High School Preview: Charlotte Catholic

Charlotte Catholic has had a strong roster over the past several years, and that certainly continues into this season. Here are some of those standouts you can see play for the Cougars. [player_tooltip player_id="219895" first="Imelda" last="McMenamin"] | 2022 McMenamin has committed to continue her basketball career at Vassar next season, but I don’t think she’s quite finished showing off her shot from deep here in the Charlotte area. She is certainly a sharp shooter from deep, and she does well executing plays finding her open teammates underneath. Her senior leadership will definitely help when it comes to controlling the tempo of the game. [player_tooltip player_id="219812" first="Danielle" last="Kacerosky"] | 2022 Kacerosky has been a fierce guard for the Cougars over the past several years, and she continues to grow her game each season. She is a dominant ball handler knowing how to control the game and direct her teammates as they run plays. She is a scorer herself showing off a nice shot from deep or an ability to sneak by her opponents to get to the basket. She’s a tough defender, too, knowing how to get the ball away from her opponents. Alanis Diaz | 2022 Diaz moved here from New York, and she is certainly going to make an immediate impact. She can handle the ball like any guard, and she has the size to dominate anywhere on the court. Her ability to score on all three levels will certainly be an asset for her new school team. She’s an aggressive defender hustling back and making sure she shows off her shot blocking ability. Lily Schachte | 2022 Schachte is another player who is going to help them stretch the floor during her senior season. She does well using her length to cause problems on defense deflecting passes and sliding in front of the ball for some steals. On offense, opponents should make sure to defend her all over the court as she does have a nice shot from behind the three point line. [player_tooltip player_id="253883" first="Blanca" last="Thomas"] | 2024 Thomas (pictured above) is one of the most heavily recruited players in North Carolina. Standing at 6’5” she’s very easy to find on the court. She does well sliding into the openings on offense to get the entry pass. She is getting tougher and tougher in the paint battling against contact, and she doesn’t exactly share the wealth when it comes to going after rebounds. Look for her to average a double-double this season and be the main focal point for opposing coaches trying to stop Catholic. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets double digits in blocks during some games, too. [player_tooltip player_id="326208" first="Gracynn" last="Gough"] | 2024 Even with missing most of her freshman year, I think Gough has shown that she is going to be one of the tougher post players in the paint at her age. She seals off opponents making her an easy target for the entry pass, and she battles anyone on the block to go after rebounds. She does well making cuts to the basket in order to catch and shoot to score her points, too. She’s a strong defender blocking shots and using her body to prevent her opponents from getting their own entry passes. [player_tooltip player_id="252862" first="Olivia" last="Fava"] | 2024 Fava has some favorable length, and she has great ball handling skills making her an asset all over the court. Her crossover seems to throw off her defenders every time. She does well going after steals to push up the court, especially picking the pocket of guards from behind, and she can certainly drive it hard to the basket no matter who is trying to stop her. She does a great job pulling defenders toward her opening up the floor for her teammates. Kate McArdle | 2024 McArdle can stretch the floor playing underneath and spinning with her back to the basket to score. She can also shoot from deep showing her ability to be a threat all over the court. Her awareness is certainly high on defense going after steals and keeping her arms high blocking shots in the paint. She’s effective guarding all five positions on the court.