Johnston Winter Tip-Off: Playing The Right Way

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Closing up our coverage of the Johnston Winter Tip-Off, we have one more article that is going to cover five players that I saw, who are out there competing the right way. You may ask what does that really mean? It means that each of these individuals plays for the name on the front of their jersey and not the name on the back. They care about the others around them and at the end of the day, they just want everyone to be successful. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["246101"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The headline matchup of this event was held in the mid-afternoon between the Johnston Dragons and the Hopkins Royals. An event that contained two high rated teams, was one that had several different players stand out in their own special way. One of those players for the Dragons side was [player_tooltip player_id='246101' first='Aaliyah' last='Riley']. If you are from Iowa, you are familiar with Riley's game. She is a conductor of the offensive and a weapon whenever she takes the floor. In this contest specifically, Riley was elevating the play of everyone else around her. The Royals team decided to press in the full court to start this game and that was a mistake. Riley grabbed the ball as PG and led her team to a convincing victory. Sometimes Riley gets over-looked because of the other players on the roster around her but don't get it twisted, she is one of the best players throughout the state now and that's going to continue unit the end of this season.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["617226"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"The Pleasant Valley Spartans have been tested to start this season prior to winter break. One of their main pieces comes in the form of SF - [player_tooltip player_id='617226' first='Quinn' last='Vice']. Vice, a 6'4 Junior, obviously has natural height but she is also skilled with the basketball in her hands. She not only has the ability to take up space in the lane and dominate but she can also stretch the floor and hit shots from behind the three point line. In her teams contest against Dowling Catholic, Vice was making a difference each play. Defensively, if she wasn't getting a tip or deflection, her length was making the opposing team change their shots on a consistent basis. Vice has a bright future. She still seems very raw when it comes to the skill side of the game but she has demonstrated a lot of promise thus far. ","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["342185"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"I had the chance to see [player_tooltip player_id='342185' first='Devon' last='Carlile'] compete a few times this past AAU season but what I saw on Saturday was much different. During AAU, Carlile liked to shoot from the outside a lot. She would always come down the floor, looking for open space so that she could create a shot from deep. She did the same thing in this contest but instead of shooting the ball, she would catch, pump fake, and get to the hoop for a cleaner look inside the lane. When a player starts to mature more and more, they start to understand that just because a shot is open, doesn't mean it's a good one. Carlile wasn't ever really open in this game from deep but she did a great job of forcefully driving by for a finish at the rim, through her defender. This DCG Mustangs team is serious. They are going to be in the 4A State Conversation all season long, they just need to worry about going 1-0 each night and things are going to play out in a favorable way for everyone involved. ","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Jessica Clemons","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Pleasant Valley ","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Another important player on the Pleasant Valley Spartans team, that has had a good start to this season is Jessie Clemons. Clemons is a u0022get-it-doneu0022 type of athlete. Someone that each night, is going to step on the court and give you their all, no matter what the situation may be. Clemons stands at 5'10 and can switch up positions on the regular at the high school level. She can be your shooting guard that knocks down an open shot or she can be your small forward that is trying to defend a much bigger post player. Whatever her team needs, she is willing to it and that says a lot about, not just her as a player on the floor but more-so as a person in general. PV is going to be relevant in the 5A Class, all season long. A big reason for that being because of the play and commitment of Clemons. She showed it in this event at Johnston and in general this year throughout her first few games. ","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["314159"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"When a point guard is in control, that is when they are at their best. Someone who played with great poise and control in her teams win was [player_tooltip player_id='314159' first='Elan' last='Litt'] of Valley High School. Litt is a 5'5 point guard, that has a quick first step and good vision coming down the floor. Litt is the player that helps set up her team each and every play. The Tigers always try to get her the ball in the half-court, once they beat an opposing teams press so that she can set up whatever action their coach is calling out. Like everyone, we have our good days and our bad days. To start this season, I sort of questioned the shots Litt was taking but since she has been fantastic. She seems to be making better choices and leading by example each game. That's the reason that she is finding so much success this season within her Tigers team. If they keep this up moving forward, Valley is going to have a date in Des Moines at the State tournament at the end of this season with Litt being their starting PG. ","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6584d6d514de6"} /-->