Nebraska Prep Classic: Iowa Prospects That Stood Out

This weekend a few teams out of Iowa went to Creighton University to compete against some of the top teams within Nebraska. Throughout the day we saw some battles at all positions.   Here are a handful of the prospects that stood out in my eyes from the Iowa side of things! -   (Please note: Jaliyah Kinnetz & [player_tooltip player_id='751962' first='Eleanor' last='Coughlin'] were each top performers for their programs at this event but they are mentioned in a separate article that was posted earlier on today.)   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='880913' first='Kelli' last='Kalb'] stepped up in-front of a healthy crowd, doing her thing while putting up some nice numbers in the stat book. Kalb is the type that likes to work off the ball on the wing. She has a three level scoring ability with some length to her size at 5'11. Kalb hit some big shots off the catch throughout the duration of this contest, ultimately finishing as her team's second leading scoring with 13 points (5/9) and leading rebounder with 7. She had a balanced attack throughout, playing selfless basketball per usual and that helped her team grab a convincing W in the end.     St. Albert came out of this weekend with some positive take-aways. They learned that some players can really step up and make a difference when others fall due to injury. That's a good thing in-case they run into a sticky situation in the future. One of those players, that has been performing at a really high level for this group as of late is Sophia Denton. Denton has stepped up to compete at the SF position. What was most notable about this weekend was her overall defense on and off of the basketball. She did a great job at keeping her matchup in check, talking throw screening action, and always recovering to her spots whenever she got beaten. As long as St. Albert can get right for the start of the Playoff's, they should be in good shape. They have all the pieces to make another State run. Now they just need to execute.     What do you want out of your post players? EFFICIENCY and [player_tooltip player_id='766304' first='Paige' last='Andernacht'] was extremely efficient yesterday for Johnston. So efficient, she didn't miss a shot attempt while grabbing 7 rebounds, 5 being on the offensive end. From the opening tip off you knew that Andernacht was going to be a constant all game long. She was causing all sorts of mayhem from the jump and that's something you love to see! Players who WANT it. When you have this type of play near the bucket, it makes you feel good as a coach. Andernacht has proven over and over this Winter that she is a reliable individual as a prospect so I'm sure this team will lean into that more and more in the future as her career progresses on.     The leading assisting prospect from this group this weekend was 2027 - [player_tooltip player_id='644557' first='Ari' last='Phillips']. Phillips finished things off with five assists to her fellow teammates. Not only did she lead the Dragons in assists in total, she also recorded zero turnovers in the process. She kept her defenders on skates, getting into the teeth of the defense at Will. She also did a great job of pushing the tempo off of rebounds down the floor. This kept the defense off-guard, allowing the Dragons to do whatever they wanted. This is exactly what you want out of your skilled guards. You want someone you can trust, that won't turn over the ball down the stretch. The reality of this situation is that this group has multiple players that they can trust at this position to do some productive work without error. It just depends on who wants to show up and be dominant that specific contest. This was a good showing yet again for the Dragons. Now they will work off of this momentum as they continue to press on.     Another prospect that impressed everyone watching at this event was [player_tooltip player_id='889547' first='Molly' last='Wise'] at the CG position. Wise plays solid basketball. We have seen her compete over the years making tough shots, playing sound defense, while being a team player in every definition of the phrase. Wise did well locking in on the defensive side of the ball for this showdown. She worked extremely hard to blast through screens, she contested with a hand up and short choppy steps on the outside, and she wasn't afraid to crash the boards hard when the opportunities presented themselves. Pender had too much fire power when it came down to the second half but this was a good game for St. Albert to get under their belts. It will help them be better in the long run and that's all you want right now if you are this coaching staff.

This weekend a few teams out of Iowa went to Creighton University to compete against some of the top teams within Nebraska. Throughout the day we saw some battles at all positions.