Tree of Hope EYBL – North Tartan Meltdown Champions
In this article:
The team from Washington was clicking on all cylinders in Minnesota at the AAU finals. They won the 17U platinum championship winning all five of their games. Featuring some of the best players in the state, including Prep Girls Hoops…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe team from Washington was clicking on all cylinders in Minnesota at the AAU finals. They won the 17U platinum championship winning all five of their games. Featuring some of the best players in the state, including Prep Girls Hoops WA class of 2024 #1 ranked Katie Fiso Katie Fiso 5'10" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA , and #2 ranked Devin Coppinger Devin Coppinger 5'10" | CG Nooksack Valley | 2024 State WA . It was class of 2026 #1 Brooklynn Haywood Brooklynn Haywood 5'8" | PG Union | 2026 State WA who would come away with the tournament MVP. She averaged 26 points per game in the final four, including a 31 point effort. Fiso was all tournament honorable mention.
Here are some of the ways TOH finished as champions, along with some of the players who had their way.
*Tough man to man defense – Kiara Stone Kiara Stone 5'11" | PG Bellarmine Prep | 2024 State WA Jayda Lewis Jayda Lewis 5'8" | SG Garfield | 2025 State WA Devin Coppinger Devin Coppinger 5'10" | CG Nooksack Valley | 2024 State WA
*Steals for layups Devin Coppinger Devin Coppinger 5'10" | CG Nooksack Valley | 2024 State WA
*Layups off of high ball screen action and pick and roll, or slip screens. Katie Fiso Katie Fiso 5'10" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA
*Three balls Brooklynn Haywood Brooklynn Haywood 5'8" | PG Union | 2026 State WA
*Bucket getters Brooklynn Haywood Brooklynn Haywood 5'8" | PG Union | 2026 State WA Katie Fiso Katie Fiso 5'10" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA Devin Coppinger Devin Coppinger 5'10" | CG Nooksack Valley | 2024 State WA
*Tough to the bucket in the paint Jayda Lewis Jayda Lewis 5'8" | SG Garfield | 2025 State WA Linda Nduka Katie Fiso Katie Fiso 5'10" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA
*Coach on the floor Katie Fiso Katie Fiso 5'10" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA Devin Coppinger Devin Coppinger 5'10" | CG Nooksack Valley | 2024 State WA
My top 4 TOH players from the tournament
Brooklynn is not only elite level skilled but she’s a gamer. She isn’t afraid of the moment, which she backed up, being named the tournament MVP. She came up big in the final two games when it counted. She is a player who has put in the time to be ready for these moments. Brooklynn is an elite shooter, but her ability to score on all levels with too many moves to name makes her the complete player she is. It is clear that she has practiced hard, you don’t get that level of skill without countless hours in the gym. It was nice to see her rewarded for the hard work. More to come for her as she has three years of high school basketball left to play. She is the youngest player on the TOH EYBL team. Impressive accomplishment but no surprise here.rn
Katie does so many things for this team that makes her invaluable. She scored at the rim frequently off pick and rolls and tough drives. She has great downhill speed with the ability to create for herself and her teammates. She is strong and can score in the paint with her length. She can pick a defense apart and that comes from being talented and experienced. She sees the plays develop before anyone else. She is a floor general who can do it all both offensively and defensively. She didn’t run the point most of the time in this tournament. She set up at the high post and worked through the offense to get some easy baskets off of screen action. The other TOH player recognized on the all tournament team. She was an honorable mention pick.rn
Devin was great on defense with ball pressure and steals for buckets. She has a game that looks smooth in every aspect. She is tough in the mid-range, hit threes, and always seems to make good decisions with the ball in her hands. She didn’t miss many shots, make many mistakes and is an elite talented scoring guard from all levels. She is quick, strong, and fast. She can fit into any role you need, which makes her a special player in a lot of ways.rn
Jayda did a lot of the ball handling and getting the team into the offense. She has blow by speed and quickness. She is a top on ball defender for TOH. She will hit the open three, and can get into the lane with the quickness to create. She causes problems with the defense, and has plays at a high speed on both ends.rn