PGH IL Sophomore ID Camp: Team 6 Evaluations

This year's Sophomore ID camp showcased some of the best up-and-coming talent in the state of Illinois for the class of 2029. Players were given the afternoon to showcase their skills in 3x3 and 5x5 matchups; largely paired up with players whom they haven't played with before. Here's a recap of Team 6, and how they performed at this Sunday's event; listed in alphabetical order.    Haley was a consistent threat for her team on Sunday, pouring in shots from deep and midrange in her three games.   Haley has some tremendous ballhandling abilities, and her teammates seem to trust her to handle bringing the ball up the floor. She has great court vision and a strong ability to distribute to open teammates.   Haley also has a confident 3-point shot, and can bury a deep ball when she finds an opening. She made at least one 3-pointer in each game.   Haley tells me that she's been working on different moves, and ways to create space. And she takes pride in her ability to drive the basket and create shots.     Isabel put on a tremendous scoring showcase during this weekend's event. One of the top scorers of the weekend, she has a deep well of skills to draw from.   She showed an innate ability to score at all 3 levels; she goes hard to the cup and can make contested layups. And she never hesitates to pull the trigger on an open 3-pointer. In one game, she capitalized on a heat check, scoring 8 straight points in the midst of a 12-point showing.   Isabel scored at least two 3-pointers in each of her team's games. She tells me that she's focusing on getting downhill and finishing from different angles.     Juliette has a well-rounded game. She can dribble and distribute the ball well; and seems very comfortable with the ball in her hands. Her footwork can put the defense on skates, allowing her to find create ways to get to the basket.   Duff can score when she needs to, or be a passer when she has an open teammate. Her athleticism is evident, even when she doesn't convert the basket.   Julliette says she's improved a lot over the years in being a strong role player, and working on her basketball IQ.     Ella is around a lot of talented basketball players, playing on a very skilled [program_tooltip program_id='871458' first='Illinois' last='Spartans'] AAU team, and competing for a spot on Loyola Academy's elite varsity program. So as she develops as a player, she has a chance to learn from some of the best in the state.   She has a confident stroke on her 3-pointers, and even if she misses a couple shots, she keeps her confidence in pulling up on her signature shot. And she has the skillset to also drive to the basket and draw an and-1 opportunity.   Ella says she wants people to notice her shotmaking abilities, and her teamwork.     Haylie's confidence and skill seemed to only grow as the day went on. She's got a great nose for the ball, and capitalizes on a lot of rebounds and putbacks.   Haylie is tough as nails in the paint, with an ability to disrupt shots and wrestle away rebounds. She scored 9 points in her final game of the weekend, largely aided by her work fighting for second-chance shots.   Haylie has an all-around skillset, where she's also capable of bringing the ball up the floor when she needs to. She tells me that she enjoys being a leader on and off the court. She started varsity for University High last season, and is an up-and-comer for the class of 2029.     Natalie is a very impressive player, who can surprise you with her wide skillset. She's a dominant force in the post, but can knock down deep shots as well.   Natalie says that she enjoys being a post player. And at 5'10, she is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. She can make baskets against heavy pressure, she gets some ferocious blocks, and with the amount of rebounds she pulls down, she'll be a constant double-double threat.   Natalie has great hands, and won't let anything past her on the glass. But she's an amazing 3-level player who has a sweet stroke from behind the arc. And in her second game of the day, she knocked down a deep 2-point shot at the buzzer to give her team a 41-40 win.   Natalie tells me that she enjoys playing in the post because it gives her a chance to score, but also to kick the ball out to open teammates when she gets double-teamed.     Addison has a broad range of abilities that show up on both ends of the floor. She's got tremendous dribbling skills-with a knack for working out of high-pressure situations And she can distribute the ball well.   On defense, she's a pest who disrupts the dribbler and can force turnovers in the open court.   Addison takes pride in her defense and ball-handling, and hopes people take notice of how aggressive she can be on both ends of the floor.     Katara was without a doubt, one of the best players in the building on Sunday. This is a girl who has it all: a quick trigger on 3-pointers, a strong dribble-drive, and a nice midrange jumper.   Katara has the size and length to fight for rebounds, and she can really capitalize with buckets off of putbacks. She's got a great vertical, and has the hang-time to get a rebound and putback before her feet hit the floor.   In her second game of the day, Katara came up with a huge block on the arc. Her length puts her at an enormous advantage when she's playing defense. She can be a shot-blocker, and is aggressive when fighting for rebounds. She can rip the ball away from her opponent and plays great defense as a whole.   I didn't see an aspect of the game that Katara didn't do well. She should be high on the wish list of colleges for the class of 2029.

This year's Sophomore ID camp showcased some of the best up-and-coming talent in the state of Illinois for the class of 2029. Players were given the afternoon to showcase their skills in 3x3 and 5x5 matchups; largely paired up with players whom they haven't played with before. Here's a recap of Team 6, and how they performed at this Sunday's event; listed in alphabetical order.