Hustle & Heart Players

By Michael Wholey 8/2/22 02:00 PM EST   Spending six days in Orlando, watching players in the classes 2023-2028, it is easy to identify the bigger, stronger, more athletic players that lead their team in scoring and rebounding.  But sometimes it takes watching a player play several games to see the intangibles they bring to the court.  These players stood out for playing high volume minutes and being the heart and soul of their teams.  Playing hard from jump ball to final buzzer, getting it after it on the defensive end, diving for balls, taking charges, and just generally setting the tone for their team from an energy stand point and willing to do the little things that are needed to help lead their teams to victory.      Joelle Wilson 5'11 Wing / Forward (Miami Suns South Mompremier 17U) – Class of 2023   Wilson does not jump off the page from an energy and effort standpoint but if you watch her play, she is super consistent.  She guards very well in the post by staying active and working hard to not get sealed.  She is all over the defensive and offensive boards, runs the floor hard, and plays high volume minutes.  She shoots a high percentage from the field as she does not force anything offensively and gets lots of easy baskets by out sprinting defenders in transition and crashing the offensive glass hard.     [player_tooltip player_id='248347' first='Nina' last='Green'] 5'6 Guard (FGB DW 16U UAA) – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/11-Nina-Green.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-331186" width="280" height="187"/></figure>   Green is a pesty two-way guard who is not the most skilled but plays hard and aggressive on both sides of the ball.  Her offensive skill set is a bit raw but she always seems to be around the ball by playing with a consistent effort.  She is long and athletic and can guard multiple positions.  She plays within herself offensively but is an extremely capable offensive scorer who shoots a high percentage by not forcing shots and selectively picking her spots to score while also creating offense from her defense.      [player_tooltip player_id='247134' first='Janessa' last='Williams'] 5'10 Forward (Miami Suns Team Fowles 17U EYBL) – Class of 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/Janessa-Williams-Miami-Suns-Gold-753x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-469770" width="160" height="218"/></figure>   Williams is simply hard to take off the court.  She has a strong, athletic build and is active on both sides of the ball.  Her 5'10 frame allows her to guard multiple positions and rebound the ball from the perimeter and grab balls over smaller guards.  Williams stands out as she goes to the offensive glass persistently and consistently every time constantly being around the ball.  Her effort, hustle, and aggression are huge intangibles that she brings to the court every single game!        [player_tooltip player_id='166170' first='Alonya' last='Waldon'] 5'5 Guard (East Coast United Family 2023) – Class of 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/08/221385839_10100638601704235_2619957667058671312_n-e1628884802405.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-316466" width="202" height="225"/></figure>   Waldon was really, really good in Orlando and pretty much never game off the court.  And when she was on the bench and her team started to struggle, the ECU coaching staff was quick to sub her pack in.  She is a very confident, savvy point guard who handles the ball well, has very few turnovers and runs her team efficiently.  She handles the ball well vs pressure by changing speed and direction well, she uses her body to protect the ball, and she does a good job keeping her dribble alive and staying out of trouble.  Defensively she guards the opposing teams ball handler exceptionally well, applying ball pressure from baseline to baseline and keeping her matchup out of the paint.        [player_tooltip player_id='219923' first='Kiara' last='Williams'] 6'0 Forward – (East Coast United Family 2023) – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2064-e1627343085448-744x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-310975" width="145" height="200"/></figure>   Williams has been one of my favorite players for two years as at 6'0 she is consistently undersized as compared to many of the players that she is battling with in the paint she plays so strong and aggressive she more than makes up for the 2-3 inches that many of her opponents have on her! She is at her best in the paint, using her strong build and broad shoulders, throwing her body around and mixing it up down low.  She is very effective both off the catch and off offensive rebounds when she can power dribble and lower her left shoulder and score with her right hand!     [player_tooltip player_id='243896' first='Jade' last='Jones'] 5'11 Guard (Miami Suns Kiki 15U) – Class of 2025   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/Jade-Jones-Larkins-829x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-469769" width="142" height="175"/></figure>   Watch a Miami Suns Kiki game and she is all over the court on both sides of the ball.  She is constantly in the mix and around the ball and comes up with most 50/50 balls.  She is a strong, athletic player who plays hard on offense and defense.  She consistently guards the ball, goes to the boards, hustles in transition, and plays downhill attacking the basket with no fear off the dribble.        [player_tooltip player_id='166169' first='Liv' last='Fuller'] 5'10 Wing / Forward (2023 Candace Parker Hoop Dreams) – Class of 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Liv-Fulller-2020-SSS-e1611003409591-713x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-208810" width="119" height="171"/></figure>   Fuller is a hybrid wing / forward who continues to improve her perimeter skills as she transitions to more of a full-time wing.  She is another one of those players where she may be under skilled but more than makes up for it with her effort, heart, hustle and willingness to do all the little things. She is a high-level athlete that competes and plays hard on every possession.  She runs the floor, dives on the floor for loose balls, take charges, and goes to the glass.      [player_tooltip player_id='248337' first='Danigzy' last='Mantilla'] 5'5 Guard (2024 Blue Star Orlando) – Class of 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/Mantilla-Bishop-Moore-scaled-e1641238719971-798x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-371728" width="173" height="222"/></figure>     Mantilla contributions to Blue Star Orlando can go unnoticed but she is the heart and sole of the team and she is the ultimate competitor.  She is an average athlete and does not do any one thing exceptionally well but she is is a savvy ball handler who runs the point guard position, getting her team in their half-court offense, limiting her turnovers and getting the ball to scorers.        [player_tooltip player_id='91658' first='Olivia' last='Davis'] 5'7 Guard (Always 100 2023) – Class of 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/09/10-Olivia-Davis-2-e1614637637752-1010x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-204259" width="204" height="207"/></figure>   I watched Davis play multiple games where there were a number of players on the court that were stronger, faster, more athletic than her but she was consistently the best player on the court.  The lefty guard can handle the rock, knock down open 3s at a high percentage, and plays aggressive on ball defense.  She balances being a scoring point guard while getting the ball in the hands of scorers.  She is a tough, gritty, skilled, competitive guard that is extremely effective and never comes off the floor!       Michael Wholey is the lead scout for Florida Prep Girls Hoop Florida and a former division one Assistant Coach at American University, University of Memphis, and Georgia Tech.  Wholey and the rest of the Prep Girls Hoop staff, seek to cover the entire state of player, keeping subscribers up to date with player evaluations, recruiting info, and statewide news.  Our audience often supplies us with some of our best information.  If you have any information on players, teams, or statewide news in the state of Florida, emailing Michael Wholey at <a href="mailto:WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com">WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com</a> or DM him through Twitter or Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.

By Michael Wholey 8/2/22 02:00 PM EST