Hoops4MS: UPPERCLASSMEN Evals (Saturday)

Basketball on a Saturday is already a fantastic way to spend the first part of the weekend, but basketball for a great cause is even better! An extraordinary amount of talent from middle school to high school took to Elizabeth, NJ to show out for the 2025 edition of Hoops4MS. Let's dive into some player evals from the day:   Team Fight vs Team Love    Solid footwork in the paint; beautiful step-through move.Solid perimeter defense to keep the ball in front. Undeniable hustle in transition. Commendable rebounding effort.     High level finisher through contact. None of her buckets at the rim came easy; able to take hits for the hoop and harm. Shifty bringing the ball up with the ability to take it 94 feet all by herself. Quick pull from the perimeter; legit 3-level scoring threat. On hard drives to the basket, she put a little razzle dazzle on the finish. Lots of rebounds; double-double effort.     Effective use of her off-arm to create space for good looks at the basket. Nice jab step from the baseline. Strong paint play.     She settled in and came alive in the second half. Her length played a big factor in getting boards and buckets at the rim. Showed off range from 3. She turned up the heat on D to be disruptive with deflections and two blocks. She played a large part in her team's late surge to almost pull off the comeback.     She was able to blow by multiple levels of defense for quick-hitting layups. Kept the ball on a string; low and tight. A bullet on the break. She proved her legitimacy as a 3-point shooter.     Spin and hook over her left shoulder; strong footwork and post moves. She put in work around the rim and got active on the glass. Confident off the dribble finishing with a lefty scoop. Converted a few o-boards into put-backs.     Certified logo range sharpshooter! I counted seven 3's! At one point, hit back-to-back-to-back 3's from several feet behind the arc and on the next play, picked off a pass to ignite the fast break. Tireless two-way motor. Devastating spin move; so quick and crisp. A one-woman show, at times.    Team Faith vs Team Love    Came out in attack mode. In the first two minutes she had two steals, a rebound and a mid-range jumper. Excellent court awareness. She made big contributions to all aspects of the game as it progressed.     Contagious energy. She pushed the pace and forced others to play up to speed. 3-level scoring on full display. Every time Team Faith got close, she hit a big shot to counter the attack. She unleashed the mid-range at a high clip. Impressive baseline rips.     Long, lanky frame. She did a great job as the 5 on the team. Fluid mover getting up and down the court, keeping up with the pace of the game. She battled on the glass to secure rebounds, both defensive and offensive. She embraced the physicality Team Love brought to the table. Did a nice job repositioning under the basket when the opponent stretched her out. Back-to-the-basket; high baby hook with her right.     Ava was at her best on baseline drives. Effective use of the ball fake. One of the quickest on the floor! She did an exceptional job pushing the tempo to get ahead of the rest; thrived in transition and showed off range with two straight-away triples. She can be credited for Team Faith's second half surge to force OT.     Pretty fadeaway from 12 feet. She didn't play timid! Sharp off-ball movement created shot opportunities and backdoor cuts paid dividends. Sweet mid-range pop. Game-tying FT in OT.     She showed flashes of strong offensive tactics and decision-making as the game wore on. She didn't over-complicate things and kept it simple, yet very effective.     A little behind-the-back dribble action freed her up and created space to operate. Smooth step-back. Always a lurking perimeter threat (two triples). Callie was able to turn on the jets and stop on a dime.    Team Fight vs Team Faith    EAJS put on a rebounding clinic. Four o-boards in one possession to start the game; a tenacious effort the whole way through! She made tough 2's through traffic. Her intensity and physicality were on a thousand! Not easily contained with single coverage.     She slashed through the lane (effective speed + size combo). Lots of pose on offense; patient allowing the game to come to her but wasn't too passive. Controlled aggression. Craftiness around the basket; deceleration into a Euro. Multiple stretches of consecutive baskets.     She came out guns blazing in the second half; an immediate 3-pointer to start the scoring.She made an impact on the glass; rebound and push. Tremendous amount of energy to ignite offense and execute set plays. The faster the pace, the more she flourished.     She cleaned up mistakes from the first half and handled the ball with more confidence in the second. She kept her head up on the dribble to scan and facilitate; played the 1 & the 2. No hesitation to pull from 3. Showed off some flashiness on layups.

Basketball on a Saturday is already a fantastic way to spend the first part of the weekend, but basketball for a great cause is even better! An extraordinary amount of talent from middle school to high school took to Elizabeth, NJ to show out for the 2025 edition of Hoops4MS. Let's dive into some player evals from the day: