2023 players to watch in Southern Illinois
Many incoming freshman have to wait their turn once they reach the high school level. You may see some of this list make an impact and others may not. This list is a way too soon look at who may…
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Continue ReadingMany incoming freshman have to wait their turn once they reach the high school level. You may see some of this list make an impact and others may not. This list is a way too soon look at who may become a high level player. The list is not intended to be a ranking and is purposely listed in alphabetical order so as to not appear to be ranking them. In addition of course this list is partially based on word of mouth. I have only seen a few of them enough to evaluate them. With all of that background communicated, here we go!
- Bella Borja-Freeburg/SW IL Jets–Long and athletic, very tough around the rim on offense and really moves well without the ball.
- Melanie Blomenkamp–Freeburg/SW IL Jets–Outstanding shooter that is fundamentally sound all around in her game.
- Shannon Dowell-OTHS/St Louis Eagles–Long and athletic, excels at getting into the lane. She has great vision and willing passer but can finish through traffic.
- Bella Hart-Mascoutah/St Louis Shooting Stars– good ball handler and passer, makes the good pass to set up her teammates, good court vision, can shoot the 3 if left open.
- Gracie Heckert- Beecher City/Indiana FlightWest–gifted combo guard, can equally handle the role of the lead guard or take on more of a scorers mentality. Can score at all 3 levels.
- Layla Jackson -Belleville East/St Louis Eagles– scorers mentality, can score at all 3 levels but is best at getting in the lane, athletic and strong
- Kennedy Johnstone –Springfield/Predators–Great at getting into the lane. Can use the floater effectively or get all the way to the rim and finish. Good handles
- Kylie Kisgen – Freeburg/SW IL Jets- The classic point guard with a good shooting stroke. Relentless on defense. Great leader, pushes the ball very well in transition.
- Emily Konkel-Ttown/ Indiana Flight West–long wing, handles the ball and shoots like a guard with post height for her age, high level potential
- Sophia Loden-Mascoutah/St Louis Shooting Stars– long and tough,great rebounder and defender, very unselfish, gets points off the offensive boards through hustle and effort
- Violet McNece– Edwardsville/IWA/Knights Basketball Academy–very good ball handler, natural distributor, takes the ball to the hole well but can hit the 3 if left alone.
- Tate Morrisey–Jacksonville/Predators–High energy defensive specialist. Picks up full court and plays with intensity. Frustrates and takes good players out of their game.
- Kaylee Niebrugge-Ttown/Indiana Flight West–strong wing player, can hurt you inside and outside. Very versatile, can impact the game in every way.
- Savannah Orgeron-Mahomet/Heart of Illinois–Very good at exploiting a mismatch, can take the bigger players off the bounce and kill the smaller players in the post. Good passer.
- Haley Ottenschneider–Breese Central/Team St Louis–Very strong which allows her to battle inside, great handles allows her to get to the rim where her strength allows her to finish consistently.
- Payton Patterson-MCHS– Natural scorer, can fill it up, gets to the lane well with a patient approach, athletic, plays well in transition.
- Jaliah Pelly–ESL/St Louis Eagles– long and lanky point guard, very tough on defense. Really pushes the ball and excels in transition.
- Natalie Peterson–Freeburg/ SW IL Jets/Evolution Elite- Very long, tall, but has skills like a guard. Great all around game, equally comfortable inside and outside.
- Rilee Riggs-Mt Carmel/Indiana Flight Blue–Great size and frame for her age. Good touch with either hand in the lane.Skills are a bit raw yet but size and effort makes her a force on both ends of the floor.
- Layne Rupert-Hillsboro/Predators–Floor leader with a high IQ. Solid all around skill set, can hit from the outside or get to the rim.
- Trinity Tingley-Paris/Indiana Flight West– prototypical point guard, leader on the floor that runs the offense and sets the tone on defense.
- Alycia Triplett-Charleston/ Indiana Flight West–Post player with athletic ability. Runs the floor well and can finish with a soft touch in the lane, excellent offensive rebounder.
- Alexis Wade–Mt. Pulaski/Illinois Inferno– handles the ball well and can play with varsity level players.She can handle the pressure. Great effort, 100% all the time at both ends of the floor, versatile.
- Addie Wright-Oakwood/Indiana Flight West–strong post player, runs the floor well and is a plus rebounder/defender. Uses both hands to finish around the basket and can shoot it to 15 feet.
- Kendra Young-Paris/Indiana Flight West–She is a shooter, confident enough to let if fly, long/ good size for her guard position. Developing her game off the bounce to compliment the shooting ability.