Cardinal Classic: Impactful Interior Players

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This article highlights some of the players who made a major impact in the post at the KABC Cardinal Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["913408"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3715f34dbba"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amauri displayed sheer dominance in the games I watched. She was a dawg in the paint and her size and strength overwhelmed opposing teams. Amauri made the most of her touches inside, scoring through contact with ease and was nearly automatic once she gained deep post position. She was a brick wall on defense and showcased her rim-protecting ability with several emphatic blocks. Her presence alone made opposing players think twice before driving to the basket. Amauri also dominated the boards on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["747650"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a37208b2c056"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Skeeter looked good as the primary ball handler, showing she can initiate the offense and make plays with the ball in her hands. What stood out to me even more, was the work she did inside. Skeeter did an excellent job sealing defenders and making herself an easy target for post-entry passes. She demonstrated quality footwork and a deep bag of post moves as well. Her size and versatility really makes her a tough matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1139678"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3719f094bc0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was good to see Shaq Amis back in action at the Cardinal Classic. She is a very skilled big who moves well for her size and provides a physical presence in the paint on both offense and defense. Shaq flashed a pillow-soft shooting touch and showed the ability to knock down short jumpers while also doing plenty of damage from the low block. She is also a force on the glass, and has good timing as a shot blocker. Shaq looks poised to be the centerpiece for a Hazard squad that is my early favorite to come out of the 14th Region this upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["899749"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3b09519eed2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Abigail seemed to still be getting her feet back under her, but her size and skill set were still hard to miss. She is very mobile for her size and does a great job getting up and down the floor. Abigail is a willing rebounder and knows how to use her length to keep the ball high. She also has the ability to stretch the defense with her three-point shooting, creating space for her teammates to operate. Abigail looks like she will be a strong complement at the 5-spot for MoCo as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Lucca Smith","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2031","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12120","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Highlands","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Next Level 15U 3SSB","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3719f094e83"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The future is bright for this Highlands program if they can keep this young nucleus they have intact. One of their key building pieces is Lucca Smith. A true post player with good size for her age and already possesses several traits that make her intriguing young prospect. She impressively agile for her size and showed the ability to guard on the perimeter with quick feet and close quickly with high hands. It's still very early in her development, but I definitely see some upside there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->