Mt. Rushmore: New England Showcase Day 1

Bash Hudson

May 31, 2021 @ 09:04 AM

<ol> <li>I made it out to the Select Events New England Showcase in Hanover, Massachusetts, on Saturday to see some of the region’s top prospects go head to head. After a jam-packed day of hoops, here are the 4 players who stood out the most from the games I watched. </li> </ol>   [player_tooltip player_id="263903" first="Meghan" last="Gordon"] - Team Providence/Attleboro - 6’1’’ - PF - ’22 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743408_Unknown-crop-1459x958-1622468196.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-291315" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743408_Unknown-crop-1459x958-1622468196-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> I thought Gordon was effective all game long vs. Sting Elite by being a playmaker in the high post. Gordon’s face-up game is hard to defend because she is quick and athletic at her position, making it challenging to defend when she catches the ball at the free-throw line. You have to respect her mid-range jump shot and that she is a willing passer from the high post area as well. Gordon runs the floor hard, has excellent hands, and shows a soft touch around the basket. She is a versatile 4 who also communicates on the court well. There were several times during the game that she was trying to get on the same page with the guards on offense showing that Gordon has a high IQ and good feel for the game. [player_tooltip player_id="184116" first="Lizzy" last="Gruber"] - Maine Attraction/Gardiner - 6’3’’ - PF/C - ’23 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743296_Unknown-crop-1295x850-1622468268.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-291317" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743296_Unknown-crop-1295x850-1622468268-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Gruber has always been a force inside on both sides of the ball but showed her three-point stroke in both games on Saturday. When Gruber is connecting from long range, it is game-changing, and her on-court value skyrockets. I liked how aggressive she was on offense. Gruber has some of the best footwork down low and is confident in her post repertoire, making her a daunting player to defend. With her protecting the rim and patrolling the paint at a high level as well, Maine Attraction could not afford to take her out of the game. No one on their roster Saturday has the physical gifts plus the two-way impact Gruber has, which makes her invaluable to the Maine Attraction rotation. [player_tooltip player_id="183924" first="Nina" last="Minicozzi"] - MA Huskies/ Rivers - 5’9’’ - PG - ’23 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743376_Unknown-crop-1233x810-1622468344.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-291319" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743376_Unknown-crop-1233x810-1622468344-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Minicozzi is having one of the best springs in her class, and is flying completely under the radar. It is hard to find another player more consistent than her, and that trend continued on Saturday. Minicozzi displayed one of the deadliest first steps and was scoring with ease in a variety of ways. She can attack and finish with either hand and is not intimidated by bigger forwards waiting to challenge her shots when she gets to the basket. Minicozzi is also a major threat from three, whether it be off the bounce or catch. You can’t tell on film, but when you watch Minicozzi up close, she is a big guard who is long, so matching up with her is difficult. I have felt that Minicozzi is playing at a top 10 level all spring, and watching her Saturday validated that for me. https://x.com/bashhoopsne/status/1398764974680547334?s=21 [player_tooltip player_id="269442" first="Elizabeth" last="Lavoie"] - SNH Saints/ Pinkerton Academy - 5’10’’ - SG - ’24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-291321" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/26743232_Unknown-crop-1329x873-1622468431-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Lavoie had the most impressive performance on Saturday because of the degree of difficulty she faced. The Saints were without starting point guard [player_tooltip player_id="273941" first="Sydney" last="Gerossie"] meaning that Lavoie had to slide over to the 1 and facilitate the teams’ offense. Additionally, Lavoie had to go up against some of the top on-ball defenders in the ’24 class on the Lady Rivals. Lavoie repeatedly got to the basket using head fakes, change of pace, and crafty dribbling, showing the ability to score whenever she wanted with either hand. Her 5’10’’ frame caused problems for the opposing wings trying to cover her, and she drew many fouls off of her penetration. What I always appreciated most about Lavoie is how aggressive she is on offense and how she does not settle for jumpers. Lavoie does not take a ton of jump shots because she is so committed to getting to the cup, and I have yet to see anyone slow her down from achieving that. Since spring ball started, I have been extremely high on Lavoie, and Saturday was the most confident I have seen her. https://x.com/bashhoopsne/status/1398672340699975692?s=21