Exam Jamm: Byron's Players To Look Out For!

<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino, serif;"><strong>Lake Zurich will be the talk of the town tonight as they host a 9 game event that features top teams and top talent from respective areas. Below are a couple of players per class that are unsigned and or under the radar that I believe coaches should take an extra look at. </strong></span></p> <h3>2022:</h3> <em>[player_tooltip player_id="335812" first="Erin" last="Stack"] | 6’3 Forward | St. Charles North </em> Erin is a versatile stretch 3/4 that can score at all levels on the court. Confident at the 3, will pull the mid and can finish at the rim and around the rim. Can play make with the ball in her hands and also off-ball as well. Excellent in the PNR & PNP. High IQ. Defensively... she’s a safety net for any player that gets beat off the dribble. Strong rebounding technique, long arms and can contest or block any and everything. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="343731" first="Sawyer" last="White"] | 5’8 Combo Guard | Montini</em> White is a point guard by heart... a true extension of a coach, but can score at all 3 levels with no issue. She’s creative around the rim, creative when she’s facilitating, and just a pest on the defensive side. A floor general who gets her team going on both sides of the ball. Her IQ matched with her stamina is a huge emphasis on her overall skill set. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="201068" first="Emily" last="Galvan"] | 5’7 Point Guard | Rolling Meadows</em> You need a three? Give Emily the ball. Besides her excellent shooting touch, Galvan is a plug-and-play type of player. She’s an efficient and consistent playmaker. Galvan is full of creativity when attacking the basket. She can finish through traffic and contact. On the defensive side, she’s the same. A fiery player who will add great value to any team. <h3>2023:</h3> <em>[player_tooltip player_id="346995" first="Shannon" last="Blacher"] | 5’10 Combo Guard | Montini</em> Offensively... there’s not much Blacher can’t do. She has the ability to get a bucket at all 3 levels. From the arc? She can knock them down but loves to finish in the paint. Her foot speed in the open court... with or without the ball, is an issue for any opponent. Defensively, she can guard the 1-3 with no drop-off and make the 4 or 5 work a little harder. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="148164" first="Lexi" last="Kerstein"] | 5’7 Combo Guard | Deerfield</em> A stat sheet stuffer with a high IQ who continues to get better by the game. Coming off a hot game with a stat line of 26pts (11-15), 4asts, 4stls & 4 rebs... Kerstein is a top prospect on any list compiled in Illinois. The guard out of Deerfield will put butts in the seat and then get them jumping right out with her skillset. She has the ball on a string, can score at 3 levels, and is a defensive nightmare. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="205566" first="Gabrielle" last="Burgess"] | 5’7 Two Guard | Lake Park</em> Top 5 defender in her class and it’s not an argument. Burgess gives 100% effort and can contribute on both sides.. but it seems that if she had a choice, she’d rather play D than score (RARE). Her defensive mechanics are beyond her years, and it shows in her all games. The ability to average 4-5 steals a game is not out of the question for Gabi. <h3>2024:</h3> <em>[player_tooltip player_id="349443" first="Gwen" last="Adler"] | 5’10 Guard | Barrington</em> Her contribution doesn’t always show on the stat line, but if you watch Gwen from buzzer to buzzer you’ll understand what she gives to her team. Everything that most star players don’t want to do, she has no problem getting done. She’ll dive for loose balls, switch on and defend whoever, or play every minute if needed. She excels in her role, and her role might change each game.. but she will still be relentless no matter what. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="335797" first="Brynn" last="Eshoo"] | 6’1 Forward | Fremd</em> Atheltic, and a motor like no other. Eshoo has the strength to body up in the post, the footwork to be finesse in the paint, and the length to defend on the perimeter and in the post. A lot of talent for the sophomore.. and she’s only getting better. HUGE upside. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="349442" first="Anna" last="Gilbertson"] | 5’11 Wing | Lake Zurich</em> Buckets come easy in the paint for Anna. She knows how to use her frame to finish through doubles or heavy contact. Her footwork matched with her IQ under the rim contributes highly to her skillset. Rebounding, she shows great mechanics when grabbing or chasing down rebounds. Will and can knock down the open shot. [player_tooltip player_id="349411" first="Victoria" last="Matulevicius"] | 5’9 Combo Guard | Montini Viki has been an aggressor for her Montini team from the start of the season. On the drive, left or right she can finish around the rim no matter the situation. From the mid to the arc, she can put the ball in the hoop at a high clip. Defensively, she has quick hands that allow her to constantly accumulate deflections and steals. <h3>2025:</h3> <em>[player_tooltip player_id="352113" first="Ella" last="Todd"] | 5’11 Two Guard | Fremd</em> If the couple of D1 offers as a freshman doesn’t say enough... then you’re sleeping. [player_tooltip player_id="352113" first="Ella" last="Todd"] is a ISSUE. At 5’11 she can score the ball from anywhere on the court and defend at a high level... but it’s her IQ that stands out more than all. She’s an extremely smart basketball player and it shows every moment she’s on the court. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="335720" first="Nikki" last="Kerstein"] | 5’7 Point Guard | Deerfield</em> An efficient point guard who is a walking bucket, pinpoint passer and a headache on D. Nikki will get numbers on every stat possible... but the work she does off the stat line needs to be highlighted just as well. She has no quit in her blood, no let up and the heavy pressure she puts on the ball from a defensive standpoint.. is just as appealing as her offensive game. As a freshman, she can only go up.. and that’s scary. <em>[player_tooltip player_id="352114" first="Aubrey" last="Galvan"]</em> <em>| 5’7 Point Guard | Deerfield</em> This kid is just special. Her game is flashy, but it’s fun and that’s what this game is about. The skillset she has puts numbers in every category. The elite ball-handling leads to assists, the creativity leads to buckets on all levels, and the stamina translates to her effort.. which is always there. Once again... BOX OFFICE.    