Philly Showcase Day 3 Sleepers: MT Elite Ducks

Bash Hudson

May 19, 2021 @ 08:00 AM

On Sunday, I caught an MT Elite Ducks ’22 Platinum game, and it was one of my favorite games to watch over the weekend because of the teams’ style of play. The Ducks were different stylistically than many teams I saw because they do not play uptempo but rather beat you in the halfcourt. Through a combination of disciplined defense and fluid ball movement, the Ducks put forth a great effort to get the most out of every possession, and they have been successful all spring by playing this way. The players’ skill sets blend well together, and the Ducks have many impactful players who fly under the radar because the things they do to help the team succeed are not flashy but vital to winning. Here are some players from my watchlist who impressed me during that game. [player_tooltip player_id="286066" first="Sophia" last="DeAngelis"] - Braintree - 5’7’’ - CG - ’23 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0203-crop-1639x1076-1621365471.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-286496" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0203-crop-1639x1076-1621365471-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> I didn’t know DeAngelis was in the ’23 class until I looked it up on Twitter mid-game. She played with so much confidence and fit in so well anyone watching who was unfamiliar with her would assume DeAngelis was a ’22. I liked how aggressive she was going to the basket. In one play, notably, DeAngelis received a handoff out on the wing and attacked hard to the paint, ball faked to the perimeter before making a tough layup on the last line of defense. That showed me how comfortable she was scoring off the bounce and being a playmaker in the halfcourt. DeAngelis’ ability to be a slashing playmaker on the wing gives the Ducks more offensive firepower from that position, making the team more difficult to defend. DeAngelis’ play on Sunday has me excited to continue to watch her develop and contribute to the team this summer. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1394010923480883210 [player_tooltip player_id="266806" first="Sophie" last="Cronin"] - Montrose - 5’9’’ - CG - ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-286498" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0205-crop-1519x997-1621365530-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Cronin is the primary ball-handler for the Ducks Platinum squad and is another ’23 who plays with a ton of confidence. I like Cronin’s game because she is all business all the time. She does not try to get fancy with the ball or try to do too much. Instead, Cronin plays as mistake-free as possible and effectively runs the show for the Ducks. She takes care ofthe ball over, makes good playmaking decisions, is a dangerous threat shooting from the outside, and works her tail off on defense. Cronin is reliable at the point guard position, and you know what she will give you every game. [player_tooltip player_id="286065" first="Olivia" last="LaFond"] - King Phillip - 5’11’’ - SF/PF - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-286500" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0202-crop-1133x744-1621365574-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> The absence of versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id="263804" first="Abby" last="Martin"] over the weekend meant that a lot more responsibility fell on the shoulders of LaFond. Both players are similar in size and skill set, and I thought LaFond played at a very high level on Sunday. She was strong in the post, showing soft touch on hook shots, and stretched the floor with her three-point shooting. Her versatility is valuable to the Ducks because she can defend multiple positions, and she has excellent defensive awareness. LaFond is always in the proper help position, and her length bothers the opposition making it difficult for them to score. LaFond played extremely well Sunday, and from talking to coaches, she was consistent and dependable throughout the entire showcase. [player_tooltip player_id="263827" first="Megan" last="Stone"] - Whitman Hanson - 6’2’’ - PF - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-286502" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0204-crop-1260x827-1621365641-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> I think Stone has the biggest upside on the Ducks due to her size and shooting ability. Over Mother’s Day weekend, I had Stone on my weekend "Mt. Rushmore" because of her dominance down low, and she followed that up with another excellent performance at the Philly Showcase. She is strong and physical on both sides of the floors. Stone muscled her defender down low on the block to get position, and on defense didn’t allow herself to get pushed around and fought hard on the glass. Stone is the only big on the Ducks whose game will enable them to be a consistent threat at all three levels. She usually will have the height advantage at her position, and when you add in how she can elevate over the defense to get her shot off, Stone can develop into a very dangerous stretch 4. Every time I watch Stone play, I notice more about her game, and she has the potential to make some serious noise in the PGH rankings during the summer.