Au Sable Shootout: Cass City's 6-Foot Sisters

The Au Sable Shootout is where I coached my first varsity basketball games three years ago, and I was thrilled to be back last week! 20 thumb-area and mid-michigan teams flooded the Tawas gym to compete. Here are several prospects from Hale and Cass City who made a splash at the shootout!    Anella had an impactful day for Hale at the Au Sable Shootout. She used her length and mobility to make a difference as a rebounder and worked hard on defense. Anella secured an offensive rebound and finished the put-back in traffic. She knocked down a smooth free-throw jumper off the dribble and added a layup. Anella is an athletic small forward who has the potential to be a very solid wing for Hale over the next few years.     Ali competed hard and gave Hale an edge with her presence in the paint. She chased down a breakaway from behind and blocked the layup attempt out of bounds. Ali was extremely aggressive rebounding the basketball and secured many boards on both ends of the court. She finished shots around the basket off two feet and knocked down free throws. Ali rotated over from help position to block another layup attempt, and her effort stood out at the Au Sable Shootout.     Rylee found her spots and knocked down shots at a high rate for Cass City at the Au Sable Shootout. She caught passes with her feet set and hands ready to fire. Rylee buried many mid-range and long corner jumpers that earned her the label "confident shooter" in my notes. She threw quick entry passes to teammates in the post and converted free throws at the line.     Callie had a fantastic day for Hale at the Au Sable Shootout. She created space from defenders with quick crossover dribbles and changed directions on a dime. Callie took a dribble handoff full-speed to the rim for a left-handed layup. Callie found nylon with two triples off the dribble. She keeps her feet balanced and ready to fire at any moment. Callie deflected passes and generated many steals with her relentless ball pressure. Callie chased down rebounds on both ends of the court and made the effort plays. She is a sniper who put up multiple 30-point games for Hale as a junior and averaged 20 points a night. Callie is a point guard flying under the radar right now.     Karsyn is a 2029 front-court prospect from Cass City who immediately grabs your attention with her height and mobility. She used her length to block shots and created many steals on the defensive end. Karsyn worked hard inside to win battles for offensive rebounds and scored several put-backs. She knocked down a corner jumper and converted free throws with good technique at the line. Karsyn gave the team extra chances to score throughout the day with her constant offensive rebounding and showed toughness in the paint. One of Karsyn's highlight plays came when she jumped into the passing lane for a steal and pushed the ball with pace to score a full-court layup. Karsyn has potential as a forward prospect to be very excited about, and she was one of the most promising prospects at the Au Sable Shootout.     Skylar proved to be a hidden gem and one of the best prospects in the gym at the Au Sable Shootout. She is long and athletic with speed that makes her very tough to defend when she drives to the rim. Skylar covered ground quickly on defense with her long strides and all-out effort. She chased down ball-handlers from behind multiple times to create steals. Skylar beat a defender with a crossover dribble to score a contested layup in transition and dropped in many floaters over defenders in the paint. Skylar scored a give-and-go layup and cut back door with a burst to cause the defense to foul. She forced many steals and dribbled the ball powerfully the other way to score breakaway layups in top gear. Skylar took a defensive rebound the length of the court for another layup and changed hands quickly to protect her shot around the basket. She pivoted in the corner to create space and knocked down the long jumper. Skylar was a relentless rebounder, shot blocker, and defender all day. She handles the ball with both hands and can jump out of the gym. Skylar is only a sophomore, so when you add up her physical measurables and basketball skills, she has a very high ceiling as a college prospect.     Aleese is a scrappy guard who stood out for Hale at the Au Sable Shootout. She started the game with a wing three and drove hard to the basket to cause fouls. Aleese showed her toughness by diving on the floor for 50/50 balls and scored an offensive rebound floater in traffic. She used shot-fakes to freeze defenders and drove by with a burst to score layups. Aleese handles the ball with confidence and is fearless when she drives to the basket.     Alexis is a long and athletic forward with the potential to develop into a special wing/guard prospect. She jumped up to make an athletic block in transition, scored many offensive rebound put-backs, and threw a strong lead pass in transition that hit a teammate in stride. Alexis used her long arms to deflect a pass, secured the steal, and pushed the ball to score a tough layup through contact. She blocked many shots throughout the day and consistently secured rebounds in the paint. Alexis finished an impressive reverse layup and had a great day for Cass City at the Au Sable Shootout. She will be a prospect to follow to watch this winter.

The Au Sable Shootout is where I coached my first varsity basketball games three years ago, and I was thrilled to be back last week! 20 thumb-area and mid-michigan teams flooded the Tawas gym to compete. Here are several prospects from Hale and Cass City who made a splash at the shootout!