Hoop Mountain Fall Showcase: ’23 Standouts-Part 2

Photo: Erica Lendall

Bash Hudson

September 14, 2021 @ 11:59 AM

Part 2 of the ’23 standouts from the Hoop Mountain Fall Showcase.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326356" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9893-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631634211-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="296751" first="Norah" last="Saluja"] - Choate Rosemary Hall/D4S - 5’10’’ - CG Saluja was one of the most versatile players at the showcase who could comfortably play the 1-3. Her size, length, and athleticism gave her a significant advantage on the court, and she showed good body control when finishing through contact on her drives. What stood out most with Saluja was how hard she hit the glass. On offense, specifically, Saluja would fly to the rim whenever a shot went up, rip rebounds out of the air, and get a put-back layup with ease.   [caption id="attachment_326358" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9998-scaled-crop-1202x789-1631634328.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-326358" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9998-scaled-crop-1202x789-1631634328-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: [player_tooltip player_id="321288" first="Erica" last="Lendall"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="326048" first="Hannah" last="Drew"] - Spaulding - 5’9’’ - CG It took me about 15 seconds to know that Drew would be one of my standout players because from the opening tip, she played with a sharks mentality. She smelled blood, and she attacked early and often. Her shooting off the dribble was impressive. Drew can get her shot off against anyone and is not shy about pulling the trigger from three. She sold her ball fakes well and had good explosion going to the rim. Her quick first step allowed her to get to her mid-range package, where she was unstoppable.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326364" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9996-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631634519-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="326362" first="Avery" last="Marzo"] - Notre Dame Academy - 5’10’’ SG/SF Marzo played alongside [player_tooltip player_id="326048" first="Hannah" last="Drew"] during the showcase, and they were a nice 1-2 punch on the court together. She is a long, athletic wing who rebounds at a high level. What drew my attention to Marzo was how well she pushed the tempo in transition after getting a board. She changed speeds well and was a dynamic playmaker going downhill. Marzo is not a traditional point guard but has the ball-handling ability to get some reps as the primary offensive initiator.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326366" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9897-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631634631-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="297260" first="Sophia" last="Baker"] - The Academy at Penguin Hall - 5’8’’ - CG I only saw Baker play at the very end of the showcase, but she showed me how electric of a playmaker she is in those few minutes of action. Baker was so confident and fluid in her movement with the ball and stayed aggressive every time down on offense. Her passing is off the charts. Baker is accurate with her passes and can fit the ball in the smallest windows to hit her teammates for easy shots. Baker always looked in control of the game whenever she touched the ball and showed a lot of flash, making her one of the more fun players to watch on Saturday.