Nike Chicago TOC Power 5 – Point Gods

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the 'Nike Tournament of Champions' games in Chicago, there were many players who made their names known that week. But for the point guards, only a select few from the NE and NY area <em>demanded</em> the attention. These players commanded the offense and made their teammates better, helping their team to victories left and right. They are the definition of "Point Gods", and have earned the right for the basketball world to KNOW THEIR NAME. Here's who you should become familiar with if you haven't already:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_62e03bb577e7c","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":467975,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='406502' first='Taylor' last='Barbot']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"St. Mary's HS","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"New Heights Blue","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"A high energy attacking PG with fire on defense. Barbot is the PG u0022tornado twinu0022 to her CG sister, [player_tooltip player_id='406503' first='Taryn' last='Barbot']. She is a tight on ball defender who makes her opponent get rid of the ball quick due to her pressure. She talks to her teammates on defense making sure everyone is in their spots and on the same page. On offense, Barbot is pretty impressive with her finishes. Her ability to hang in the air and readjust makes her dangerous in the paint. When she attacks, she will step through the collapsing defenders while keeping the ball high to elevate up and over them. Barbot also looks to push in transition when she has numbers, either to shift through the lane, or kick it off to the strong side wing on her attack. What's dangerous about this PG, is that she finds her teammates well on top of being an aggressive scorer from both inside the paint and beyond the arc. If strong side helps on her attack, she'll find that open player on the wing. If the defense falls asleep and her teammate backdoor cuts, you bet Barbot is finding her. Overall, her excitement and energy is contagious, pushing her teammates to be aggressive and confident in their pursuit of a dub, while also excelling at her job from both ends of the floor.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":467988,"_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Annie Zinc","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Lurgio Middle School","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"New England Crusaders 16u Blue Star","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"A tenacious 2026 u003cemu003esneakyu003c/emu003e PG with loads of potential. First and foremost, I NEVER would have guessed Zinc was a 2026 after watching her play up with sophomores. Her confidence, control, and overall ability are above her years. She will pick up her player full court, keeping them in front the whole time and turning them countless times. She is a spit-fire that will crash behind the defense when a shot goes up to either tip, rip, or grab the ball from her opponent u003cemu003eafteru003c/emu003e they secured the board. It's extremely fun to watch the havoc she causes on the boards to benefit her team. On offense, Zinc has a quick first step that she uses effectively to get in front of the defense in transition. She is always looking to push and get into the lane to finish or dish strong side corner. For such a young player, she has a good handle that will most definitely become dangerous as she develops further, especially with her explosiveness off the dribble. All in all, I was impressed with Zinc to begin with while not even knowing her age. But, once I found out she's only a rising freshman, my impression sky rocketed and I can't wait for her to show the world what she can do as she balls out through high school.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["354131"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"An athletic shot creating guard. I didn't get to see much of Decker, but I saw enough to see her potential and ability to knock down shots, and get her teammates open. She has a nice stroke from 3 that she can hit both off the dribble, and off the catch. She's not afraid to take the PUJ coming off a screen, and elevates with ease from it. She has the ability to get into the paint by shifting the defense with a combo move or jab-cross. More times than not, she kicked it off to an open teammate for the shot since the defense would suck in from her drives. Also, Decker did a nice job of controlling the pace for her team, making sure to get her teammates the best opportunity possible for the bucket. Her shot creating ability, though, ended up opening up opportunities for her who own shot when the defense started playing the pass, rather than drive. Overall, I liked the glimpse I got of Decker, and am impressed with how much she impacted the game in such a short period of time.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":467990,"_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='361345' first='Gianna' last='Donnarummo']","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Hamden HS","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"CT Starters Blue Star","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eA gritty high energy PG with great vision. Donnarummo is great off the drive, dishing to her teammates and threading the needle u003cemu003everyu003c/emu003e well. She looks to break down her player, and can finish with contact (had two and 1s in a row when I was watching). She is definitely a pass first PG but can also play off the ball and hit her shot from deep. Donnarummo is not afraid to shoot behind the screen, come off to the lane, and look for her post rolling. In a close game with a few seconds to go, she was the one with the ball in her hands, later sending it to overtime. With her drives, she