Hoop Mountain All Showcase: V For Venditti

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There were many standout prospects at the Hoop Mountain Spring Showcase. Let’s look at some of the most impressive players at their respective positions.</span> &nbsp; <strong>PG | [player_tooltip player_id="328957" first="Vanessa" last="Venditti"] | Wethersfield | 5’4’’| ’23</strong> [caption id="attachment_404866" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/183C8D31-6A89-426F-BB15-CF5E5921B131-crop-1440x946-1648301274.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-404866" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/183C8D31-6A89-426F-BB15-CF5E5921B131-crop-1440x946-1648301274-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Meredith Ryan[/caption] <span style="font-weight: 400;">Venditti’s energy and passion for the game are apparent whether she is on the floor or sideline. It translates through her game as she pushed the tempo nonstop and got the ball out quickly to the wings streaking up the court. Venditti is an extension of the coach, constantly communicating and directing traffic. She commands the floor and is a brilliant facilitator. Venditti drew a lot of attention from coaches watching. </span> &nbsp; <strong>SG | [player_tooltip player_id="266804" first="Meagan" last="Schuermann"] | Wilbraham &amp; Monson | 5’9’’| ’23</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404864" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/0426CD57-647E-4C77-A35F-EA9CEE92850D-crop-1440x946-1648301194-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Schuermann was one of the more impressive wings I watched on Sunday. She is listed at 5’9’’ but plays bigger than that. Her length, athleticism, and quickness allow her to defend both guard positions. Offensively, Schuermann had one of the best off-hands out of anyone at the event. She is a dangerous scorer and was just as deadly shot-creating and making with either hand. </span> &nbsp; <strong>SF | [player_tooltip player_id="292602" first="Maeve" last="Curtin"] | Suffield Academy | 5’9’’ | ’24</strong> [caption id="attachment_404861" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/5F3BE77F-0624-4497-827C-E52BFE4BE864-crop-1440x946-1648300789.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-404861" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/5F3BE77F-0624-4497-827C-E52BFE4BE864-crop-1440x946-1648300789-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Meredith Ryan[/caption] <span style="font-weight: 400;">I really liked Curtin’s defense and rebounding, and she was one of the loudest players on the court. She was engaged every game I saw her in and locked down smaller guards and big wings. She has the versatility to play multiple positions and isn’t afraid to get physical and battle for boards. Curtin can open up the floor with her three-point shooting, and she also moves well without the ball. Her timely cuts and aggressive movements led to easy scoring opportunities. </span> &nbsp; <strong>PF | [player_tooltip player_id="287466" first="Maddy" last="Hughes"] | E.O. Smith | 6’1’’ | ’23</strong> [caption id="attachment_404859" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/37DE8D6C-9381-402E-B5CE-31F764640C00-crop-1440x946-1648300711.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-404859" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/37DE8D6C-9381-402E-B5CE-31F764640C00-crop-1440x946-1648300711-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Meredith Ryan[/caption] <span style="font-weight: 400;">It was hard not to miss Hughes at Hoop Mountain because she was the only 6 ft. plus combo forward, who launched and converted three-pointers with ease. It did not matter who was defending Hughes out on the perimeter; she would catch and fire in rhythm and bury a jump shot. Hughes can also put the ball on the deck and score off the dribble. She was a complete mismatch in every game she played. Either she was defended by a big who was too slow to keep up with her or a smaller wing whose height wasn’t enough to bother Hughes. </span> &nbsp; <strong>C | [player_tooltip player_id="298219" first="Emily" last="Collins"] | Winchester | 6’1’’ | ’24</strong> [caption id="attachment_404857" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/6CD207AE-1F4B-4FF5-AEAE-8636A92A3F4F-crop-1537x1010-1648300583.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-404857" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/6CD207AE-1F4B-4FF5-AEAE-8636A92A3F4F-crop-1537x1010-1648300583-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] <span style="font-weight: 400;">One sequence, in particular, made Collins a lock for best big at the showcase. After controlling a defensive rebound, she took off and started the break herself. Collins seemed very comfortable handling the ball in the open court and was a good decision-maker. No big throughout the day displayed Collins’s skill, and when combining her playmaking with rebounding and post scoring, it vastly increased her stock.</span>