Nike TOC-Chicago Standouts: Part I

There were many standouts from over the weekend at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Chicago, Illinois. I was highly impressed by how well New England represented against tough competition from all over the country. Below are a few of the prospects who caught my eye. Lauren Cho Lauren Cho 5'9" | CG Hopkinton | 2022 State New E - MA Huskies/Hopkinton - 5’9’’ - CG - ’22

’22 Rank: #69 By looking at the box score, Cho’s numbers won’t jump out at you. However, in the closing moments of a game and high leverage situations, she MUST be on the floor. She is one of the best defenders that I have seen at the guard spot regardless of class. Her defensive IQ and awareness are off the charts; her help-side and recovery defense are insane, and she is willing to step in and take charges at any given moment. The Huskies generated many stops down the stretch of the games I saw in large part to Cho’s efforts. Her wingspan is bothersome to opposing guards, and she constantly gives her opponents fits. Cho also asserted herself on offense and consistently got to the rim, which added some extra firepower to a Huskies offense led by and . https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1413986529102422018 Emma Olausson Emma Olausson 5'11" | CG Hamden Hall | 2025 State New E - New Heights/Hamden Hall - 5’9’’ - CG - ’25

’25 Rank: #16 Up until last weekend, I only saw Olausson play through livestream broadcasted tournaments. Watching her in person put in perspective how athletic and long she is. Olausson runs the floor well and has one of the best motors in the ’25 class. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, she gives maximum effort, and what is most impressive is that she does so while also playing the majority of the minutes. Olausson rarely leaves the floor, yet maintains her high energy level throughout the game. By racking up so many minutes, every game shows how valuable she is during the game. She is a terrific rebounding wing who is relentless when crashing the boards, especially on the offensive side. Olausson is also a gritty and versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions. She is one of the best shot-blocking guards in ’25 who shows impeccable timing when skying to reject shots. Mya Jiminez Mya Jiminez 5'10" | PF Cranston East | 2024 State New E - Beat The Odds/Cranston East - 5’11’’ - PF - ’24

’24 PGH Rank: #84 Jimenez owned the paint in Chicago. It seemed like every time she touched the ball on the block and was in a one-on-one situation, 2 points were going up on the scoreboard. By the possession, you could tell Jimenez was gaining more confidence and recognized how she had a massive advantage down low. What I liked most about Jimenez over the weekend was that she did not settle for jump shots. She is a proficient mid-range shooter but turned down looks from that distance and instead continued to get to the basket and use her size and strength to score all game effortlessly. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1413969484537290759 Teagan Lind Teagan Lind 5'10" | SG Falmouth | 2024 State New E - MCW Starz/Falmouth - 5’10’’ - SG - ’24

’24 Rank: #60 Lind was one of my favorite players to watch because she does so many things well that do not involve her monopolizing the basketball. Showcases of this magnitude seem to emphasize offensive production; but when Lind checked into the game, it was clear that she did not care if she scored 20 points or none. Lind caught my eye because she was one of the best rebounders on the floor, which for a 2 guard automatically raises your stock. Also, she is an excellent defender who uses her long frame and athleticism to disrupt passing lanes and wreak havoc on her opponent. What I like about Lind is that she can be on the court with any combination of players on the roster because her skill set is diverse, and she obtains the speed, quickness, and size to be impactful no matter the style of basketball being played. Paloma Garcia Paloma Garcia 5'7" | CG Proctor Academy | 2023 State New E - MCW Starz/Newton North - 5’7’’ - CG - ’23

’23 Rank: #62 I watched Garcia Sunday night, and she was the most aggressive on-ball defender I saw at the point guard position. She is a pitbull on defense who is tenacious and suffocates opposing ball handlers. Garcia has quick choppy slides and moves so well east to west that it is near impossible to get around her to get into the paint. Garcia closes out hard and under control on shot attempts followed by an aggressive pursuit for a rebound. She is a crafty floor general who is excellent at using ball fakes to enhance her playmaking in the halfcourt set. Garcia has a good feel for the game, is a reliable point guard who takes care of the ball, and can stretch the floor with efficient three-point shooting. Taylor Lambo Taylor Lambo 5'11" | PF Watertown | 2022 State New E - MA Huskies/Watertown - 5’11’’ - PF - ’22

’22 Rank: WL Monday morning was the best I have seen Lambo, and her impact late in an overtime thriller vs. the Miami Suns helped secure a victory. Lambo was mentally and physically tough down the stretch while showing poise in the game’s most significant moments. Starting on defense, I thought she was terrific defending the post and securing rebounds to prevent second-chance opportunities from the Suns. Lambo was also active in breaking up post entry passes that led to transition opportunities for the Huskies. Lambo’s efforts on offense are what won the Huskies the game. First, she grabbed a handful of offensive rebounds late in the second half that breathed more life into the Huskies’ offense and when you give them second and third chances to score, they always capitalize. Second, every time Lambo looked to score inside, she used shot fakes and finished through contact for and-1 plays. Most importantly, she completed all of her three-point plays with a confident free-throw conversion. You couldn’t ask for a better performance from your big in the clutch. Sammie Sullivan Sammie Sullivan 5'10" | SG Londonderry | 2026 State New E - MCW Starz/Londonderry - 5’9’’ - SG - ’26

’26 Rank: N/A Sullivan is a prospect who we all should have eyes on moving forward. If I were not informed that she just finished 7th grade, I would’ve thought she was a rising sophomore. She is a strong 5’9’’ guard who is capable of defending out on the perimeter and inside. Due to her size compared to her peers, Sullivan will play underneath the basket but possesses guard skills. She can handle the ball on the outside and have the offense run through her. With aggressive attacks of the basket and three-point range, Sullivan projects out to be one of the top prospects in the ’26 class.