Recent College Commitments (2/5/24)
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Over the past few months, while we have been in the thick of the high school basketball season, there has been a handful of players that have committed to compete at the collegiate level after their Senior year. In this…
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Continue ReadingOver the past few months, while we have been in the thick of the high school basketball season, there has been a handful of players that have committed to compete at the collegiate level after their Senior year. In this article, I cover a few of those athletes, where they are going to end up, their specific play-style and how it could translate to the next level with their future program.
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Zoe Ackerman Zoe Ackerman 5’7″ | SG Spirit Lake | 2024 State IA ‘s game is based on a quick first step, good instincts, and the ability to adapt when it matters the most. In every game that she plays in, Ackerman is a standout in one way or another. Whether that’s because of her active hands on defense or her ability to score from all three levels on offense. After her Senior year, she is going to join up with Brair Cliff for her collegiate career. If she stays dedicated to getting better while supporting the ones on the floor in front of her, she is going to thrive at some point with the Chargers. She has the apt ability to make things happen out of no where and I think that carries to that next level.
Highlights
There are a few players out there that talk the talk and walk the walk at the high school level and I think that Mallory Leerar Mallory Leerar 5’9″ | SF West Hancock | 2024 State IA is one of those players. From everything that I have seen up until this point, Leerar is an offensive WEAPON in the half court and she never backs down from a challenge. Over her high school career, I’m confident in saying that Leerar has become better and better, as she has gotten older. Her hard work in the off-seasons seem to always pay off and I’m not expect that to change moving forward. Following this season, Leerar will be joining Ackerman at the next level to compete for the Brair Cliff Chargers. I think that these two are going to mesh together really well and fit into the system that is being played there. This is another player that is very good at adapting to situations so if she starts out slow, I wouldn’t imagine that is going to last long. She is too productive in every which way at the level she is competing at right now, not to be with the Chargers at some point in the future.
When McKenna Yates McKenna Yates 5’7″ | PG McCool Junction | 2024 State NE starts to see the floor at the collegiate level with Hasting College, I’m sure she is going to do more of what she has done her whole career and that is score/facilitate at an ELITE rate. Over the past 3.5 years, Yates has shown off that she is special when it comes to scoring the basketball. Don’t get me wrong, she does a lot of great things in the defense department but her standout ability is scoring and that is going to translate just fine at the end of the day. This season her McCool Junction team is going to be one that has a chance to take things all the way before their year comes to close. With the ability of Yates, you can never count this group out so as long as they get a decent path to State and the State Title game, they should have a good shot.
Harper Benson Harper Benson 5’7″ | SG Washington | 2024 State IA has a quick release, balanced stance, quality coordination, and a great attitude. Whenever she is moving down the floor in the transition, she is always looking for open spots on the floor. Most of the time she runs behind the three point line, looking for a shot from deep but if the defense over-plays her, she has the ability to dribble the ball and get to a better spot for a finish. With the combination of Benson’s size and skill, she is another prospect that I think could thrive at the next level. She checks off a lot of boxes and that is something that is undeniable if you watch her compete for a single game. She is another individual that will be joining the Brair Cliff Chargers out of Iowa. As you can tell at this point., The Chargers are good at recruiting in their home state.
Central (Dutch) College is on the up and up with a new coaching staff and some new “blood” coming in this past season. They are looking to build on that moving forward and so their next few recruiting Classes are really important to start a solid foundation with. One of the player committed for their incoming 2024 Class out of Iowa is Guard, Adrianna Boulden Adrianna Boulden 5’7″ | SG Jesup | 2024 State IA . Boulden is an interesting prospect, that is going to bring some positive and fundamentals to this program. From what I’ve seen, she makes good choices, finding space for herself in the open court and usually making the most of her attempts, especially from the mid-range area. I do think that Boulden is going to need to expand some things on the court before she see’s the Varsity floor for her future program but she is on the right path. If she works hard, she is going to be just fine.
One of the most recent commitments out of the state of Nebraska comes to us from Avery Wegner Avery Wegner 5’10” | SF Pender | 2024 State NE of Pender High School. Wegner is another one out off the midwest that has committed to compete at the next level for the Brair Cliff Charges. To describe Wegners game, I would say that she is a hard worker on both sides of the basketball, that never gives up on a play. She is an individual with good touch, a smart head on her shoulders, and some physical prowess near the rim. More times than not, she is working from block-to-block, cleaning up messes and taking advantage of mismatches. At the next level, I imagine she is going to have to adapt a little bit. She has decent size and makes smart choices when she has time so I’m not worried in those departments. Like anyone at this point in their career looking forward, if she can find her role early on with her Chargers team, she could thrive once her number is called. As for right now though, she is worried about one thing and one thing only, that is bringing home a State Title with the Pendragons.
Back in October, Camdyn Kay Camdyn Kay 5’10” | CG Dubuque Hempstead | 2024 State IA of Dubuque Hempstead committed to lace up and compete with Clarke University out of Dubuque. This move makes a lot of sense if you know anything about Kay. She is someone that takes a lot of pride in where she comes from and I’m sure that played a factor in her choice to stay home and compete for a college that is near to where she grew up. Kay’s game is effective to say the least. She is a player that loves physicality. She understands how and when to attack her opponent off of the dribble, usually finishing at the basket with some type of finish, Defensively, she is just as good. She moves to the ball and doesn’t give up on a play, even if she gets beat in some way. At Clarke, Kay is going to have to work to see the floor. Her game translates in a few ways but not if she doesn’t do the fundamental things to start off. Once she gets comfortable with her new team and whole idea of being in college finally, I’m sure she is going to put up some productive numbers as a “home-town” hero.