VT D1 Final Four Scope - Four Duos Poised for Big Games

Alright alright, the D1 Final Four plays out tomorrow and I'm here to preview two duos on each team that are firing on all cylinders. Lock in and get ready for a Sunday full of D1's top gamers!   Elise Berger, 5'11 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   The smooth operator out of CVU has them tightly knit on both ends. Elise went for 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in a defensive battle in the quarterfinals. Berger used her physical slashing and touch around the rim to get her buckets, and her court vision + passing prowess will always lend itself to dimes. Her defensive assertiveness is based in her size and physicality, along with excellent anticipation as a disruptor and as a rebounder. Two-way tough.   Merril Jacobs, 5'9 W - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   A heady perimeter player with serious IQ, Merrill's connectivity is always at work. She reads the floor well, makes good decisions, and can hit shots off the catch from all over the floor. And that same sort of IQ and court awareness carries over defensively as Jacobs rotates in the halfcourt zone or out of fullcourt pressure. Merrill put up a cool 12 in the quarters; an integral piece with her two-way senses and efficient offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='518717' first='Anna' last='Moser'], 5'7 G - Rutland H.S. Class of 2026   The highly talented and fiercely competitive PG out of Rutland will surely make her presence felt. She's relentless on both ends, using her exquisite handle and multi-level scoring to torch opponents. And when they send help, she's already got the floor mapped out and her reads to distribute ordered. On the defensive end, she pressures the rock, is active away from it, and can hit the glass and burst into transition to generate open court offense. Anna has led RHS in many ways including scoring, compiling 13 in the last outing. Tough.   [player_tooltip player_id='649621' first='Jasmine' last='Evans'], 6'0 F - Rutland H.S. Class of 2024   The backbone of RHS' defense, [player_tooltip player_id='649621' first='Jasmine' last='Evans']. She uses her size, physicality, and sheer hustle to clean up everything that comes into the second layer. Her rim protection is some of the best in VT and has actually shown she can switch out on the perimeter too. She rebounds at a high clip and locks up post scorers with her physicality. Offensively, Jasmine gets it going with feeds from slashers, a post-up here and there, and off of 2nd chance points. Evans consistently posts double-doubles, like the 10-points and 11 boards from the quarters. Rock solid.   [player_tooltip player_id='579572' first='Hayden' last='Wilkins'], 5'8 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024   Yeah, I'm always excited Hayden at this time of the year because I know she rises to the occasion. Wilkins is the chess-master who orchestrates the show with her distribution, multi-level scoring effort, and clinical ballhandling. Defensively she operates well out of St. J's zone, applying good pressure and tight rotations to steel the second layer. She put up 27 to end the reg. season and posted 18 recently to lead all scorers in the quarterfinal blowout. A clutch performer who's had her shining moments on this stage, Hayden's back, but this time to claim the 'chip.   [player_tooltip player_id='649625' first='Kaia' last='Anderson'], 5'9 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024   Each team has that player who glues the offense together, covers any holes defensively, and cleans up the muck. Anderson does all that and just a bit more. Kaia's typical night includes connective passing and off-ball movement, but she's shown she can slash, finish, and distribute here and there too. Sprinkle in a whole lot of rebounding and lockdown defensive rotations and you have a well-oiled machine in St. J. She provided eight points in their recent win along with plenty of boards, loose balls, and all the stuff which doesn't show up in the box score.   [player_tooltip player_id='645616' first='Nylah' last='Mitchell'], 5'9 W - Burlington H.S. Class of 2025   Probably the most versatile player on this list is Nylah. Mitchell's game is incredibly well-rounded; she's a rugged defender who can cover 1-5, make life difficult with her length + pressure, and then she seems to rebound every miss imaginable with her pursuit. From there, Nylah is liable to burst into the open court for transition playmaking. In the halfcourt, Mitchell's shown her effectiveness inside and out with post ups, tough slashes, and smart decisions on the ball and off to keep the offense moving. She logged 20 in the quarterfinals and near double-digit boards. Exceptional.   [player_tooltip player_id='450194' first='Bree' last='McDonald'], 5'7 G - Burlington H.S. Class of 2025   The scoring PG continues to put in work. Bree's multi-level scoring, confidence, and green light has resulted in her being one of the toughest covers at the 1. Her tight, well-timed handle has impressive pace and feel, knifing through presses and into the second layer with apparent ease. McDonald can get a bucket anywhere on the floor and her pnr with Mitchell is hard to gameplan. With all that defensive attention, teammates are freed up for catch-and-shoot 3s. Defensively I think she's a bit underrated, but it's her offense you write home about. Her 24 led all scorers in the quarterfinals; she gets it going.

Alright alright, the D1 Final Four plays out tomorrow and I'm here to preview two duos on each team that are firing on all cylinders. Lock in and get ready for a Sunday full of D1's top gamers!