Atlantic City Showcase: 5 Can’t Miss Games (17U)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the May live period just days away, these are some games you DO NOT want to miss in A.C. With over 500 teams in all classifications competing over the course of 3 days, it can be overwhelming trying to find the MUST-SEE action! I can assure you, these Jersey girls will be putting on a show you won't want to miss:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>AUF Lady Hawks Narozniak HGPL vs 717 Hoop Dreams </em>(Saturday, May 17th at 8:00 pm- Court 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lady Hawks have nice size across the board, both in the back and front courts. 5'9" [player_tooltip player_id='672133' first='Caroline' last='Foley'] does a great job shooting the 3 ball and using her size to rebound impressively from the guard spot. She'll have help in the back court from slashing lead guard [player_tooltip player_id='564269' first='Lillie' last='Alston'], who does a terrific job both dishing and lighting it up. She steadies the offense and knows how to direct traffic to get her team open looks. On defense, Lillie is a terror who applies intense ball pressure. Looks for a flurry of turnovers when she's hawking the perimeter. At 6'1", forward Grace Hempsell is this team's tallest player and will be heavily relied on to anchor the Hawks inside. She goes a good job converting touches at the rim and gets on the glass to battle with other bigs. Though she gives up some size against others at her position (and playing out of position at the 5), she can hold her own and be a formidable presence in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[program_tooltip program_id='774068' first='NJ' last='Panthers'] Blue vs Riverside Hawks Select</em> (Saturday, May 17th at 6:55 pm- Court 22)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Panthers squad has some great chemistry, especially with Ava Paone, Ashley Nowicki and [player_tooltip player_id='959148' first='Maeve' last='Morton'] all hailing from Chatham. One thing this team does very well is shoot the 3 ball. With reliable weapons like Emma Barone, [player_tooltip player_id='601336' first='Nikki' last='Costantini'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1048684' first='Aliza' last='Schulberg'] spread out around the arc, they can go on a heater and in a hurry too! Shulberg does a fantastic job delivering off the catch or just stepping into long range shots. Her energy is undeniable and has really sparked this team the past month. Listed at 5'9", forward [player_tooltip player_id='1267403' first='Eden' last='Avery'] plays much, much bigger than that! She plays multiple positions for the Panthers, running the floor like a guard, executing with the versatility of a wing and rebounding/boxing out like a PF/C. She may play a role as their x-factor against a quick and tall Riverside team. She does many things well, but one thing that stands out is her ability to rebound the ball and take it the full length of the court, breezing past defenders for quick-hitting buckets. A one-woman show in transition! She might be undersized when playing in the post, but don't be surprised if she totals the most rebounds of any player on the floor! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[program_tooltip program_id='802585' first='Central' last='Jersey Hawks'] Westrol vs Buffalo Titans</em> (Friday, May 16th at 11:10 am- Court 24)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shooters, shooters everywhere! This CJ Hawks roster is full of hoopers who are capable of delivering big shots in the biggest moments. [player_tooltip player_id='601282' first='Mallory' last='Gianchiglia'] is one of those sparkplugs who can GO OFF at any given time. Her has a lot of bounce to her game, which can make keeping up with her a tough task for the opponent. She delivers at a high clip from 3-point land. Give her an inch and she'll take a yard! Stand six feet tall, [player_tooltip player_id='671408' first='Isabella' last='Finer'] brings some versatility to the bunch, able to play and defend inside and out. She has excellent court awareness and takes full advantage of switches and breakdowns on defense. She does a really nice job taking a smaller defender off the bounce. When she catches the ball in the post, she gets the defender off her feet using great workout, creating some space to deliver the easy bucket at the rim. Bella will play a big role defensively against a very tough Titans team who loves to drive it inside. She is known for blocking more than a few shots per game! Two players who are sure to bring the energy are [player_tooltip player_id='672140' first='Bridget' last='Rigney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='564267' first='Shannon' last='Looney']. These two feed off one another so well and commit to playing both sides of the ball. At 5'9" and 5'8", respectively, they bring solid size to the back court and can hit consistently from 15 feet and beyond. However, it's their undeniable hustle on defense that really sets the tone for everyone else. They get after it and in a big way; diving for the loose ball, applying pressure in the half-court, active hands in the passing lanes, etc. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>NJ Rise Masonius vs Team Northeast P24 </em>(Saturday, May 17th at 6:55 pm- Court 20)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have this one circled in red because of the level of elite talent on both sides. Rise is spearheaded by [player_tooltip player_id='559044' first='Synai' last='Blychanton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='559031' first='Daniela' last='Maletsky'], two players who can stuff the stat sheet with their production across the board. Synai plays so much bigger than 5'9" and is able to put in work in the paint and on the glass. She's just so strong! Daniela's length at 5'10" coupled with her blistering speed makes her a matchup problem for many. She does a tremendous job attacking from the wing with punishing dribble penetration. And it's not just her ability to get to the basket, it's her ability to take contact and still power through for the and-1; she finishes at a high level. 5'9" [player_tooltip player_id='964269' first='Sophia' last='Koepping'] and 5'10" [player_tooltip player_id='559086' first='Niamh' last='Stapleton'] both do fantastic work rebounding out of position and locking down defensively. Both are quiet workers but make their presence felt loud and clear, with Sophia keeping active hands for lane disruption and Niamh using every bit of her length to deny opponents in the lane. Team Northeast is littered with high-level, D1 talent, notably Jersey girls [player_tooltip player_id='870560' first='Priyanka' last='Ponnam'] and Lena Rodriguez. The two have superb chemistry and if Priyanka sets a screen, you can best believe Lena is curling around and slashing to the basket. She's an absolute speed demon in transition and is someone you absolutely DO NOT want to leave open from 3. She also does a great job feeding the post, throwing it up high where 6'3" Priyanka can get it and drop it in for 2. Pri's ability to play inside-out has paid dividends for this team. She poses a really tough matchup because she's big, strong and doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger from just about anywhere on the floor. In this matchup, she will be the tallest player on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Team DAPA HGSL Black vs Comets UA Rise</em> (Saturday, May 17th at 11:20 am- Court 18)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DAPA has a mighty trio in [player_tooltip player_id='1134542' first='Maleeya' last='Brammer'], [player_tooltip player_id='1191913' first='Makayla' last='Brammer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='789537' first='Jalyn' last='Moore'] that is sure to turn some heads this weekend. At 6'1" and 5'10" respectively, the Brammer twins made their Jersey AAU debut this Spring after playing for the AL Southern Starz a year ago. These two have some serious game, with Maleeya being of an inside presence and Malayla putting in work in the back court and at the wing. Both are capable of popping from 3 and both play exceptional defensive in and around the paint. Leeya, especially, does a great job anchoring down and protecting the rim. Her presence inside deters the dribble drive and makes the ball-handler rethink their strategy. Jalyn has relentless guard play! She's someone who gets downhill quicker than everyone else and can tear it up from the mid-range. She's also developed a reliable 3-point shot, and when they start to drop, they fall in quick succession. She's an absolute firecracker out there who brings the energy on both ends on the floor. The Comets come equipped with some ferocious 3-point shooters, one of them being [player_tooltip player_id='600906' first='Kiersten' last='Callahan'], the only Jersey girl on this PA-based team. She has good size at the 2 and has a quick trigger on her 3 ball, making it difficult for defenders to close out on her. If the defense lags even just a slight bit, her shot is already out of her hands before the defender can get a hand up. Her poise and confidence makes all the difference, because you'd never know if she was having an off-shooting day or a sizzling performance. She's all business, all the time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->