The REAL Deal: Train and Play Shout-Outs Pt 2

Sunday night, I headed to Mount Pleasant for [program_tooltip program_id='713450' first='REAL' last=''] Individual Train and Play to evaluate prospects from Mid-Michigan. The skill-training and game format creates the ideal environment for me to evaluate as a scout. I have the opportunity to see how competent athletes are at performing various fundamental skills, while also having the chance to see the girls compete in a 5v5 game setting. Here are four prospects who stood out during the session:    Vanessa looked ambidextrous at REAL Train and Play. Her balance, sharp handles, touch in traffic, and accuracy from beyond the arc stood out. Vanessa started strong in the drills. She sank a smooth corner three and moved the ball quickly through her legs, while maintaining eye contact with the rim. In games, Vanessa continued to impress. She swished a step-through floater in the lane with her off hand and dropped in another left-handed floater off a swift spin move on a drive. Vanessa drained a mid-corner three, made great kick out passes with her right and left, dished out assists, and kept her hands active to create steals on defense. She had a very productive freshman year and looks ready for an even bigger sophomore campaign.     Quyncee was the newcomer of the day at REAL Train and Play. She caught my attention immediately during the drills. Quyncee was very accurate and comfortable shooting off the dribble. She drained a wing three and knocked down consecutive jumpers from the wing and free throw line off reverse between-the-legs dribbles. In games, Quyncee was an effective facilitator and a dynamic downhill scorer. She finished off two, changed lanes with a shifty between-the-legs combo dribble to get by her defender, then went by for a layup. Quyncee slashed to the hoop for multiple layups including a tough, stretch finish in traffic. She used her body to shield the ball, was comfortable handling it with either hand, and threw strong kickout passes on a rope to perimeter shooters for assists. Quyncee attacked straight to the rim off a DHO and went up strong to cause a foul, then buried her free throw. She reached in with a fast hand to poke the ball away for a steal, timed up a shot for a block, and delivered entry passes into the post with great touch. She'll be an exciting point guard to watch at Evart this winter.     Sophie is a dual-threat scorer who adds a scrappy presence on the defensive end. She demonstrated her outside range by sinking two corner threes in the games, catching passes ready to shoot with her feet set. Sophie crashed the glass to secure offensive rebounds, created a turnover by deflecting the ball on defense with her quick hands, and attacked downhill with determination. She earned a trip to the line after a hard drive and knocked down the free throw. Her highlight play happened after freezing a defender with a shot fake in the corner, splitting the gap, then scoring a tough layup through heavy contact on her way to the floor. She made smart extra passes and had a solid all-around performance. Sophie will be an asset in the backcourt for Mount Pleasant this winter.     Abby is a quick and skilled guard who made a great first impression at REAL Train and Play. She has a sharp, tight handle of the ball and switched hands with ease, scanning the floor to find open teammates. Abby has a burst off the bounce, and her uptempo pushouts in the open court create transition scoring opportunities. She chased down an offensive rebound and drained a smooth pull-up jumper from the wing. Abby protected the ball with her body against pressure and demonstrated smart instincts on both ends. Abby filled open space on the perimeter, constantly moving, and picked off a pass from the help side on defense. She'll be a member of the Mount Pleasant backcourt to have on your radar.

Sunday night, I headed to Mount Pleasant for REAL Individual Train and Play to evaluate prospects from Mid-Michigan. The skill-training and game format creates the ideal environment for me to evaluate as a scout. I have the opportunity to see how competent athletes are at performing various fundamental skills, while also having the chance to see the girls compete in a 5v5 game setting. Here are four prospects who stood out during the session: