PGH Sophomore ID Camp: Team 9 standouts

Nearly 100 players competed on Sunday at the first Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Sophomore ID Camp, a showcase for the Class of 2027 at Hopkins High School. Throughout the week, PGH scouts Grant McGinnis, Ally McGinnis and I will bring you team-by-team evaluations of the standout performers on each squad. Here are the top performers on Team 9.    Phillippe is a fun player to watch with the basketball in her hands. This was my first time getting to see her in action and she did not disappoint. The Minnetonka guard has the basketball on a string and does a great job of using head and shoulder fakes to create space for a step-back jumper or to hit the defender with the hesitation and blow right past them to the basket. She was solid defensively and didn't make a whole lot of mistakes. I think we'll be hearing more about Phillippe sooner rather than later.     Taylor has the size, skill and ability to be a 3-level scorer and a lockdown defender. She just glides up and down the court and can hit a 2nd gear if there's a sliver of space to get to the basket. Taylor's athletic ability enables her to rebound with anyone and her ball handling makes her match-up nightmare in the open court. Samira has already earned the $32 prospect ranking in the Class of 2027. Once Tshe puts it all together, Taylor will be a force to be reckoned with.     The 5'10 Johnson plays with great energy and gets after it on both sides of the ball. She handles the ball well and made good decisions whether it was setting up a teammate or looking for her own shot. She also does the things that go unnoticed, whether it was setting solid screens or getting the hockey assist that led to a basket. Benilde is loaded with talent, so we'll have to wait and see how things shake out for Johnson this upcoming season, but her long-term potential is solid.     The determination Lang plays with is not matched by many. She uses her long, strong frame to get into the paint to put pressure on the defense with tough finishes at the rim. She didn't let the score of the games affect how she played which suggests a level of mental toughness that allowed her to play the game and not the score. Every aspect of her game is growing right before our eyes, and it doesn't appear she's planning to slow down any time soon. This up coming high school season could be Lang's coming out party on what looks to be the strongest Hill-Murray team we've seen in awhile. Stay tuned!     The 6'0 forward is a tough cover as she's constantly moving without the ball whether it's a screen-and-roll or just cutting backdoor on over-playing defenders. When she was rewarded for her timely cuts, Marie did a remarkable job of keeping the ball high on the catch to get it to the backboard before defenders could react. On Sunday at the showcase, Jacobson showed off her ball-handling ability by taking a steal the length of the court, hitting a defender with a crossover into a spin move that earned her a trip to the charity stripe. She is definitely a player to keep your eyes on.     Kadlec made her money at the Sophomore ID Camp by crashing the boards and moving people out of the way. Standing 6'1 with a solid build, Kadlec stayed around the basket being the recipient of playmakers breaking the defense down to draw the help which left her open for easy opportunities at the rim. She was able to contest shots on the defensive side without fouling. Tons of upside here.     The 5'4 guard out of Minnetonka is tough! Martin uses her strong frame to muscle her way through contact to get the basket. and uses either hand to finish at the rim. Josephine handled the ball well against some tough competition to set teammates up and displayed the ability to shoot it off the bounce from beyond the arc. Martin was a pest on defense playing smothering on-ball defense that caused multiple turnovers with her efforts.

Nearly 100 players competed on Sunday at the first Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Sophomore ID Camp, a showcase for the Class of 2027 at Hopkins High School. Throughout the week, PGH scouts Grant McGinnis, Ally McGinnis and I will bring you team-by-team evaluations of the standout performers on each squad. Here are the top performers on Team 9.