Team Rio’s 17U NJ standouts have been on display this AAU season

We’ve been really impressed by what we’ve seen out of Team Rio this season, a strong AAU program filled with talent from New Jersey. The talent from the 17U team within this program has been on display in a big way so far this season, but there were three players that stood out after watching them on tape. We’re going to break down what you should look out for from these prospects for the rest of this AAU season and beyond. We begin with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134632" first="Georgia" last="Heine"]</strong>, a rising senior guard from Manasquan who has really impressed in all facets of her game so far. Off the jump, she’s someone who is a confident ball handler and knows how to let the game flow through her at the point. https://x.com/brolymedia/status/1389253662610972680?s=20 She’s a great shooter, but she doesn’t always need to settle for shooting from the outside because Heine can also drive well into the lane. Her physicality in the paint has stepped up in a big way from even the high school season this year, so look for her to continue to be aggressive moving forward. A rising talent that’s already playing on the 17U team is rising sophomore <strong>Mikayla Blakes</strong>, a guard from Rutgers Prep. https://x.com/NYSTakeover/status/1406292817002078210?s=20 Her highlights are a must-watch as she’s already looking like one of the best guards, not only in her class, but across the entire state. Blakes has fantastic handles and can easily wave through or around defenders, and cross up a few on her way into the lane. She’s got a quick release and shoots the ball well from the outside, and like Heine, she has a diverse shot selection which has been extremely beneficial to the development of her individual game. Blakes drives well into the lane and welcomes contact, which shows off her physicality and aggression on the court. The final player we’ll be highlighting is <strong>Megan Calahan</strong>, a rising senior at St. John Vianney and Holy Cross commit. Calahan has been a vital part to the success of the Lancers at SJV the past several seasons and that has carried over into the AAU circuit. https://x.com/brolymedia/status/1389257588487897090?s=20 Calahan, a forward, is someone who uses her height and size to her advantage and is extremely effective at doing that. She’s got great shooting range, often shooting a mid-range jumper. The addition of the mid-range allows her to bully opponents in the middle of the paint more because she’s more of a threat in more places on the court. On defense, Calahan makes nothing easy for her opponent, developing into an excellent shot-blocker with a big presence in the lane. Watch out for her, Blakes and Heine to continue to step up their game this AAU season for Team Rio’s 17U squad.