South Dakota All-Sophomore Team Pt. 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rules of an all-basketball squad are simple. You pick 5 players that can cover the 1-5 position and base them on team contribution and overall talent. This article will focus on those elements, but also predictions on players' ceilings and what positions they can guard on the court as well play with the golden rule of basketball - Can the player space and pace the floor? Starting off our list we'll go guards then forwards/the center lastly. Without further hesitation the starting PG is none other than... </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='421636' first='Alyvia' last='Padgett']</strong> - Brandon Valley - 5'7 - This pick makes sense to me! 9.7 points a game, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game. When we look at a true PG. we aren't just measuring points, but other contributions. Padgett has the potential to be something big. She's got good size at 5'7 and plays the passing lanes well looking for steals. She's not a player that gambles a lot defensively which is something I like a lot! It tells me she's going to play solid defense sticking in front of her man. Expect these stat lines to be somewhere around 15 points, 5 rebounds 5 assists per game by her senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='488318' first='Emery' last='Larson'] </strong>- Chester - 5'4 - Big things come in small packages with this one! Leading scorer for Chester and has been starting varsity since the 8th grade. When we talk about shooting guards we don't just focus on scoring though that is a vital part of their job on the court. Emery averaged 4 rebounds a game contributing 1 steal as well. On the other side of the spectrum, she averaged just over 2 turnovers a game which is something I can live with. Offensively she's a firecracker! Averaging 18.8 points shooting 39% from the field, 32% from beyond the arc and 72% from the charity strike. If she continues these numbers, no matter her size she'll be a weapon at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615384' first='Ashlan' last='Carlow-Blount'] </strong>- Red Cloud - 5'10 - Probably my favorite position on the court has to be the 3. The versatility a player has to have to play this is incredible. That's why when choosing this spot you really need to dissect what can this player guard on the opposing end of the court. For Ashlan I believe that's 2-5. A mobile forward that knows how to move her feet defensively Ashlan has a great sense for the game. She averaged 3.5 steals per game doing a phenomenal job reading the passing lanes. Offensively she averaged 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. That assist number is crazy! The last state line I saw comparable to that was Natalie Decoteau who played for St. Johns (ND) and now is committed to Lake Region. BIG ceiling for Ashlan as she progresses into a solid all-state player no doubt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615389' first='Liz' last='Boschee'] </strong>- Sanborn Central - 6' - Liz is a solid 4 man that can surprisingly hit a few 3-point shots. She's fairly mobile for her size and really excels at defending the passing lanes and playing the gap side help due to her length in being disruptive. On the year she averaged 15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks a game. A very solid state line I can see her averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game by senior year. I see Liz given her size being a solid NAIA player to D2 level talent if she can hit the outside shot more consistently by then. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ella Batie </strong>- Eureka - 6' - What a breakout year it was last year for Ella. She's played varsity since the 8th grade and has slowly come into her long body. She still struggles to move her feet quicker defensively but has really picked up the game of basketball as she's got a solid sense of awareness. On the year she averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. I think with growing into her body she's solid at the 5 position and with some lateral quickness could even keep up with faster 4s. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's all for team 1. Come back for team 2 of the All-Sophomore Team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->