Mid-Season Reflection - Elevator Action: Seven Rising 2027's

We've had a decent sample size of young talent now that we're roughly halfway through the winter season. So, let's check in and see who's thriving at the Varsity level as freshmen. This is a good one!   [player_tooltip player_id='1046824' first='Anya' last='Davis'], 5'6 G - Colchester H.S. Class of 2027   The natural born PG has been thrown in the fire as a starter for CHS and she's clearly ready for the challenge. Davis' orchestration and hoop-IQ has been front and center on the offensive end. She's communicative and has been creating a good deal of offense with her slashing and distribution out of various actions, putting up around 8 ppg. and multiple assists or hockey assists. A bulldog defensively, Davis has no let up. Her anticipation combined with her agility + toughness makes her a force on that end. Keep tabs.   [player_tooltip player_id='975815' first='Maysa' last='Long'], 5'11 F - Mount Mansfield Union H.S. Class of 2027   It was early that Mesa solidified herself as a key contributor for this MMU squad with title hopes. Long has been putting up double-doubles or near double-doubles since the outset with her decisive post moves on both blocks, pursuit of boards, and quick second chance finishes. Moreover, she's quick to kick out when the D collapses, thus opening up a ton of shooting for teammates. A force on the defensive end with her length, rim protection and rebounding, Long is thriving.   Emma Maley, 5'7 G - Burlington H.S. Class of 2027   Maley has come in and seemingly ensured herself a place in a guard-heavy BHS rotation with her shooting touch and offensive wit. Emma's a strong catch-and-shoot threat which blends nicely with a team who likes to attack the cup. Maley's relocation is intuitive, she cuts wisely when the defense is sleeping, makes quick decisions with the rock, and has shown she can drive it too. She just put up 14 and she has steadily provided around 7-8 points a night. Emma's a solid on-ball defender yet it's her off-ball instincts that shine through. Good stuff so far.   Kelsie Rivard, 5'10 G/W - Hazen Union H.S. Class of 2027   I love a player who commits to impacting the game in every way imaginable. That's Rivard. Kelsie's swiss-army knife work consists of relentless on-ball defense and smart rotations, a heavy dose of boards, and a skillset which includes open court playmaking along with nice finishing at the rim and a solid shot off the catch. Kelsie's someone who covers 2-5, can switch onto anything, and apparently do whatever is required to win. She's been a 15+ ppg. scorer with numerous in the 20s, along with double-digit rebounding and high steal numbers. Put her on your radar.   Colleen Sonnick, 5'11 W/F - Essex H.S. Class of 2027   Sonnick is embodying the modern game with her inside/out skillset at the 4 position. She's built like a forward with her solid frame and ability to protect the rim + clean the glass. Yet when she snatches that board, she's looking to go coast-to-coast and make plays. The southpaw's herky-jerky handle gets her to the rack in the halfcourt with tough drives, and she's flashed the jumper both off the catch and off the bounce. Colleen is polishing her game and I like where it's going.   [player_tooltip player_id='1046837' first='Abby' last='Nystrom'], 5'6 G - Bellows Falls Union H.S. Class of 2027   Small town Vermont stand up! Nystrom might be at a small school, but her game is big time. The crafty guard is a pure playmaker and she's stepped right in to a high usage role. Nystrom's equipped with solid 3pt shooting, including the side-step, nice slashing, and heady defensive anticipation which creates a plethora of transition offense. Abby has steadily contributed 15-20 ppg. in her freshman campaign and I only see that number going up as time goes on. She's good.   [player_tooltip player_id='1263374' first='Mae' last='Yenkavitch'], 5'8 G - Burlington H.S. Class of 2027   Burlington is in good hands. Mae is another talented guard who knows how to facilitate a well-oiled machine. Yenkavitch is an orderly organizer of the offense and a tough slasher, finding much of her offense in the paint in addition to smart feeds for teammates off of her drives. Defensively she thrives too, using her size and length to bother shots, get in passing lanes, and cover ground as a rotator. Yenkavitch recently provided a cool 13-points, her highest mark so far. She's liable to continue breaking out.

We've had a decent sample size of young talent now that we're roughly halfway through the winter season. So, let's check in and see who's thriving at the Varsity level as freshmen. This is a good one!