PGH Illinois Don’s Film Room Session 1

In this series I will be watching game or highlight film sent to me by players and giving a quick evaluation of their game/skills. [player_tooltip player_id="148170" first="Haley" last="Ottenschnieder"] is a 5’7 2023 Wing from Breese Central and Midwest United. Haley is recovering from an early summer AAU knee injury and is 5 months into the process, so we wish her well. She is simply a scorer. Some people have the knack for certain things, Haley has a knack for finding a way to get the ball in the basket. She is very patient off the dribble which allows her to find her spot. Haley is not intimidated by shot blockers and will often end up at the foul line by using her pivot foot and body to get them out of position and force them to foul her. [player_tooltip player_id="148169" first="Sophia" last="Loden"] is a 5’11 2023 Wing from Mascoutah and the St. Louis Phenom. Sophia has put in countless hours over the past 18 months to improve her game. She has come from a middle school post player to a developing high school school wing with definite college potential. For some reason the ball just tends to find Sophia so she has a knack for offensive rebounds which is a nice weapon to have in a wing player. Her outside shot has improved with focus on form and good balance in her base. Sophia continues to focus on her ball handling and game off the bounce which is her next level to improve. [player_tooltip player_id="148174" first="Briley" last="Rhodes"] is a 5’3 2023 Guard from Okawville and the SI Hawks. Briley is a shooter than can hit from behind the 3-point line with consistency. She is strong in her lower body which allows her to play through contact and play bigger than her 5’3 frame. Two things about her game are critical to her scoring ability. First, she does a good job of getting the ball into the pocket and ready to shoot either off the catch or the dribble she is quickly in her spot with her wrist cocked and ready to fire. Second, she attacks the basket without fear. It is not often that a 5’3 freshman guard comes into varsity ball not afraid of the shot blockers, but Briley goes at them without hesitation. [player_tooltip player_id="160152" first="Alyssa" last="Cole"] is a 5’9 2022 Wing from Nashville and the Saints select club. Alyssa is another player that has put in the time to transform her game from middle school post player to high school wing. She has become what I like to call a power wing. Alyssa can post up smaller players but can beat the bigger players off the dribble. In addition Alyssa has really improved her outside shooting to the point where she is a real consistent threat behind the 3-point line. An additional benefit to having Alyssa on your team is her ability to rebound from the wing spot. Lily Tanner is a 6’0 2022 Forward from Pinckneyville. Lily is a long stretch 4 type of a player that shows good agility in tight situations and runs the floor well. She has a nice shot that she can hit off the catch from deep or off the bounce in the mid range. When Lily gets the ball in the paint she can move in tight spaces and finish with either hand. On defense she shows the ability to step out on and slow down guards off the popular high ball screen offenses. Lily is a multi dimensional player that would be an excellent fit for smaller colleges and may be able to work herself up a level too. Denver Anderson is a 5’11 2024 Wing from Mt. Zion and Indiana Elite Havoc. Denver is another exciting young player that is transitioning from playing inside in her younger days to becoming more of a wing in high school. She has deep range on her jumper out past the three point line and will fire it from that distance with confidence. Denver is a good athlete that runs the floor well and can finish in transition. Being a bigger guard she will rebound well for the position and can also score inside against smaller players. This is one to watch over the next few years as she has D1 potential. [player_tooltip player_id="203250" first="Katy" last="Ramage"] is a 5’10 2023 Wing from Metamora and Fusion Basketball Academy. Katy is a long and talented left handed wing that can flat out fill it up. She has a smooth stroke and a strong lower half that allows her to be very efficient and accurate when shooting the ball. Katy can get to the rim and finish through or around defenders. One attribute that is also very impressive is her ability to twist and turn her body to get off shots on the move or in the lane. Sometimes that is as simple as a turnaround jumper, sometimes there is some fall away to it, sometimes she is twisting and falling down on the move flying through the lane. Katy is an athlete that excels in softball too so she is still developing her basketball talent. She has D1 ability if basketball is her focus. [player_tooltip player_id="203071" first="Sam" last="Lindhorst"] is a 5’8 2023 Wing from Waterloo and Blue Star St. Louis. Sam is a talented player that was an immediate impact player for Waterloo as a freshman. Playing in a tough 3A conference teaches you many lessons as does playing with one of the better 2023 AAU teams in the Midwest. Sam can shoot the ball when she has room and is a player that goes 100% all the time. With improved ball handling and continued hard work Sam has a chance to be nice wing player at the D3/NAIA level. Emma Rush is a 5'7 2021 Guard from Vienna. Emma has a great shot that she can hit from all over the floor. She has the ability to get really hot from behind the arc which forces defenders to play up on her. When that happens, it means trouble. Emma is very good at one or two dribbles into a mid range jumper. If there is one area of her game I admire most, that is it. She will just kill a defense hitting 8-15 foot jumpers all night long. Emma is a kid that works hard and seeks to get better by seeking advice and being willing to get in the gym to improve. She comes from a small school so many colleges outside of the deep southern Illinois area might not be familiar with her, but she is a good get for a JC/D3/NAIA program. Ayva Rush is a 5'3 2025 Point Guard from Vienna and Bradley Beal Elite. Ayva is clearly a very talented young guard that shows her ability right away in her highlight film to shoot and handle the ball. But, to the trained eye the subtle ways she uses her dribble and body are even more impressive. Ayva has already learned to cut off the angle of her defender once she has got her first step by the defender on a dribble drive. On her second step you see her change direction to cut off the recovery angle and then she will pop a pull up jumper that cannot be stopped without fouling. Ayva sets up dribble moves by influencing to one side and then changing direction with an around the back or cross over to change direction. These are plays beyond her years. Ayva will be fun to watch as she grows and develops.   There will be more evaluations to come over the weekend including many Chicago area kids that reached out looking for some feedback.