The Compound Fall League Standouts Pt 1

On Sunday morning, I headed out to Utica for The Compound Fall League. Game one was a dominant demonstration by Eisenhower that demonstrated why they are the top team to beat in the MAC and a contender to make it back to the Breslin Center for a second straight year. They put up 79 in the victory. I've chosen to include five players from Eisenhower who each contributed mightilty in the win, while also adding a promising newcomer from Utica Ford who could be a solid addition to a college program.    Megan showed all the versatility at The Compound Fall League that makes her a Swiss Army knife prospect who has an inside-outside game opponents struggle to match up against. Her tenacity on the glass gave Eisenhower a rebounding advantage. Megan ripped the ball away multiple times to create second-chance points and scored strong putbacks off two feet. She caught a pass with her back to the basket and used an effective forward pivot, then stepped through to score a tough, contested finish. Megan swiped the ball away and made the extra pass for an assist, secured an offensive rebound, attacked down the baseline, switched hands at the rim, then scored a smooth reverse finish with her left. Megan shot the ball confidently from the outside and drained an open three from the wing. She's poised for a huge junior year.     Lyla was solid and steady for Eisenhower at The Compound Fall League. She made an impact on both ends of the court, and that caught my attention during the game. She knocked down a mid-range jumper and was very effective off dribble penetration. Lyla slashed to the hoop for multiple buckets, made a nice transfer off a basket cut to convert a left-handed layup off two feet, and turned the corner immediately off a DHO to score a speedy drive-by layup with a burst. Her fast feet and relentless full-court pressure gave opposing ball-handlers fits. Lyla beat the ball to the spot and forced a travel violation. She's going to have a breakout sophomore season as an important member of the rotation at Eisenhower.     Leah is a guard who stuffs the stat sheet, has prototypical length, has another gear off the dribble, and can play facilitator, scorer, rebounder, and defensive playmaker. She was an impact player for Eisenhower at The Compound Fall League. Leah sprinted in to secure many rebounds on both ends of the court and showed off her athleticism by elevating way up into the air to high-point an offensive rebound in a crowd. She anticipated a pass on the perimeter, picked it off, and turned on the afterburners to score a fast-break bucket with her left hand. She accelerated down the baseline and side-stepped the final defender to score a soft finish off the glass, split the gap to score a drive-by layup, and attacked hard downhill to score a stretch finish.     Games don't always go according to plan. Regardless of the outcome, Lia managed to leave a lasting impression during her game for Utica Ford at The Compond Fall League. She was an effective court general and showed me her potential to be a productive point guard at the next level. Lia led her team as a rebounder. She sprinted in to secure many rebounds on both ends, and scored a contested layup after grabbing an offensive board. She generated steals and maintained her poise in the backcourt, switching hands effectively under pressure to escape traps and break the press. Lia got to the second level of the defense using her quick dribble and kicked the ball out to open teammates on the perimeter for assists. She slashed to the basket, forced the help to commit, then dished out a great bounce pass down low for an assist. Lia scored a tough, scoop finish in traffic high off the window after a determined drive and took the ball hard to the basket again down the baseline to score with a crafty inside hand finish. She made smart backdoor cuts to cause fouls and ripped the ball aggressively to protect it from being tied up. Lia is currently undecided, but has an interest in business management.     Madison gave Eisenhower a spark at The Compound Fall League with her poise, rebounding, and presence as a facilitator. Madison penetrated with her dribble, collapsed the help, then dished out an assist. She scanned the court and distributed multiple assists to the open girl after getting to the second level of the defense. Madison was active on the boards and fired a rocket bounce pass through a small window to hit a sprinting teammate in stride during a fast break. She took a defensive rebound up the floor with pace, snapped the ball behind her back to create space at the free throw line, and buried the open jumper. Madison is a multidimensional player whose ability to make the right play and contribute in multiple categories makes everyone better.     Janielle filled up my notebook during her game for Eisenhower at The Compound Fall League. I didn't realize she scored 38 points until later in the day. Janielle dominated in all phases of the game and played with a competitive edge/swagger that separated her on the court. Janielle sprinted in to score putbacks with her right and left; she scored many layups efficiently off two feet using both hands throughout the game. She used a power dribble and physically asserted herself in the paint to score a strong drop step finish off two feet. Janielle made the hustle plays on defense and applied immense pressure on the perimeter. She took a steal coast to coast and ended the play in style with a fake-pass lefty finish at the rim. Janielle was dialed in from downtown. She drained a silky smooth step back three off the bounce, a triple from the wing off a BLOB, and tripled again from the corner. Janielle was fouled on another three-point attempt and knocked down her free throw. She delivered a monster performance and will be a major factor in the teams success again as a junior.

On Sunday morning, I headed out to Utica for The Compound Fall League. Game one was a dominant demonstration by Eisenhower that demonstrated why they are the top team to beat in the MAC and a contender to make it back to the Breslin Center for a second straight year. They put up 79 in the victory. I've chosen to include five players from Eisenhower who each contributed mightilty in the win, while also adding a promising newcomer from Utica Ford who could be a solid addition to a college program.