Players to Watch in Southern Illinois

<strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="264889" first="Jilyan" last="Burgener"], 5'9” Guard, Central A&amp;M</strong> An immensely talented Combo Guard with a ton of skill on the offensive end of the floor, Burgener plays all of the Guard positions at a high level with her ability score from anywhere and run the offense. She is a smooth ball-handler who uses her strength to fight past defenders and her vision and passing skills to set her teammates up for easy points. Jilyan is a knock-down shooter from beyond the three-point line and regularly finishes strong at the basket through contact. <strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="265475" first="Alayna" last="Kraus"], 5'6” Guard, Okawville</strong> Kraus is a dynamic Point Guard with tremendous playmaking abilities at both ends of the court. She is a speedy ball-handler who makes plays in transition and gets by her one-on-one defender with ease before scoring in a variety of ways. Alayna shoots the ball well with good range from deep and plays terrific on and off-ball defense, consistently turning takeaways into easy fast break points <strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="148169" first="Sophia" last="Loden"], 5'11” Forward, Mascoutah</strong> A Small Forward who can stretch the floor and create match-up problems with her athleticism, Loden is tough for coaches to gameplan against due to her ability to handle the ball on the perimeter and score at a high rate in the lane. She plays with good control when attacking from the wing and finishes at the rim with a good combination of touch and strength. Sophia is a dominant rebounder at both ends of the court and provides good versatility on defense with the ability to defend the perimeter and the paint. <strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="264888" first="Grace" last="Nelson"], 5'10” Guard, Altamont</strong> Nelson is one of the most prolific scorers in the state of Illinois, already posting a 50-point game early on in her Sophomore season. She is a smooth athlete who excels at any of the Guard positions with her ball-handling and pure scoring abilities. Grace is a terrific shooter from beyond the three-point line and uses her length in the lane to finish around defenders. <strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="265424" first="Amiah" last="Hargrove"], 6'2” Forward, Christopher</strong> An extremely talented Forward who can handle the ball and lead the offense, Hargrove has a tremendously high ceiling due to her skillset and combination of length and strength. She often plays as a Point Forward due to her confidence and control as a ball-handler who can make plays in the open floor and limit turnovers. Amiah is a dominant scorer in the lane and can defend any position while rebounding at a high rate at both ends of the court. <strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="344789" first="Kristin" last="Edmonds"], 5'7” Guard, Carterville</strong> Edmonds is a skilled Combo Guard who can catch fire in a hurry from beyond the three-point line with her confident and consistent shooting form. She is a mature and intelligent player who is a reliable ball-handler and strong finisher at the basket. Kristin plays tough on-ball defense against opposing Point Guards and brings down rebounds at a good rate for a Guard. <strong>2022 Kasha Ward, 5'9” Guard, Carterville</strong> A multi-talented Small Forward with solid versatility, Ward uses her quickness and athleticism to create match-up issues for opponents on the perimeter and in the lane. She has a variety of post moves and great footwork in the lane to set herself up for easy looks and can knock down shots from beyond the three-point line. Kasha is a physical defender who uses her strength to compete against Post players and rebound the ball at a high percentage.