Breakdown Fall League: Week 1 fresh faces

Fresh faces. That is one of the most interesting aspects of watching Breakdown's Fall League get underway. Every year we see kids dipping their toe into the varsity waters for the first time and it never fails to pique our curiosity. Week 1 was no exception. Barely five minutes had elapsed in Sunday's opening games at Hopkins High School when it became obvious that 7th grader Ari Flies-Peterson of Providence Academy is going to be something. She tops the list today of fresh faces who stood out on opening day.   Ari Flies-Peterson – 2028 guard, Providence Academy   When it comes to identifying talented individuals who have the potential to play college basketball at the highest levels there's no question that the single biggest factor is DNA. I'm no geneticist but I've seen enough pros and high-level amateurs up close on a daily basis to know that you're either born with athletic genes or you're not. Of course everyone can develop. Everyone can put in the work to get better. But truly elite players have the right raw material to begin with. It doesn't take long to see that Ari has the makings of a high-level athlete. Yes, it helps to be the offspring of an all-pro running back.   Only a 7th grader, Ari is already 5'11. She's long and lean, moves about the court with grace and flow, has very light feet, great lateral movement, excellent elevation… We could go on. Watching Ari play for the first time at the varsity level reminded me of the first time I watched [player_tooltip player_id='252387' first='Aaliyah' last='Crump']. Or [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson']. Or [player_tooltip player_id='108299' first='Tessa' last='Johnson']. I'm not saying that Ari will turn out to be anything like those special players but I'm also not saying she won't. She's just different. Flies-Peterson joins a talent-laden Providence lineup led by the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], [player_tooltip player_id='148338' first='Grace' last='Counts'] and [player_tooltip player_id='296515' first='Hope' last='Counts']. She'll likely come off the bench to start the season. and it's not clear yet just how many minutes she'll earn in the 2022-23 campaign. What is obvious is this: the sky is the limit.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/Erma-Walker-1-849x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-514962" width="212" height="256" /></figure>   Erma Walker – 2027 forward, Hopkins   Not many 7th graders garner any varsity playing time at Hopkins. The lineup has traditionally been a tough one to crack for any player, never mind kids of 12 or 13.. But Erma Walker, who is bigger and more physically advanced than the vast majority of her peers, found her way onto the court last season and no doubt gained valuable experience. On Sunday Erma was a whole different being. Playing with a ton of confidence, and one of the biggest motors we've seen, she was relentless. Walker is just so strong down low. She's big and physical and never, ever quits on the play. Now that her skill set is expanding quickly, Erma offers a formidable package. She is an absolute beast on the boards who attacks that responsibility with maximum intensity. If Erma grows a few more inches she is going to be unstoppable. In the meantime Walker is looking like one of the top prospects in the Class of 2027.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/Elayna-Van-Nett_Ahmani-Crump-crop-751x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-514963" width="188" height="256" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='829627' first='Elayna' last='Van Nett'] & [player_tooltip player_id='923678' first='Ahmani' last='Crump'] – guards, St. Paul Como Park   The torch has been passed over at Como Park in St. Paul where a strong class of 2022 has now moved on to college basketball. Kaylynn Asberry, Ronnie Porter, Jayda James, Shakyla Walker and Cloey Dmytruk are all playing at the next level now and the time has come for the next generation of Cougars to do their thing. [player_tooltip player_id='829627' first='Elayna' last='Van Nett'] is the younger sister of Como senior [player_tooltip player_id='108303' first='Shania' last='Van Nett'] and former Cougar Mikayla Van Nett (Northwestern Louisiana). She's a different player than her sisters – not a long-bomb sharpshooter like them but a high-quality athlete who can attack off the bounce and has some serious hops. On Sunday she showed us some big-time elevation, a nice mid-range game and some raw talent just waiting to be honed. When this Van Nett gets downhill she can do some real damage.   [player_tooltip player_id='923678' first='Ahmani' last='Crump'] is Porter's younger sister and the daughter of Como Park coach Londa England. She has shown us plenty of potential over the summer and will play AAU ball next spring under the banner of Legacy Hoops, the new branding for the former 43 Hoops organization. Ahmani is a compact guard with quick feet, really nice mobility and a good feel for the game. You can tell she likes to defend and she does it very well. She is quite vocal and very focused on the task at hand. She's also physical as well as athletic enough to play bigger than her size. These two should challenge for varsity playing time this winter.

Fresh faces. That is one of the most interesting aspects of watching Breakdown's Fall League get underway. Every year we see kids dipping their toe into the varsity waters for the first time and it never fails to pique our curiosity. Week 1 was no exception. Barely five minutes had elapsed in Sunday's opening games at Hopkins High School when it became obvious that 7th grader Ari Flies-Peterson of Providence Academy is going to be something. She tops the list today of fresh faces who stood out on opening day.