17U White Sanford Sports Academy Team Preview

Roster   [player_tooltip player_id='201446' first='Caylin' last='Kelly'] - Florence/Henry - Class of 2024 - 6'0" F/C   [player_tooltip player_id='182473' first='Taylor' last='Watson'] - Florence/Henry - Class of 2024 - 5'8" G   [player_tooltip player_id='201448' first='Reese' last='Schmidt'] - Florence/Henry - Class of 2024 - 5'6" G   [player_tooltip player_id='362676' first='Kinsey' last='Evans'] - Chamberlain - Class of 2024 - 5'5" G   [player_tooltip player_id='235513' first='Stevie' last='Wittler'] - Sully Buttes - Class of 2024 - 5'7" G   [player_tooltip player_id='242473' first='Mara' last='Grant'] - Tea - Class of 2024 - 5'11" F   [player_tooltip player_id='391801' first='Carli' last='Kuyper'] - Lennox - Class of 2024 - 6'3" F   [player_tooltip player_id='375561' first='Abby' last='Aslesen'] - Howard - Class of 2024 - 6'0" G/F   [player_tooltip player_id='188311' first='Sydney' last='Olson'] - Garretson - Class of 2024 - 5'7" G   [player_tooltip player_id='342168' first='Lauren' last='Grinde'] - Tri-Valley - Class of 2024 - 5'6" G   Coach - Tucker Tornberg   Roster Breakdown   [player_tooltip player_id='201446' first='Caylin' last='Kelly'], [player_tooltip player_id='182473' first='Taylor' last='Watson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='201448' first='Reese' last='Schmidt'] are one heck of a trio for the Falcons of Florence/Henry. They bring a collection of talents that blend well together and will bring great existing team chemistry to this squad. Caylin is a force all over the floor. She uses her height and strength to finish shots in the paint, attacks off the dribble drive with relentless force and is hitting more shots from the outside. On defense, she can guard 1-5 and plays with great intensity and a willingness to go and get rebounds. Taylor is a dynamic guard who has one of the lowest dribble drives in the state, allowing her to go by just about anybody to get to the rack and finish. She has point guard abilities as well with solid handles and an ability to create offense for herself and others. [player_tooltip player_id='201448' first='Reese' last='Schmidt'] is a tough player who loves defense, rebounds hard and plays her role really well on offense. She moves well without the ball, has a high basketball IQ, and finishes well off the dribble or an effective cut.   [player_tooltip player_id='362676' first='Kinsey' last='Evans'] is a talented guard who shows great vision, and court awareness and does a nice job of running the offense. She handles pressure well and has gained a lot of composure from being a point guard and gaining vital experience. An effective scorer she has a variety of moves to finish at the basket and has range out past the 3-point line as well. Defensively, she's an intense defender who puts pressure on opposing guards and does a nice job denying dribble penetration and disrupting passing lanes.   [player_tooltip player_id='235513' first='Stevie' last='Wittler'] rounds out a great group of point guards on this roster and is a really good one. She has electric speed, a really effective euro-step, and knows how to draw the defense and dish to others with ease. She can hit the three and has one of the rarest abilities to hang in the air and let the defender clear to get off her jump shot. She's a scrappy defender who forces turnovers and serves as a literal nightmare with fantastic ball pressure. A great leader you constantly hear Stevie communicating on both ends, positively coaching up and supporting her teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='242473' first='Mara' last='Grant'] is a talented prospect who climbed up our rankings this past season with a great junior year. She's a physical inside presence who finishes really well in the paint. She has great footwork, patience, and strength to get shots up inside. Pairing with her ability to score at the rim is a nice pull-up jumper and mid-range shot game. Her 3-point shooting is improving and she is developing as a prospect with the ability to do it all. Her motor and work ethic are unmatched making her a talented asset on both ends of the floor. She clears rebounds aggressively and is capable of putting up 20-point and 20-rebound performances.   [player_tooltip player_id='391801' first='Carli' last='Kuyper'] is the perfect post player for today's style of basketball. At 6'3" with great length, she can post up, seal, and extend to grab passes out of reach from the defender and finish inside. This along with the fact that she has great footwork, a high-arcing shot with a smooth release, and range out beyond the 3-point line makes her a dynamic scorer destined to succeed in the current basketball era. She rebounds well and is a really intelligent shot blocker that can change the game on both ends.   [player_tooltip player_id='375561' first='Abby' last='Aslesen'] is another really dynamic talent on this deep, talented roster who can score on all levels and defend multiple spots. She has a post-up game, a dribble-drive game, a mid-range pull-up ability, and can hit the 3, making her a very talented scorer. Add in the fact that at 6'0" she has the ability to handle the ball the length of the court and great vision and passing abilities and you have a very effective offensive player. She rebounds hard and can defend the 1-5 with great quickness, anticipation, and desire to get stops. Abby is a vocal leader who pushes herself and supports her squad, making everyone on the floor around her better.   [player_tooltip player_id='188311' first='Sydney' last='Olson'] is a talented shooter who might have one of the most consistent 3-point shots on the team. She has a quick release and does a great job moving without the ball to get herself open for shot opportunities. Paired with her great shooting consistency is a nice dribble-drive game with a quick first step to get by her girl and create shots at the rim. On defense, she does a great job pressuring the ball and passing lanes while using her quickness to deny lanes to the basket both on the ball and in the gap. Sydney's ability to knock down shots and defend the perimeter will be a huge asset to this squad.   [player_tooltip player_id='342168' first='Lauren' last='Grinde'] has some of the most impressive fast-twitch moves to the basket that you'll find. She is super explosive and does a great job getting to the rim in 1 dribble. She's a solid finisher and can get up and elevate over the defense to score. She has great range and can knock down the three consistently as well, making her a great scorer. On defense, she plays with the same explosion and can stay with anyone to cut off the drive and be in position. A superb athlete with a high basketball IQ, Lauren is a talented prospect who will look to continue lifting her stock going into her final year for the Mustangs at Tri-Valley.   Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>4/21-23</td><td>Spring Showcase</td><td>Ames, IA</td></tr><tr><td>5/19-21</td><td>May Madness</td><td>Ames, IA</td></tr><tr><td>6/3-4</td><td>Hardwood Challenge</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>6/16-18</td><td>North Tartan Summer Jam</td><td>Minneapolis, MN</td></tr><tr><td>6/23-25</td><td>Dakota Challenge</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>7/7-10</td><td>Nike TOC</td><td>Chicago, IL</td></tr><tr><td>7/20-22</td><td>North Tartan Meltdown</td><td>Minneapolis, MN</td></tr><tr><td>7/23-25</td><td>Summer Finale</td><td>Des Moines, IA</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   Thoughts from Coach Tornberg   I am most excited about this team because of the dynamic nature of our roster. We have a great group of kids who can score in the paint and a nice group of athletes who can hit from the outside as well. This team is filled with great kids who are leaders in their own programs and will bring that game in and game out to represent Sanford Sports Academy as well. We will practice 1-2 times per week starting in April and wrapping up in July. Our strengths as a team are our ability to play up-tempo with a group that has a high basketball IQ, the depth we will have with 10 really talented kids on our roster, and our ability to score from all levels. On offense we will feature an up-tempo style in the full-court and in the half-court you will see a read-and-react motion offense with spacing, movement without the basketball, and drives to create shots at the rim and off the kickout. On the defensive end, we will man up and play an aggressive but sound style of defense that contests shots, denies dribble penetration, and works to get boards. This group will have a ton of fun and get great opportunities to be scouted at the next level with quality events in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. Area coaches will have the chance to see 10 great prospects working together on the floor. The Chicago Nike Tournament of Champions will be a fun opportunity for these kids to play basketball and have a fun time bonding together as well. This group is primed for a productive, fun summer of basketball!

Roster