IE Thanksgiving Classic: Who was the Goat in the Room? Part 1

Hunter Keith November 25, 2023 @ 04:41 PM

There were a lot of talented players at the Inside Exposure Thanksgiving Classic. After watching tons of players and games, I've pondered with this question: Who was the GOAT in the room? In this article we look at the Juniors in the building who could make the case for being the top player in the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id='470470' first='Kelis' last='Fisher'], the UConn commit did not disappoint. She was as good as advertised and then some. Fisher could score in a multitude of ways, including some midranges, a few threes, and a steady diet of fierce attacks at the rim. Fisher was definitely a force out there and made the case for being the GOAT in the room.   [player_tooltip player_id='409186' first='Holland' last='Harris'] played well and is still in the adjustment phase of playing for a new team and being one of many great players. She had a few “H2–oh “plays that were smooth like water, including a few nice midrange shots and floaters in the lane. She was solid on defense and had some nice offensive boards for put backs.   [player_tooltip player_id='243895' first='Lena' last='Girardi'] played well, especially on day three. She had a few nice mid range shots, but predominantly scored on the blocks which speaks to her versatility. At nearly 6 feet tall, Girardi had at least 2 or 3 “and-ones” and seemed to embrace the physical play.   [player_tooltip player_id='243900' first='Kali' last='Barrett'] had a very good tournament, averaging 22 points per game. She is a smooth player who can get to the rim and can definitely shoot the “J”. Her leadership was also apparent on the floor and she is as good as advertised.   [player_tooltip player_id='346835' first='Jaida' last='Civil'] played well in her move from the shooting guard position to the point guard position. Civil had some attack and scores and a few athletic assists that left observers speechless. She is that exciting of a player, but she provided more than a hilight reel. Civil shot the three well, distributed it well, and handled the ball as well. On the final tournament game, Civil went 10 for 13, (3 for 3 from behind the arc), and finished with 24 points. Civil also had three 3s in the first game of the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id='429793' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] had some good moments at the Thanksgiving Classic, including a 20 point performance on Day 3. Olsen shot it well against a very good defensive team in St Thomas Aquinas, connecting on several threes and some midrange shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='346820' first='Abby' last='Knauff'] had an awesome weekend and most importantly, a lot of college coaches witnessed it. Knauff shot the ball well all week long, including 7 threes on Day One. She added 19 more points on Day Two. Her athleticism and her competitive nature really stood out. Knauff added some icing to the Thanksgiving Classic cake, scoring her 1000th point, which came just barely over 2 seasons of play.   There were some great performances at the tournament. Was the GOAT one of these Juniors or one of the 2024s in the building? We will continue with this topic in part 2 of this article.

There were a lot of talented players at the Inside Exposure Thanksgiving Classic. After watching tons of players and games, I've pondered with this question: Who was the GOAT in the room? In this article we look at the Juniors in the building who could make the case for being the top player in the tournament.