Top Small Forwards of the 6th Region

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Continuing this series on the Top Players of the 6th Region we now move to the Small Forwards. It sometimes seems that this crucial position is a catch-all for players that don't fit into any other category that would define them as most other positions do. They can be very much like a larger version of a Point Gaurd or Shooting Guard or a smaller version of a Power Forward or Center. But they can also be some of the most versatile players on the court,a Jack (or Jill) of all trades type of player that might slide up or down the roster from game to game. When you think about them that way it begins to define the undefinable position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63003e8d3caa8","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["164406"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Thompson is a scoring machine and dogged defender. She averaged 15.4 points per game last season while making 45.8% of her field goals and 38.3% of her three-pointers and 70.4% of her free throws. It is obvious just from her stats that one of her strengths as a player is her shooting. Watching her play what stands out the most is how hard she drives to the hoop to score and that defensivelly she is often the tip of the spear. rnWhat has impressed me the most recently about her game has been moving into the High Post this summer to failitate offense. When she fully grasps how to score from the position look out. The rip and go, elbow jumper, a pull-up jumper are all within her tool box, but she is more used to using them from the wing or top of the key. One reliable post-up move with a counter could easily push her into a 20 or 25 point per game scoring average. rnLike many top Small Forwards, can play any position on the court in a pinch. Especially handling the passing responsibilities of a Point Guard. She is excellent at finding her temmates for open looks from the perimeter and really ecelled at the inside-out passing from the post. rn","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["398023"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Hughes passes the eye test. If you see warm-ups you will know she is about to be one of the better players in the game. As one of the 6 primary starters of a team that won the Louisville Invitational Tournament and finished as Runners Up in the Queen of the Commonwealth and Sweet 16 (Kentucky State Tournament) Hughes is no stranger to anyone following Kentucky Girls Basketball. The Chargers were one of only two teams in the Commonwealth to defeat the back-to-back State Champions and faced them in all three of the afore-mentioned games. rnHughes has a very strong body and appears to be able to run forever with the kind of stride that exudes confidence. I expect her to be one of the main beneficiaries of the increase space in the lane and extra touches to go around on a team that place two players on Division 1 College teams and a few others elsewhere on the next level. ","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["329440"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Floyd has high level size and ability that I have seen in person during this past summer but for some reason those abilities have no translated to her winter campaigns. A player with this kind of size, shooting ability, ballhandling capability and effort is flying so low that I imagine tons of coaches do not have her on their radar unless they have seen her play during the summer. rnHopefully, this season she will be encouraged to shoot more than 81 times, 24 of which were from three-point range. A Stretch Player she is not. Getting her the ball moving towards the rim, running the floor and penetration to score around the rim or with the short pull-up jumper is what has been working most for her in what I have seen. rnAs a defender, Floyd does a great job limiting penetration and challenging shots. She can guard just about anybody excellently except for the quickest of ballhandlers. She has been playing with several teammates who are elite rebounders, but with one of them now graduated on to college ball I would hope to see her hit the glass aggressively to help generate some more points and a stronger identity for herself. That is an area that could really help her projections to the next level. ","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Payton Miller","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"12124","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Holy Cross (Louisville)","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Miller is a long-armed shot blocker, solid defender and rebounder that is good at moving without the ball. She is poside to become a larger contributor this season after the graduation of the top two players of last years teams have graduated. rn Last season she was one of a trio of players that pulled down most of the rebounds. Those stats are likely to rise because one member of that trio is probably shifting to the Point Guard position. rnMiller has a very reliable short jumper and should get a few more attempts per game this season as she moves into a bit more of a featured role in the offense. ","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Ashlee Blair","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"12124","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"North Bullitt ","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Blair is returning for her Senior season as the leading scorer (9.5 points per game) and rebounder (5.9 rebounds per game) on a very young team that is loaded with ballhawking Guards. As one of the few players with a knack for playing inside the paint Blair is likely to repeat and grow in her role on the team. rnShe is also an excellent shooter who made 48.8% of her field goals, 37.5% of her three-pointers and 69.1% of the free throws she shot last season. Look to see North Bullitt back in the 6th Region Tournament again this season with a chance to advance past the opening round. ","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["398032"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Ritter has been steadiy improving while playing for a team that is sure to advance to their 3rd straight All u0022Au0022 State Tournament. Playing in Louisvilles toughest District has certainly helped to shape her and her team that defeted every team that made the 6th Region TOurnament last season except for the two in their District who were the only two teams in the Commonwealth to defeat the back-to-back State Champions last season. rnRitter averaged 10. points per game last season contributing mainly as a Stretch player on a team that shoots a ton of threes and plays excellent defense (insert team rank here). But Basketball Coaches might need to see if they can't get their Women's Soccer program to do them a solid by bringin her in to play in her top sport and letting them borrow her if she wants to keep playing basketball on the next level. IN 20 games last season she scored 35 goals and made 21 assists and already has 11 goals and 4 assists on a team that advanced to the Region Finals. ","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-64bdf7442ca94"} /-->