2022 KY Junior vs Senior All-Star Game: Senior Standouts
On Saturday, Kentucky’s 2022 Senior All-Star Team faced off against the Junior All-Star Team. The game was very back-and-forth, but the Juniors pulled away in the 4th quarter and came out with a 106-83 victory. The Senior All-Stars were without…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOn Saturday, Kentucky’s 2022 Senior All-Star Team faced off against the Junior All-Star Team. The game was very back-and-forth, but the Juniors pulled away in the 4th quarter and came out with a 106-83 victory. The Senior All-Stars were without 2022 Kentucky Miss Basketball, Amiya Jenkins, as she was competing at state for track. As we look at rest of the Senior squad, it was Jaileyah Cotton, Gracie Merkle, Josie Gilvin, Monica Lindsey, and Riley Neal who really carried them as far as scoring is concerned, so I’ll start by discussing those players and finish up with discussing one additional player that caught my eye.
Jaileyah Cotton | Bardstown | ETSU Commit | 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists
Cotton is a quick, shifty guard. She can put the ball in the basket at all 3 levels and she scores in a variety of ways. She can handle the ball and she handles pressure well, but she is also very effective playing off of the ball. Cotton makes great moves and the second she gets a step on her defender, it’s game over. She was finishing tough baskets in the paint and around the rim all game long. She has the ability to elevate over her defender to get her shot off as well. Defensively, she is a great on-ball defender. She slides her feet and makes it tough. She also is really good off the ball, reading the passing lanes and coming up with steals.
Gracie Merkle | Bullitt East | Bellarmine Commit | 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal
Merkle was virtually unstoppable and if she was a selfish player, she probably would’ve finished with 45 points. Not only does she have excellent size and strength, but she has excellent hands and touch around the basket. She can catch tough passes and she can finish with contact. Merkle is an excellent rebounder because she grabs them high and then is really strong with the ball. There were multiple times when players tried to box her out and she still managed to come up with the rebounds. She can get a lot of put-back buckets, but she also has good moves around the basket that allow her to get her shot off. She does a great job of knowing when to kick as well, and she makes strong passes to her teammates.
Josie Gilvin | Sacred Heart | WKU Commit |10 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
It was impossible to not notice Gilvin out there at any given point in the game. She was all over the place and she was really working her butt off. In case you missed the stat above, she finished the game with 19 rebounds and nearly all of those were a result of pure effort. She sees the ball and she goes after it. She did the same thing defensively. It’s safe to say that Gilvin was the player doing all of the stuff most players don’t want to and it really made her stand out. So much so that she could’ve scored zero points and she still would have been a standout from the game. Defensively, she can lock you down. Offensively, she can put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor, but it doesn’t seem to be about scoring to her at all. She simply does whatever she can to help put her team in a position to win, and she showed this weekend that she does that no matter what team she’s playing for.
Monica Lindsey | Central Hardin | Tusculum Commit | 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
I was really impressed by Lindsey’s strength and shiftiness this weekend. She didn’t shoot much, but she took smart shots when she did. She made some really nice moves to get to the basket and to finish around the basket. She was finishing through contact and she kept the defense guessing as to what her next move would be. She uses both sides of the floor well also. And while they couldn’t be credited as assists, she threw some really good passes. Lindsey sees the floor well, she handles the ball, and she is strong. Her IQ shines and she has the potential to be an instant impact player for Tusculum next year.
Riley Neal | North Oldham | Miami (OH) Commit | 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal
Neal really showcased her versatility in this game. She is just so solid all-around. Defensively, she does a great job. She slides her feet and times her blocks perfectly. Neal is fearless out there, willing to guard whoever she’s asked to. She’s strong on the boards and she isn’t afraid to get physical. Offensively, she is so efficient. She put up the stats above in 16 and a half minutes of play. She takes such smart shots and she knows when to make the extra pass. She makes some really tough moves and finishes strong around the basket. She can step out and knock down mid-range or perimeter shots as well. Neal has good size and strength, and she has never failed to impress me when I’ve gotten to watch her play.
Cassidy Rowe | Shelby Valley | Kentucky Commit
Rowe’s shots weren’t falling, but she didn’t need to score to make an impact on the game. She did a really good job facilitating the offense and making plays for the seniors. Her ball handling, passing, and scoring abilities all stood out to me. When you’re 5’6″, you really got to put in the work to be able to play at the Power 5 level, and when you watch Rowe play, you can tell she’s put in that work and some. She was handling pressure, changing up moves, and showing her ability to create off the dribble as a ball handler. She’s got a really high basketball IQ and not only does she do a great job of not telegraphing where she’s going to pass it, but she consistently throws no looks that fake out the defense. Rowe is a great playmaker, plain and simple. Her scoring ability was on display despite the fact she wasn’t hitting. The shots she took were good shots and you can tell she can knock them down with deep range.