Kentucky Ice part 2 - Victory Region Finals

Continuing coverage of the top-ranked team leading into last weekend’s Victory Region Finals, Kentucky Ice ’23. Following through with the four additional players on the roster. [player_tooltip player_id="328573" first="Logan" last="Ortega"] - 5’7" G - Bullitt East ’23 Ortega played great the entire weekend. After the tournament, I was able to tell her that she appears to have moved to the next level above what I have seen from her in the past, which was already a great body of work. Her play last weekend earned her a spot on the Victory Region Finals Second Team. She is scrappy, patient with the ball, and able to exploit the defense no matter what it is giving her. I can’t tell if she is skilled in setting up the defense to give her what she wants or just talented enough to switch plans reacting to whatever it is the defense is trying to take away. Maybe a little of both. Ortega has always been an unselfish player that looks to set up her teammates with open shots but I believe she has turned the corner on recognizing her own opportunities to score which she can do in so many ways. I would list the ways, but it would take less time to list the only way I don’t remember seeing her score, Posting Up. [player_tooltip player_id="255502" first="Ma’Kiya" last="West"] - 5’11" F - Male ’23 West is a great rebounder who can probably get it done in all three ways. In Zone Rebounding, Out of Zone Rebounding and Hustle Rebounding. I say probably because although she hustles I have always seen her play with great Hustle Rebounders, and there is only one ball. I suspect she can do that too, but I know she can seal off her side of the basket and own her own Zone n the boards, and she has demonstrated the ability to go get the ball Out of her Zone. Beyond that, she is a fundamentally sound defender in the post and the on the perimeter. She has a complete offensive game shooting from the outside, scoring in the post and off the glass. She is a capable ballhandler and can play any frontcourt position on the court. Some college is going to have a diamond on their hands next season but the list currently showing interest is too small for both West and the rest of this team. [player_tooltip player_id="164397" first="Desaine" last="Mhango"] - 5’4" G - Male ’23 Mhango is an assist machine with the ball on the bounce. She made drives from all over the court to set up teammates going to the basket for the dish-off passes. She penetrates and kicks the ball out to shooters or takes it to the hole if the defense can’t collapse on her in time. On the ball defensively she shuts down penetration and Is a ballhawk waiting to pounce from off the ball. She is often involved in the steals that turn into fastbreak points with the initial deflection or recovery of the loose ball to begin transition offense. I look forward to seeing her run the show again next High School season. [player_tooltip player_id="250278" first="Allison" last="Spieker"] - 5’7" G - Whitefield Academy ’24 Spieker is a scoring machine and less than 30 points away from her 1,000th career point during her upcoming Junior season. She can shoot the ball from very deep and is perhaps even more deadly with her floater when forced to put the ball on the floor. But whatever you do, don’t foul her, you might as well just give her those points because she rarely misses. Defensively, she relies on great footwork to deny her opponent the ball, a ton of hustle, and the occasional jersey grab keeping her hands low where they can avoid notice. She puts her body on her man to keep them off the glass and sits down on ballhandlers to ward off penetration or force them away from the hoop.

Continuing coverage of the top-ranked team leading into last weekend’s Victory Region Finals, Kentucky Ice ’23. Following through with the four additional players on the roster.

Logan Ortega Logan Ortega 5'7" | PG Bullitt East | 2023 State KY - 5’7" G - Bullitt East ’23

Ortega played great the entire weekend. After the tournament, I was able to tell her that she appears to have moved to the next level above what I have seen from her in the past, which was already a great body of work. Her play last weekend earned her a spot on the Victory Region Finals Second Team.

She is scrappy, patient with the ball, and able to exploit the defense no matter what it is giving her. I can’t tell if she is skilled in setting up the defense to give her what she wants or just talented enough to switch plans reacting to whatever it is the defense is trying to take away. Maybe a little of both.

Ortega has always been an unselfish player that looks to set up her teammates with open shots but I believe she has turned the corner on recognizing her own opportunities to score which she can do in so many ways. I would list the ways, but it would take less time to list the only way I don’t remember seeing her score, Posting Up.

Ma’kiya West Ma’kiya West 5'11" | SF Louisville Male | 2023 State KY - 5’11" F - Male ’23

West is a great rebounder who can probably get it done in all three ways. In Zone Rebounding, Out of Zone Rebounding and Hustle Rebounding. I say probably because although she hustles I have always seen her play with great Hustle Rebounders, and there is only one ball. I suspect she can do that too, but I know she can seal off her side of the basket and own her own Zone n the boards, and she has demonstrated the ability to go get the ball Out of her Zone.

Beyond that, she is a fundamentally sound defender in the post and the on the perimeter. She has a complete offensive game shooting from the outside, scoring in the post and off the glass. She is a capable ballhandler and can play any frontcourt position on the court. Some college is going to have a diamond on their hands next season but the list currently showing interest is too small for both West and the rest of this team.

Desaine Mhango Desaine Mhango 5'4" | PG Male | 2023 State KY - 5’4" G - Male ’23

Mhango is an assist machine with the ball on the bounce. She made drives from all over the court to set up teammates going to the basket for the dish-off passes. She penetrates and kicks the ball out to shooters or takes it to the hole if the defense can’t collapse on her in time.

On the ball defensively she shuts down penetration and Is a ballhawk waiting to pounce from off the ball. She is often involved in the steals that turn into fastbreak points with the initial deflection or recovery of the loose ball to begin transition offense. I look forward to seeing her run the show again next High School season.

Allison Spieker Allison Spieker 5'8" | SG Whitefield Academy | 2024 State KY - 5’7" G - Whitefield Academy ’24

Spieker is a scoring machine and less than 30 points away from her 1,000th career point during her upcoming Junior season. She can shoot the ball from very deep and is perhaps even more deadly with her floater when forced to put the ball on the floor. But whatever you do, don’t foul her, you might as well just give her those points because she rarely misses.

Defensively, she relies on great footwork to deny her opponent the ball, a ton of hustle, and the occasional jersey grab keeping her hands low where they can avoid notice. She puts her body on her man to keep them off the glass and sits down on ballhandlers to ward off penetration or force them away from the hoop.