5 Undervalued Players From Native RI Teams In Atlantic City
![5 Undervalued Players From Native RI Teams In Atlantic City](https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/801-Kyla-Buco.jpg?w=1024)
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The Atlantic City scene was electric over this past weekend. Tons of teams from the region showed up and performed at a high level. It was a pleasure getting to watch tomorrow’s stars in action and to see what the…
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Continue ReadingThe Atlantic City scene was electric over this past weekend. Tons of teams from the region showed up and performed at a high level. It was a pleasure getting to watch tomorrow’s stars in action and to see what the hype was all about. Although a plethora of big names in the building, it would be a disservice to not talk about some of our underrated gems that came to play and represented the smallest state in the country. With the amount of talent shown over the weekend, some of our local prospects from Rhode Island can get looked over and lost in the shuffle. These girls have proved they gave what it takes and deserve more acknowledgement for their talents.
Kyla Buco
Kyla
Buco
5’7″ | SG
Cranston West | 2026
New E
(2026) | 5’7 CG | BCRI
Kyla is a combo guard that has a knack for putting the ball in the basket and rounds out her game with the intangibles. This weekend, Buco played a couple tough games, including an almost 30-point win over NJ Shoreshots Select. Kyla led the way in the big win as the premier scoring option. She showcased her long-range shot, floaters and pull-up jumpers throughout the game. Buco can score with the best of them and she scores in bunches. Kyla showed why she is one of the most prominent young scorers from the state. Something that stood out throughout her games was the hustle and dedication she demonstrated in her games; Buco was diving for loose balls, crashing the glass and she was communicating to her teammates, never getting too high or too low. Buco is an important integral piece for BCRI’s success this season and certainly one of the best prospects in RI. rn
Kayli Vesterholm
Kayli
Vesterholm
6’0″ | PF
St. Andrew’s | 2025
State
New E
(2025) | 6’0 F | RIBC
Watching Kayli this weekend, it was clear she means business. Vesterholm knows her game and excels at the forward position because of her defense first mindset and ability to create havoc/cause turnovers for the opponents. Vestrholm is a strong based forward who can play inside the 3-point line as a more traditional power forward, yet has the athleticism to get out on the break in transition and thrive in the open court. Kayli showed her tenacious driving ability in her game Friday. Kayli has a nice left to right crossover that she likes to use to bate slower, less athletic defenders when they are guarding her. When her team was struggling to get something going, Kayli took it upon herself to create driving lanes and showed some facilitation skills as well. She was able to hit open shooters spread through the floor and even knew where to attack the holes in the zone. Kayli was a beast on defense all weekend; whether that was trapping at half court or being the help defender, coming through with a nasty block or steal for a layup in transition.
Vesterholm is a player to keep an eye out for, her game has so many gems to it.
![Olivia Faria](https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/themes/prep-network-content/public/images/generic-female.png)
Olivia Faria
Olivia Faria
Olvia Faria (2027) | W/F | Team Providence
Faria was one of the biggest sleepers from watching Team Prov’s successful run of games over the weekend. Faria was a major contributor and factor in her team’s success. Olvia has a ton of game and does a bit of everything for her squad. She had games with double digit points, multiples steals, blocks and her effect on the game is truly felt until the whisle blows and the game is over. Faria is a tremendous trapper and can almost shut down an entire side of the court with her quick feet and active hands which cause a bunch of commotion. Faria was trapping in the corners relentlessly causing turnovers and also jumping to the ball in help side on the flight of the ball. Faria was also knocking down her smooth jumper to show extended range beyond the high school 3-point line. She was hitting her 3s in rhythm and her patient attacks along with her IQ allow her to hit shots in the flow of the game, rarely ever forced shots coming from Faria.
Olvia has a ton of upside and potential in her game, a real standout talent with a ton of recognition so far.
![Annie Hurd](https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/themes/prep-network-content/public/images/generic-female.png)
Annie Hurd
Annie Hurd
Annnie Hurd (2027) | 5’10 F | Team Providence
Hurd was solid all weekend for Team Providence. A well-grounded forward with a solid foundational game. An x-factor type of player that can be a real difference maker with the small things she brings to game. An avid charge taker, Hurd is in position to help her teammates out on the wing by moving with the ball and keeping her head on a swivel. Hurd excels on the defensive end with her quick feet and her ability to crash the weak and strongside boards. Annie was looking to hit her outlets after snatching rebounds in traffic, allowing her teammates to get easy baskets in transition. On the offensive side of things, Annie is a strong finisher in traffic and loves to finish with contact draped on her. Hurd had aggressive takes to the basket all weekend long and was one of the sturdier options on her squad.
![Isabella Jickling](https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/themes/prep-network-content/public/images/generic-female.png)
Isabella Jickling
Isabella Jickling
Isabella Jickling (2025) | 6’0 W/F | RIBC
Jickling is a wing with real upside to her game. A complete wing with star capabilities in the future. Isabella has a well-rounded game as a wing player that displayed different sides of her this weekend. She was able to use her strong rim attacks to cut through zone or man-to-man defenses. Isabella also displayed some playmaking ability by finding open teammates and also acted as a primary facilitator a bit coming off the pick & roll. She knows where her teammates are on the floor and her passes hit her shooters in their spots. When she’s not scoring the ball, Jickling affects the game by crashing the glass and wreaking havoc on the defensive end. Her defensive capabilities are what truly round out her game and make her a tough prospect. Jickling was trapping, rotating and causing turnovers in the half court all weekend. What makes her that much better as a player is her ability to be interchangeable at any point in the game. Isabella is a jack of all trades type of player and can wear many hats, the difference is she plays these roles at a high level.