Game Observations: McPherson Bullpups Roll In 4A First Round

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The McPherson Bullpups are one of the top three teams I have seen play this season and their highly touted players showed up in the first round of the Class 4A State Tournament in Salina blowing the Ottawa Cyclones out of the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is the second report from the first-round action in Salina featuring five players from McPherson who caught my eye.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='606251' first='Jayla' last='McLeod'], </strong>5'10”<strong>, </strong>SF, McPherson, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McLeod is a crazy-good athlete. She has arms like “Stretch Armstrong” (google him youngsters), and she jumps like an Olympic jumper. She plays shut-down defense and is a solid complimentary player on the loaded McPherson roster. McCleod stepped up her game on the scoring end in the second half, after scoring just four points in the first half she scored seven in in the first three minutes of the third quarter. The Bullpup senior runs the floor well and has sneaky scoring moves in the paint. McLeod finished the contest with 13 points of 6-of-8 shooting from the field. She has committed to McPherson College to compete in Track and Field, so maybe she is an Olympic jumper in training.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231272' first='Karter' last='Alvord']</strong>, 5'8”, SG, McPherson, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alvord just looks like an athlete. Her biceps are bigger than mine. She is quick, physical, and can score from three levels. She has a quiet confidence to her game and plays with an edge.  Alvord scored 12 points in the first half alone and is not afraid to shoot mid-range jumpers or smooth floaters off the drive. She finished with a game-high 18 points and added six steals in McPherson's 22-point victory. Alvord has committed to play softball at Barton College in Great Bend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='719105' first='Jaela' last='Thompson']</strong>, 5'8”, SF, McPherson, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson is a stat monster in the making who can take over a game on both ends of the floor. She plays a poised game and does not get flustered in high-pressure situations. Her game is advanced way beyond her years. She was my favorite prospect from the first two games in the tournament. She has a smart shot selection and she makes crisp passes. She drives well with her left and right hand. She finished the game with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field. Her bloated stat line consisted of six rebounds, six assists, and six steals. There should be some kind of nickname associated with that triple-six set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='766787' first='Ellie' last='Bower']</strong>, 5'8”, SF, McPherson, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bower is the glue that fills the dirty cracks in the Bullpups game. She is a silent assassin and player that every NAIA or JUCO program should be looking at. She plays unselfish basketball and does the things on the court that don't always show up in the box score. Bower finished the contest by chipping in two points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Bower is also a solid soccer prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Reanna Eilrich</strong>, 5'9”, F, McPherson, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eilrich is a grinder who reminds me of Charles Barkley. She has a physical frame and works hard to beat opponents for rebounding position. He has a keen eye for finding open players and makes accurate passes. The McPherson senior's stat line in the first-round victory included nine points, three rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block. She would be a solid addition to an NAIA program still looking to add depth to its frontcourt. Eilrich also plays softball for McPherson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->