Mohegan Favs: The Backcourt | Day 1

I kicked off the second half of the July Live Period down at Mohegan Sun for the Hoop Group Live in New England Tournament. Many teams competing represented the Northeast and had compelling matchups across the board. Below are my favorite Day 1 backcourt prospects from the event.    [player_tooltip player_id='273929' first='Christina' last='Pham']|Shooting Touch|5'7''|PG|'25   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/0A0FC300-FC78-44E1-A467-066AE05358B1-crop-1365x897-1658894827.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-468399"/><figcaption>Photo: JT Shotz</figcaption></figure>   Pham played the best basketball I have seen, not just on the first day but the totality of the Tournament. No matter what level of competition she faces, Pham still finds a way to score at every level and put her team in a position to win. One of the unique traits of Pham is how she can elevate the 4 other players surrounding her on the court and maximize the team's ceiling. Her shot creation is the best in the region from the '25 class, and you can make a case for her being the best shooter in New England, too. She went 10/12 FROM THREE in one game this past week. That is all.   Yana Shupak|NJ Shoreshots|5'6''|PG|'24   Shupak's shiftiness and athleticism showed when slashing to the basket and evading defenders on her way to scoring. I liked how hard Shupak crashed the glass and pushed the ball up the floor, head up, looking to be a playmaker. She played with good pace; Shupak knows when to accelerate and when to slow the tempo and initiate the offense in the halfcourt. Shupak defends aggressively and is always hustling.   [player_tooltip player_id='269130' first='Armani' last='Rivera']|RI Basketball Club|5'4''|PG|'24   I don't think anyone worked harder than Rivera on Day 1. She is the smallest player on the court but always finds a way to get the job done. Her relentless attacks to the basket and inviting the physicality of bigger forwards showed her toughness, and she made some impressive finishes over the trees in the middle. Every possession, Rivera battles and gives maximum effort, setting the tone for RI Basketball Club. You can see the trickle-down effect to the rest of the roster when Rivera consistently brings that energy level.    [player_tooltip player_id='328519' first='Emma' last='Kirck']|CBC New Haven|5'6''|PG|'23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/2ED8BEFA-7D01-40EA-986A-CCC3AB2F5805-scaled-crop-1709x1123-1658854042.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-467654"/><figcaption>Photo: Meredith Ryan</figcaption></figure>   Kirck was one of the better playmakers I saw the first day. She is a tough, gritty guard who is an accurate passer with either hand. I liked how physical Kirck was. She wasn't afraid to put a body on someone and box out hard. She isn't a tall point guard, but she will muscle up around the basket and constantly fight in the paint. Kirck has great chemistry with her teammates, leading to many fluid scoring positions in the halfcourt and transition.    [player_tooltip player_id='394104' first='Alexandra' last='Eldredge']|NY Extreme|5'10''|CG|'23   Eldredge had her offense rolling Wednesday night and filled up the scoring column fast. I like Eldredge's confidence in the isolation setting. She isn't intimidated by anyone who guards her. Her deep offensive repertoire helps Eldredge to beat a defender off the dribble easily. She can create shots at all three levels and has the upper body strength to absorb and play through contact when penetrating.    [player_tooltip player_id='467575' first='Laine' last='McGurk']|Lady Runnin Rebels|5'10''|CG|'23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/9C4B71D9-310D-4852-A6CF-D7D0268E16B4-crop-1242x816-1658853877.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-467644"/><figcaption>Photo: Meredith Ryan</figcaption></figure>   McGurk was one of the most versatile athletes in the building who consistently hits tough shots. McGurk's leaping ability is insane, and she flawlessly elevates over defenders and buries jumpers. I like how comfortable she is in the mid-range. McGurk breaks down her defender, gets into the paint, and the scoring is automatic. McGurk is also a very good passer who makes good reads at the second level.    [player_tooltip player_id='449654' first='Samantha' last='Carlson']|Honey Badgers|5'6''|PG|'25   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/81A892D5-4E66-4099-86BC-3077D15CF1AF-scaled-crop-1709x1123-1658853812.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-467642"/><figcaption>Photo: Meredith Ryan</figcaption></figure>   Carlson kicked off the first day with an impressive game on both sides of the ball. She buried a handful of three-pointers and dug in more than anyone defensively. I like her toughness and willingness to battle on defense. Carlson's hands were active in the Honey Badgers press, and she played a huge role in speeding up her opponent and forcing rushed passes. Carlson hustles hard, is the first to 50/50 balls, and makes hard cuts to the basket when off the ball.    [player_tooltip player_id='467590' first='Julia' last='Greek']|Premier Basketball|5'6''|PG|'23   Greek is silky smooth with the ball in her hands and keeps the defense off balance with her change of speed. With either hand, Greek is comfortable attacking and getting a paint touch. I liked what she gave Premier Basketball defensively. Greek showed that she could be a high-impact player on offense and defense. On the ball, I thought Greek slid her feet well, cut off her opponents' angles, and neutralized the ball handler on the perimeter.

I kicked off the second half of the July Live Period down at Mohegan Sun for the Hoop Group Live in New England Tournament. Many teams competing represented the Northeast and had compelling matchups across the board. Below are my favorite Day 1 backcourt prospects from the event.