Brooks' Notebook: Day Three - EYBL Bracket Play

It was Day Three of Nike TOC/Nike EYBL Nationals and we were back at McCormick Place watching some of the best teams in the Country as they compete for a National Title at their age-level.   Below we highlight some of the top prospects that stood out while spectating EYBL Bracket Play throughout the day.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    "Knox is a handful. A strong and deliberate CG at 5'8, who gets to any spots she wants on the offensive end once she gets down hill and it doesn't take much to make that happen. Knox has been the offensive force for the Carolina Hornets 17U EYCL team today. She started things off by getting all the way to the bucket off their half court offense and she continued to follow that with more takes into the teeth of the defense so that she could create in one way or another."     "First seeing Bryant as I walked past the court today and I originally thought she was going to be a PF, that moved away from the basket because of her athletic ability but once the ball was tipped, she started to show her dominance out of the Post more than anywhere else. It wasn't like her team was necessarily setting things up for her either but more-so that she was creating her own opportunities near the bucket. She started off with a strong and impressive back-to-the-basket turn around and never looks back from there the rest of the game."     "Been impressed with Libby Preuss of AIA 16U EYCL today. A quick thinking and quick acting PG, who has the ball on a string with a selfless passing ability. She always has her head up, looking for open teammates both in the half court and in transition. Whenever she has been in the game she has been starting all of her team's actions on the offensive end and that has helped them to a 20 point lead here in the fourth. Preuss will be a dominating force this Winter at Independence High School so I'm sure this won't be the last time you see her name out of the state of Iowa."     "Edwards came off the bench in this game and played impactful minutes in the middle of the floor against the opposition's zone defense. Edwards was in charge of working the high-low situation in the middle, while being a top notch passing threat whenever she caught at the middle of the free throw line. She did a great job of squaring herself to the hoop every time she caught in the middle, making herself a credible scoring option near the top of the lane that the defense had to worry about. There were a few moments where the defense fell asleep and this let Edwards cook with her time on the floor."     "A hooper that can be your floor general as a PG. She can handle, deal with pressure, and still set up all of the teammates around her for success as a distributor. That's a D1 ability. Her defensive prowess is noteworthy and stands out with how much chaos she can create in both the half and full courts. There is a lot to like out of Pavia knowing that she is only a 2029 playing up two grade levels on a dominant 17U EYBL team."     "Odame has stayed consistent trying to attack the defense into making a decision so that she can get to the bucket for a finish or so she can make the defense close down, leading to a pass to the outside for an assist. She mainly has been attacking off of the Wing position as a SG coming down the floor and she has even attacked off the dribble after putting it on the ground behind the three point line. She is listed in the system as a SF but with this time and how she is playing, she seems like more a SG/CG when she is paired with other lengthy and able prospects."     "We might not of seen Williams making big buckets as a scoring threat in this game but she was passing the ball at ELITE rates down the floor every chance that she could. Williams made 3/4 passes today throughout her contest that made everyone watching say, "ohhh, it's like that." There was one specific one handed pass, the entire length of the court, which was converted for an easy layup, that stood out and a few others which were somewhat similar."     "Cavin has a great touch on the basketball and a better than average feel for the game as a 6'0 SG. She can light it up from deep off the catch or dribble and she is also able to put the rock on the floor when the defense is jumping at all of her shot fakes. Cavin has slipped through the defense a few times already today within the first quarter, ultimately finishing at the bucket with some English as she is being contested."     "This is a really nice player at the PG position. Dillard is so fast that she is impossible to stay in front of with her handle and she pairs that with pound-for-pound athletic ability. She has a better than average feel for the game, always playing on attack mode on both sides of the ball. She is one of those PG's that can make a lot of things happen and we haven't even touched on her next level scoring ability. The feel she has for the ball in her possession is special and she is only going to get better with time/experience."     "Absolutely LOVING what I am seeing from Ali Aguirre today and frankly - this entire weekend so far. Aguirre is one of her AIA EYBL team's forces in the middle and she has been killing it in that regard. If she doesn't get the rock on these deep post-up's then she will move to the outside. I think what I've liked the most is the activity from Aguirre. She is moving NON stop offensively and it's causing the other team a ton of trouble as they try to contain her. This type of movement doesn't just help Aguirre as an individual, it open's up their spacing on the floor as a team and that leads to big gaps within the defense that they can attack."     "There are some players out there that have such elite size that they have to be dealt with by the opposing team right away. If not, they will average 40 and 40 at halftime over every game of their basketball careers. Someone with this type of size is Forbes and not only does Forbes have height (6'7) - she has touch, balance, coordinated footwork, and patience. She has been too much for North Tartan EYBL 17U to deal with today. She even stepped out in the first half to shoot a couple of three pointers from deep, which all looked REALLY good coming off of her hand. If she starts hitting shots like that from distance off of her screening actions, she might end up as a potential college POTY one day at the next level."     "One of the best overall players that I have seen at the Guard position at this event. Smart, quick reaction times, natural ability to make a play in small spaces or when time is winding down, all while being very calculated as an attacking threat. She can handle and convert at the bucket at an ELITE rate and she isn't afraid to pass it once she is being overplayed by the defense."     "From a recruitment standpoint this is someone to keep an eye on as a potential D1 candidate. Crawford is a lengthy PF, that moves really well with the ball in her possession. So well that I don't believe she is primarily a PF when other good players are placed around her. If anything she would be a SF with how she can rotate the ball, attack off the dribble, pass, and screen away in real time. Cy Fair 17U is always a top program throughout the Country on the EYBL level and Crawford might be able to turn out to be one of their best when everything is said and done."     "Palmer is a beast. Great size combined with strength and noteworthy muscle mass. She is a mismatch nightmare for most who step to her under the bucket with her versatility. If someone is too big, she can bring them out and attack off the bounce. If they are too small, she can go right into the Post and finish in every which way. She has taken over in this second half for Philly Rise EYBL 17U as they look to make it to the Semi's at Nike Nationals."

It was Day Three of Nike TOC/Nike EYBL Nationals and we were back at McCormick Place watching some of the best teams in the Country as they compete for a National Title at their age-level.