Most Intriguing Prospects from Omaha North at Papillion-LaVista
The highly ranked Papillion-LaVista Monarchs faced off with the Omaha North Vikings at the Monarchs home court on December 13th. Papillion-LaVista jumped out to an early lead, forcing turnovers in their full court press and getting out in transitions for…
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Continue ReadingThe highly ranked Papillion-LaVista Monarchs faced off with the Omaha North Vikings at the Monarchs home court on December 13th. Papillion-LaVista jumped out to an early lead, forcing turnovers in their full court press and getting out in transitions for easy buckets. The momentum for the Monarchs carried over into the seconds half, and with a combined 32 points from the senior duo of Ingwerson and Boudreau, they stayed undefeated with a 65-27 win. Here are the prospects from both sides that impressed on Friday night.
Lindsey Ingwerson – 6’0 Forward – Rockhurst University Commit Class of 2020
Lindsey Ingwerson is a strong left-handed forward that is on her way to play at Rockhurst University next season. For now, the senior forward is focused on doing what she can to keep her team’s early-season winning streak alive. Ingwerson is physical and rebounds well on both ends of the floor. On offense, she regularly gets deep position, buries her matchup under the rim, and can finish with either hand. Fouling her wont help; Ingwerson is a good shooter that can knock down her free throws. Lindsey will not be able to overpower her competition as much at the next level, but is a skilled player that should figure and make a role for herself quickly.
Olivia Boudreau – 5’9 Guard – Morningside Commit Class of 2020
Olivia Boudreau will also be continuing her basketball career next season at Morningside College and it is easy to see why they were interested. Boudreau is a lights out shooter with deep range. Near the end of the second quarter of Friday night’s game, Olivia pulled up from around 25 feet without thinking twice and hit nothing but the bottom of the net. She can also put the ball on the floor to drive by out-of-control closeouts and finishes with soft floaters and runners. Boudreau needs to continue to improve as a finisher around the rim, but her smooth shooting stroke is something for the coaching staff at Morningside to be excited about.
Caitlyn Ryan – 5’9 Forward – Papillion-LaVista Class of 2022
Caitlyn Ryan is strong forward that is making an impact player off the bench for Papillion to start this season. Through the first four games Caitlyn is averaging 4 rebounds in less than 15 minutes per game. Although she missed her only attempt this game, Caitlyn can stretch the floor and knock down 3-point shots. Ryan has good size and may be the player to help fill Ingwerson’s role next season.
Brooklyn Wrice – 5’3 Guard – Papillion-LaVista Class of 2022
Brooklyn Wrice pushes the tempo as the primary ball handler for the Monarchs. She keeps her head up in transition and finds her teammates running the floor. Wrice is also a knock down shooter; converting on over 50% of her 3-point attempts through four games. In Friday’s contest, Brooklyn made quick decision with the ball by swinging passes to open shooters or putting her shot up without hesitation.
Olivia Kraft – 5’7 Wing – Papillion-LaVista Class of 2022
Olivia Kraft is another talented sophomore for Papillion-LaVista that can come off the bench and affect the game. Kraft is a great shooter with short memory for her misses. On paper the sophomore wing didn’t have a great night shooting the ball; going 2-8 from 3-point range. However, if you were in the building Friday night than you know that each one of those shots looked like it was going in. I would expect Olivia Kraft to have a big night soon if she continues to get looks like that.
La’Taviona Birch – 5’8 Forward – Omaha North Class of 2021
La’Taviona Birch is a physical presence around the rim for Omaha North. She can rip down rebounds on both ends and makes it tough for opposing players to score in the post. She works hard to get position offensively and makes good decisions when she has the ball. Omaha North’s offense seems to run much more smoothly on the possession that La’Taviona touches the ball. However, before Birch left the game with an injury, her team struggled to find her open or give her good passes when she was.
Aaliya Matthews – 5’10 Forward – Omaha North Class of 2023
Aaliya Matthews has already found her way into the starting lineup as a freshman for Omaha North because of her energy, length, and rebounding. Offensively, Matthews does a good job of flashing to soft spots in the interior of the defense and getting into position to score. Aaliya is still very raw. She needs to move her feet better defensively, be stronger around the rim, and improve as a ball handler, but Aaliya has all the athletic tools to be a very good player if she can put the pieces together.