Team Preview: Western Kansas Elite 17U – Adigun/Nichols

Team Preview: Western Kansas Elite 17U &#8211; Adigun/Nichols

Quinter 2022 Anna Briggs shoots over a defender during a summer game with her Western Kansas Elite team. Photo by Robert Kelly.

Robert Kelly May 20, 2021 @ 08:11 PM

Western [program_tooltip program_id='715643' first='Kansas' last='Elite']'s March tryouts were flooded with players looking to play this summer. The program will have several teams in different classes hit the floor. In this article I take a look at the players of Western [program_tooltip program_id='715643' first='Kansas' last='Elite'] 17U - Adigun/Nichols. [player_tooltip player_id="156293" first="Aileen" last="Becerril"], 5'9", SG, Garden City, 2023 - In the past season Becerril cemented her reputation with opponents as a perimeter shooter and one who can got her shot off quickly. She also has good hands, runs the floor well, has a solid build, and walls up well defensively inside. Malloree Schlessman, 5'9", CG, Beaver (OK), 2022 - A long guard with solid handles, Schlessman is adept at attacking gaps to create shots. She also has deep three point range. Her dual threat as a shooter and scorer open up opportunities for teammates on the post up as she sells a fake well to set up solid entry passes. Defended in transition Schlessman does a good job of using her off arm to protect the ball and uses her length well to finish with either hand. She earned All-Panhandle Conference honors in 2021 and 2020. [player_tooltip player_id="156292" first="Kodie" last="Herd"], 5'10", SF, South Central, 2023 - The Southern Plains-Iroquois Athletic Association first teamer is a versatile, athletic player. Herd can rebound, score around the basket, and is threat away from the basket. Defensively, Her2021 SPIAA first team. [player_tooltip player_id="125015" first="Emerson" last="Nichols"], 5'10", W, Russell, 2022 - While Nichols is a 32% shooter from beyond the arc who has good catch and shoot ability. A starter for Russell two years running, she averaged three assists per game in addition to nearly nine points and 4 rebounds per game. [player_tooltip player_id="156323" first="Anna" last="Briggs"], 6'2", C, Quinter, 2023 - Briggs is just a problem for any team. A walking double-double, she also averaged five blocked shots per game this past season. Long with deceiving athleticism, she has good finesse to score well off the turnaround jumper out of her back-to-basket game. [player_tooltip player_id="125002" first="Madison" last="Walt"], 5'9", CG, Trego, 2022 - The long-limbed Walt is a very complete, fierce player. She has good hands, handles well in transition, and can score well at all three levels. She shot 36% from three with nearly 40 made. She has poise and patience with the ball in the half court and boxes well on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="125017" first="Darby" last="Smith"], 5'11", W/SF, St. John, 2022 - The lengthy Smith is an athletic slasher who can finish with contact, get into the lane quickly off the head and shoulder fake, has three point range, and is quick enough to run the point on presses. [player_tooltip player_id="127287" first="Summya" last="Adigun"], 5'8", CG, Hugoton, 2023 - In the past calendar year Adigun put a great deal of work in diversifying her game by getting a lot of work in running the point as well as improving her perimeter shooting percentage. She has the size and ability to play multiple positions effectively. She can be the player handing 30 on a team one night as well as get the ball to the hot hand and pile up assists instead. She is a creator with good strength who will also go at, over, and sometimes around defenders. Adigun also is as good of a defender of different positions as you will find. [player_tooltip player_id="94005" first="Rachel" last="Fischer"], 6'0", C, Medicine Lodge, 2022 - Fischer is a regular on the Central Plains all-league teams. While not a great athlete she works the screen and roll as well as any post I have seen and is otherwise as complete of a post player as you will find. It helps that she is as strong as she, is built well, and is unafraid of contact on either end. Fischer create shots over taller players, has great feet and hands, posts and finishes well around the rim, runs the floor well, and is a solid three point and mid-range shooter. Not a great player to give old-fashioned three point play opportunities as she shoots 75% from the line.