Nike TOC-Chicago Standouts: Part II

Below are more players who stood out from the Nike Tournament of Champions that I saw last weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id="269263" first="Jasmyn" last="Cooper"] - MCW Starz/Oliver Ames - 6’1’’ - SF/PF - ’24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308147" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269808_Unknown-crop-1495x982-1626461799-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’24 Rank: #5 Cooper impressed me with her weak-side defense and shot-blocking all weekend long. This tournament was the best I have seen her from a rim protection standpoint. Cooper was dialed in on defense and did her part to secure the paint with loud rejections. Outside of her defense, I thought Cooper was effective in scoring off the dribble. She put the ball on the deck more frequently and aggressively, getting to the rim overpowering her defender. With her outside shot continuing to improve, Cooper is developing into a well-rounded dominant big.   [player_tooltip player_id="277139" first="Isabella" last="Dupret"] - Beat The Odds/Cranston West - 5’2’’ - PG - ’25 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308149" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270000_Unknown-crop-1354x889-1626461866-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’25 Rank: WL Dupret was excellent at taking advantage of the minutes given to her. Being one of the youngest players on the team, Dupret is not expected to play as many minutes as some of the older girls on the team. I like Dupret because when she checks into the game, Beat The Odds gets a contribution from her. Dupret can handle the ball and help the team get into the offense, and she is good at penetrating and finishing through contact. I have seen Dupret a few times throughout the spring/summer, and she has gotten better every time I have watched her. She is playing with more confidence, especially on offense. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1414217003263537154 [player_tooltip player_id="301527" first="Stella" last="Criniti"] - MA Huskies/Lexington - 5’5’’ - PG - ’25 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308151" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270080_Unknown-crop-1395x916-1626462045-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’25 Rank: #19 Criniti can light up the scoreboard and pour on the points in bunches. She is a tough, gritty point guard who makes a living blowing past defenders and sniping threes. Her speed and quickness with the ball are unreal. Criniti leaves defenders in the dust and is a blur blowing by them and getting to the rack with ease. On defense, she meets the opposing guard right at halfcourt and slides her feet well, never allowing the ball handler to turn the corner on her. Criniti makes the opposition work for everything, gets in their air space, and battles every for possession.   [player_tooltip player_id="287659" first="Molly" last="Gahan"] - MA Huskies/Northborough - 5’11’’ - PF - ’25 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308153" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270176_Unknown-crop-1334x876-1626462099-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’25 Rank: #24 Gahan impressed me with how efficient she was from the field. Whether it be around the basket or 15 feet out, Gahan made defenses pay. In the pick and roll, she is a guaranteed layup. Gahan sets a backbreaking screen, rolls hard, and finishes nearly everything. Gahan also has excellent hands. Some of the passes she got her hands-on were not easy to handle and seeing her catch in traffic and finish the play jumped out at me. Gahan is a strong big who battles inside, making her prone to get fouled. It is encouraging to see her draw contact often and be confident at the free-throw line, where she is very proficient.   [player_tooltip player_id="307883" first="Skye" last="Ryan"] - MCW Starz/Tilton - 6’2’’ - PF - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308155" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270304_Unknown-crop-1639x1076-1626462170-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’22 Rank: WL TOC-Chicago was my first time seeing Ryan play, and she was dominating the paint. It seemed like Ryan scored every time she got a post-touch. Her crafty footwork, an array of post moves, and soft-touch help Ryan be unguardable on the block. She has good athleticism and a quick first jump which allows her to own the glass. An underrated part of Ryan’s game is that she always keeps the ball high on the catch and rebounds. She doesn’t put herself at risk of getting stripped and registers easy putbacks because of her height advantage. Ryan was one of the most reliable and consistent back-to-the-basket prospects I saw over the weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id="278899" first="Jessica" last="Ross"] - MCW Starz/Tabor - ’6’3’’ - PF - ’24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308159" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270256_Unknown-crop-1289x847-1626462983-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’24 Rank: #16 Ross looked like a top 5 caliber player in the class of ’24. I was sold on that last weekend because she is a 6’3’’-6’4’’ big who is one of the best passers amongst her peers. Ross is already a matchup nightmare because of her size and ability to stretch the floor with her shooting. Still, it adds another element to the potent MCW offense when adding in her passing acumen. Her outlet passes are some of the best I have seen, and when she catches the ball in the high post or the block, Ross will immediately scope out the open player. Ross has a good feel for the game and runs the floor like a gazelle which adds another layer to her potential top 5 status.   [player_tooltip player_id="308161" first="Eliza" last="Jacob"] - MA Huskies - 5’6’’ - PG - ’24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-308163" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27270224_Unknown-crop-1336x877-1626463396-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’24 Rank: WL Add Jacobs to the list of pesky Huskies guards who have a quick first step, beat their defender off the dribble, and easily score at the rim. Jacobs’ athleticism popped when she entered the game that I watched. Not just in the halfcourt offense but on defense, too. Her denial defense was spot on, and she disrupts passing lanes often. Because of her athleticism and IQ, Jacobs has a high upside, and I liked how effective she was with the minutes she was given in Chicago.