First Take on Kentucky Expo Top 250

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Apologies for the late 1st post but I have been swamped for the last 3 weeks while working 4 jobs. I just couldn't get my thoughts together on where to even start writing about last Saturday's Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Event. But I have a plan of attal in mind and it is now time to act. <br>First I want to say, WOW. The level of play at the 250 this year was great especially when you consider there were no plays to run. No time to organize a defense. No direction from a Coach on who needs to do what. There were Coaches but as you know they stayed on their Court and had no real chance to plan anything or to even get to know their own players. Everything was on YOU and your teammate to figure it out and get something done. And you did great. <br>I know some of you excel more it finding your place in whatever system is being used on your school and/or travel team. Some of you will always be more productive rolling to the hoop off of a designed play or sliding along the perimeter as your team's top shooter waiting on a kick-out pass. I have seen that at those games. I still know what you can do. But now it is time to talk about what I saw in this format.<br>Don't expect several paragraphs per player in these articles like I normally do. I only saw each of you play half of a game. But I am going to write as much as I can about as many players as I can. Starting with... </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b2b679e03c","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["502112"],"_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":"rnI wanted to take about [player_tooltip player_id='502248' first='Brooke' last='Mcknight'] in this article, in part because I might be the only Scout at the event that saw her play at the 250. I don't know what happened specifically but she left in the 1st half of the 1st game of the day with an injury. I hope it wasn't serious but I don't have the details. rnrnMcKnight was putting her ball-hawking skills on display immediately after she stepped into the game she stole the ball and started the break. She was stopping penetration while facing some of the best guards in the state. That is what she and her twin sister [player_tooltip player_id='502285' first='Taylor' last='Mcknight'] do. They take the lane away and they take the ball away from opponents with tenacious defensive effort and skill. ","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae85ae"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b2b879e03d","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["418448"],"_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":"It was good to finally see her playing without the knee brace she has worn every previous time I have seen her play. She appeared to have better speed than in the past and it is always good to believe a player has recovered from a previous injury. For a player that was not guaranteed a spot in the event (she was a walk-up on the day of the event) she made the most out of someone else who registered and did not attend the 250.rnrnBryant was disruptive on defense and explosive on offense. She blew by a few defenders from the perimeter to get to the rim and score. Her elevation on a few leaps for rebounds or to finish at the hoop were impressive. As always she brought it on defense setting up to take charges and scrapping for the ball is just who she is on the court. rnrnI have not heard about any colleges that have made offers as of yet, but somebody should have signed her by now. Coach if you still need a player that will give you everything she has to win. This is a player you have to see before somebody else snaps her up. I have seen her go head to head favorably against D1 and D2 signees. She would be an asset to any team you are running. ","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["290222"],"_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":"It has been since last January since I saw Whited play and she appears to have moved her game to a higher level since then. She was already a good spot up shooter. Now she is handling the ball like a point guard, quickly slashing to the basket from the wings for layups. She made a fade away layup to get over a shot blocker after a blow by drive from the corner. And she of course knocked down some an open three from the wing. rnrnIf this is how Whited is going to play all season look out world. She has stepped up her game. ","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae861d"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b337e9e040","name":"acf/evaluation-block","align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae8634"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b33629e03f","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["502133"],"_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":"Hall seems to be growing to me, or maybe my memory is just bad,but she seems bigger and stronger everytime I see her. Which is not so unexpected for a player entiering her Sophomre year. rnrnWhat I saw that I had not seen before was greater athleticism than I have noticed in the past. She is really deveolping her ability to use her body to seal off an area to grab a rebound and is displaying excellent leaping ability. She plays around tons of talent on her high school team and is putting in the work in travel ball. So I expect I am going to she her continue to impress in other areas over the next 4 years. I'm not sure how good she is yet, but I think she has the potential to be great. ","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae865c"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b360c9e041","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["251740"],"_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":"When I saw Isom play the day was almost over, playing time had been shortened and it was not a good matchup for her team, but she did well. She was handling the ball expertly on the break and she was able to find a few paths into the lane against some excellent perimeter defense. She made an excellent curling drives from the left wing acrss the lane for a right side layup and made a great still be anticipating a pass. ","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae8686"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b37f39e042","name":"acf/evaluation-block","align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae8690"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632b39879e043","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["316114"],"_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":"Williams is a steady hand with the ball with great balance. She stole a ball and drove in 3/4s the length of the court for a layup, hit a wing three in transition and another three from the top of the key. rnrnI was pleased to know I was going to get a chance to see her play again this season at a Christmas Tournament, until I remembered that I wouldn't be attending due to a prior engagement. But you should see her play Coach, especially if your offense needs the kind of heady Guard to make sure your team runs the plays. ","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["376764"],"_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":"what I want to write about Downey I write primarily to ease the worries of other players that might feel like they didn't have such a good day at the 250. I don't know how things went for her in other games that I did not see. But in the her game I was watching nobody got her the ball. I don't remember her getting to shoot the ball even once and she is a fantastic shooter. That would never happen in an environment of a school or travel team where her teammates would know putting the ball in her hands is money in the bank. rnrnSo if you, like Downey had one of those games, it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. It is just the nature of this tye of event. Learn from it and come prepared for it the next time. If you tend to play off the ball you have to try to find other ways to insert yourself into the game. Use your defense, your rebounding, your voice to find any way you can to contribute. I am not saying Downey did not do these things. I just found it amusing how many times she found a way to get open to the ball and did not get it. I doubt she found it as amusing. rnrnDon't let this kind of problem faze you ladies. We know how good you are. Just keep playing hard and keep showing up everybody. ","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-66101a9ae86dc"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->