The Expo’s Highest-IQ Offensive Threats

Whether she was turning defense into offense, repeatedly slashing to the hoop and drawing the foul, or hitting a high-arcing three, each of these five intriguing prospects from the Class of 2028 made their mark at The Expo in Plainfield, Illinois this past weekend. Here are the players whose basketball IQ translated into offensive production. For more players who stood out at The Expo, read about the <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/09/undersized-but-outsized-impact-who-stood-out-at-the-expo/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/09/undersized-but-outsized-impact-who-stood-out-at-the-expo/">top undersized guards who made an outsized impact</a>.    There were stretches where watching Cooper attack the basket felt like watching the same scene on repeat: drive, finish or draw the foul, and do it all over again. She was the primary ballhandler on her team and clearly the best player on the floor for much of the time she played, but she also wasn't selfish. Her distribution skills for a player of her size are special. Cooper also played a solid two-way game, using her length to disrupt passing lanes with her hands. The next step in Cooper's development is calling an offensive play for the rest of her team and using herself as a decoy to get others open. She's good enough as a primary ballhandler to draw that type of attention and I can't wait to see her grow in the coming year.     A monstrous rebounder who can thunder down the court, Wellington played like a force to be reckoned with. She often drew multiple defenders and could seamlessly pass the ball to the corner for the easy assist. Wellington ate up her opponents on the glass and made multiple blocks and steals in traffic. She did an especially good job keeping her eyes up in transition which allowed her to turn her outstanding defense into easy offense. Cutting down on unforced errors and playing within her offensive strengths rather than trying to do it all is the next step in this fierce player's development.     Crudele brought a cerebral element to the floor, particularly in the way she seemed to understand where the next play was developing even when she wasn't the one controlling the ball. Her court vision, even when she wasn't the main ball-handler, was impressive. She can stretch the floor with both the three and the long two, and showed she has the ability to heat up from the perimeter. It was fun watching her play some two-(wo)man offense with Cooper (featured above) near the end of the game. Tightening up her rebounding fundamentals and staying locked in on box-outs will help Crudele avoid unnecessary fouls and be the next piece of the puzzle for her game.     Arstikaitis showed that good offense isn't always about taking the first good shot available. She swished several from deep, but some of her best possessions came when she recognized an even better opportunity developing and delivered the ball to a teammate for an easier look. She was similarly effective as a facilitator on out-of-bounds plays as well as an offensive rebounder, collecting easy points near the basket. Overall, Arstikaitis put together a composed and well-rounded showing.     Munson's combination of body awareness and basketball IQ made her an intriguing presence on the floor. I wrote next to her name “smart basketball player" then ✅ ✅ multiple times. Munson was comfortable attacking downhill and when she didn't score, was fouled more than was called. She also hit a handful of very pretty high-arching threes. There's a lot to like in the way she processes the game and Munson showed flashes of a game that can continue to expand in her junior year.

Whether she was turning defense into offense, repeatedly slashing to the hoop and drawing the foul, or hitting a high-arcing three, each of these five intriguing prospects from the Class of 2028 made their mark at The Expo in Plainfield, Illinois this past weekend. Here are the players whose basketball IQ translated into offensive production. For more players who stood out at The Expo, read about the top undersized guards who made an outsized impact.