Race for the Legacy: Gamechangers of the Tournament
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In the Race for the Legacy, plenty of kids excelled. Today I want to talk about some kids who showed their elite ability.
Aubrey Galvan Aubrey Galvan 5'7" | PG Loyola Academy | 2025 State IL -Full Package U17
Watching Galvan play is an experience. The Deerfield freshman is an incredible ball-handler with multiple fully loaded arsenals of moves. When you step into a gym, it’s easy to figure out who she is. Galvan is as flashy of a player I’ve ever seen. She passes behind the back, uses a lot of misdirection dribbles, and isn’t shy about passing through a kid’s legs. I saw her play in the first game of the weekend and through the three-day event. Every time I saw her, she would do something I couldn’t believe. The last thing I saw her do was hit an unbelievable 3-pointer and get fouled.
Sydney Cherney Sydney Cherney 5'6" | CG Reedsburg | 2024 State WI -Wisconsin Impact 2024 Kelley
I love watching Cherney play because it feels like there are multiple of her on the floor. If you blink, you could easily miss her making a play on the ball. All weekend the Reedsburg sophomore made plays on the ball defensively and was consistently the first kid on the floor whenever there was a loose ball. Sometimes even I forget how well-rounded she is on the offensive end. In Waukesha, she showed her range and ability to take her defender off the dribble. She’s probably on coaches’ radars already because she can fit into many different roles.
Cadence Xiong Cadence Xiong 5'1" | PG West Bend East | 2023 State WI -Chapman Elite 17U
Xiong is an under-the-radar kid for a few different reasons, the main two being her height and school not being a traditional power. However, she had about as good of a Sunday as anyone. Xiong excelled in a matchup with Let it Rain. She got to her spots, created well, and made shots at a high level. The West Bend native was likely the kid who helped herself the most to close the event.
Beautiful Waheed Beautiful Waheed 5'9" | CG Milwaukee Academy of Science | 2023 State WI -PGC 2023 National
The Milwaukee native is as complete of a prospect at the Race for the Legacy. She’s a tall combo guard who can break opponents down off the dribble, create for others, shoot at a high level, and attack the basket. She’s a rangy kid who puts ridiculous pressure on the ball handler. She earned steals in some of the most insane ways possible. Waheed is an uber-competitive kid whose only goal is to win.
Katelyn Odem Katelyn Odem 5'8" | SG Homestead | 2024 State WI -Chapman Elite 16U
The Homestead sophomore is one of my favorite kids to watch. Odem is one of the most aggressive kids I’ve seen on the floor. There is no fear in her game. I’ve seen 8 am games and seen kids dive on the floor, but with Odem, it’s different. You can tell she loves what she’s doing and will play every second on the floor to use all her energy in that game. I’ve known how good she was as a creator and defender, but she scored the ball better than I expected.
Sarah Aleknavicius Sarah Aleknavicius 5'11" | CG Grafton | 2024 State WI -Chapman Elite 16U
In the two games I saw Alekanavicius play, she always seemed to be making a positive play. She’s a versatile 5-foot-11 wing who can probably play one through four and maybe five, depending on roster and matchups. The Grafton native is a good decision-maker. She doesn’t turn the ball over while also aggressively attacking the basket, where she scores most of her points.
Jayla Rankin Jayla Rankin 5'4" | PG Wisconsin Lutheran | 2024 State WI -PGC 2024 National
The Wisconsin Lutheran guard is one of the best ball handlers I know of in the state. On Sunday, she showed how good she is as a shooter. She knocked down multiple pull-up 3’s to keep her team in the game. During the high school season, she gets a ton of attention from opposing guards, so it always feels like she never gets to show what she can do. However, watching her play for PGC, she looks phenomenal, and I hope she carries that momentum into the live period.