From D to O: My favorite two-way players from The Expo

Before we kicked off Prep Girls Hoops' "The Expo" showcase in Des Moines last Sunday, the coaches in attendance brought the players together and gave them a handful of tips to focus on — advice like "communicate in everything you do," "work hard even when you make a mistake," "make the extra pass," etc.   My favorite bit of advice from that introduction was "Don't let your offense affect the rest of your game," and I can tell you from a first hand experience that a lot of players at The Expo took that phrase to heart. Throughout the day I was impressed with the hustle and intensity on defense that led to scores on the other end — players were pushing through fatigue and staying persistent on the defensive end, and it lead to production on the other side of the floor. Five players in particular stood out to me who excelled in turning D into O for their respective squads last week.    [player_tooltip player_id='1264002' first='Dahmynique' last='Davis'] was a workhorse in the paint last week, despite being undersized on the defensive end. She's strong, athletic, and fearless while pushing bigger post players around and forcing them into contested finishes. Additionally Davis has great hands — I saw her strip and block much bigger opponents with discipline on multiple occasions. Offensively Davis is explosive to the rim and is a willing and able cutter, using her speed to blow by post players who had the unlucky matchup on the perimeter. I really liked watching Davis convert defense into buckets on Sunday.     There's a lot to like about [player_tooltip player_id='1229329' first='Asjed' last='Bokhary']'s game, one of my favorites being her willingness to crash the boards as a guard. She was consistently in the mix in the paint after a missed shot and she showed strong decision making while making kick-ahead passes in transition. Additionally she's not afraid to get in your face guarding the ball — I watched her pressure cause a few slip-ups during 5v5 that led to easy buckets on the other end. With Bokhary's combination of defensive rebounding, strong passes down the floor, and a killer jab step, she created a lot of scoring opportunities for her team last week from her hustle.     Once [player_tooltip player_id='764171' first='Madyson' last='Prevail'] gets going on defense, I suggest you protect your dribble! Prevail's quick hands and feisty help defense were on display throughout Sunday's showcase. While some players might let their effort lapse on defense after a score, Prevail followed up her own scores with a steal on multiple occasions. She also displayed good decision-making after those steals by attacking the rim or making the extra pass at the right time. I really enjoyed watching her hustle on both ends of the floor and seeing it pay off for her squad.     [player_tooltip player_id='1057461' first='Sydnee' last='Hopkins'] displays heart, coachability, and hustle every time she steps on the floor. Despite being a point guard I saw her battling for boards with the best of them on Sunday. Additionally Hopkins' quickness and energy gave opposing players trouble in the half court. I noticed she was consistently tasked with guarding the other team's best guard, and her aggression led to a number of contested shots (or no shot at all). Her shooting ability, her high IQ in the pick and roll, and her drive to buckle down get the job done on defense was a highlight for me at The Expo.     If I could give a "Buiser of the Day" award for The Expo, it would be given to [player_tooltip player_id='1216076' first='Makenna' last='Roeder']. After busting open her eyebrow and rushing to the trainer, Roeder hopped back into play unbothered and continued her day. She's just a gritty kid who competes in everything she does. Defensively I loved seeing her harass ball handlers, and she was an excellent communicator throughout the event as well. Offensively, Roeder has an excellent jab step, a strong finishing package at the rim, and is knockdown from deep. Roeder's fire is sure fun to watch and I'm anticipating a stat-stuffing season for her at Norwalk.

Before we kicked off Prep Girls Hoops' "The Expo" showcase in Des Moines last Sunday, the coaches in attendance brought the players together and gave them a handful of tips to focus on — advice like "communicate in everything you do," "work hard even when you make a mistake," "make the extra pass," etc.