Hoop Group – NJ Girls Warm-Up Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the AAU basketball season gets under way, the action in Manalapan, NJ was top notch. Players and teams looked to be in peak form ahead of the first live period April 25-27. Here were some of the young ladies that were noticeable. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1202375' first='Sydney' last='Ayala'] - Street Ballers 16U</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New to the HGSL circuit this year, the Street Ballers are going to be tough to contend with. Several players stuck out and one of them was Sydney. She is a 15U playing up and she was dynamic all weeeknd. She plays the game fast but always seems to be under control. She was absolutely lethal from beyond the arc on Saturday and mixed that with an ability to get to the rim off the bounce and finish with both hands. Playing for Danny Brown in AAU and caoch Brad Allen in her freshman season at Teaneck, it's no surprise that she looks completely at ease playing up tempo. She led Teaneck in 3-point shooting as a freshman and, after seeing what I saw on Saturday, it's no surprise at all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='835219' first='Dani' last='Daproza'] - Street Ballers 16U</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dani wasted no time showing that her sophomore season stats at Leonia were no joke. When she is on the court she is making an impact. With the ball in her hands, running the offense, she is shifty and able to break down defenses and attack the rim with speed. When off the ball, she was comfortable finding open spots along the 3-point line and knocking down catch and shoot opportunities. Defensively, she quickly showed why she averaged 6+spg in her sophomore season at Leonia. She has quick feet and active hands and thrives in the Street Ballers trapping style. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1158019' first='Leayana' last='Dorville'] - Teaneck</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like [player_tooltip player_id='1202375' first='Sydney' last='Ayala'], Leayana comes from Teaneck High School and a system where they are always in attack mode. That style translates seamlessly to how the Street Ballers 16U play. Leayana provides athletic length to this team. Defensively, in their press, she gets deflections in the traps and off the ball she anticipates passes and gets in passing lanes. In the halfcourt she alters shots in the paint and when she cleans the glass she is capable of moving the ball ahead in transition. She is an excellent slasher off the wing and also adept at filling lanes in transition. She can finish over shot blockers and finish with both hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='959105' first='Shea' last='Lane'] - [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] 16U Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shea moved to [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] from United NJ this season and made an instant impact. She plays the game with great control. She's never playing too fast, but still has the ability to get where she wants to go and do what she wants to do. She is a solid finisher off the bounce inside. She got the rim as a slasher and with change of direction off the bounce. I watched her do a great job of re-positioning along the 3-point line after post entry passes and she can knock down the 3 when given a little room. She is not afraid of the moment and does what is needed to win. With her Chatham High School team graduating their top 3 scorers, she will have a chance to make some noise next winter after a strong start to her AAU season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601333' first='Megan' last='Logan'] - [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] 17U Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Megan was a key piece to a Westfield team that made it to the Group 4 Semifinals and now she is a key piece to the [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] 17U Black. Megan and [player_tooltip player_id='601348' first='Mia' last='Vergel De Dios'] were clearly the top two performers in the two [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] 17U Black games I watched in Manalapan. Megan shot it with confidence out to the 3-point line and when the close outs came she had no problem putting it on the deck and getting to the rim where she finished with both hands in traffic. She works hard on the glass and is a willing passer knowing that the ball will come back to her as part of the offense when she gets to the right spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601348' first='Mia' last='Vergel De Dios'] - [program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] 17U Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What Mia brings to the game is a lot of versatility. Undersized for her position at 5'8", she plays with a high IQ and contributes across the stat sheet. She has a solid handle and knows where her teammates will be and delivers timely passes for easy baskets. When I watch Mia, her passing ability is easily her most noticeable characteristic. She has good strength and, though not especially quick, she gets to where she wants by making good decisions with the ball. When she gets defenders on her back in the post, she is very creative with exceptional footwork and finds a way to get shots off among much taller players. She can shoot it as well and this is best on display in the mid-range game though she did make 24 3-pointers in her junior season with Glen Rock where she led them to the Group 2 Semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->