Notes from the Miracle Spring Classic: Friday Night

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AAU is here!! So completely different than covering high school, and it brings its own unique flair for the game. I'm super excited to get this started at the Miracle Spring Tourney in Knoxville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["409038"],"_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":"One of the hardest things to become is a consistent high level scorer (emphasis on CONSISTENT).  [player_tooltip player_id='409038' first='Kelsey' last='Holt'] has began to transform her game in over the past two seasons, really blew up this in the high school school, and apparently she's decided to not let upu002du002d-because she's looked terrific at Miracle.  On an extremely talented [program_tooltip program_id='713260' first='ETA' last='Thunder'] '25 team, she stood out on Day 1 with a huge 21 point outing.  She's showing signs of transforming her game past just being a shooteru002du002dbut she's also really getting comfortable attacking off the bounce.  Her ceiling is seems to be rising!!","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Ivy Napier","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Knox Webb","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='713260' first='ETA' last='Thunder'] '27 Walden","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"OK IVY!!  Ivy Napier '29 is playing up two grade levels, and proved this weekend she belongs.  She gave her ETA '27 team great minutes off the bench.  She looked confident and comfortable handling the ball....not an ounce of fear from her (which is what I was hoping to see).  She didn't force anything, and gave high level D.  In their first round win, then were a bit short handed, she played big minutes and gave real contributions in the win.  She drilled a huge three to put them up in the 2nd half.rnrnrnrnIt can be a tough choice:  dominate your age group?  Or play u0022upu0022 and and lean into the struggle.  Ivy chose the latter, and I'm rooting for the kid!","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Hannah Madison ","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"TFT Trotters '28 (Crowe)","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"This kid is going to be a beast in HS.  She just does it all, and has put on a show at the Miracle.  If you watched her on night #1 go for a 14 point, 11 rebound, 2 block double-double...her dominance was on display.  Very few kids know how to play in the mid-post with a face up game, but she's such an intuitive scorer in that area.  She can attack the rim, get to either hand, and really nice touch.  Really impressive skill level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["654834"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"This is one of my favorite things about AAUu002du002dwatching the kids from other states I've heard of but yet to see.  Well, I finally got to see Tait Harvey of KY, and I see what the hype is about.  In a super low scoring win a nice B-Maze team, she added 7 points, and just looked the part of a 3 level scorer.  Go ahead and spread the word around TNu002du002dif you leave Tait Harvey open she won't miss.  I was really impressed with her ability to defend on the perimeter and be a plus defender on the glass.  I knew she was a shooteru002du002dbut she'll also battle you. This kid is tough.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["816611"],"_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":"I was super interested to see how the two new TFT Trotters '26 Williams kids looked on their new squad, and they both looked incredibly comfortable in Coach Williams system.  [player_tooltip player_id='816611' first='Raylee' last='Werner'] look incredible on night #1.  She took the game over for a stretch in the 2nd half, and ended with 10 points and probably 7 assists.  In the free flowing atmosphere of AAU, Werner was able to display her basketball intuition and playmaking.  She see's things on the floor that no body else see's.rnrnIt was also really obvious that her and [player_tooltip player_id='746202' first='Emma' last='Cooper'] play together as their chemistry was super obvious.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["766635"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='746202' first='Emma' last='Cooper'] had he chance to be SO DARN GOOD.  She's really developing as an interior scorer.  She's developing toughness and willingness to battle for spot, and if she buries you deep, she's turning into a bucket.  Gaining confidence with either hand as a finisher.rnrnSimply a game changer with her length as a shot blocker/deter-er around the rim.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["821711"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='821711' first='Cailyn' last='Taylor'] looked really really good on Friday night.  Taylor place with a bounciness, and ability to change speeds thats rare.  So much of defeating a defender off the dribble is simply in your ability to change speeds, and Taylor is a maestro in this department. What really impressed me was her unselfishness.  When she attacked the rim, she was making the right reads as both a scorer and facilitator, and led her team in assists.  I love this development for her, and as her game becomes more well roundedu002du002dKnox Webb is only going to continue to get better and better.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["376765"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Another Kentucky kid that I was excited to get to see.  While small in stature, the kid is simply a gamer.  She's really smart, she controls the pace, doesn't get rattled.  She had 12 points and 5 assists.  As a '26 playing up with '25s, it was obvious that she belonged on that older court.  Her addition to this ETA team is huge as another ball handler and shot maker.  Golly bum they have a lot of kids that can get buckets, but also make the right passu002du002dand that's how Alvin plays.  Unselfish....makes the simple play...and is a winner.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["816597"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"She added what Trotters '26 needed u002du002d another bucket getter.  This is a team that will always defend (if you can't or won't play D....don't bother trying to play for Coach Williams).  She only added 6 points (on 2 threes), but that's what they needed.  I've got a feeling Trotters '26 will basically have a different scorer every game.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["810523"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Speaking of Trotters '26 having a different scorer every night, Gwen Carrol led the way with 16.  Dominated a stretch in the 2nd half with 12 points.  Carroll's growth since Christmas break has been tremendous, and it was nice to see her high-level post season play carry over to AAU.  She's seemingly getting better and better every game.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65ff374f51aeb"} /-->