Bay State Games: Upperclassmen Coaches Must Look Out for

I attended this year's annual Girls Basketball Showcase organized by the Bay State Games. This event allows athletes to gain exposure from the college coaches in attendance shortly before the start of the high school season.   Among the many talented players, these upperclassmen- rising juniors from the Class of 2027 and rising seniors from the Class of 2026- stood out to me the most. College coaches should begin taking notice now, as these players are poised to gain attention once the high school season begins.    Despite being an undersized guard, Kiara is a tenacious defender that nobody wants to be guarded by. She plays extremely physically on both ends of the court which leads to her opponents being uncomfortable and turning the ball over. On the offensive end she is great at getting to the paint with a pass first mentality, looking to set up her teammates. Several times I saw her perfectly execute the fast break, resulting in easy layups for her teammates. Kiara gives it everything she's got whenever she steps out onto the court.     Emersynn plays with confidence and does an excellent job asserting herself on both ends of the court. Her quick trigger allows her to get her shot off even when a defender is coming to close out. She plays extremely strong inside the paint, making it seem as if she's taller than she really is. Everything Emersynn does—whether moving off the ball, attacking the paint, or defending—is done with purpose.     Lauren stood out to me as the most pure shooter at this showcase event. As soon as the ball left her hands, you could tell right away it was going in due to the confidence she released it with. She knocked down 5 three pointers in the championship game, serving as a bright spot for her team despite losing. As a taller guard, Lauren does a good job of using her height to force turnovers from smaller players.     Mia is the type of player that makes coaching easy. She provides leadership and composure to her team on both ends of the court that make her an extension of the coach. She uses her strength to her advantage: handling the ball with confidence, getting herself inside the paint, and drawing contact. Her energy on the defensive end allows her to pick the pockets of her opponents and put them into positions in which they turn the ball over.     Faced with a 2-3 zone from her opponents, Kate's team was struggling, but she knew exactly what she needed to do. She placed herself at the free throw line, the perfect spot to break the zone. On back-to-back possessions she made smart plays, first driving to the basket and scoring and following it up with a nice pass to the corner. Kate is effective playing inside-out, whether creating for others or getting her own buckets when posting up.

I attended this year's annual Girls Basketball Showcase organized by the Bay State Games. This event allows athletes to gain exposure from the college coaches in attendance shortly before the start of the high school season.