AAU Spotlight: Blueprint Basketball 9th

Cody Quattrocci

May 31, 2024 @ 12:10 PM

This is a crew that is split down the middle in this sense; I've seen a number of them play numerous times and others I've yet to see in action. Again, in this case I'll dive deep on the hoopers I'm familiar with and then otherwise I'll post names below so that the full roster is posted. Okay now, let's break it down.   Guard Play:   This squad is anchored by two guards which complement each other quite well. At the helm we have 5'7 2027 Emma Maley, a dynamic player who provides playmaking, shooting, and anticipatory defense with her wit. She gets the 3-ball off out of various scenarios and attacks closeouts + make plays as a passer, and increasingly as a finisher, with the defense in rotation. Plus, her simple orchestration and reads at the 1 keeps the offense greased. Alongside her is 5'6 2027 Ally Dorman, a measured and composed guard who makes the simple play, takes care of the ball, and converts open looks. Defensively, these two use measured pressure and smooth switches to maintain some ball pressure while keeping themselves between matchup and bucket. Smart, skilled, simple.   Versatile Wing/Forward Play:   It was hard to pin down these three players into a category since they all have similarities yet striking differences at the same time. The first wing on my mind is 5'10 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1250020' first='Kayla' last='Cisse'], a rangy wing with exciting upside. She's long, athletic and nimble, someone who guards wings naturally, can help on 4s, and disrupts so much with her length whether it's at the rim or the arc. She's a good shooter off the catch from 10-20 feet, can slash a bit, and make plays in the open court. Cisse's a walking mismatch; too tall for most 2s and 3s to cover her but too smooth for 4s to try to tango with her on the perimeter. Next up is 5'10 2027 Colleen Sonnick, a southpaw 4 that can step out and knock it down. Sonnick's lefty jumper is knockdown off the catch, and she's even got the pull-up going for her too. Defensively Colleen is someone whose sweet spot is at the 4 but can go up or down a position in a pinch. Watch out, she might just go coast-to-coast off the rebound too! And lastly, 5'10 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='975815' first='Maysa' last='Long']. A relentless player who's work around the interior is just unreal. Long is a constant feature on the glass, cleaning up defensive possessions and extending offensive ones with second chance buckets. Nonetheless, her awareness down there is exceptional. Maysa passes it quite well out of the post when under pressure, setting up shooters time after time. Yet she's more than capable of putting the ball in the basket herself with baby hooks, drop steps, step throughs, the list goes on, and her short to mid-range jumper is progressing. She's another 4 that plays up at the 5 most often, and it suits her well.   Where to Watch:   This crew will be at Gym Rat June 8th-9th, then running at Hoop Groups Upstate Jam Fest June 22nd-23rd in the Captial area.   The Full Roster:   Emma Maley   Ally Dorman   [player_tooltip player_id='1250020' first='Kayla' last='Cisse']   Colleen Sonnick   [player_tooltip player_id='975815' first='Maysa' last='Long']   Emma Brownell   Maggie Morley   Ava Patten   Morgan Campbell   Mckenna Rowell

This is a crew that is split down the middle in this sense; I've seen a number of them play numerous times and others I've yet to see in action. Again, in this case I'll dive deep on the hoopers I'm familiar with and then otherwise I'll post names below so that the full roster is posted. Okay now, let's break it down.