Takeaways from Matt Denning Nike Hoops Classic – Pt.2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some evaluations and opinions we came up with while watching girls play in this event, we talked about some new kids and some known ones, but these that we are talking about in this article are those who performed well in our presence. Here are some takeaways from the event, ENJOY.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025, 5'6, PG, Windward HS, [player_tooltip player_id='839767' first='Olivia' last='Lagao'] </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ended the game with 22 points, 4 steals, 2 assists and 1 rebound, showing that she is a solid lead guard and she scored her last 18 in the second half of the game. She has a nice handle and good court vision, she can get into the paint and also make plays for others. She is fast, she is crafty and she is one of the more solid guards in her area for the class of 2025. She will definitely move up the rankings in our opinion. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025, 5'11, PF, Windward HS, [player_tooltip player_id='393736' first='Samari' last='Bankhead']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Samari has been seen by us on many occassions, she played well today and we love her approach to the game, she is calm and collected and makes plays for her team. She ended the game with a solid 15 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals, showing you that she is solid all around, we would love to see her board a little more, that skill will open up her game a lot more. She has great size and has a nice stroke on her shot, but her down low presence is great, soft hands and can finish thru contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025, 5'8, CG, Bonita HS, [player_tooltip player_id='839782' first='Lexi' last='Mercado']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lexi finished the game with 17 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals, she played solid and got much needed buckets for her team. She shot a good (3/6) from the three point line and a solid (4/9) from the field. She was (5/6) from the free throw line and just was solid her squad, she has a nice stroke on her shot and she is able also get to the rim and finish thru contact. We love her intensity on the defensive end as well, she contains her opponent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024, 6'1, C, Bonita HS, [player_tooltip player_id='876166' first='Jordy' last='DeMott']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordy (Central Washington signee) is primed and ready for the next level, her team does not see her often, but she is solid as they come in the paint, nice athletic body and knows how to use her size on the floor. She has a high IQ on the floor and can score in the paint over both shoulders and also hit the short corner shot with consistency. She runs the floor like a gazelle and is fairly athletic as they come for her size, she will fit in well with her choice in college. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->