NJ Spring Classic: Sunday’s Best

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Day 2 saw plenty of action from morning to late afternoon. I arrived at Sportika bright and early for the 8:00 am games and stayed through the day scouting fantastic talent. These ladies were the best I got eyes on:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='522661' first='Nicholle' last='Green'] | Philly Belles</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nicci was spectacular this morning against [program_tooltip program_id='714664' first='Team' last='Sharp'] 17U Carolina. She was the focal point of the offense and defense as she did it all out there! In fact, her performance was one of the best I saw all weekend. She handled the ball with care and showed off the shifty, shake &amp; bake handles she's known for. She was clicking on all cylinders as she buried 3-point baskets, slashed to the rim at will and delivered jaw-dropping dimes. Her defense was stifling as she kept hands in the ball-handler's face and forced turnovers at a rapid pace. She was flat-out ELECTRIC!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='422276' first='Julia' last='Scott'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714688' first='Empire' last='State Blue Flames']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching Julia dominate opponents, it's easy to see why she has so many P5 and high major D1 offers. At 6'3", supremely mobile and wickedly versatile, she impacted the game on both sides of the floor. She worked the offense off the dribble and got past defenders with big, leaping strides; strong face-up game. Her physicality was on full display in the low post as she overpowered and outworked opponents. She pulled down rebounds with full force and got on the floor as she fought for possession. A total two-way terror!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zoe Brodsky | Rockland Raiders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long 5'10" Forward, Zoe imposed her will and stayed true to her game. At times, she was tasked with guarding future P5 lock Jax Edelman (2027) and did a fantastic job defending her and trying to slow her down. With the ball in her hands, she bullied smaller defenders on baseline rips and hand-offs. She set brick wall-like screens and did a great job passing from the high post and curling to the hoop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Laila Jones | K-Low Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The confidence Laila exudes is undeniable. She pushed the pace against Empire State and never once looked intimidated playing against a team loaded with D1 talent. She played like she belonged. Because she did! She was in attack mode as she brought the ball up the floor and set up the offense. A vocal leader, she called out plays and held her teammates accountable when silly errors were committed. She dished out dimes and was light on her feet as she changed directions with the quickness and penetrated the defense. This girl gave unmatched effort!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414246' first='Emani' last='Resto'] | NJ Vols</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emani ran the point effectively and made smart decisions to put her team in a position to win. Her passing was laser-sharp and her timing was just right. Her versatility and efficiency at the guard spot allows her to slide over to the 2 and knock down some clutch shots, whether given ample space or not. At 5'8" and mighty strong, she maintains a level of physicality at the 1 &amp; 2 spots that I refer to as "big guard basketball" because of her ability to overpower smaller guards off the bounce. Emani's grit and never-say-die mentality is something that you simply cannot deny!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->