Howe: 7 Players Who Stood Out Before the Holiday Break

’25 Pleasant Hill (IA) Southeast Polk PG Alyssa Bartlett. (Rob Howe/PrepGirlsHoops.com)

Rob Howe December 28, 2022 @ 08:08 PM

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The pre-holiday break action in the state foreshadowed what should be a fun remainder of the season. Plenty of movement in the rankings already showed it could be a wild race to the finish.   Here are seven players I saw in person before the stoppage that stood out to me:   [player_tooltip player_id='311394' first='Alyssa' last='Bartlett'], '25, PG, Southeast Polk - Bartlett is fun to watch. She's a hard-nosed, two-way point guard who gets after you on both ends of the court. She sees the floor really well on the break or in the half-court. Her toughness is illustrated in her averaging 8.8 rebounds per game.   Janessa Mosley, '25, CG, Iowa City Liberty - Mosley gets overshadowed by a roster full of veterans but her potential and high ceiling are readily apparent when watching her. She combines high-end athleticism with an advanced skill set for her age. Despite being an underclassman, she does not back down.   [player_tooltip player_id='342210' first='Emma' last='Slings'], '23, CG, Cedar Rapids Jefferson - The senior from Jefferson can fill it up, averaging 15.6 points heading into the break. She's a good athlete with a strong, well-rounded skill set who plays hard at all times. She can lock down on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='311373' first='August' last='Palmer'], '25, CG, Iowa City High - The West Branch transfer is enjoying a seamless transition to big-school basketball, averaging 21.3 points per game at the break. She's a three-level scorer, who handles the ball well, finds open teammates and hits the glass hard.   [player_tooltip player_id='63070' first='Meena' last='Tate'], '23, CG, Iowa City West - Tate has been a joy to watch during her career, steadily improving each season. She's a long, athletic guard who can get her offense or run the show from the point. She can score from anywhere on the floor and gets after it on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='246099' first='Callie' last='Levin'], '24, CG, Solon - The University of Iowa commitment is averaging 19.3 points at the break. She also contributes 4.0 assists, 3.6 steals and 6.3 rebounds. Those statistics speak to Levin as a player. She does it all well on both ends of the court. She also brings toughness.   [player_tooltip player_id='545646' first='Ava' last='Locklear'], '24, F, Clear Creek Amana - Power is the name of Locklear's game. The junior is averaging 15.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in '22-23. She's a handful in the paint but is an understated athlete as well. She runs the court and shows good footwork in the post. She faces a lot of double teams and passes well out of them.

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The pre-holiday break action in the state foreshadowed what should be a fun remainder of the season. Plenty of movement in the rankings already showed it could be a wild race to the finish.