16U Gold Champions – Team Firstep ’24
Team Firstep packed their defense and used it to lead them to a Championship in the Victory Region Finals this past weekend at Batavia High School in Aurora, Illinois. The team struggled at times with scoring but their defense never…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTeam Firstep packed their defense and used it to lead them to a Championship in the Victory Region Finals this past weekend at Batavia High School in Aurora, Illinois. The team struggled at times with scoring but their defense never failed to pull them through.
In an impressive display of teamwork, each player would sit down defensively on the ballhandler to deny penetration and force a pass or an outside shot. Teammates were waiting to get into the passing lanes or crash the glass to take away second-chance points.
The girls were disruptive in both fullcourt and halfcourt defense and relentless on the glass on both ends of the court. By halftime of most games, it was clear that the onslaught of effort and hustle was not going to relent until Team Firstep had won the Gold Championship.
Sharon Tidwell – 5’10″ F – John Hardin ’24
Tidwell has the ability to take over the game at times due to her high motor and athleticism. Her energy is contagious and she has the passion that makes her a fan favorite. You will never question her heart or desire to win based on the way she plays the game. She is extremely active on defense and on the glass, blocks shots, and often finishes through contact to score.
She can do a little bit of everything on the court and has a widely varied skillset. She is not a master of any particular skill and will need some coaching on the next level to improve. But what she has is tons of raw talent. If you can find some Guards and Shooters to play with her she can be the kind of glue player you need to get it done.
Destini McAllister – 5’9″ F – John Hardin ’24
McAllister is every bit as effective as Tidwell in making an impact on the court but the two could not be less alike in personality. If Tidwell is Fire, McAllister is Ice. She always seems to be relaxed and sometimes appears to be unathletic, but keep watching because she can explode into the air to grab rebounds, block shots, or close the gap defensively in what appears to be magic, especially her leaping ability.
She makes amazing plays all game long and appears to put forth almost no effort. I can assure you that she is playing very hard, having seen her play around 10 times this year and her stats prove it. Chart her yourself on any game she has played on blocks, rebounds, steals, and deflections. See how she runs the floor time after time without ever appearing to get tired.
Annabelle Babb – 5’7″ F – Meade Co ’24
Babb is also tough as nails on the glass, grabbing rebounds for her team and collecting steals in the press to turn into layups. The amount of effort she put forward this past weekend helped ensure an undefeated weekend for her team. She was involved in more than a few crashes going after the ball and I wouldn’t be surprised if you could find a few bruises on her Monday morning from the contact.
She has great downhill speed and the ability to handle the ball through traffic on the way to the hole. She can step out and shoot the three, penetrate from the wings, and move without the ball.
Paige Medley Paige Medley 5'5" | PG Meade County | 2024 State KY – 5’4″ G – Meade Co ’24
This past weekend, Medley was the most consistent three-point threat for the team, making the shot from everywhere along the perimeter. She also made several points in transition from up-the-street passes thrown by teammates that she converted into layups by running the floor. She also made the defense pay with a solid floater when she was run off the line and by making good passes to cutting teammates.
Taylor Broughton – 5’5″ G – Elizabethtown ’24
Broughton carried the scoring load during the first half of the first game of the tournament with a few threes and free throws. By the second half, her teammates were heated up and carried the team the rest of the way, while she was making trouble for opposing Guards.
Her greatest contributions were in handling the ball under pressure, pushing the tempo, and getting her teammates involved in the offense on multiple possessions. I wouldn’t be surprised if you charted the “hockey assists” over the weekend that she had tons of them from running the offense.
Juliana Stith – 5’6″ G – Central Hardin ’24
Stith had some of her top moments during a stretch in the 2nd half of the semifinals game. She was suddenly all over the place with a corner 14-footer, a rebound putback, and a few drives to the basket for layups including one that she followed with an And 1 free throw.
She took a few charges, played great defense, and made plays when the ball was in her hands. She was very effective in pushing the tempo on the break, splitting 2 defenders on the break at one point before kicking the ball out for the assist of a three.
Brooklyn Brown – 5’5″ G – Elizabethtown ’24
Brown was mixing it up defensively, creating tie-ups, and going to the floor for the ball to help her team finish the weekend undefeated. She did a great job handling the ball and keeping her teammates involved in the offense while on the court.