Queen of The Nook: Class of ’22

Bash Hudson

April 27, 2021 @ 08:00 AM

Over the weekend, I streamed the "LIVE! At The Nook" tournament hosted by Select Events Basketball in Manheim, Pennsylvania, that featured some of the toughest competition on the East coast. The teams from New England represented well, producing some of the top performances from the weekend. From what I was able to watch over the past few days, my 3-tier pyramid illustrates who the most impactful players, from my estimation, were.   Tier 3:   [player_tooltip player_id="263924" first="Lauren" last="Cho"] - Hopkington/ MA Huskies - 5’9’’ - CG PGH Rank: WL <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Terrific court vision.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">She controls the tempo and pace well.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Under control/takes care of the ball.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Good penetration/finisher at the rim.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Very unselfish.</li> </ul>   [player_tooltip player_id="278066" first="Kayla" last="Tilus"] - Notre Dame of Fairfield/CT Supreme - 5’11’’ - CG PGH Rank: WL <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Long, super athletic wing.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Versatile defender/guard 1-3 easily.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Forces turnovers/very active hands.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">She runs the floor well/extremely dangerous in transition. </li> </ul>   [player_tooltip player_id="278067" first="Lydia" last="Mwamba"] - Hyde (ME)/ Bria Holmes Elite - 6’2’’ - SF PGH Rank: WL <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Excellent spot of shooter/great touch.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Good mid-range + 3-point shooter when contested/easily shoots over the defense.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Versatile defender/can guard 1-4.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Inside/out forward.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">One of the best two-way wings from the weekend.</li> </ul> https://x.com/briaholmeselite/status/1386820048405282823 Tier 2:   [player_tooltip player_id="266690" first="Leanne" last="Wydom"] - Marlboro/Mass Mavericks - 5’11’’ - PF PGH Rank: WL <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-278223" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/hI6IXD6VSUOx9HwJe5KVMA-scaled-crop-1204x791-1619485993-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Wydom was one of the best and consistent offensive bigs from the weekend. She is the only power forward you can run your offense through and trust to keep it flowing. What Wydom did throughout the weekend that I saw no one else do was caught the ball at the high post, turned, faced, and looked to see how the offense would develop. Wydom never rushes, is a willing passer, and when looking to score, she’ll take the easy two points. Whether it be a simple hook shot on the block or burying a mid-range jumper from the elbow because the defense sags off, Wydom simply just made plays. The more I watch Wydom, the more impressed I am, and she was monumental to the Mavericks’ success over the weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id="264770" first="Victoria" last="Morales"] - Proctor Academy/Lady Rivals - 5’7’’ - PG PGH Rank: #31 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/r14B5ylSiCal9gKmFUnTg-scaled-crop-1204x791-1619485964.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-278222" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/r14B5ylSiCal9gKmFUnTg-scaled-crop-1204x791-1619485964-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Morales stood out on a Rivals team that went undefeated over the weekend. She made defenses pay and stretched the floor with her efficient long-range shooting. I thought Morales played her best basketball of the spring thus far, and she was doing so on both sides of the ball. She was committed to rebounding the basketball, which I value from guards. When I see guards battle on the boards and be relentless like Morales was, it shows me how bad you want it. It is hard to find an athlete who played with more fire and tenacity than Morales did, and coupled with her playmaking ability and clutch play down the stretch of some of the games; she proved to be one of the most valuable pieces to the Rivals.   Queen of The Nook: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-278221" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/OEftQSwBRPuU7cHlxoQiVw-scaled-crop-1312x861-1619485937-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />   [player_tooltip player_id="263832" first="Taina" last="Mair"] - Brooks/Lady Rivals - 5’8’’ - PG PGH Rank: #3 There is no one right now on the same planet as the 5’8’’ point guard when it comes to playing basketball. She made it very clear who is the best player from New England when she firs took the court on Friday. Her performance against Bria Holmes Elite specifically was the one that stood out. Going up against one of the best programs in the region, led by a top ’22 player [player_tooltip player_id="263857" first="Aizhanique" last="Mayo"], Mair was surgical with her playmaking and took over the game. She asserted herself on offense and scored at all three levels while still setting up her teammates for good looks. She is playing at a high level, and she makes the Rivals offense look like a well-oiled machine when on the court. Mair is mentally tough, clutch, and shows poise down the stretch of games and was the biggest reason for the Rivals success at LIVE! At the Nook.