Notes from Hoop Island

Teams from the Tri-State converged at the Shore this weekend in their pursuit to capture Hoop Island. Hosted by T-John Casiello and the team at Develup Hoops, this premier event had facilities in and around Wildwood buzzing. I had a front-row seat to some great basketball, notepad in hand and head on a swivel.   Caitlin Cavallaro | 5'9” G | 2028   AAU: Next Play   A one-woman fast break, she converts high pressure defense into quick-hitting offense; strong going right. She has confidence in her defensive prowess and picks up the ball-handler at full-court to try and force the eight-second violation. Long reach and great anticipation/reflexes. She is reliable from long range as she steps out confidently to bury the 3-point bucket.   Nina Meierdiercks | 5'6" G | 2028   AAU: Next Play   She came in off the bench and provided an instant spark on both offense and defense. Quick on the drive, she fought through contact to get the and-1; finished well on both sides of the basket. She is capable of banging in the 3 and is solid shooting it from the corners. Positive body language and a high motor; maintained high energy throughout.   Reese Fidler | 5'10" F | 2028   AAU: Next Play   Reese brings the toughness and makes a big impact, especially on defense. She does a great job establishing position in the paint and under the rim to pull down rebounds; especially effective grabbing o-boards. Primarily a paint protector but also stretched out and defended the perimeter (near the top of the key).   Chloe McCartney | 5'8" G | 2028   AAU: Next Play   Chloe exhibited a lot of fearlessness and did a terrific job taking it right at the defense. She played smart, knowing that defenders will foul her on the drive and ultimately earn her many trips to the stripe; high % FT shooter. She crashed the glass hard, unafraid to go up against much bigger players. Her toughness rebounding from the guard spot was something that really stood out. She just wanted it more!   Laila Fathi | 5'3" G | 2028   AAU: Tar Heels   A guard with size and a lot of strength, Laila was confident as the primary ball-handler. Pass-first mentality; effective drive and kick. She dribbles with her head up, scanning for teammates and delivering in traffic. Tremendous upside and emerging handles.   Aubrey Mack | 5'8" F | 2028   AAU: Mid-Atlantic Heat   Big, strong body. She makes hustle plays and isn't afraid to get on the floor and fight for possession. The beneficiary of many post-entry passes, she did a good job taking a few power dribbles, turning and hitting. She shoots the short jumper and looks to stretch out to add some versatility to her offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='913923' first='Chynna' last='Fiddler'] | 5'1" G | 2028   AAU: Mid-Atlantic Heat   A shifty little guard with a lot of game. She thrives in uptempo play and looks to push and get to the rim by any means, finishing well with either hand. She also moves well without the ball, never stagnant and always rotating to get open. As she continues to work on her craft and develop her handles, she is going to be a very tough guard to contain. She gives it her all and plays hard until the final whistle.   Erin Gerken | 5'10" F | 2028   AAU: 6th Boro   She put in work around the rim on rebounds and put-backs. Solid base, not easily knocked off or ran through. She did a tremendous job making her presence felt on defense, swatting shots and deterring opponents from going straight at her in fear of rejection.   Liliana Aguirre | 5'5" G | 2028   AAU: 6th Boro   Extremely tough competitor who doesn't back down or give in. Blitzing speed in transition; uses her body well on aggressive rim-runs to initiate contact and get to the line. She does a great job knocking down the short jumper which seems to be her go-to shot. Feisty and fearless rebounding from the guard spot. One of the things that stood out to me the most was her positive body language and encouragement with teammates.   Ivana Gidado | 5'4" G | 2028   AAU: NJ Wizards   She plays with so much energy and passion! She pushed the pace while dribbling with her head up to find gaps in the defense to dish dimes; strong outlet passes. Very smart recognition and court awareness of where the defense is setting up. Pass-first mentality as the primary ball-handler. On the drive, she showed off some nifty footwork, including an effective Euro through traffic.   Tahirah Greenwood | 5'4" G | 2028   AAU: NJ Wizards   Committed on both sides of the ball. Strong lead guard who carves a path to the hoop and makes things happen on offense. She kept the dribble alive when pressure came and worked out of the double-team with ease. Tough as nails off the dribble. Stout defender who applies pressure up at half-court and puts a body on the opponent.   [player_tooltip player_id='667326' first='Aliyah' last='Manley'] | 5'4 G | 2027   AAU: NJ Wizards   Athletic and crafty with the dribble; sweet cross to lose the defender and slice to the rim. Probably the highest motor I saw this weekend; tireless, work-horse mentality. She drew the attention of the defense which in turn, freed up others to get off good shots. She is one of the players who I feel is just scratching the surface of her potential and will be a real problem for years to come!

Teams from the Tri-State converged at the Shore this weekend in their pursuit to capture Hoop Island. Hosted by T-John Casiello and the team at Develup Hoops, this premier event had facilities in and around Wildwood buzzing. I had a front-row seat to some great basketball, notepad in hand and head on a swivel.