does a nice job of reading the defense on where to kick to the open man, or if she is open for the finish. What I love about Donnarummo is that she SPRINTS the floor to get to her spot when off the ball, and is always the first one back on D. She also sprints the lanes well in transition and is always looking to get ahead of the defense. With that, she tires her defender out from sprinting to her spots (it is literally a FULL OUT sprint). It's something that 99% of kids don't do, and her drive to do these things is a huge separator from other athletes. Not to mention, she stopped the transition break multiple times by sprinting back on D, and disrupted the flow because of this. Overall, Donnarummo is a high tempo player that wants her teammates to succeed, but can also slow it down in the half court looking to attack. u003c/spanu003ernu003cblockquoteu003eu0022G has been a great addition to the group this year. Her energy and enthusiasm for the game is UNMATCHED. She is very coachable, plays hard, and loves to get her teammates involved. Her offensive game keeps opposing guards guessing since she can knock down the 3, or finish with the floater or scoop layup.u0022 -Coach Brian Medeiros, CT Startersu003c/blockquoteu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":467992,"_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='413737' first='Brianna' last='McDermott']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Greenwich Country Day School","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"New Heights Blue","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eA shifty driving PG with a tough handle. McDermott uses her combo moves to shift her defender and blow by easily. She has a quick first step that opens up the driving lanes, causing the defense to make a decision. Off the drive, she's not afraid of contact and can finish with both hands. McDermott showed her versatility when in the paint since she can step-through, power through, or float it for the bucket. She is also strong with the ball and can deliver crisp full court passes to her teammates leaking out. Most importantly, I loved her competitiveness and willingness to dive on the floor to create second chance opportunities for her team. She has a passion for the game that shows through her competitiveness and drive to win from diving on the floor and being assertive with her drive. On defense, McDermott will apply pressure on D in spurts, but I think she has the quickness and tenacity to keep the pressure for the majority of the game. When she did push up on her player, it made them uncomfortable, and they got rid of the ball quick which opened up some steal opportunities for her eager teammates. Overall, I liked McDermott's ability to break down her defender and make the defense work in the paint. She was hard to stop off the dribble when she was assertive, and I'm excited to see what she does during her High School Season. u003c/spanu003ernrnu0026nbsp;","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":467997,"_player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='302480' first='Jaycee' last='Merizalde']","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"Perkiomen School","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"New Heights 16u Blue","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_5_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eA downhill 2025 PG who's always looking to attack. Merizalde does a great job at reading the defensive on her drives to either continue with the lay or dish off. She really breaks down the defense, grabbing multiple defenders' attention to open up a bunch of driving and passing lanes. She did a nice job of identifying and taking advantage of this, allowing her to find her teammates and put them in scoring positions. She is at her best when she is going downhill, whether it be in transition or in the half court. She is a shot creator just solely from her ability to attract the defense. Not to mention, she had some pretty tough finishes after contact for the and 1. On defense, she is a strong on-ball defender who keeps active hands, sliding with, and turning her hips effectively to cut off her player, making them uncomfortable. Overall, I really liked Merizalde's game. Her ability to just make something happen is special, and I think she's going to become a well known name as she refines her game through high school.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These 6 Point Guards were really fun to watch, turning heads left and right. Their passion, grit, and ability to create havoc in the lane separated them from other athletes at their position, giving their team the fire needed to get the job done. It's only a matter of time before they start popping up on your social media feed after every tournament...stay tuned! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>Athletes Mentioned</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Athlete</td><td>Class Year</td><td>AAU Team | State</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='406502' first='Taylor' last='Barbot']</td><td>2023</td><td>New Heights 17u Blue | NY</td></tr><tr><td>Annie Zinc</td><td>2026</td><td>New England Crusaders 16u Blue Star | NH</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='354131' first='Nicole' last='Decker']</td><td>2024</td><td>IDream 17u | CT</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='361345' first='Gianna' last='Donnarummo']</td><td>2024</td><td>CT Starters 16u | CT</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='413737' first='Brianna' last='McDermott']</td><td>2024</td><td>New Heights 16u Blue | NY</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='302480' first='Jaycee' last='Merizalde']</td><td>2025</td><td>New Heights 16u Blue | CT</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption>Nike Chicago TOC : Point Guards </figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:table -->