State Farm Holiday Classic: Large School Standouts (Part Two)

Last week was the 42nd annual State Farm Holiday Classic hosted at multiple high schools and gymnasiums across Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Sixteen teams participated in the Large School Girls bracket and here are those that stood out to me in the time I was able to watch this group: <strong>2023 Danielle Beach, 5’10” Guard, Geneseo</strong> Beach is a versatile Combo Guard who excels at any of the Guard positions with her ball-handling and scoring abilities. She is an outstanding shooter from beyond the three-point line and uses her quickness to attack the lane and finish around the basket at a high rate. Danielle is hardworking on the defensive end of the court, constantly anticipating passes and frequently coming away with steals and turning them into easy fast break points. <strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="78772" first="Katie" last="Krupa"], 6’1” Forward, Morton</strong> A top player in Illinois’ Class of 2022, Krupa showed her wide range of skills throughout the tournament, playing and defending multiple positions at a very high level. The Harvard commit is a terrific ball-handler who scores from every level with a confident shot from the perimeter and a variety of post moves on the low-block. Katie uses her strength and athleticism on defense to match-up with virtually any opponent and comes away with stops regularly. <strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="62566" first="Grace" last="Sullivan"], 6’4” Forward, Carmel</strong> Sullivan is a very talented interior Post player who consistently controls the paint with her length and skill around the basket. The Bucknell commit does an outstanding job creating position for herself on the block so that her teammates can get her the ball before finishing with good touch through contact. Grace is an intelligent player and great communicator on the defensive end to ensure her team stays in position throughout the possession. <strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="265467" first="Olivia" last="Corson"], 5’10” Guard, Normal Community</strong> A skilled Combo Guard with great athleticism, Corson is a player to keep an eye on in the Sophomore class with her smooth three-level scoring. She thrives at attacking the basket off the dribble and using her creativity and length to score at the rim. Olivia shoots the ball well from the perimeter and showed the ability to play in the lane with her back to the basket and score efficiently. <strong>2023 Annie Wirth, 6’1” Forward, Geneseo</strong> Wirth is an athletic and extremely mobile Forward who is constantly moving without the ball to create space and opportunities for her teammates to get her the ball. She has a natural ability to find an opening in the lane or in transition where her Guards can pass her the ball and give her room to score. Annie is a dominant rebounder at both ends of the court, constantly out-hustling opponents and giving her team second chance opportunities. <strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="265432" first="Alayah" last="Sprattling"], 5’3” Guard, Peoria Richwoods</strong> A speedy Point Guard who makes a tremendous impact at both ends of the floor, Sprattling has impressed me multiple times this year with her confidence and energy. She is a reliable ball-handler who is tough to keep up with in the open floor and often sets her teammates up for easy looks at the basket. Alayah is a terrific shooter from the outside and plays tough defense against opposing Guards to force turnovers frequently. <strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="203244" first="Georgia" last="Duncan"], 6’0” Guard, Washington</strong> Duncan is an athletic Guard who can play any of the Guard positions with her ball-handling skills and scoring ability from the wing. The McKendree University commit is a great shooter from beyond the three-point line uses her quickness to attack off the dribble and score in the lane where she uses her length to finish at the hoop. Georgia is an outstanding defender who uses her intelligence and physicality to effectively guard multiple positions.