Slate Valley Showcase: Easy Breezy

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermont's inaugural Slate Valley Girls Basketball College Showcase put some of VT's best hoopers on the court together and let them go at it. Check out a number of top performers who showed out!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='450194' first='Bree' last='McDonald'], 5'7 G - Burlington High School Class of '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bree was a problem for defenders starting from warmups all the way up to the final whistle. From the start, McDonald was adamant about getting to the hoop and finished at a high clip, which opened up everything else for her. Her mid to short-range was locked in, finishing with efficiency inside the arc and her three ball was falling as well. Moreover, her handle was on full display. Bree's got hesitations, crossovers, behind the backs, and a knack for combining all of that to break a defender down. Her showing in the 1v1 comp was impressive considering she was squaring up against a lot of length and strength. Bree was one of the most confident and effective players in the gym, hands down. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hayden Wilkins, 5'8 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilkins had her range dialed in all day. Hayden was consistent from deep, pouring in threes from a few steps behind the arc. Wilkins utilized her success from deep to get inside the teeth of defense and make plays for others, setting them up off of the dribble drive with dump passes and kick outs to shooters, or finishing herself. Wilkins moves well off the ball too, showing good hoop IQ and sense of space in the halfcourt offense. Moreover, Hayden is a strong two-way player; she used her solid frame, quickness, and anticipation to keep the ball in front of her and slid into help position well off the ball. Wilkins has cemented herself as one of the top guards in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Addison Cadwell, 5'9 G - Thetford Academy Class of '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addison caught my attention rather quickly because she's someone who does a bit of everything. She's a strong guard who can battle in the paint for boards and she likes to run the break. All throughout the day Addison was running in transition, setting up lane runners with dimes for easy buckets. In the halfcourt, Cadwell worked well in the pick and roll, or if she didn't have the ball in her hands, she moved into space intuitively. Defensively, Cadwell showed great effort and anticipation. Cadwell showed her 1v1 prowess too in the ones competition, using her strength to keep players at bay, forcing tough looks and also creating some nice looks of her own. Addison has a good feel for the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nylah Mitchell, 5'9 W/F - Burlington High School Class of '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nylah showed off her impressive motor, working the boards endlessly and challenging bigger and stronger players with sheer will. She creates a lot of opportunities in the pick and roll by rolling hard to the rim, and she's more than capable of creating a look for herself with her arsenal of post moves. Mitchell also runs the floor hard, getting out in transition and making plays around the hoop. Nylah plays bigger than 5'9 down low but she can also switch out onto guards on the perimeter and contain them. Nylah also had a good showing in the 1v1 comp, locking players down with her physicality and displaying an ability to create space and finish looks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ella Perreault, 5'10 W - White River Valley High School Class of '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perreault made strong impressions with her intense work ethic. Ella flew around the court like a hawk, affecting every play and forcing turnovers on defense. Perreault has a wingspan that looks like it reaches six feet and she uses it wisely. Ella contested shots well, pressed ballhandlers in the backcourt and battled for rebounds on both ends. Perreault finished clean looks and showed an ability to make something out of nothing with pure hustle. Sometimes basketball comes down to willpower, and Ella has a lot of it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brianna Brownell, 5'9 W/F - Mount Mansfield Union High School Class of '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brianna's game was in full effect. Brownell showed an impressive ability to lockdown a wide array of players in the 1v1 comp, ranging from an ability to quell some of the state's best guards to battling in the paint with players taller and stronger, outworking them for boards. She showed flashes of her ability to create her own look too, putting on a post-footwork exhibition that opened up windows for hook shots and short-range jumpers. Moreover, Bri showed her hustle, rebounding hard and rim running for lay-ups in transition. Brownell plays bigger than her stature might suggest but she can also hold her own defensively on the perimeter. Brownell's game is multi-layered and rich with work ethic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->