4 Tha Culture MLK Edition: Players Patrolling the Paint

It wasn't all about the guards at the 4 Tha Culture MLK Edition Classic event. There was some excellent post play from both proven players and some new faces and names. These players that took their play to another level against good competition playing in front of multiple scouts/evaluators and college coaches.    Mays stood out for Webb in a lot of areas on the court. Defensively she picked her man up between half court and the top of the key and applied good ball pressure. She created multiple steals switching onto the point guard in pick and roll situations, going coast to coast and scoring on a couple plays. She worked hard on the glass and pursued the ball instead of waiting for it to find her. Offensively, Mays ran the floor well without the ball also, getting easy points in transition. Mays is light on her feet and moves very well for her size. She has soft hands and good form shooting the ball. Mays is already very talented, but a player I expect to continue to develop and improve.     Macon did a really nice job using her size against the big frontline of Webb. She rebounded the ball well, especially on offense where she elevated above everyone else a couple times, snatched the ball, and scored very quickly. Macon looked good posting up with her back to the basket. She did a nice job sealing her defender on the catch and then again after a spin move and drop step to the middle where she again rose up and scored. Macon blocked and altered multiple shots in the game for Hillgrove. Macon comes from a winning program with a very good head coach. She should be a player the college coaches are tracking. 4.2 GPA and 1230 SAT.     Jakaila showed again why she is a match up nightmare for opposing teams. At 6'3 with guard skills, Gaskin also showed her high level of intelligence punishing smaller players on offense inside and blowing by bigger defenders who tried to come out and guard her on the perimeter. Her footwork and leaping ability allow her to go around and over defenders trying to guard her. Gaskin played excellent defense coming up with four steals for Cannon. She was also very active on the backboards rebounding the ball finishing the game with a double-double.     Skylar is a player I have seen a lot this season and quite frankly may have taken for granted just how good she is. She goes about her business playing great defense, rebounding the ball, setting screens, and doing all the things a coach would want. Levell has taken advantage of her opportunities to score the ball and as a result more plays are being called for her to get the ball on offense. Skylar shoots the ball well from the midrange and free throw line, where she gets a lot. On the block she has very good post moves and can finish through contact. College coaches are starting to notice as well as her recruitment has picked up as the season has gone on.     Palmer has a knack for anticipating where a missed shot is going on offense, getting in the right spot, grabbing the rebound, and putting the ball back up and in quickly. She has very good size for a freshman. Payton is already a good shooter from the midrange and I expect that to become even more consistent and for her to extend her range behind the three point line, something she will develop with more time and experience. Palmer has a very high basketball IQ. That, along with her size and skill, gives her an excellent chance to rise up the rankings and quickly. She was a positive post presence for Whitefield all game long.     Ladd played an excellent game for Webb, especially on offense where she made a huge impact on the game. Ladd generated points in multiple ways, however it was her offensive rebounds where she got easy points with put backs or made some great looks to her teammates including a cross-court kick out pass that resulted in three points. Ladd ran the floor and scored on the break for Webb as well. She knows the game and that was evident. She was where she was supposed to be, she moved well without the ball, she made the right read and pass on offense, and worked hard on defense. Ladd is another kid that I think could be a very good player and contributor for the right college team. She should have opportunities if she keeps up this level of play.

It wasn't all about the guards at the 4 Tha Culture MLK Edition Classic event. There was some excellent post play from both proven players and some new faces and names. These players that took their play to another level against good competition playing in front of multiple scouts/evaluators and college coaches.