 2022 State New E – Medfield/Mass Mavericks – 5’8’’ – PG – ’22
’22 PGH Rank: #41
Hilvert’s leadership intangibles and competitiveness stick out like a sore thumb. She is all business all the time, and she was the driving force behind the Mass Mavericks going 4-0 this weekend. Every move Hilvert makes is done with purpose, and she is relentless in attacking the basket. She has an excellent feel for the game and reads defenses well. Hilvert’s use of ball fakes, head fakes, and pivots helped her create scoring opportunities for herself, and she is one of the few players who doesn’t solely rely on their athleticism to score. Hilvert is a player you must see in person to see the little things she does that elevate a team to a win that won’t show up on film. It was more than the three-level scoring and facilitating with Hilvert but more of her being an extension of the coach on the floor. She played like a top 5 point guard not just on Sunday but all weekend long.
🚨 ‘22 PGH-NE Top 50 Alert 🚨
Maya Hilvert (‘22)
Medfield/Mass Mavericks
5’8’’
PGPGH Rank: 43
Pos. Rank: 11@HilvertMaya is easily one of the most impressive players I’ve seen today 🔥Tough, fearless, intangibles are off the charts. I’ll take her at the 1 any day of the week! pic.twitter.com/chvKGtBMQs— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) April 11, 2021
#2: Ava Orlando Ava Orlando 5'7" | PG Notre Dame Academy | 2025 State New E – Notre Dame Academy/O-Zone Basketball – 5’4’’ – PG – ’25
’25 PGH Rank: N/A
Orlando is a “must-see” box office player! For an 8th grader, Orlando possesses point guard skills that are well beyond her years. I will take her to run my offense over a handful of high school players because her court vision on precision passing is elite. She has a true gift when it comes to seeing the floor, and Orlando sets up her team with easy looks on offense. She is too quick, and ball-handling is too tight, so defenders struggle to stay in front, and once she knives her way in the paint, she has the opponent at her mercy. She can space the floor with her shooting, and for a small guard, she is an excellent rebounder. What separates Orlando from every player I have seen in her class is how she can elevate a team. That is the most vital responsibility for the floor general; controlling the game and making sure the whole team is involved and playing as a unit. O-Zone Basketball plays a fun brand of hoop with lots of ball movement, and everyone on the court gets shot opportunities; and it spews from Orlando’s selfless play. Players in the ’25 class are bigger, stronger, and more athletic, but no one impacts winning the way Orlando does. It will be interesting where she falls in the June rankings if she keeps it up.
🚨’25 Stock Riser Alert 🚨
Ava Orlando (‘25)
Notre Dame Academy/O-Zone Basketball
5’4’’
PG‼️MUST SEE BOX OFFICE‼️@AvaOrlando3 playmaking ability and ball handling is off the charts good! Fun player to watch🔥She puts on a show! The ‘25 rankings just got REALLY interesting! pic.twitter.com/F74NKGEMa0
— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) April 11, 2021
#1: Jennifer Martin Jennifer Martin 5'10" | SG Bradford Christian Academy | 2022 State New E – Bradford Christian Academy/Lady Rivals – 5’10 – SG – ’22
’22 PGH Rank: #11
Martin’s performance against the Boston Showstoppers was an absolute masterpiece. The crazy part about it was that it took at most 6 minutes of game time to put on one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. The sharpshooting wing single-handedly won the game for her team with 7 three-point makes within at most 6 and a half minutes left to go in the game. I always viewed Martin as arguably the best shooter in her class, but this game solidified it. She was so confident, dialed in, and was shooting threes from the parking lot. Martin’s teammates did an excellent job locating her around the perimeter and setting her up with good passes, and the 5’10’’ sniper took care of the rest. I have never seen anyone cook like that from the three-point line and completely change the game’s momentum the way Martin did. She had the whole gym buzzing, and for a good reason, because she closed the book on the “best shooter in the class of 2022” debate in a matter of minutes.
🚨BEST shooter in the C/o 22 alert 🚨
Jennifer Martin (‘22)
Bradford Christian/Lady Rivals
5’10’’
SGPGH Rank: #11
Pos. #3What @jennymartin_12 just pulled off was SENSATIONAL! Single handedly won the game for the @LadyRivals by hitting 7 3’s in a 5 min clip in the 2H🔥📈 pic.twitter.com/wKHVmrGisR
— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) April 11, 2021
The long-range Martin bombs are no fluke. She practices these. The proof is in the pudding below:
🚨PGH-NE Top 15 Alert 🚨
Jennifer Martin (2022)
Bradford Christian/Lady Rivals
5’10
SGPGH 2022 rank: #11
Pos. Rank: #3@jennymartin_12 Arguably the deadliest shooter in her class🔥🔥BANG BANG pic.twitter.com/8nWij7Hfg6— Bash Hudson (@BashHoopsNE) April 1, 2021