Kristin’s 5 Pack: 2024’s

We will hit the road now and head down the interstate to more 2024 kids. These high school youngsters are at a peak time in their AAU and high school careers, and one of their main priorities this summer should be to expose themselves to collegiate coaches of all levels. They will be sophomores this fall, which is a very critical year in their career to show people what they are made of. They did not necessarily miss out on a ton of opportunities last spring/summer with some delays and setbacks of the 2020 AAU season, as they did get some chances to get their foot in the door in terms of making themselves aware to coaches as they enter their first year as a high school freshman. However, it’s good now for all of them to have some “payback” and make up for what might have been taken away from them in 2020 to prove their skills, talents, and abilities. We definitely got some top-notch talent in this class, and I see major potential with these stellar incoming tenth graders. I am going to now cover five kids providing an in-depth report of all of them, as well as video link highlights of each. Let’s see what our underclassmen have to offer!   [player_tooltip player_id="246106" first="Vanessa" last="Bickford"], 5’9, G, Dallas Center-Grimes, 2024 I knew there was something special about Vanessa right when I watched her play. She is well beyond her years in terms of her skills, and she has tremendous upside. She is a very gifted all-around player who brings a great deal of variety to the table. She can shoot the 3 ball, can break down defenders and get to the rim, and is a phenomenal ball handler. I like her play in transition, as she displays a great feel in the open floor. Her decision making ability for a freshman is off the charts, and she plays relaxed. She is also a good playmaker and ships off some outstanding dimes to teammates. Her athleticism is incredible, as she can pick off steals in an instant. Her dominance on the boards as a point guard is terrific and shows her versatility to mix it up with the bigs. Her size at 5’9 is good, and that could change in the next year or two with maybe another inch or two. A very good player to keep your eye on as months go on and throughout this summer season. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/vanessa-bickford/G1z29C8NEeuAzqREozo6lw/default.htm">https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/vanessa-bickford/G1z29C8NEeuAzqREozo6lw/default.htm</a>   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-286222" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/Aaliyah-Riley-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1621305684-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="246101" first="Aaliyah" last="Riley"], 5’6, G, Johnston, 2024 The sky is the limit for young Aaliyah, as this incoming sophomore sensation turns this game into a whole other level when she is on the court. Her impact on both ends of the floor is flat out lethal. Her offensive abilities show how talented she is, but most importantly, how talented she actually can be at an even higher level as years go on; as she just finished her freshman year. The stuff I see her do on the court is highly skilled and she will only be getting better and elevating her game as we go down the road. She can shoot the ball very effectively from 3 and off the bounce for a pull-up jumper, as she can stop on a dime and stroke it with purity. Her athleticism is one of her main strengths, as she definitely uses it to her advantage to blow past defenders and finish at the rim, and also put it to use on the defensive end snagging steals and playing elite level defense. She has a good feel for the game and has a high basketball IQ. Keep tabs on this player as we move on through the summer season. <a href="https://m.facebook.com/cyselect/videos/2922735777851445/">https://m.facebook.com/cyselect/videos/2922735777851445/</a>   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-274461" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/Karsen-Jacks1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> [player_tooltip player_id="246112" first="Karsen" last="Jacks"], 5’4, G, Ankeny, 2024 Karsen is a talented player and is a lights out sharpshooter. I see shooting as her number one strength, as she can pile up the 3’s in a short amount of time. She does not need much space to get them off, and her form is amazing. A great ball handler, she finds ways to get her shot off, can drive to the basket, and can dish off great dimes to teammates. I love her aggressive mentality to go down to the paint and grab the rebounds. This shows her passion, drive, and competitive nature to mix it up with the bigs at just a 5’4 height frame. She also has terrific athleticism, and can create a ton of havoc on the defensive end. Another player with marvelous upside. Keep a close watch on this player this year and throughout the summer circuit. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15445903/Karsen-Jacks">https://www.hudl.com/profile/15445903/Karsen-Jacks</a>   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-212287" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/110-Sophia-Hope-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="246149" first="Sophia" last="Hope"], 5’10, W, WDM Valley, 2024 I am one serious fan of [player_tooltip player_id="246149" first="Sophia" last="Hope"]’s game she has going on. I saw highlights of her in a 2019 camp, and I was instantly impressed. She is the definition of a versatile player, and can provide a bucket when it’s needed. I see her as a stretch 3 or 4 player, one who has superb perimeter skills but can also play down low inside. She finishes some tricky shots, and does it with pure talent. This lefty can shoot the 3 ball, hit the inside j, get to the rim with ease, finish difficult shots, displays some nice post moves, and can handle the ball with efficiency. I also like her passing skills too, as I think she has a high basketball IQ. She can create a strong presence on the boards and rack those up in a hurry as well. It is not uncommon to see her block shots, as she took control of those this past HS season with about 1.5 a game. Bright future for this player and I see high-level collegiate opportunities arising down the road. Keep this kid on your radar as we move on with the next phase of our summer circuit. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aby1y8CJnuM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aby1y8CJnuM</a> <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/sophia-hope/xYIt6wTZEeuAzqREozo6lw/default.htm">https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/sophia-hope/xYIt6wTZEeuAzqREozo6lw/default.htm</a>   [player_tooltip player_id="246134" first="Elise" last="Jaeger"], 6’0, F, WDM Valley, 2024 A talented player that I see as a stretch 4. Elise has a great understanding of the game and has a high basketball IQ. A kid that can drain the 3 ball, she fires up the shots with a beautiful stroke. Displays a great knowledge of the game by dishing out some tremendous assists to teammates. Her capability to pull down the boards is second to none; as she makes it so we have to add another hand, a third hand of fingers to total up the amount of rebounds she gets in many games. This proves her tenacity and aggression to play the defensive end just as well as the offensive end. Great size at 6’0 as well. Could inch up there in upcoming years as we go through the months. A definite tremendous player. Pencil in a time to watch this kid play this summer. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15203717/Elise-Jaeger">https://www.hudl.com/profile/15203717/Elise-Jaeger</a>