Bash Favs: July Watch

July is here, which means a busy Live Period is around the corner. Over the last few weeks, I saw many intriguing prospects who caught my attention and will be players worth checking out this month.   [player_tooltip player_id="296753" first="Angelina" last="Coletti"]|MCW Starz|5'11''|PF|'23 [caption id="attachment_454809" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/BA271B3A-442A-43DC-8C72-68643A18132D-crop-1242x816-1656793794.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-454809" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/BA271B3A-442A-43DC-8C72-68643A18132D-crop-1242x816-1656793794-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Rissi.Photos[/caption] Coletti doesn't need to touch the ball and can be one of the team's more valuable players. It is because her post defense is legit, and she brings physicality and toughness to the teams' backline. Coletti is gritty and will do all the dirty work. Whether she is fighting for loose balls, forcing jump balls, or opening up her teammates with hard screens, Coletti does whatever you need to help her team win.   [player_tooltip player_id="298751" first="Emma" last="Cochrane"]|NEX|5'6''|PG|'24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-454804" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/06/74F484AF-E30A-454D-BADD-1B2B602120E5-crop-1407x924-1656793577-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> I love the way Cochrane competes defensively, and her grit, scrappiness, and toughness are unmatched. She has quick feet and moves east to west well, keeping the ball handler in front of her at all times. Cochrane also is well conditioned and will pick up full court and make her opponent uncomfortable. In the halfcourt, she cuts off angles, limits straight-line drives to the basket, and fights through screens.   [player_tooltip player_id="356403" first="Tish" last="Blackwood"]|MCW Starz| 5'10''|PF|'24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-454803" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/F888C9CC-E471-4B6C-B782-4EAB0E69FA10-crop-1365x897-1656793539-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Blackwood made a loud statement at Hoop Mountain's All-Academic Showcase with her explosiveness and athletic ability. She bullied her way to the basket repeatedly and had no issue playing through contact and finishing. She is undersized for the power forward spot but makes up for it with her brute strength and force when in the paint. Blackwood is also a relentless rebounder with a quick first and second jump and was single handily controlling the glass.   [player_tooltip player_id="269250" first="Cameron" last="Rust"]| Bay State Jaguars|6'1''|PF|'24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-454801" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/6A181829-E1A0-4678-964D-3917B141B76F-crop-1440x946-1656793347-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Rust was one of the more impressive players I saw at Prime Event East and instantly became one of the biggest stock risers from the weekend. I liked how tough she played and how she punished teams around the basket. She has a unique combination of size, power, and leaping ability that helped her be a terror on the offensive glass. Rust has also vastly improved on the block, showed an array of impressive post moves, and had the complimentary footwork to go with them.   [player_tooltip player_id="397413" first="Evie" last="Schwartz"]| Bay State Jaguars| 5'10''|SF|'25 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-454799" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/D19C8234-63B3-42AE-9D85-BBA90C77C76D-crop-1302x855-1656793285-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> I've been trying to watch Schwartz play in person since the winter and finally got the opportunity at the Hoop Mountain All-Academic Showcase. She plays a physical brand of basketball and will is an efficient scorer underneath. Schwartz will also step outside and bury mid-long-range jumpers. She has the skill set to play both forward positions and uses her physical tools to be a factor on the glass.   [player_tooltip player_id="413605" first="Ruby" last="Santos"]|Elevate NYBC|6'0''|SF|'23 At Hoop Mountain's All-Academic Showcase, Santos was one of the best forward playmakers. Santos' versatility in transition stands out to me the most. She can self-start the break after pulling down the rebound and push the ball up the court like a guard. Santos can quickly move the ball up the floor with strong outlet passes. What I like most about Santos is that she can impact the game without scoring. You can trust that if she isn't filling up the scoring column, she will rebound, defend, and make intelligent decisions with the basketball.   [player_tooltip player_id="446563" first="Liz" last="Gresian"]| MT Elite Ducks|5'10''|SF|'24 Gresian's greatest gift is her court vision and passing, which was made clear at the GymRat Challenge in Albany, New York, and earlier this week at the MT Elite College Showcase. She delivers passes on time, accurately, and puts good velocity behind each one. Whenever Gresian gets a head of steam and breaks downhill, she becomes a dual-threat because she will use her length and athleticism to weave through the defense and score or set up her teammates for an open shot.   [player_tooltip player_id="361825" first="Faye" last="Kaplinski"]| CT Starters| 6'0''|PF|'23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-454797" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/B0E53073-B61E-40E0-9911-8ED420A8CDD7-crop-1302x855-1656793072-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> There aren't too many players tougher on the block than Kaplinski. I've seen her a few times over the past month, and she is extremely disciplined down low. She constantly fights for position and is one of the few who gets low and demands the ball. Kaplinski doesn't allow defenders to push her out of position, and when receiving the ball, she will drop step and overpower the defense.   [player_tooltip player_id="303042" first="Sara" last="Cashin"]| MT Elite Ducks|6'1''|PF|'23 I recently saw Cashin play in the MT Elite College Showcase; it was the best basketball I've seen her play. She was knocking down her outside shot with consistency, and her shooting motion looked fluid. I also thought she moved well up and down the floor and was strong finishing at the basket. You cannot deny Cashin's size and length as a forward, and to see her be a legitimate stretch big on a game-to-game basis makes her an intriguing prospect to watch this month.