Bring Your Best: Saturday Recaps
We were in attendance at the Bring Your Best live event in Ames on Saturday and saw nine solid games. Some may not have been competitive, but all had some very solid prospects. We saw 17 different teams through nine…
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Continue ReadingWe were in attendance at the Bring Your Best live event in Ames on Saturday and saw nine solid games. Some may not have been competitive, but all had some very solid prospects. We saw 17 different teams through nine games and tomorrow we will be seeing even more new teams. Below you can find our recaps from the nine games that we saw today.
10:00 (15U) — CY Select Alpha (46) vs.
Western Iowa Express
(22)
Starting off the day I wanted to see as many younger kids as I could. This was a good game to start with because I have seen the CY Select Alpha team a few times before and I wanted to see them one last time before June. They pretty much controlled this game from the opening tip. Audi Crooks once again played well. There are only so many good things I can say about her until it becomes redundant. She’s just such a good player with her touch around the rim, footwork, and knowledge of the game. The opposing coach said it best — “We just can’t stop her”. In fact, I have yet to find anyone who can, and that is even with this group playing up every weekend. Molly Joyce was really good once again today. I thought she really attacked the rim off the bounce well today. She’s got a great frame and is going to be a really solid player. This is a team to watch and if it sticks together could be one of the best in the state in four years.
Western Iowa Express
just ran into a buzzsaw with this team. They have some really nice players and Claire Schmitz comes to mind quickly. She’s a really intriguing forward with her size and knowledge of the game. Schmitz has a great motor and was the only kid all day that I repeatedly heard communicating loudly with teammates. She’s got some stuff to work on, but I think all of the tools are there for her to be a really good player. Josie Birdwell, Cambri Broderson, and Tera Pippett were others who jumped out to me in this game. There are quite a few scholarship level kids in this group.
11:10 (14U) — All Iowa Attack Nike White (47) vs. All Iowa Attack National Red (28)
I had seen the Nike White team play before, but this was my first look at the National Red team. Both of these teams are eighth grade teams and have multiple players going onto our 2023 watchlist. Natalee Danner stood out once again with how well she played. Danner is a fluid and versatile forward who will be able to swing between the two forward spots in high school. Rachel George really played well today and showcased her scoring ability. George is able to score at the rim but also knock down the open deep shot. She’s skillful and someone you can put out there and trust to hustle everywhere. There were a few players on the National Red who jumped out to me quickly. Liza Schaffer probably is at the top of that list due to her knowledge of the game and fluidness of her game. She quickly stood out with her advanced feel for the game and passing ability. She’s got a bright future ahead of her. Two others who stood out in this game were Raney Kruse and Johnna Rotto. Those names should should familiar because their older sisters are very good players at Gilbert. They are going to follow that path and be very good players as well.
12:20 (16U) — All Iowa Attack Nike Jones (49) vs. CY Select (24)
In a bit of a wacky game which saw CY Select only have five players, Nike Jones routed them fairly easily. They aren’t a team that is 25 points better than CY Select usually, but when you don’t have a bench you’re going to tire out rather quickly. Both Emma Ingersoll-Weng and Meredith Rieker stood out quickly with their play. Ingersoll-Weng was making shot after shot from the perimeter and was being more aggressive going to the basket. She is such a quick guard that when she’s at her best, she can’t be stopped. Hounding players on defense and pushing the ball are her best qualities and were on display in this one. Rieker has started to grow on me a bit more and in this one she looked really good. Good shooter in rhythm and was getting to the rim easily. She’s going to be a big part of the Valley success next year. Lucy Schaffer, the sister of Liza (game two), is really starting to develop her game more. She looked really confident on the ball and while the production may not be there yet, she’s a solid ball handler and a player who doesn’t make mistakes. For CY Select Cassidy Thompson continues to be one of the most intriguing players in the state. Standing at 6’2, if she gains strength she could be dominant. Thompson is a solid ball handler in the open court and is a tremendous shot blocker down low. She is also starting to show a jumper and if that comes along she is going to be really good. Meg Reitz was also solid today against CY Select. She’s a girl who I think is getting ready to take a huge leap and jump on the radar of teams. Love her ability to command the ball even though she isn’t a point guard. Really solid as a slasher who scores well at the rim.
1:30 (15U) — La Crosse Elevate-Johnson (46) vs. All Iowa Attack Regional (35)
It was a team effort for La Crosse Elevate-Johnson to get the win. Macy Donarski and Ella Jordan were really good at going to the rim to score. All Iowa Attack didn’t really have an answer for them as they were driving the ball. Jacy Weisbrod is a solid force in the middle for this team who was able to create havoc and force All Iowa Attack away from scoring at the rim. Their defense was the thing that really won them the game, and it was a total team effort. For All Iowa Attack Regional Maddie Nonnenmann played really well. She is such a solid post player with fluidity and skill. I think she has a ton of potential and can be a stud at the high school level if she keeps working at it. Great frame that could even add more strength. Elie Tuhn looked really good today and so did Danielle Grady. These were two players who hopped up onto my radar after not having a great game the last time I saw this team. I really thought that everyone in this game played well, shots just weren’t dropping.
2:40 (14U) — All Iowa Attack National Red (59) vs. CY Select Gamma (27)
I wanted to see this National Red team against but I also needed to see the CY Select Gamma team play. The same players stuck out to me for National Red as Liza Schaffer really took over. She has such a fluid combination of speed and skill that she is going to be a stud at the high school level. Good feel for the game and ability to find the mismatch on the floor. Johnna Rotto once again stuck out to me as a player who can do a ton of damage. Once she finishes growing and gets comfortable with her body she is really going to start to dominate with her size. For CY Select, Lillian Etherington jumped off the court at me quickly. She’s a skillful guard who can get to the rim really well. Her ball-handling and shifty nature make it look easy. She’s going to be a really nice off-ball guard at the next level. Carly Carstens was another player who really looked good today. She’s a small lead guard with a lot of smarts. Carstens is able to see the floor well and move the ball. She’s a player who should be able to come in and impact her high school team off the bench.
3:50 (15U) — Lady Martin Brothers (66) vs. CY Select Beta (39)
This game was pretty much over from the tip. The Lady Martin Brothers easily took down the CY Select Beta team comprised of seventh and eighth graders. Lady Martin Brothers used the play of Taylor Veach and Riley Moreland to run to the win. Veach played about as good as I have seen this summer with her ability to score at all three levels. I thought that she was using her power well to score inside but was also able to hit the jumpers she was given. She’s one of the better 2022 players in the state. Moreland was also playing well getting to the rim and rebounding the ball. She was playing at a pace that I hadn’t seen yet this year. Really enjoyed seeing her play at a level that I know she is capable of. Kamryn Grissel was so solid with the ball in her hands today. She was really impressing me with her ability to turn the corner and make things happen. She’s an under-the-radar type player who is very crucial to this teams success. Aree Beckmann was doing her thing and knocking down shots today. Really good player who can make shots without an inch of space. The CY Select team was just a bit overmatched as they were struggling early and it never really came around. A host of seventh graders playing against kids who are two grades above them was going to make it pretty tough. Nicole Storck did play really well for CY Select and is firmly in our 2023 watchlist. She’s a physical wing who just makes things happen. Skilled with the ball and tough on the interior once the strength comes and she learns how to absorb contact she’s going to be really good.
5:00 (17U) — All Iowa Attack 2021 EYBL (76) vs. All Iowa Attack Multi-sport Black (27)
I could mention literally everyone as playing well for All Iowa Attack EYBL but I would run out of room so I’ll keep it to three. Jada Gyamfi played so well in this one. She’s starting to solidify herself near the top of the class in 2021. She’s such a fluid player who has the ability to score the ball at a high level. Really solid motor with the ability to be dominant. Caroline Waite was knocking down jumper after jumper and getting to the rim. She’s such a solid guard that her stock is growing every time she’s on the floor. She’s small, but she can really carry a team with her shooting ability. Quick and feisty on defense allows her to be aggressive and turn defense into offense. Hannah Stuelke was also a player who stood out. She is full of length and was able to disrupt the offense of Multi-sport black. Her game is going to be really good at Iowa and she’s only getting better. For Multi-sport black I thought that Karlyn Snider played really well. She’s a tough guard who is starting to get better shooting the ball but she really makes herself known passing it and creating for others. She’s one of the tougher guards in the state and has the potential to be a really solid player. Jena Young an eighth grader also caught my eye on this Multi-sport team, she is going to be really good. Tough going to the rim and a nice outside shot allowing her to create plays for herself and open others up.
6:10 (17U) — All Iowa Attack 2020 EYBL (70) vs. Barium (57)
The top All Iowa Attack team started off quickly and then let Barium back into the game. Kayba Laube was on fire draining pretty much every shot she took. She’s heading off to Northern Iowa next year and is going to be a threat for them for four years. Fellow Northern Iowa commit Maya McDermott was spectacular passing the ball. She’s got an advanced feel of where everyone is on the floor and her passes are always perfectly on the spot. Maya Gyamfi and Shateah Wetering were running the floor well and getting into position to receive passes to score. It was an all around great effort for All Iowa Attack as they were down several players due to state track. Barium was actually a pretty solid team as they came back from a 20+ point deficit. Anna Lutz is a very versatile wing standing at 6’1. She can score at all three levels and is receiving some high major interest. Lutz has the ability to guard pretty much every single spot on the floor with her foot speed. Kiersten McNulty and Ramsey McGrew were two others who played well. Both were forwards who can score the ball and run the floor. It seemed like this was a team built on that type of versatility and scoring. Despite the score, this wasn’t as competitive as I would have liked it to be.
7:20 (17U) — Lady Martin Brothers (62) vs. Beyond Ball 24K (45)
In the night cap, the Lady Martin Brothers just kept draining their open 3-pointers to take a convincing win into Sunday. Emerson Green, Molly Chmelicek, and Hannah Erickson continually made jumpers to push the lead out to a huge margin. Sharon Goodman and Grace Boffeli were the difference makers as no one for Beyond Ball could stop them underneath. Goodman was getting position and scored on pretty much every single touch. If she missed, Boffeli was right there to clean it up. This was one of the better games I have seen from the Lady Martin Brothers squad. They were hitting on all cylinders and had a full team for the first time this summer. Beyond Ball 24K struggled on defense in this one but Kendall Nead played really well. She is best as a slasher but her jumper was working at times in this game. She is a super athletic wing who can making her living preying mismatches. Katie Keitges was making a ton of shots from all over the floor and was showcasing her insane range. She still has to get more consistent doing that but she looked really solid shooting the ball. Grace Plummer is a very well built guard who has a great frame. Tons of strength and speed, she’s just working her way to being more productive. It’s coming for her soon and I think that she is going to start clicking soon.