Three-Level Finishers

There is nothing more frustrating to a defender than a player that can adapt to the defense. No matter the coverage on defense, someone that just reads the game well and reacts to it is so difficult to guard (and so easy to recruit). I had a look at a few players across the state this week that I believe fit that bill — they made smart reads, took what the defense gave them, and brought variety to the offense so that no two possessions looked the same when these players had the ball. From in the lane, to the midrange, to beyond the arc — check out some three-level finishers that caught my eye this week.    [player_tooltip player_id='641977' first='Grace' last='Fincham'] is a physical, gritty forward that does it all for her Iowa City West squad. She is the first to dive on loose balls and is a glue kid for the veteran-laden team. She showed off her ability to score across the floor last week in their matchup vs. Clear Creek Amana, where Fincham finished the game with 21 points and 4 boards. Though Fincham's bread and butter is to muscle through contact in the paint (which she does very well), she showed finesse with a slick turnaround jumper in the lane and handles from the perimeter and in transition. She's also a poised free-throw shooter (hitting at an 82% clip this season) and is a capable three point shooter to boot. If you are looking for a no-nonsense player who will read defenses and give you production, Fincham is on that list.     [player_tooltip player_id='833955' first='Sasha' last='Baldwin'] is a great example of a kid who shows perseverance and doesn't let the moment become too much for her. Despite a quiet start offensively in the first half vs. CCA last week, I applaud Baldwin for not letting it deter her. Instead, she stepped up her game and brought the heat in the second half — this included a tough drive and finish off of two feet through contact and a curl cut to the basket for another lay in. She also loves to fire from deep, hitting a tough contested jumper in the first half when ICW needed a boost. Baldwin looked confident at the line as well which urged CCA defenders to guard her with discipline. The combo guard has made a jump statistically between her Sophomore and Junior seasons and I believe the diversity in her offense will continue to grow as the year goes on.     One of my favorite performances from last week's action was that from Clear Creek Amana's [player_tooltip player_id='782232' first='Lena' last='Evans']. The smooth shooting guard was dicing defenders up early and showed her ability to adapt to different defenses all game long. Evans finished the game with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists and I feel that none of her conversions looked the same. Evans showed ability at every level — faking defenders at the rim for clean finishes, pulling a contested three behind a screen, firing off the dribble when defenders were set in the lane, finishing through contact, and drawing fouls to get to the free throw line. One of my favorite aspects of her game is her handles when attacking downhill. If Evans keeps this production up all year, I'm predicting post season accolades in the Senior's future.     I swung across the state for my final three-level finisher, where [player_tooltip player_id='1255618' first='Lyza' last='Britten'] of Ames High School caught my eye. Britten is a freshman to watch — as she begins her young career she is already averaging nine points and five rebounds per game as a shooting guard. In her matchup vs. Iowa City High Britten showed poise at the rim and patience to finish around bigger defenders. Using a quick first step and confident dribble, Britten was able to finish over hands if the help defense was late as well as jump stop and finish around defenders in the paint with a soft touch. Shooting 36% for the season from behind the arc, the lefty hit two deep balls vs. the Little Hawks and is showing she is not a player you can leave open. Britten is wise beyond her age in terms of decision-making with the ball — she didn't force shots and showed craftiness to create her own shot as well.

There is nothing more frustrating to a defender than a player that can adapt to the defense. No matter the coverage on defense, someone that just reads the game well and reacts to it is so difficult to guard (and so easy to recruit). I had a look at a few players across the state this week that I believe fit that bill — they made smart reads, took what the defense gave them, and brought variety to the offense so that no two possessions looked the same when these players had the ball. From in the lane, to the midrange, to beyond the arc — check out some three-level finishers that caught my eye this week.