Stock Risers in the Class of 2024
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Mara Grant Mara Grant 5'10" | SF Tea Area | 2024 State SD – Tea High School, Club Team – Sanford Sports Academy, 5’10” F Mara is a force in the paint who is gaining traction as one of the…
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Continue ReadingMara Grant Mara Grant 5'10" | SF Tea Area | 2024 State SD – Tea High School, Club Team – Sanford Sports Academy, 5’10” F
Mara is a force in the paint who is gaining traction as one of the best finishers and rebounders who is still available to college teams after next season. She has great touch around the basket and is able to get her shot up in traffic with patience and physical moves. She has a nice mid-range jump shot and is developing from the perimeter as the summer progresses. An offensive rebounding machine, Mara snags extra possessions by the handful every single game for her team. On the defensive end she can body up and defend the paint but has the quickness to get out and defend on the perimeter as well. This summer Mara is getting development by participating on the 17U White Team for the Sanford Sports Academy.
Dani Highum Dani Highum 5'10" | SF Lennox | 2024 State SD – Lennox High School, Club Team – Sanford Sports Academy, 5’10” F
Highum has great length in a 5’10” frame and a guard shooting and handling skillset to pair with it. She’s extremely athletic with great lateral movement, ability to accelerate and decelerate, and an impressive vertical. On defense she uses her length, aggressive mindset, and high IQ to tip and steal several passes per game. She gets after the basketball and makes it tough on her opponent. A smooth transition game she is very effective at converting turnovers to points. Attacking the basket is a big strength for Dani as she can find seams in the defense and finish through contact. You can catch her showing off her skills for the 17U Black Team at the Sanford Sports Academy this summer!
Sydney Olson Sydney Olson 5'7" | SF Garretson | 2024 State SD – Garretson High School, Club Team – Sanford Sports Academy, 5’7″ G/F
Sydney is an intriguing prospect that has steadily climbed the rankings in the Class of 2024. She is one of the most consistent 3-point shooters I have seen this summer and has a smooth left-handed release with very fundamental form. She makes defenses pay for giving her space and when they close hard, she can put her head down and get to the rim quickly to finish on both sides. Her ball handling skillset has continued to improve making her a versatile threat that can play both guard and forward spots. She has the ability to get on the block and score as well if teams try and match up with a smaller, quick guard on the perimeter. Defensively she gets after it and does a nice job positioning herself in the gap and help side, and is effective at contesting shots and keeping the ball in front. Sydney is paired up with Mara for the 17U White Team at the Sanford Sports Academy this summer. Stock is up on the Blue Dragon from Garretson!
Harley Johnson Harley Johnson 5'10" | SG Webster Area | 2025 State SD – Arlington High School, Club Team – Sanford Sports Academy, 5’5″ G
Harley is an explosive guard who can get by her defender if they blink. She has a great first step to the rim and an aggressive mindset. To go along with her attack mode mindset, she can knock down the three and has a quick release to get her shot off efficiently. She’s a dynamic guard who does a nice job keeping spacing and moving without the basketball to get an open shot, and also has a strong ball-handling sense if needed to bring the ball up the court against pressure. On defense she gets after the ball and puts intense pressure on who she’s defending. You can catch Harley continuing to develop her game for the Sanford Sports Academy this summer.
Kennedi Deckert Kennedi Deckert 5'6" | SG Brandon Valley | 2024 State SD – Brandon Valley High School, Club Team – SD Network, 5’6″ G
Kennedi is a dynamic guard who gets it done in a variety of ways on both ends of the floor. She has a smooth release on a left-handed three point shot and can knock it down consistently from there. She can shot create effectively with a nice step back game for a mid-range jump shot. Reading the defense she shows great decision making within the offense and knows when to get her own points off the drive or set up a shot for somebody else. She has all the makings of a combo guard with solid handles and a nice jump shot making her a dynamic threat on the outside. on defense she is active and uses her aggression and length to create turnovers and get stops. A fundamentally sound game and a competitive mindset solidifies the stock rising on this young lady from Brandon Valley!