Hidden Gems From This Weekend

With all the high-level action slammed into one weekend, there leaves room for many topics. One topic worth discussing are the players that don't typically get mentioned as much. These are all players that pack a punch with different characteristics. Their status isn't what matters here; good basketball is good basketball, no matter the name attached to the product. With that being said, below are some hidden gems from this past weekend.   Use code MBG30 for 30% off your first purchase of any subscription.    Peyton Lacey (2031) | CG | Bay State Jags   Usually, 2031's wouldn't be included amongst the stately performances happening during this time, but Lacey's abilities are too dignified to overlook. The lengthy combo guard plays with a nice pace and she's a decisive decisionmaker with the ball in her hand. Peyton uses change of speed dribbles that allow her to get past initial defenders despite them doing their best to contain. Even as the lane seemingly closed off, many times the crafty guard was able to slither her way into the paint for a basket or to throw kickout pass. Her euro step is lethal and even though she plays with a lot of finesse, her paint touches lead to fouls. Lacey was able to capitalize on those fouls by knocking down her free-throws. The '31 combo guard does not play like the average rising 7th grader.     [player_tooltip player_id='1237357' first='Talya' last='Walker'] (2026) | PG | IDream   One of the smaller players on the court, but she has the heart of a lion. The tenacious attitude with perseverance really shines on the defensive side of the ball. Walker plays with a tough energy that disturbs ballhandlers tempo. She gets underneath them and challenges their ability to protect the ball. Offensively, she uses her speed to her advantage, getting out early to pick the tempo up a bit. Her passes are on target, plus she fills the gaps after finding open teammates. Her passion for the game is quite obvious.     [player_tooltip player_id='1091231' first='Sidney' last='Anderson'] (2027) | 6'0 Wing | IBelieve   Sidney was looking sharp this weekend showing she could put the ball on the deck a bit as someone with a considerable shooting prowess. Anderson also showed she could move well without the ball, relocating to open areas as the offense developed. She was quite the reliable option from deep as dribble penetrators found her on the wing. Her high arching shot was hitting at an exceptional rate too. She knocked down the majority of shots put up and she did it with great range. The 6'0 wing is a player that coaches will have an eye on shortly.     [player_tooltip player_id='1239372' first='Allie' last='McBride'] (2028) | CG | NE Crusaders   Allie has the competence to be a high-volume scorer that heats up in an instant for her squad. She has also shown the ability to be quite the distributor. The multifaceted guard can fill the needs of the team depending on the style of play needed at the moment. This weekend she was able to turn the corner on defenders and get into the lane to cause reactions from the help. This just opened some open shots up for teammates on the perimeter as well as the posts down low. McBride can defend solidly too. She gives effort and when the team is functioning on all cylinders, Allie's rotations are greatly appreciated. She was quite feisty as a smaller guard fighting for rebounds amongst the bigs. Her hustle was well noted in these matchups. This is a '28 player to pay attention to as the season progresses.     [player_tooltip player_id='1239383' first='Sophia' last='Caparco'] (2027) | Guard | BCRI   Sophia brought immense value to the team this weekend. During one game early on in the tournament, Caparco got off to a great start. She was one of the team's high scorers, knocking down the 3 steadily and showing her creation skills off the dribble. Caparco also showed she could be a proficient defender through the course of the games. The '27 guard showed a lot of dexterity picking opposing ballhandlers up from distance and speeding up their process. Sophia is one to keep following; her talent is recognizable.

With all the high-level action slammed into one weekend, there leaves room for many topics. One topic worth discussing are the players that don't typically get mentioned as much. These are all players that pack a punch with different characteristics. Their status isn't what matters here; good basketball is good basketball, no matter the name attached to the product. With that being said, below are some hidden gems from this past weekend.