The Encore: 16U Shout Outs

Teams flooded the gym from across the Midwest, and college coaches from the region showed up to recruit many talented prospects. I had a blast seeing the prospects from multiple states, and Australia put their best skills on display during the tournament. Here are a few of the 16U prospects who received recognition as Top Performers:    Ellie was a difference-maker for AUSA 16U Trey at The Encore. She ran through a pass to prevent a turnover, went by with a dribble burst on a straight line drive, and finished with a left-handed layup off two feet in traffic. Ellie showed her IQ by directing teammates on the offensive end and knew where the ball needed to go. She celebrated the success of others, high-fiving a teammate after a good defensive play. Ellie slashed through gaps on a drive from the perimeter and went up strong to score a tough, contested layup. She switched hands in the lane to get the scoring angle, and her full-court pressure created steals. Ellie dished out assists and disrupted passing lanes on the defensive end.     Piper gave [program_tooltip program_id='1307580' first='Indy' last='One'] 16U EYCL a spark with her perimeter accuracy at The Encore. She drained multiple catch-and-shoot threes off the hop, making the defense pay for giving her space. Brinley showed her ability to attack off the dribble, driving into traffic, causing a foul, then knocked down both free throws at the line with confidence. She didn't force the issue and took care of the basketball on the offensive end.     Ella turned in a solid showing for [program_tooltip program_id='715993' first='NWI' last='Select'] 16U. She ran through an elevator screen and ripped the net with a deep straightaway three off the catch. Ella used both hands to escape pressure, dished out a sweet no-look pass to get a teammate a wide-open look at the basket, and immediately looked to score in transition after securing defensive rebounds. She finished well at the rim, including a strong and-one layup, then tacked on the free throw to complete the three-point play.     Monay was a playmaker for FEBA Superfriends 16U at The Encore. She worked hard to pressure guards in the backcourt, moving laterally quickly to turn the ball. Monay attacked with a downhill burst to earn trips to the line, and knocked down her free throws. She dropped in a nice floater during a split drive and showed her outside range by sinking a three from the corner.     Avery was a productive playmaker in the backcourt for [program_tooltip program_id='715993' first='NWI' last='Select'] 16U at The Encore. Avery deflected a pass on the perimeter, scooped up the ball for a steal, pushed it the other way with pace, and drove straight to the rim for a speedy finish. She looked to get the posts involved in the half-court offense, knew when to cut backdoor, changed hands well, and used good spin dribbles to create separation. Avery attacked with determination on her drives to earn trips to the line, knocked down free throws, and converted contested layups. She knew when and where to pass the ball against traps, handling pressure with poise. Avery made an impact on both ends of the court.     Lindsey gave Pr1de 16U an edge at The Encore with her gritty presence in the paint and was very productive across multiple facets of the game. She works hard to secure rebounds, finishes well in traffic, goes up strong to cause fouls, and knocks down free throws. Lindsey can pop out to the perimeter and shoot the three or face-up and attack with her dribble. She plays hard on the defensive end and looks ready for a breakout sophomore campaign at Lake Orion.

Teams flooded the gym from across the Midwest, and college coaches from the region showed up to recruit many talented prospects. I had a blast seeing the prospects from multiple states, and Australia put their best skills on display during the tournament. Here are a few of the 16U prospects who received recognition as Top Performers: