Saturday Statements At The Victory Region Finals
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The action was intense and there was some very high quality basketball being played at the Victory Region Finals in Chicago. I’m going to give you 10 players from Saturday that I watched and felt that they made a statement…
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Continue ReadingThe action was intense and there was some very high quality basketball being played at the Victory Region Finals in Chicago. I’m going to give you 10 players from Saturday that I watched and felt that they made a statement about their game.
Brooklyn Brown (2024, G, Team Firstep 2024, Elizabethtown, PA)
Brown showed that she can really help control the feel of the game by highly influencing its pace. She pushed the ball both off the dribble and the pass, creating positive numbers on the break for her team. Brown looked like an athletic shooter and a plus defender that can create difficulties for the offense with her quick feet.
De’ajah Buchanan (2025, G, EZ Work Elite 2025, United Township High School, IL)
Buchanan is a downhill lead guard that likes to attack off the bounce. She sets the offense high, then likes to work a 1 on 1 matchup to create a scoring opportunity for herself or a teammate. Buchanan can handle the ball with both hands and go either way off the dribble.
Alli Linke (2026, F/C, Wolverinas – 2 2026, Mount Prospect, IL)
There’s a lot to like about Alli Linke as a long term player and prospect. She’s a strong post player that can and will battle for boards and defend the lane. However she can also stretch the floor, shooting with 3 point range. She also has the ability to pass from the perimeter and the high post.
Jadelynn Freeman (2026, G/F, Michigan Goonies 2024, MI)
Freeman had the look of a silky smooth athlete. After watching her on Saturday, I believe it’s safe to say that she has a whole bunch of upside as a prospect. Freeman looked like she could play as many as 3 different positions, creating matchup advantages at each one.
Rachel Kraus (2023, F, Full Package 2023 Black, Lake Forest, IL)
Kraus had a really impressive first day at the Victory Region Finals. She played really well as the screener in pick and roll sets. She set a physical screen and then rolled off of it pass ready with strong hands. Kraus showed that she can get out in the open floor and effectively fill a wing in transition.
Logan Ortega Logan Ortega 5'7" | PG Bullitt East | 2023 State KY (2023, G, Kentucky Ice 2023 Select, Bullitt East, KY)
We can start off by saying that Ortega can flat out score the basketball when she wants to get a bucket. She showed Saturday though that her game is much more than that. She threw some impressive passes that had accuracy and creativity on the first day of the Victory Region Finals. Ortega used her strong legs to deny offensive players their spots and to put herself in position to gather boards.
Natalie Robinson Natalie Robinson 6'0" | PF Marquette Catholic | 2025 State IN (2025, F, City Elite Basketball 2025, Marquette Catholic, IN)
Robinson was turning heads early in the day. She flaunted an athletic swooping drive to the left that she finished with a bucket. Robinson can get up and down the floor with speed and ease making her a threat in transition. She’s also a creative scorer by the rim.
Rachel Smith Rachel Smith 5'7" | SG Great Crossing | 2023 State KY (2023, G, Kentucky Ice 2023 Select, Great Crossing, KY)
Smith was one of the better players in the gym if you ask me. She showed that she could score from many different spots on the floor and in various ways as well. As an example, early in the day she gathered an offense board, spun around and hit a turnaround jumper. Smith also had a really pretty take to the rim and finish for 2 that was so slick nobody ever even touched her on the way to the bucket.
Losa Suavva (2023, F, Fusion Basketball Academy 2024 Clifton, IL)
She’s on this list for one very specific reason. If you attack the offensive glass the way she did at times on Saturday, you can have a spot in my lineup. Suvva had 5 offensive boards in under 2 minutes of play. Right now she’s a very effective try hard type player, but if she can bottle up that rebounding desire, she’s on to something special.
Shar’on Tidwell (2024, F, Team Firstep 2024, John Hardin, PA)
Tidwell just keeps coming at her opponent with a relentlessness. She’s a sneaky scorer in the lane, finding openings in the smallest of spaces and finishing the play. Tidwell is bouncy under the rim and, at times, just won’t be denied a put back. She does a nice job maintaining balance, which gives her some freedom to attempt some more difficult finishes.