Lone Wolf: Hunting SZN

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve tapped into some Vermont hoops, specifically the Lone Wolf Program. I got a good look at some of the prospects at Spooky Nook and the NYG Super 64 Camp but decided to take the trip up to Burlington to get a better look. This Lone Wolf practice was loud, electric, and competitive, and you could tell they were ready to continue to make a statement this spring. Here are some of the prospects who got my attention.   [player_tooltip player_id="407562" first="Elyse" last="Macdonough"]|5’8’’|PG| ’24 [caption id="attachment_426316" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/33EF1F9E-BD3D-4BA7-A143-CCFA02C4C5FC-crop-1537x1010-1652055098.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-426316" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/33EF1F9E-BD3D-4BA7-A143-CCFA02C4C5FC-crop-1537x1010-1652055098-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Pics By Reardon[/caption] I finally got achance to see the Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year in person at the NYG Super 64 Camp, and MacDonough lived up to that recognition. Her competitiveness was off the charts. She defends and closes out to shooters aggressively, making MacDonough one of the more fun players to watch on that side of the ball. MacDonough’s off-hand ball-handling is very good, and she is a potent scorer who can create her shot consistently on all three levels. The separation MacDonough creates on her step-back jumper is impressive, and she can get her shot off against bigger defenders. MacDonough showed these same attributes when I watched her in practice, so it makes sense why her skills translate effortlessly into games.   [player_tooltip player_id="422814" first="Kelli" last="Cieplicki"] | 5’9’’| SG| ’24 [caption id="attachment_426313" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/DCB97A99-B77B-48A3-AE3B-78B088AE7F45-crop-1537x1010-1652054974.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-426313" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/DCB97A99-B77B-48A3-AE3B-78B088AE7F45-crop-1537x1010-1652054974-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Pics By Reardon[/caption] I spoke highly of Cieplicki after the NYG Super 64 Camp, as she was easily one of the best performers at the event. When I watched her at practice the other night, I loved how hard she competed through drills. Cieplicki took drills seriously and put forth maximum effort throughout practice. Cieplicki is very tactical in her approach and relies on change of direction and footwork to get to spots. She was putting in the work to fine-tune those skills in practice.   [player_tooltip player_id="403150" first="Ava" last="MacDonough"]| 5’8’’| PG| ’22 [caption id="attachment_426311" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/5BF3D3CC-65A1-41AB-A947-57FA8B618D9C-crop-1365x897-1652054863.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-426311" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/5BF3D3CC-65A1-41AB-A947-57FA8B618D9C-crop-1365x897-1652054863-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] Macdonough is committed toOn Saint Michael’s College, and after watching her at Spooky Nook, I can see why. I am a huge fan of how she plays the point guard position. Her eyes are always up, scanning the floor and reading the defense. MacDonough handles and protects the ball well when pressured, always keeping the same laser eye focus. MacDonough is also a tremendous passer. She puts good velocity behind them and never telegraphs or throws lazy passes to her teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id="426304" first="Cora" last="Nadeau"]| 5’9’’| SG/SF| ’23 [caption id="attachment_426308" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/C3E7C286-0B87-4216-820C-3D6C7FEF1E16-crop-1365x897-1652054746.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-426308" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/C3E7C286-0B87-4216-820C-3D6C7FEF1E16-crop-1365x897-1652054746-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] Nadeau was the most impressive prospect at the Lone Wolf practice. At first, her shot-making and creating in the midrange stuck out to me. I liked how confident Nadeau was getting into the second level and hitting contested shots. She has good size and strength on the wing, which showed on defense. Nadeau is excellent in the pick & roll; she hedges hard and recovers fast, displaying the versatility to be impactful in guarding multiple positions. Nadeau also was one of the hardest-working players at the practice.   [player_tooltip player_id="421353" first="Addison" last="Hunter"] | 5’11’’| PF| ’23 [caption id="attachment_426303" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/D86A0776-D4BE-4D45-80EE-0F9C8121061A-crop-1365x897-1652054296.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-426303" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/D86A0776-D4BE-4D45-80EE-0F9C8121061A-crop-1365x897-1652054296-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] When I watched Hunter at Spooky Nook, I was impressed by her play around the basket. Her finishing, footwork on the block, and rebounding were hard to ignore; she dominated that area. I’m glad I got to see her in the practice setting because I was able to see different areas of her game. Hunter can open up the floor with her three-point shooting and is an excellent post passer. When Hunter catches the ball on the block, she is patient, under control, and always locates shooters. Hunter consistently hits her teammates with timely passes right in their shooting pocket.