Saturday Standouts in Atlantic City

Day 2 of the AC Showcase was the meat and potatoes of the event, so to speak. The best basketball was on full display with loaded talent under one roof. Per usual, I kept my head on a swivel as I pushed pen to paper, getting scout notes on some really good basketball. The following hoopers represent the best I got eyes on today:    Casey thrived in transition. She did a really nice job getting ahead of everyone else and staying alert for the outlet feed. Against Team PA to start off the morning, she was in full attack mode on aggressive baseline rips. She took full advantage of gaps in the lanes.     Ariana got herself out of trouble with strong, tight handles. She kept the dribble alive despite swarming defense and intense ball pressure. She sank smooth 3's on the pull-up and looked comfortable off the bounce attacking from the corner. Elevated confidence as the game against a scrappy Team PA went on; she looked really good in the second half.     Micah is the complete package! Her skill-set is wickedly versatile and gave the Comets of PA fits this morning. She opened up scoring in the game with a 3 off the catch and set the tone for the rest of the game; her pull-up game is nasty! Long, leaping strides gliding across the court; graceful like a gazelle. Impressive 3-level scorer. P4 D1 lock.     She had the corner 3 clicking on all cylinders today vs mighty YKS. Kept a scorer's mentality and helped Comets nearly pull off the big upset. Offense was hot; aggressive takes inside and nice mid-range pops. Not afraid of the moment playing on the main court with the brightest lights.     Sofia got the offense going for her team when they needed it most vs [program_tooltip program_id='802585' first='Central' last='Jersey Hawks']; ended scoring droughts. She was the focal point in the sense that every set play ran through her, whether she scored or got touches and moved the ball. Vocal in directing teammates to their spots when they seemed out of sorts defensively. She understands how to attack the defense and create mismatches; strong guard.     Quick trigger from 3; devastating off the catch vs Sideline Cancer. Strong, aggressive takes inside; put her head down and got to the basket. She maintained great body control to cradle the ball and finish the layup through contact.     Whitney delivered off the catch from 12 feet consistently and snaked her way to the basket for smooth-looking layups. Off the ball, she kept moving and was never stuck in one place for too long. She made herself available to receive the rock around the perimeter and on cuts. Alert and aware at all times.     She cleaned up mistakes under the basket; collected the o-board then went back up strong for 2. Her length made a difference on defense. She did a superb job meeting the ball near the glass for the block. She adjusted accordingly to the flow of the game; can play really fast and also at a slower, steadier pace.     Top Notch wasn't letting her have any easy! Nadia worked overtime and put forth a tremendous effort offensively. She led with her body on the drive and got to the basket at will. Off the catch and shoot, she didn't take much time winding up on her 3-point shot; got it off her fingertips really quickly. No wasted possessions or broken plays at her expense. Zero turnovers in this game.     Jayah was active on the glass and fought hard for rebounds under both baskets. Ultra physical, didn't allow anyone to punk her or outwork her. Absolutely electric in the open court. When she's as locked in as she was today, she can take anyone off the dribble and get to the cup.     Swagger off the charts! Smooth transition offense. Shifty with the handles; made a lot happen for herself and her teammates and it all started with her dribble. Kept defenders on skate which created space and allowed her to navigate comfortably.     Effective use of the ball fake. Her 3-point shot looked really good and her release looked even quicker than I remember in previous times. A beast defensively; she just does not give up! Will hawk and suffocate the ball until she forces the opponent to give it up or turn it over. Fundamentally sound player.     A menace on the dribble penetration. Very crafty, knows how to initiate contact w/o getting called for the charge and get to the stripe for free points. Long and bouncy, she pulled down rebounds over players much taller.     Ayress was the hardest worker on the floor in Glue Girl Hoopers' game vs Newburgh Zion Lions. She was vocal on both offense and defense and showed all the signs of a leader with undeniable hustle. On defense, she did a great job staying in front of the ball and getting her body on the opponent. She also did a nice job on switches. Very strong; commanding takes to the basket. Ayress set up others in transition; ran the floor hard to draw attention and kicked out to the perimeter as she charged downhill.

Day 2 of the AC Showcase was the meat and potatoes of the event, so to speak. The best basketball was on full display with loaded talent under one roof. Per usual, I kept my head on a swivel as I pushed pen to paper, getting scout notes on some really good basketball. The following hoopers represent the best I got eyes on today: