Eshoo has remained a highly covered prospect over the past couple of years, and rightfully so. She has what you need on offense and has the frame and motor to earn the label of a two way prospect. As she finds her footing with Loyola and consistently shows that she’s a potential D1 prospect, the offers could start to show up within the next year. She already has the skills that widen the gap from others at her position, but keeping that consistent pressure and continuing to show it has to be one of her goals if she wants to remain in this top pack

Natalie had no problem making a lasting first impression while playing up an age division at the PGH Encore. She had another strong outing at the PGH Illinois Freshman Showcase with Team Eight. Her length and advanced fundamental skill set will make her an immediate force on day one at the high school level. She applies good pressure on opposing ball-handlers, maintaining a wide and athletic stance to cut off the dribble, while keeping her long arms active to close passing windows. Natalie is confident handling the rock with either hand. She keeps her feet balanced to stay ready to fire accurately off the dribble. Natalie served up a silky smooth step-back wing three facial and earned a trip to the line after making a smart backdoor cut. She ripped by a defender on a quick drive, switched to her shooting hand, and went up off two for the contested finish.

There’s a lot of hype around Eshoo, and rightfully so. Despite her age, she’s consistently shown the ability to compete against older players and hold her own individually. Her skill set is still being sharpened, and that will come with time and maturity, but heading into a winning program like Loyola, she may find herself in a much different role than she’s used to. Which will ultimately help grow and expand her basketball IQ, ability to play without the ball, and overall understanding of how to play championship level basketball.

Nobody watching Over the Edge 16U play over the weekend at The Encore would suspect that Natalie is an incoming freshman; I certainly didn’t. Natalie plays with confidence and a polished skill set beyond her years. She scored a full-speed finish with a soft touch, crashed the boards to score a strong putback, and buried free throws with textbook mechanics, flicking her wrist on the follow-through. She drilled a deep wing three, and it looked like every three was headed for the bottom of the net. Natalie penetrated the defense, collapsed the help, and kicked the ball out to open shooters for threes. She cut backdoor to score catch-and-finish layups, maintained her balance on the move, and shot well in the mid-range after creating space with shifty crossover dribbles. Natalie looks like she’s about to make an immediate impact at the high school level.

A lot of talk has surrounded Eshoo over the past year, and rightfully so. She is one of the best players in her class, and that’s with the skill set she has right now. Watching her play up this weekend, there were signs that more work still needs to be done, but most of it has less to do with skill and more to do with aggression and overall decision making. Knowing when to take things into your own hands, deciding between the right play and the best play, and finding ways to stay active without the ball are all areas that will continue to develop as the competition gets tougher and the talent around her grows. Time is on her side, and the potential and upside she presents will keep her in these conversations as one of the top prospects in the class.

I was not aware that Natalie Eshoo was playing up in this event, making her weekend even more impressive from afar. Eshoo was a standout during both days of competition at the PGH Midwest Extravaganza. She was a player moving on and off of the ball while producing at a high rate. She is listed at 5’9 but she seems to stand closer to 5’10/5’11 as a CG. That, mixed with her shifty skills makes her a tough guard for most others matching up across the way. This is the type of prospect who will be a college floor before you know it. If this weekend was any indication, she is going to be a top player to know out of Illinois at Loyola Academy come this Fall.

One of the top incoming freshmen to know, Eshoo is beyond her youth, and the confidence she plays with says a ton. She is not a flashy type of player by any means, but she plays the game with pace and a high amount of intention. She does not need too much to get going, and everything is simple and sharp. A name to keep in your books. Bright future.

Impressive beyond her years, she is younger than most of her competition but plays with confidence and maturity. She knows when the team needs a bucket, is a great shooter who will only improve, and has very good ballhandling for her size. Not afraid to draw contact, she shows high basketball IQ, knows when to swing the ball and cut, and consistently plays like a winner. A confident shooter in big moments, she embraces pressure and expects her next shot to fall, making her a reliable option in clutch situations.

Natalie is an eighth grader playing up on the 16U level, and if you didn’t know that ahead of time, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell. She already has a mature frame that helps her handle physicality, and she also brings the athleticism to defend on the perimeter while holding her own against bigger players inside. Her skill set is advanced, particularly as a shooter. She can knock down shots from deep, and when she gets hot, it becomes a real problem for opposing teams — just ask 3N Sports, as she knocked down four threes in the first half against them. She also flashed some playmaking ability with several quality passing reads. In transition, she is a major weapon because of the pressure she applies at the rim. Natalie is the real deal and has big-time upside as a two-way player.

She was in a wing article, now she is selected to the all-tournament team helping her team get to the championship game! Very good court awareness, good team leader and effective with the pick-and-pop. She is a very good team leader and floor general. Can knock down the three with range. High efficiency player!