The Class of 2023 All-Hustle Team

The skill breakdowns continue as we move on to one of the most undervalued commodities in basketball: hustling. College coaches and scouts are often infatuated with talented players and physical attributes, it’s no secret. One phase of the game that can make players stand out from one another can be measured by sheer will and determination on the basketball floor. As the old adage goes, "hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." Coaches that I’m in contact with put a lot of stock into work ethic, and one way to quickly identify a player that has it is through how hard they play on a consistent basis. Doing the little things whether it’s crashing the offensive glass, playing the passing lanes, drawing charges, diving for loose balls, etc., there are so many ways to impact that game without putting the ball in the basket. That being said, we will give the proper credit to some of the girls doing the "dirty work" in the Class of 2023 in the state of Arizona. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="261400" first="Kiley" last="Miller"] Miller put up the most double-doubles in her class, posting 15 in 17 of her games played. That type of consistency on a game-by-game basis is definitely a sign of her ability to sell out on the court and solidify her rightful spot on this list. Miller, a force in the paint standing at 6'2", averaged 16.6 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. Those numbers give you a glimpse of just how dominant in the interior she can be, and it's a major reason why she is the number 11 ranked player in her class. [player_tooltip player_id="261403" first="Britany" last="Kogbara"] Kogbara is a 5’11" interior threat that can crash the glass, protect the rim, <em>and</em> score inside. She posted an astounding 13 double-doubles in 17 games for her Peoria Panthers. The top 20 ranked player averaged 13.8 points, 17.4 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game during her sophomore campaign. The well-rounded box scores show how diverse her game is and how she can impact the game in many ways. Keep an eye out for the near 6-footer to have a breakout junior season and solidify her top 20 ranking in the Class of 2023. [player_tooltip player_id="261444" first="Steffy" last="Cervantes"] Cervantes has appeared on a few of our skill breakdowns thus far, so this should come as no surprise to see her appear on this one. She was third in her entire class in steals per game at an inspiring 4.6 steals per contest. Playing the passing lanes, diving for loose balls, and anticipating where to be on help defense all attribute to that statistic. You simply do not consistently get 4+ steals a game by accident. <strong>Mia Martinez</strong> (Willow Canyon, G) Martinez led all sophomores in Arizona in steals per game last year, averaging an eye-popping 6.1 per contest. The fact that she was able to do that across 15 games shows that it was far from a small sample size fluke to a shortened season. She had four games with 10-plus steals last season and a few games with double-digit deflections as well, which displays her incredible defensive awareness. She averaged 8.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds a game to go with her 6.1 steals per game. Keep an eye out for the 5’6" combo guard from Willow Canyon to have a big junior season. <strong>Avery Graber</strong> (Paradise Valley) Graber has quite the fitting last name, as the 6’2" incoming junior grabbed 13.2 rebounds per game during her sophomore season for the Trojans. Along with nearly topping her peers in rebounds per game, she averaged 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, displaying her activity on the defensive end. Her impact should only grow stronger with additional experience as she prepares for her junior season at Paradise Valley. <h5><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></h5> [player_tooltip player_id="261402" first="Adriana" last="Bachman"] The 5'7" guard from Poston Butte posted 5.4 steals per game which was good for second in her class. She also grabbed 5.5 rebounds per contest, which for her position + height is above average. Bachman has a fairly well-balanced game and should continue to climb rankings with her combination of scoring, defense, and hustle.