Northern Illinois Shooters: Part 1

This article is the first of many where I will highlight different prospects across Central and Northern Illinois, categorized in various aspects of the game. Many of you have seen Don Halling’s series of articles in Southern Illinois, and this will be similar. I will put out a tweet in advance asking for players to consider for the articles, so be on the lookout for those! First off, here are some high-quality shooters from the Central and Northern parts of Illinois: <strong>2021 Dionna Brooks, 5’7” Guard, De La Salle</strong> The Class 3A Three-Point Shootout State Champion capped off a nice Junior season in the best way possible. Brooks is a strong and smart off-ball Guard with a shooters mentality and terrific work ethic. <strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="123420" first="Addy" last="Curry"], 5’1” Guard, Westinghouse</strong> Perhaps a little lesser known than most on this list, Curry sank an impressive 112 three pointers during her Junior season at Westinghouse. The quick ball-handler can pull up and hit deep shots off the bounce, and knows how to get open so teammates can find her for clean looks. <strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="148139" first="Ava" last="Gugliuzza"], 5’7” Guard, Lincoln-Way West</strong> One of the states best Freshman, Ava knocked down an incredible 115 shots from beyond the three point line, and shot the ball 48% from deep for the season. She’s a smart player who moves well without the ball, and as her Freshman season went on, showed the ability take the ball inside and convert at the hoop when the opportunity prevented itself. <strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="123572" first="Tara" last="Gugliuzza"], 5’8” Guard, Lincoln-Way West</strong> Tara has been one of the most dangerous three-point shooters in the state her entire high school career, and her Junior season was no let-down, shooting the ball at 42% from beyond the arc. She’s a strong ball-handler who takes what the defense gives her and plays a nice, disciplined game on the defensive end. <strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="78810" first="Whitney" last="Dunn"], 5’8” Guard, Kenwood</strong> Dunn was a breakout star during her Sophomore season at Kenwood, helping the team to one of their best finishes in team history. Whitney shoots the ball with confidence at a high rate anywhere beyond the three-point line. Her ability to attack the lane became another strength of hers this year, making her a very dynamic player on offense. <strong>2021 Emily Brenneisen, 5’10” Guard, Sacred Heart-Griffin</strong> Brenneisen is a well-rounded player who can score the ball in several ways. She has a very smooth and consistent three-point shot that she can hit from deep. She’s a strong ball-handler and isn’t afraid to pull up and shoot over defenders. In addition to being a great shooter, Emily does a nice job scoring inside with excellent touch. <strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="148148" first="Lexi" last="Salazar"], 5’7” Guard, Plainfield North </strong> After spending her Freshman season at Montini, Lexi will play her Sophomore season at Plainfield North where she will show off her dynamic scoring abilities. The shifty ball-handler can hit shots from everywhere using a variety of moves to create space for herself. Salazar can also get by most defenders with her quickness and make eye-opening plays all over the court. <strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="148159" first="Natasha" last="Barnes"], 5’9” Guard, Lindblom</strong> Barnes is a strong Freshman with a pure jump shot. She has a great understanding of the offense, knowing where she needs to be so her teammates can set her up. Aside from her jumper, Natasha has shown solid flashes of driving to the basket and using her strength to finish in traffic. <strong>2022 Ava Bardic, 5’8” Guard, Stevenson</strong> Bardic made a terrific contribution to a really good Stevenson team her Sophomore season. She has a talent for getting herself open so teammates can find her and isn’t afraid to hit jump shots off the bounce. Aside from being a strong shooter, Ava is consistently giving 100% effort and making winning plays for her team. <strong>2023 Alyssa Hughes, 5’5” Guard, St. Charles North </strong> Alyssa has a very well-rounded game and brought a lot of attention to herself during her Freshman season. She’s incredibly dynamic on offense with her ability knock down shots from anywhere and score inside. She’s got great athleticism to get by defenders and uses above-average court vision to set her teammates up for easy buckets. <strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="123414" first="Ellie" last="Wisner"], 5’10” Guard, Neuqua Valley</strong> Wisner is a lengthy and athletic shooter who uses a long but quick shooting motion to get shots off over defenders. She’s a skilled ball-handler who can shoot off the dribble, and also knock down shots well beyond the three-point line. Ellie can play the 1-3 very well with her impressive offensive skill set.