Battle of New York: New Faces Who Stood Out

At the "Battle of New York," held at Impact Athletic Center, many of the top high school teams from the Capital Region, Syracuse, New York City, and even Vermont and New Hampshire were in the house for an exciting weekend of girls' hoops. Nearly every top prospect within driving distance was in action, but several players who had not been on my radar were impressive. Here is a review of some new faces who stood out at the "Battle of New York."    [player_tooltip player_id='1897965' first='Dylan' last='Dechant'] and her Ballston Spa team played in the first game that I watched. I had not seen Dechant play before, but her talent commanded my attention right away. She is an outstanding shooter from beyond the arc with deep range. Dechant squares her feet well and has a smooth, quick release. She is a solid ballhandler with excellent court vision who understands how to find her teammates for easy buckets. Dechant is also a strong defender who creates multiple steals a game.     [player_tooltip player_id='1897995' first='Skye' last='Pratt'] was playing for Pelham at this event, and I saw her play against Ballston Spa. Pratt is the textbook definition of a slasher. Although she can knock down jumpers from beyond the arc and the midrange, breaking down the defense to get to the basket is her strength. Pratt is elite off the dribble and a consistent finisher at the rim. She is aggressive on the boards at both ends of the floor. Pratt is also a talented defender who uses her athleticism to disrupt an offense. Remarkably, she is only a rising freshman with her advanced ability level.     When I first started watching Holy Names play I didn't recognize [player_tooltip player_id='1897971' first='Sammi' last='Knapp']. Then I was informed she transferred from Shaker to Holy Names. It won't take long for Knapp to make an impact. She put on an impressive show. Knapp is a lethal outside shooter. Knapp can knock down the 3-point shot with unlimited range. She is very good with the dribble and strong to the bucket. Knapp always plays downhill and with a high motor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1897972' first='Jillian' last='Ogburn'] is a name that will be known around the Capital Region very soon. Ogburn is a pure scorer who can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways. She is a three-level scorer who has unlimited 3-point range, has a smooth touch in the midrange, and can get to the bucket off the dribble. She is especially good from the baseline and elbow. Ogburn has an excellent floater game. He court vision and passion abilty is elite, both in half-court sets and transition. The sky is the limit for Ogburn, who I expect to see play a key role for the Blue Bison in the future.     [player_tooltip player_id='1897980' first='Brooke' last='Green'] may only be a sophomore but plays at a level above her years. I saw Green and her Pelham teammates in action against a very good Holy Names sqaud and she was impressive. Green is listed as a power forward, but she is a very versatile player. Green is nearly automatic when she catches the ball deep on the block. She is a powerful offensive rebounder who uses putbacks to add to her points total. Green is a very good ballhandler and can attack the rim off the dribble or in transition. She has oustanding anticipation on defense and creates havoc for opponents.

At the "Battle of New York," held at Impact Athletic Center, many of the top high school teams from the Capital Region, Syracuse, New York City, and even Vermont and New Hampshire were in the house for an exciting weekend of girls' hoops. Nearly every top prospect within driving distance was in action, but several players who had not been on my radar were impressive. Here is a review of some new faces who stood out at the "Battle of New York."