More Notes From Run 4 Roses

Brady Peterson July 17, 2024 @ 08:24 PM

I've spent the last week in Louisville for various events, including the Run 4 Roses Classic and Championship, EYBL, NE2K, and others. Today, I'd like to talk about some of the players who stood out before I head to Chicago.   [player_tooltip player_id='533077' first='Adaline' last='Sheplee']   Sometimes, I feel people lose sight of what makes players great. Sure, kids who dominate every game stand out, as they should, but nobody is perfect. Sometimes, the most crucial part of what makes players great is what happens after adversity hits, and Sheplee's 17U Wisconsin Flight group had plenty of that in Louisville. There's no way around it, and I'm sure the kids on the team will say it, but they had a rough go of it for the first three days they were in Louisville. What stood out with Sheplee, in particular, was in the last game on Friday, she got up shots afterward, and no matter what happened, she had a positive outlook. She was also a massive reason Flight won their play-in game to get to Nike Nationals in the EYBL tournament. She showed things you can't teach, like attitude, resilience, and a winning mentality. Her mental toughness is something you can't teach.   [player_tooltip player_id='892181' first='Mallorie' last='Werner']   I've always liked Werner's burst. I talked about how her grit stood out about her, and that's still the case. She wants to attack off the dribble, and she's a gifted enough athlete to do that. She didn't shoot the ball at her best in Louisville but didn't hesitate when she found space to get her shot off. The defensive tools are there for her to be a pressure defender at the point of attack, which makes her a kid that small schools will take a look at next summer in particular, but she could probably play a few different sports at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='751246' first='Awut' last='Alic']   The more I see Alic, the more impressed I am by her. She's one who started basketball at this level, later than most. However, her skillset makes me think she could be better than I think and anyone else with an opinion about how talented she could become. She can score at all three levels, and her competitive edge is starting to grow. She used to be very stoic, and that was how she played. Now, you can see the fierceness on her face. This next year should be fun to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='936786' first='Leah' last='Awe']   I hadn't seen Awe in a team setting before this past weekend, and there are tools there. She's as long as anyone and wants to get out and block shots. She had a few aggressive ones and one that I don't think should have been called a foul. However, that aggression is needed to be a deterrent. I also thought she did an excellent job showing multiple facets of her offensive game.

I've spent the last week in Louisville for various events, including the Run 4 Roses Classic and Championship, EYBL, NE2K, and others. Today, I'd like to talk about some of the players who stood out before I head to Chicago.