June Runs: CVU Shootout Tournament Recap - Standouts Pt. 1/2

It was a little taste of the winter to come as Champlain Valley Union H.S. put on a summer tournament of teams all across the state, pitting small D3 schools against formidable D1 powerhouses. Intriguingly, it was rare that a score ran up. Check out a number of standouts below.   [player_tooltip player_id='579572' first='Hayden' last='Wilkins'], 5'8 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024   Wilkins came to play and showed why she's one of VT's best. Hayden's gravity was clear early as defense's sent help early, opening up passing windows for Wilkins to exploit. Moreover, she got in her bag a bit and showed her 3-level scoring touch. A formidable defender too, Hayden locked in against guards and rotated crisply. The two-way talent got loose.   Cadence Lafferty, 5'8 G - BFA St. Albans Class of 2025   It was clear from early in the day that Cadence's playmaking has taken a jump. Lafferty was finishing plays in transition and in the halfcourt due to her court vision and savvy passing. Furthermore, she showed off her scoring ability, knocking down 3s and snaking into the paint for 2s. Athletic and cunning, her defense was aggressive and forced turnovers, allowing her to get out in transition often. Cadence is rising.   [player_tooltip player_id='645602' first='Cassidy' last='Kittredge'], 5'10 G/W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   The long and lean guard kept it simple, always within the flow of the game. Cassidy showed off her shooting from 3 and the mid-range, and her passing was snappy and precise. In addition, her off-ball movement always seemed to put her in the right position either as a spot-up shooter or as a pressure release. Kittredge was sound defensively too. Measured yet anticipatory, she contained opponents, rebounded, and sparked the break.   [player_tooltip player_id='630342' first='Cassie' last='Boissoneault'], 5'8 G - Lamoille Union H.S. Class of 2026   High energy and thoroughly disruptive, Cassie was electric in Lamoille's press. Boissoneault hounded ballhandlers, rotated well to maintain ball pressure, and gave 100% to stay in the play. In turn, she created turnovers for easy transition buckets. Furthermore, she knocked down her jumpers and ran the drive + kick to a tee, finishing inside and hitting shooters. Cassie was on it all day.   [player_tooltip player_id='654918' first='Merrill' last='Jacobs'], 5'9 G/W - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   An adaptable wing, Merrill showed a whole host of skills. Jacobs knocked down 3s consistently, plus, her passing put teammates in scoring position often. Moreover, her off-ball movement was exemplary. She exploited holes against zones and cut hard/relocated intuitively against matchup defenses. And defensively, Merrill used her strength to keep drivers and cutters out of the paint and she hit the glass. Well-rounded, high-IQ, and so tough.   Destiny Campbell, 5'6 G - Williamstown H.S. Class of 2024   It was my first time seeing Destiny, and it's safe to say she impressed. Campbell is a hardnosed player with two-way game. Her orchestration at the helm had Williamstown firing on all cylinders as she pushed the tempo in transition and diced up the defense in the halfcourt. Yet it was her defense and rebounding that shined even brighter. She disrupted offenses, helped quickly, and hit the glass quite well for a guard her size. Destiny is scrappy, athletic, and up-tempo.   Brianna Bunnell, 5'5 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2026   Talk about someone who's in every play; Brianna was all over the floor. Bunnell's tough ball pressure gave ballhandlers fits, and her off-ball work was just as disruptive. Moreover, she attacked 50/50s and rebounds with impressive physicality. On the other end, it was much the same energy. Brianna put pressure on the rim as a slasher, relished contact, and finished with a craftiness akin to upperclassmen. Brianna was hooping.   Natalie Beliveau, 6'0 F - Williamstown H.S. Class of 2025   I was quick to note Natalie's toughness inside. Beliveau's rebounding prowess and rim protection were top notch all day, and once she secured the rock, she hit quick outlets and ran the floor to spark the break. And offensively, Natalie got after it inside. She was physical and fundamental as she established post position. Once secured, she finished well on both sides of the rim, had counters to go with, and made smart kick outs to shooters. Beliveau is a rising forward out of Central VT.   [player_tooltip player_id='645784' first='Evie' last='Pirie'], 5'8 G - Lamoille Union H.S. Class of 2025   Never sped up, Evie showed an increased confidence and composure at the guard slot. Pirie read the defense intuitively and attacked the weak spots with smart drives and pull-ups in the mid-range. And naturally, her off-ball movement kept the defense working along with her snappy passing. Smart and targeted defensively, she applied ball pressure, switched/scrambled cleanly, and kept Lamoille's defense tightknit. Pirie's developing nicely.   Adriana Hever, 5'9 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   A stout wing with relentless energy, Adriana showed her mettle throughout the tournament. Hever's a swiss-army knife who does a bunch of dirty work, such as rebounding on both ends, tracking loose balls, and defending with unlimited work ethic. Moreover, she showed a knack for pushing in transition, finishing her shots around the rim, and making the basketball play. Adriana was nearly unmatched effort-wise.

It was a little taste of the winter to come as Champlain Valley Union H.S. put on a summer tournament of teams all across the state, pitting small D3 schools against formidable D1 powerhouses. Intriguingly, it was rare that a score ran up. Check out a number of standouts below.