R4R: 2023 Division Standouts (Part Two)
There aren’t many events that feature 1400+ teams, 1100+ college coaches, 92 courts, and the chance to play on ESPN, but TFN’s Run 4 Roses did just that and more. While it would’ve been impossible to watch all 1400 teams,…
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Continue ReadingThere aren’t many events that feature 1400+ teams, 1100+ college coaches, 92 courts, and the chance to play on ESPN, but TFN’s Run 4 Roses did just that and more. While it would’ve been impossible to watch all 1400 teams, I did catch quite a few teams and players throughout the tournament’s 4 day span. When I looked at my notes at the conclusion of the tournament, there were a little over 100 players that had caught my eye in some way. This series is going to discuss some of those standouts and it’ll be broken down by the division they played in (2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026) rather than the player’s class. This article features some of the standouts from the 2023 divisions.
Anna Kate Drakeford Anna Kate Drakeford 5'6" | SG Mercer County | 2024 State KY | 2023 ETA Thunder Smith | Class of 2024
Drakeford made it impossible to not notice her when she was on the floor. It felt like she was everywhere as she made hustle plays, defended strong, and put the ball in the basket. She wasn’t the tallest player on the floor, and yet, she managed to grab what felt like 100 offensive rebounds which is a testament to the work she was putting in. Drakeford can score inside or out and she can score in a variety of ways. She showed her ability to finish tough shots through contact at the rim as well.
AC Milam | Stars Basketball Club 2023 Nashville McLeod | Class of 2023
If you don’t play up on Milam, she’s going to make you pay. She can shoot the ball really well and she can shoot it from deep range. She catches the ball ready to fire and she has a quick release, so she definitely makes it hard to defend. However, she also makes good drives to the basket and she finishes well. When she doesn’t finish, you can probably find her at the free throw line from drawing the foul. Defensively, she is always ready to go after it as well.
Amiyah Fulton | Team Takeover 17U Showcase | Class of 2024
Fulton has all the skills you would want in your point guard. She can really shoot the ball, she has great court vision, and she is a phenomenal passer. And while she certainly has elite skills, I was really blown away by 2 things that actually have nothing to do with her skillset: how hard she plays 100% of the time that she’s out there and how much she cheers for her teammates. She was the first one to pick her teammates up when they were down and the first to cheer when they scored, and those intangibles really separated her.
Amyah Woodmore | 2023 GA Queens Elite | Class of 2023
Woodmore has shifty guard skills and stretches the defense with her ability to knock down outside shots. You play her too close and she’s going to the rim; you play off of her and she’ll knock down the shot. She made some really impressive drives to the basket when I got the chance to watch her play and she is excellent at drawing fouls.
Caroline Connelly Caroline Connelly 6'1" | PF Northfield Mt. Herman | 2023 State New E | 2023 MTE Ducks UA Rise Plasma | Class of 2023
Connelly really disrupts the offense around the rim. She is long and she can really block shots. She also does the little things well, like being in the right help positions and crashing the boards consistently. On offense, she posts strong and gets great positioning. Connelly was constantly making hard cuts and she really finished well around the rim.
Cha Gardner | 2023 Elmira Fusion | Class of 2024
Gardner has excellent length and she uses that length to block shots, grab rebounds, and score. Defensively, even if she doesn’t block the shot, she can really alter shots around the rim. She showed some really strong rebounding abilities as well. Gardner scored a lot of points off of put backs alone, and she was able to do that by consistently crashing the boards. I was very impressed by her passing abilities also.