Underappreciated performers at the Hoops Challenge

[caption id="attachment_375229" align="alignnone" width="375"]<img class="wp-image-375229" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/SMFury-2022-crop-2-crop-676x444-1642016805-e1642016855265-300x203.jpg" alt="" width="375" height="253" /> [player_tooltip player_id="302283" first="Olivia" last="Walsh"] (middle) with the Dudycha twins[/caption]  You don’t have to be super-athletic to make it to college basketball, but it helps. A ton. If there’s one thing for sure about Austin junior [player_tooltip player_id="302283" first="Olivia" last="Walsh"] it’s the fact that she is athletic. Very athletic. On Saturday morning at Kasson-Mantorville she was that and more. Much more. Her performance against the speed and athleticism of St. Paul Como Park gave us a new appreciation for Olivia’s potential at the next level. That’s why she tops our list today of underappreciated performers at the Breakdown Rochester Hoops Challenge. The first time we saw Olivia probably two years ago she definitely caught our eye. How could she not? The 5’10 wing/forward and multi-sport athlete is super long with a nice frame and some serious leaping ability. She can do things with her body that most young players can’t even conceive of. To whom much is given, however, much is expected and we have been patiently waiting for Olivia’s aggressiveness, skillset and ability to finish under pressure to catch up to her natural gifts. On Saturday against Como Park it happened. Olivia was everywhere right from the opening tip. She attacked the basket hard, utilizing her leaping ability and length to soar over defenders and finish high with either hand. She was forcing turnovers, getting out in transition and looking every bit the part of the scholarship-level prospect. She was just so much more assertive, more confident, more of a leader. It was heady stuff. Walsh finished with 16 points and could have had double that. The only place she struggled a bit was at the free throw line. We asked Austin coach Eric Zoske for Olivia’s season stats and the numbers are good: about a dozen points and half a dozen rebounds per game and success rate of 54% from the field. She blocks shots, forces steals and is a tough match-up for most opponents. Add it all up and it’s clear that Olivia has entered new territory. Walsh could turn out to be a classic late bloomer. If she chooses to play basketball in college, and focuses her energy on a single sport, there’s no telling how good she can get. Here are four more underappreciated performers from Saturday’s action at Byron and Kasson-Mantorville. <img class="alignnone wp-image-375244 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/Brad-Vaught_Shakyla-Walker-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="109181" first="Shakyla" last="Walker"] – 2022 guard, Como Park (NIACC) When Como Park plays, most eyes in the gym are focused on [player_tooltip player_id="57914" first="Ronnie" last="Porter"] and [player_tooltip player_id="57908" first="Kaylynn" last="Asberry"], or big post player [player_tooltip player_id="109133" first="Jada" last="James"]. The work that Shakyla does in the trenches seldom draws accolades. What she does just contributes in a major way to producing victories. Walker is a standout defender who plays the game with a high level of energy, commitment and focus. She has solid skills and can, at times, be a streaky scorer. Shakyla does it all with a steady demeanor, and you can seldom tell on the court exactly what she’s thinking. She simply makes big plays, forces opponents into errors and lets her actions speak louder than words. One delighted observer on Saturday was coach Brad Vaught of North Iowa Area Community College. He has Walker signed for next season and couldn’t be happier about it. [player_tooltip player_id="109133" first="Jada" last="James"] – 2022 forward, Como Park Speaking of James... Big Jada is a handful at either end of the court. Como Park plays fast, and when we talk about the team we are usually focused on the little guards who get up and go. If you look at what the Cougars get done on the floor, though, it’s clear that Jada’s presence is a huge difference maker. James has a big body, and if she gets position on you down low there are very few players who can recover. But she’s not just big. Jada’s got skills including some serious shooting range. Remember big Chantel Osahor out of the University of Washington? That’s who Jada reminds me of when she shoots. Osahor had a 1,000 & 1,000 career and her silky smooth stroke and incredible range never failed to surprise defenders. James has ability of that sort and on Saturday the 5’10 power forward used all of her tools inside and out to score 17 points. [player_tooltip player_id="148327" first="Haylie" last="Strum"] – 2023 guard, Stewartville The first time we saw Haylie play live was in Rochester when the little guard was in 8th grade. She was so tiny that I was legitimately afraid for her safety. If Hailey got nailed on a pick or something I thought she might shatter into a thousand pieces. That’s not what happened. What happened is she flat out dominated the ball game like a seasoned veteran, demonstrating unbelieve ball-handling ability as well as an IQ that would be the envy of point guards everywhere. I sat next to Pat Ruff from the Rochester Post-Bulletin that day who was as blown away as I was with what we were seeing. The veteran sportswriter penned a really nice article for the next day’s paper about Haylie and she has been producing headlines in Stewartville ever since. The Top 100 prospect scored 21 against St. Peter on Saturday. It was a typical display of excellence which, I’m afraid, we have been guilty of taking for granted. By the way, she’s not that small anymore, either. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209160 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/78_Paige-Klug_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="220831" first="Paige" last="Klug"] – 2023 guard, Caledonia “Shoooooter!!” That’s what you’ll hear a lot of if you watch Caledonia play. We know juniors [player_tooltip player_id="186117" first="Ava" last="Privet"] and [player_tooltip player_id="186132" first="Alexis" last="Schroeder"] can fire the rock but the ability to knock down important baskets from here, there and everywhere has been Paige’s M.O. from the beginning of her high school and AAU career. The 5’10 guard is long and thin. A year ago we would never have used words like ‘aggressive’ or ‘physical’ to describe how she plays. On Saturday in Byron, however, that is exactly what the Top 125 junior was. Klug was attacking the basket, owning her space, and using her length without fear. We aren’t here to advocate for rough play but I have to say I was pretty excited when Paige committed a hard foul on an opponent that drew gasps in a packed gymnasium. It was a pretty good whack! Of course she apologized right away but it was clear that Klug’s new-found physicality was worthy of note and could be a serious difference-maker in her future prospects. Top photo: Como Park senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="109133" first="Jada" last="James"]