NTBA Spring Ball Classic: Standout Players

The NTBA Spring Ball Classic this past weekend, held in Virginia provided an opportunity for players to get some good bump in before the upcoming live period. The varsity division showcased some of the top rising talent in the 2024/2025 class as well as talented 2023s. Read below for some of the standout performances from the weekend. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413816" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/8A063131-F435-42D7-BDFA-D9376701B7B0-142x300.jpeg" alt="" width="142" height="300" /> Katherine Cerullo-2024-Pro Skills Tough athlete whose not afraid to bang around inside, finishes through contact consistently and draws a lot of fouls. She is an excellent free throw shooter and can shoot the mid-range. Katherine gives maximum effort all game, she is a very good rebounder and pushes coast to coast. In the half-court set she is proficient off the bounce and was able to take her player one-on-one from the wing or high post. As the AAU season progresses, I look for her to add another dimension to her name as she becomes more comfortable extending her shot to the 3pt line. [player_tooltip player_id="255938" first="Arshae" last="Jackson"]-2023-FBC Havoc Arshae had her way getting to the basket this weekend. She has a sick hesitation that gets her past the first line of defense, does a good job playing off two feet once she gets in the paint. She has also developed an outside shot, scoring from the 3pt line and mid-range more consistently. Arshae made good reads out of the pick and roll, creating scoring opportunities for herself and teammates. Arshae’s length causes disruption defensively, she is a good on-ball defender and reads passing lanes for deflections and steals. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413817" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/E37F52EA-D063-43E5-B9F6-6485098C53DE-142x300.jpeg" alt="" width="142" height="300" /> Leah Hampton-2024-Pro Skills Leah is a scoring point guard who has an array of offensive moves to get her shot off over taller defenders. She is creative off the bounce which allows her to get to the basket where she can finish through contact. She has a nice outside shot, consistently hitting the mid-range and from 3pt line. She did a nice job with primary ball handling duties, not prone to turnovers and delivers the ball to teammates in scoring position. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413818" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/CC494FDC-288A-421B-8DCB-1894436E57D8-142x300.jpeg" alt="" width="142" height="300" /> Tytianah Smith-2023-SVM Select Rams Tytianah provided a nice post presence for her team all weekend. She is a good rebounder, knows how to get to her spots on the floor and establishes position in the paint. Her rebounding and finishing around the basket was key in a come from behind victory to get to the championship game. She has good hands and a soft touch around the basket. She is not afraid of contact, hunts down rebounds and defends the paint well. Look for her to continue to expand her range and have a big AAU season. <img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/1ED94205-9390-4BD8-83C5-F0E560270314-142x300.jpeg" alt="" width="142" height="300" /> Alana Jones-2023- SVM Select Rams Tough competitor, plays hard on both ends of the ball. Good on ball defender, nice low stance and slides feet well. Her defense was key in a leading her team to a come from behind overtime win in which her team was down in 2nd half by double digits. Scrappy player that chases down long rebounds and loose balls. She did a nice job creating off the bounce and delivering to teammates in scoring position. She made her free-throws down the stretch and took care of the ball against the press. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413820" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/D9C62F51-6748-4060-9E91-AED99A3FD3AF-142x300.jpeg" alt="" width="142" height="300" /> Elawnie Wilkins-2025-SVM Rams First saw this young lady play during high school season where her role was limited due to the senior talent on the team. With a more expanded role, she is able to showcase her ability to carry the scoring load. She is a good 3pt shooter with high arc and nice range, doesn't require a lot of room to get it off. She is efficient with the ball, does not use excessive dribbling moves to get to the basket. Elawnie will get plenty of experience this summer playing up several years as well as her own grade level, she is the future of Woodbridge Senior High School. Hailey Holcombe-2024-Elevate Elite Richmond One of the top shooters in Richmond, she has continued her hot shooting from high school into the AAU season. Hailey does a great job of utilizing screens to get open and her range behind the line has expanded. Known as a pure shooter from the 3pt line, her scoring has begun to expand to the mid-range and this weekend showed her ability to get to the rim off the bounce. Paige Flournoy-2024-Elevate Elite Richmond I have watched Paige's game evolve since she was in elementary school. The components of her game are really starting to come together and she looks as good as I have ever seen her. She can knock down the outside shot, mid-range or 3ptr consistently. She has always had a nice handle on the ball, but now is understanding how to utilize her moves to get to the basket where she is able to finish over taller defenders. Her court vision has improved and she looks to distribute the ball to her teammates in scoring position. She is a nice addition to Elevate Elite, coming off the bench to provide a spark of energy and scoring punch.  