Walnut Grove Tournament Underclass Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Girls Hoops Missouri takes a look at the top young underclassmen prospects from 2025 and 2026 that we saw at the Morris Brothers Holiday Classic at Walnut Grove.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":834509,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8597.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-834509" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='635307' first='Jacie' last='Gavisk'] (Walnut Grove): A 6'1" 2025 forward who is the go-to inside player for a talented Tigers team that won the tournament championship. She scored a game-high 16 points in the championship game victory over Miller. She has soft hands and she catches the ball well in traffic. She keeps the ball high and finishes well around the basket. Her fundamentals are very good. She positions herself well and she does a good job of walking her defender up the lane when she's fronted to create a nice lob pass angle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":832384,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8592.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-832384" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='424722' first='Ellie' last='Smith'] (Walnut Grove): The talented 5'6 point guard was the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after leading the Tigers to the championship. She has good quickness and she is capable of breaking down defenders off the dribble. She can score in the lane with scoop shots at a variety of angles in the lane and her pull up game from the mid-range is also on point. She showed a clutch gene with a pair of last-second free throws to give the Tigers a one-point win over Sparta in the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":834516,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8553.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-834516" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='525601' first='Loghann' last='Leivan'] (Miller): A 5'8" 2026 guard with good athleticism and the ability to shoot it from long distance. In the game I watched her, She knocked down three 3-pointers in a victory over Blue Eye in the semifinals. She handles the ball well as she can attack on the drive. She has a nice hesitation move that can freeze a defender in her tracks. She also works the middle against a zone defense very effectively with her ability to drive the ball and shoot it from the high post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":834523,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8568.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-834523" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='853131' first='Ashlynn' last='Helton'] (Miller): A 5'8" 2026 guard who is an excellent playmaker and a very unselfish player. She penetrates well on the drive and she will find open teammates with her passing skills. She has a nice shooting stroke from 3-point range and a quick release to go along with it. She can also go into the mid-post area to make a turnaround jumper in the lane.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":834525,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8531.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-834525" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anniliyah Ghan (Marionville): A 5'4" 2026 guard who plays a lot bigger than her actual size because she plays with a motor that never stops. She's physically strong and she's very active as a defender and rebounder. She will get in the lane and grab rebounds from players who are much taller. She is also a good slasher who excels in the transition game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":834524,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8559.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-834524" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='853136' first='Rachel' last='Nunez'] (Miller): A 5'8" 2026 guard who plays the swiss-army-knife role for her team very well. She has good athleticism and a good skill set, but she does many things that don't show up in the box score to help her team succeed. She is a very good rebounder who gets out of her area. She is an excellent passer who keeps the ball moving and she does a good job of pushing tempo in the open court. She can also get into the lane and elevate over a defender to get a bucket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->