St James MLK standouts
The beautiful St James gym hosted the MLK classic this year, and there was some great basketball all weekend. There was four girls’ game in the first two days, and the girls showed out. Here are some of the standout…
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Continue ReadingThe beautiful St James gym hosted the MLK classic this year, and there was some great basketball all weekend. There was four girls’ game in the first two days, and the girls showed out. Here are some of the standout performers from the first two days.
Kyndal Walker St. John’s (DC) PG
The only girls’ game of the first day saw IMG academy play St. John’s college. Junior PG Kyndal Walker was the most impressive player of the day. I saw her last month during the Art Turner classic, and she impressed me. She was involved in everything St. John’s did offensively. She shot the ball well from 3 and kept her team in the game. What impressed me about Walker is she had a tough second quarter, but it didn’t phase her. She never lacked confidence, and her ability to get into the paint was massive in getting her teammates open shots. Her speed and quickness are unique, and it’s no surprise she’s one of the premier talents in DMV hoops.
Madisen McDaniel Bishop McNamara (MD) PG
One of the two most impressive teams this weekend was Bishop McNamara. They are loaded with talent and run through a talented IMG team. Junior PG Madisen McDaniel puts the battery in the back of this Bishop McNamara squad. She had a tough time hitting shots but was still dominant to me. McDaniel is quick and wreaked havoc on defense, forcing turnover after turnover. She picked up people full court, doubled hard, forced errant passes, and always seemed to be around the ball. She never over-dribbles, which tends to happen a lot for younger guards. Her ball handling and elite vision also created a bunch of open shots for her teammates.
Qadence Samuels Bishop McNamara (MD) SF
Like most of the Bishop McNamara team, Samuels struggled with her shot. But man, did she turn that around in the second half by hitting many 3s. I mentioned that Madisen McDaniel created open shots for her teammates, and they gel well together. Part of the reason it all looked so good for Bishop McNamara, even when shots weren’t falling, was because of the patience Qadence Samuels showed and her ability to play off of her teammates. She was the perfect example of letting the game come to her. Often, when High Schoolers are as good as Qadance Samuels, they force shots. Her offensive game is smooth for her size, and her length lets her get shots up over defenders with no issue. As the game wore on, she showed her shooting prowess, specifically as a spot-up shooter. Unsurprisingly, she’s one of the best players in Maryland and a future Uconn Husky.
Sahnya Jah Montverde Academy (FL) Forward
The best team this weekend was Montverde academy, and a big reason for that was their physical dominance over their competition. No better example of this was senior forward Sahnya Jah. Jah was the best athlete on the floor, and there’s no way around it. But that athleticism wasn’t the only thing on display. She was a beast on the glass and finished everything in the paint. She constantly jumped passing lanes getting steal after steal, which resulted in a bunch of easy baskets. I was also really impressed with how well she handled the ball. After rebounds, she pushed the ball effectively, finding open teammates.