Significant Growth on the Court for These Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this article, we look at the players who had significant growth on the court between last basketball season and this season. Some players improvement was noticeable over an even shorter period of time. A few players improved drastically between July and November. In this article, we look at some of the guards who made siginificant improvement. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='514544' first='Narissa' last='Blocton'] (cover) made great strides from her freshman year to her sophomore year. She was really a force on the basketball court. She played great one on one defense and was a pest in the passing lanes. Offensively, baby Blocton has arrived. She can score in transition and in the paint, and she can also score from the perimeter. She can score in the mid area and can score from anywhere on the court. Blocton's ball handling skills also stood out this year. She ran the offense and got the ball to her scorers, also known as her sisters. Blocton has a high ceiling and she is determined to reach it. She is primed to make equal growth between now and next season. She has a high IQ on both ends of the court, she has a determination to be better, and she has all of the tools to make it happen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='248428' first='Kalese' last='Salter'] is a guard who really showed significant improvement in her game from AAU to the high school basketball season.&nbsp; I saw her last year in Charlotte in an AAU tournament and she played very well. When I saw Salter in Daytona at a showcase, she was a different player - same skillset, but more confident. Her development was noticeable and she has continued on that path ever since. Salter has great ball skills, and is an explosive guard who can get to the rim in a hurry. She can shoot the ball from the midrange and from behind the arc. She put in the work and the results were so great that her development could go "viral." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='527277' first='Cami' last='Waters'] is another player who really improved from her freshman year to the end of her sophomore year. Waters handled the ball, scored consistently in the midrange area, and perfected a floater in the paint. Waters shot the three better and look for more improvement in that area as well. Defensively, Waters was versatile and was able to defend three positions on the floor. Waters is also an elite shot blocker. She continued the block party as a sophomore and could set school records in that category when it's all said and done. Her overall growth was significant, and she is poised for a special AAU season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='400773' first='JoLesa' last='Birkhead'] is another player who made great strides from one year to the next. She has always had the athleticism, but to watch her in summer AAU ball and then see her in the high school ball was surprising. The development was very noticeable, not only to scouts , but&nbsp; more importantly, to&nbsp; college coaches. &nbsp; Birkhead's confidence on the floor was&nbsp; a huge change.&nbsp; Her communication on the floor was night and day from the summer to the start of the high school season. &nbsp; The difference in the tangibles was also evident:&nbsp; Her shot selection, her ability to shoot the three,&nbsp; and her ability to score the ball all saw vast improvements. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='430252' first='Phantasia' last='Lauriston'] made great strides between  the end of  summer AAU and the beginning of the high school season.   Lauriston played well last year and had some good moments in travel ball, but her performance went to a different level after the summer. She was a beast at the Prep Girl Hoops Expo and subsequently, her high school season as well. Lauriston was quick off the dribble and showed more versatility and decisiveness to her game. Lauriston was either the leader or was one of the top three players in every statistical category this basketball season. Some say that she even popped popcorn at halftime. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='752581' first='Alyssa' last='Donohue'] made great strides this season and stood out all season.   Donahue didn't see the floor much last year and had a lot to prove this season.  She proved it!  She lead the team in scoring, assists, blocks, and steals. Donohue's aggression on the floor was very noticeable.  She stayed in attack mode and made it her goal to put pressure on the defense. And when on defense it was her goal to put the pressure on the ball and be a disruptive force on the court. Donohue is a baller and will look to continue her growth over this upcoming travel period. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->