Border Wars 2023: Standouts 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Border Wars 2023 basketball tournament recently took place in Springdale, AR on April 15-16, 2023, featuring some of the most talented high school players and teams in the region. With high level division 2, NAIA, and Junior College coaches in attendance, the stakes were high for the players looking to continue their basketball careers at the next level. In this article, we highlight some of the standout players who made a big impact on the court during the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='318146' first='Jill' last='Twiehaus'] | Oklahoma Swift Mathurin 17U E40</strong> - 5'10” SG highly skilled player that plays under control and doesn't force the issue. Mid-range jump is unmatched - her elevation on shots make it almost impossible to block. She is athletic and is a mixture of finesse and explosiveness - floating in the air with the alley hoop!! High basketball IQ player that is calculated but ready to make things happen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='550961' first='Kayten' last='Donley'] | Oklahoma Swift Peeler 17U NE2K</strong> - Lengthy player that stands out. Listed at about 6'2 - when her handles are up you might as well call her a 7-footer. She crash's the boards and can push it in transition, solid rim protector. She has good footwork in the paint and can improvise with pressure on her. Mid-range shot is there and she can stretch the floor from deep also. High energy player with a promising framework.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='315224' first='Macy' last='Marraccini'] | Oklahoma Swift Mathurin 16U E40</strong> - Smooth PG, directs traffic and runs the the team to perfection, shifty handles with the ability to create space for a shot or evade pressure, high-level shooter, great footwork when shooting - step back 3-pointer, attacks basket like a snake sneaking through traffic and in the paint causing problems for the opposing team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 Paris Gaines | JYD Tulsa 17U</strong> - 6'3 Forward that is skilled and forceful! She works hard on defense - moving her feet, and using her length to protect the rim with blocks and get deflections. She has good footwork and she knows how to power through contact or spin around the defense with finesse. Outside of her size and presence the major thing that stuck out was her willingness to get her teammates involved. She could easily dominate but sometimes puts the success of her team ahead. Which is a good thing because she won't force the issue but has the ability to take over when needed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->