Top Threes: Premier Guards and Forwards in New England
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There are talented girls basketball players across all positions in New England girls basketball. Let’s break down some of the region’s top prospects by position, three guards and forwards. Each of these young athletes is making a name for herself…
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Continue ReadingThere are talented girls basketball players across all positions in New England girls basketball. Let’s break down some of the region’s top prospects by position, three guards and forwards. Each of these young athletes is making a name for herself in high school hoops.
Guards
Day-Cox is fun to watch play basketball. She appears to play with a love for the game, and brings a showiness and swag to her game. It isn’t just flash, though, as Day-Cox has the passing and scoring abilities to make a difference on the stat sheet as well. You can find her with her head up on offense looking to make a smooth pass to a teammate, or pulling up for her own jumper in transition or in a half-court set. If you’re a true basketball fan you’ll want to see this young guard in action.
A 5’11” guard, McNeil has a unique skillset to go along with her height and athleticism. A seeming representation of “positionless basketball,” McNeil can produce in a variety of ways. As a skilled ball handler she can break pressure to get the ball up the court and find teammates with open looks. She can also score on the inside and connect on jumpers inside and outside of the three-point arc. Officially the 2022-23 RI Gatorade Player of the Year, adding McNeil to this list to give her flowers for a remarkable high school career.
Keswick is looking at a bright college career at Northwestern. The commanding presence on the wing, Keswick can use her footwork and athleticism to blow past defenders to the cup, or nail a jumper from multiple spots on the floor. My eyes were immediately drawn the Keswich at the New England Warm Up and, with high school another season to develop, she will arrive to her college campus next summer ready to compete.
Highlights
Forwards
Let’s start things off with Lana McCarthy Lana McCarthy 6’4″ | PF Bedford | 2024 State NewE . At 6’4″, McCarthy tends to tower over her opponents on the way to the rim for an easy layup or to pull down a monster rebound on both the defensive and offensive ends. Her size and athleticism simply overpower teammates. Lana is the top big in the state of New Hampshire, and has a case for one of the top two or three bigs in the entire region. Her ceiling is high, and she is inarguably a top regional prospect.
Jiminez is a player who cannot be ignored. She is a steady, consistent inside presence for her teams and her scoring output only increased in her junior season. You can expect to see her elevate her game through club play and continue to put up numbers in the scoring and rebounding categories. Cranston East is fortunate to have Jiminez return when the season begins in the Fall.
Kay is a gritty and athletic forward who demands the attention of opposing defenses. She brings the “power” to the power forward position with her physicality, athleticism and ability to get buckets from multiple spots on the floor. A solid rebounder and tough defender, Kay contributes for her MA Huskies club squad on multiple levels and will find a way to make an impact on the game.