Leveling Up: Hoopers Poised to Take the Next Step
The spring is a pivotal season for players; their game may plateau because they’re taking time off, or their game may improve and evolve as they put in unseen hours at the gym. Well, I can tell you right now that these six hoopers are putting in the extra hours to take their game to the next level. Check out who’s poised to take that next step and transform their production.
Brianna Brownell, 5’10 G/F – Blueprint Basketball Class of ’24
Brownell is developing an offensive skill set that I never foresaw when I first saw her play three years ago. Brianna’s handle is tightening up, and I can see her getting more confident with it as she ventures into being a coast-to-coast threat off the defensive rebound. In the half-court, she can already fill it up with ease from mid-range and in the paint, but she’s putting in work on her three ball. Moreover, as she gets more comfortable with the ball in her hands, Brianna turning into a player that can create her own shot off the bounce or find looks for others as she takes the defenses attention. I like where this is going.
Hayden Wilkins, 5’7 G – Blueprint Basketball Class of ’24
Hayden’s got game, I’ve known that. But her toolkit is expanding, furthermore, Wilkins has been sharpening her long used skills into highly refined material. Wilkins’ handle is strengthening to the point where her comfort level with the ball in either hand is equal, and with that her jumper off the bounce has improved. She can score at all three levels, but her lay-up package now has floaters and leaners from six to eight feet. Hayden’s a scoring point guard, but rarely forces the issue, and she naturally gets everyone involved. Her ceiling is tall.
Sydney Herrington, 5’11 G/F – Manchester Mavericks Class of ’24
Herrington is an exciting two-way player with sound basketball instincts. Sydney is essentially a guard in a forward’s body; she’s got a crisp handle and a jumper with consistent form and lift. Defensively, she has tight help rotations, quick feet on ball, and impressive rebounding senses. Regardless of all that, what I found most impressive was her frame. At 5’11, you may expect a soon-to-be 16-year-old to be rail thin or cumbersome, but Sydney is neither. She has balanced muscle throughout her frame and is a natural athlete; she jumped onto the track team and just so happened to qualify for states. Herrington may live in small town Vermont, but she has the drive and ability to become a diamond in the rough.
Shelby Wells Shelby Wells 5'9" | SF State New E , 5’9 G – Lone Wolf Athletics Class of ’23
Wells is the type of player who likes to get teammates involved and she’s got the vision to put them in scoring position. Shelby has a keen sense of seeing how a play develops, placing the ball in their hands at just the right moment. Now, Wells is sighting in her own scoring prowess. She’s highly capable of finishing in transition and is a good shooter off the catch, and now she’s putting in hours to crisp her shot off the dribble. Once she’s got her shot off the bounce sighted in from 10-20 feet she’s going to have a lot of tools in her bag to score or facilitate.
Lauren-Kate Garceau, 5’10 G/F – Lone Wolf Athletics Class of ’23
LK plays with great pace on both sides of the floor. Garceau always looks ready to attack when she has the ball, and defensively she puts the ballhandler on their heels with her aggressive on-ball D. Lately, I’ve seen LK fine tuning her help rotations in practice, tightening up the time it takes to position herself as the ball is worked around. Secondly, Garceau has been putting up a lot of reps on her jumper. She’s building her consistency from all parts of the floor, whether it be off the catch and off the dribble. I see that work opening up her driving lanes, which is also opening up passing lanes. LK has a facilitator’s mindset, and with sharper tools, defenses will need to tighten up their coverage.
Bianca Williams Bianca Williams 5'10" | SG Essex | 2024 State New E , 5’11 G/F – Lone Wolf Athletics Class of ’24
Bianca can do a little of everything, a real swiss army knife type hooper. She runs the pick and roll well as the forward and can space for the jumper or finish in the paint. Moreover, Bianca spaces the floor well on the weakside, consistently probing for open passing windows. Williams has good defensive instincts too, rarely pulling herself out of position on a defensive gamble. What I see developing is her physicality and scoring touch. Since she may be facing a guard or a forward, she’s preparing to rumble down low or work through perimeter screens, and she’s got the frame to do so. Lastly, Bianca is putting in work on all sorts of shots, whether it’s from three, mid-range, or in the lane. With all these spring and summer reps, I envision her scoring production boosting significantly next winter.