Top PGs in the 802 Pt. 1/2
In this article:
Tune in for a breakdown of the top playmakers and facilitators in the state! Elyse Macdonough, 5’8 G – Rice Memorial High School Class of 2024 Gatorade POY and state champ as a sophomore, Elyse is coming into the winter…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTune in for a breakdown of the top playmakers and facilitators in the state!
Elyse Macdonough, 5’8 G – Rice Memorial High School Class of 2024
Gatorade POY and state champ as a sophomore, Elyse is coming into the winter season as polished as ever. MacDonough deals with ball pressure well, using her strong handle and attack mentality to blow by defenders going either direction. In the halfcourt Elyse orchestrates the offense handily, getting teammates into sets or hitting them with crisp passes in positions where they excel. MacDonough is an excellent playmaker; Elyse can knockdown looks at all three-levels, either out of her own creation in iso situations, or in pick-and-rolls, or simply out of the flow of the offense, moving well off the ball with cuts and relocation. Defensively gritty and quick, MacDonough can hound ballhandlers, disrupt passing lanes, and rotate crisply when the defense has to scramble. Elyse is the best two-way PG in the state.
Shelby Companion Shelby Companion 5'6" | CG CVU | 2023 State NewE , 5’9 G – Champlain Valley Union High School Class of 2023
Shelby brings a lot of toughness to the floor. Companion is strong and agile, capable of bodying opponents on both ends of the floor, whether she’s attacking the paint, picking up full court, or taking away someone’s drive. Naturally, Shelby can facilitate the offense with sound communication and direction, getting teammates moving off the ball and running offensive sets. Companion gets downhill quite often herself, attacking the rim with patience, going off of one or two feet and finishing through contact. Moreover, she gets to the line or will sneak a pass in to the bigs for an easy deuce. Take note, Shelby’s vision is elite, as she can manipulate opponents and see through the layers of the defense, whipping a pass to someone just as the window opens up. She’s a catch-and-shoot threat from three and relocates well out of post feeds. I look forward to seeing Shelby compete.
Bree McDonald Bree McDonald 5'6" | PG Burlington | 2025 State NewE , 5’7 G – Burlington High School Class of 2025
Bree has a whole lot of tricks in her bag. McDonald is liable to break defenders down with crafty hesitations and crossovers, creating scoring looks for herself at all three-levels, or dishing out assists as the defense collapses with savvy passes. McDonald finishes at a high clip around the bucket and is becoming more and more efficient from beyond the arc. Off the ball, Bree moves well into open space, yet never strays too far from the action. Moreover, Bree’s quickness and heady awareness allow her to check other point guards and force them into precarious positions, often collecting on-ball steals or pass deflections. Coming into her sophomore season, I anticipate Bree will be even more confident and exceptional after taking major leaps during an impressive summer campaign this year.
Hayden Wilkins, 5’8 G – St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024
A crafty swiss army knife type, Hayden does a little of everything and more. Wilkins can score it all three-levels, using her savvy handles to create space either to get by defenders or open up the jumper from mid or long range. Moreover, Hayden loves getting others involved, directing traffic on offense to get teammates into sets or playing out of pick-and-roll situations where she can break a defense down and set-up any of her four teammates with misdirection and crispy passes. She plays well off the ball too, moving well into open space while remaining available if a teammate needs a quick outlet. And defensively there’s no let up; Hayden will pick ballhandlers up wherever she likes and force them into faulty possessions. She moves into help position well, sinking to the level of the ball while remaining able to challenge shooters on the perimeter. I’m looking forward to watching Wilkins get after it.
Sakoya Sweeney Sakoya Sweeney 5'6" | CG Lake Region | 2023 State NewE , 5’7 G – Lake Region High School Class of 2023
If you saw my last piece from the Lone Wolf Fall League, you’ll know that Sakoya brings energy to the gym unlike many others. Sweeney is vocal, encouraging, and the ultimate fan of her teammates. Sakoya loves seeing others succeed, and they succeed in part due to her impressive ability to get others involved. Sweeney loves to hunt for opportunities in transition, hitting lane runners and cutters with timely passes, or she’ll attack the paint herself with a nice lay-up/floater package. She moves well off the ball too, setting screens, cutting, and moving into space for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Lastly, Sakoya is a defensive anchor, communicating loudly, pressuring ballhandlers, and helping teammates with heady rotations and pursuit of 50/50 balls. Sweeney is one of my favorite under-the-radar guards.
Ruby Dasaro Ruby Dasaro 5'7" Bellows Free Academy | 2024 State NewE , 5’6 G – BFA St. Albans Class of 2024
Dasaro can really turn some heads with her impressive athleticism. Ruby has spectacular bounce in her step and nasty quickness which provides her the ability to really test ballhandlers in the open court, whether she’s pressuring them defensively or attacking them off the dribble and getting downhill. She also has a long wingspan, and she uses it well to disrupt passing lanes or poke the ball out from ballhandlers pocket. Offensively, Ruby loves to attack the rim, using a quick first step and a secure handle to blow by defenders, rising up in the paint to finish or hitting open teammates as the defense scrambles to help. Ruby’s offensive orchestration puts keeps the offense running smoothly, and she plays well off the ball with quick hitting basket cuts or screens to open up teammates. I’ll be excited to see her lead the squad up at BFA once again this winter.