Nashville Thanksgiving Tourney: Under the Radar Prospects
I really enjoyed spending the time to watch all 4 of the games at Nashville Saturday. By watching the 7th,5th,3rd and 1st place games I got a chance to see every team. Many of these teams it was my first…
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Continue ReadingI really enjoyed spending the time to watch all 4 of the games at Nashville Saturday. By watching the 7th,5th,3rd and 1st place games I got a chance to see every team. Many of these teams it was my first opportunity to see them play. I walked away continuing to understand there are many girls in Southern Illinois that can play at the college level, they just need the exposure. Well, here we go with some players that I had not seen or am very confident most of you have not seen.
Okawville has a couple of exciting 2023 guards that are worth tracking. Megan Rennegarbe and Briley Rhodes both start and play as many minutes as they can. Megan is 5’7 and Briley is 5’3. Megan had a very good game in the 3rd place game with 14 points. She does a nice job off the bounce getting into the lane where she was able to finish in the mid range and at the rim. She is long and lanky at this point and uses that frame well. Briley made all tourney and turned some heads with her play. She is shorter and looks a little quicker. She has a nice shot from behind the arc and handles it very well.
Pinckneyville has a couple of recognizable names, especially Kenzie Rushing who is a high scoring 2021 guard coming back off of knee surgery. I was impressed with a couple of other players that showed some potential. Payton Morgan is a 6’0 2021 post that had an excellent 4th quarter in the game I saw. She does a good job of using her strength to establish a deep position and then is able to finish around the basket. Payton did a good job of keeping the ball high, not wasting a dribble and making a quick decisive move. At her height and strength she should be able to help a JC/NAIA/D3 team. Keep her on your radar. Madison Morgenthaler is a 5’9 2023 guard that came off the bench and did a good job. She has a long frame and has good athletic ability for a young wiry player. She has a nice shot and a good feel for how to play the game. She made smart passes and played good defense. She is another player that has solid potential to be a good player in the 2023 class.
Collinsville played two freshman quite a bit in the championship game and both showed potential. Jordan Gary is a very athletic 5’6 2023 guard. She showed the ability to guard and play at the pace of a varsity game. She did not have many offensive chances in this game but has scored in 3/4 games she has played. She looked comfortable with the ball in her hands and can finish in the lane. Jenna Scheller is a 6’2 2023 post that shows some good touch around the rim. Jenna is a big strong girl that can establish position in the lane and finish. She is a good option to give Coach Billy a few minutes at a time but will need to get in better shape to go for extended minutes.
Mascoutah is a program that has struggled the last few years but is showing some signs of getting better. Their leading scorer for the tourney was Alanna Brooks a 5’6 2021 guard. Alanna can score in the mid range and off the 3-point line very well. She scored 18 per game and finished the tourney on a sprained MCL. She is very tough and is trying to find a way to stay on the floor. Sophia Louden is a 5’11 2023 forward that was full of energy and effort on Saturday. College coaches near me took notice of how hard she was playing. She does an excellent job of rebounding and playing defense. I think she has more room to grow over 6ft before she is done. Sophia works very hard with a trainer to improve her offensive game. She is one to watch.
Other underclassmen to watch are Bailey Bell, Emily Schnitker and Kennady Hayes. Bell is a 5’7 2021 guard from Wesclin. In the game I saw I thought she did an excellent job as a slasher that could get in the lane and find ways to score. She handles it well and defends well. Schnitker is a 5’6 2022 guard from Nashville that made her mark in this game with her 3-point shot. She hit two big shots late in the game when they were most important. She plays with more heralded players but Schnitker could end up making a place for herself.Hayes is a 5’8 2022 guard from Mt. Vernon. Hayes showed the ability to score in multiple ways. She has a nice size for her position and used a very effective runner to score off one of her drives.
Two seniors caught my eye that do not seem to be on the radar for many coaches. Mady Wallace is a 5’5 guard from Benton. She is left handed and can handle the ball well and will defend. Mady can score inside and outside with a knack for getting hot. Once she gets on a roll she is hard to stop. She is crafty at getting into the lane and finishing over bigger players. Annibelle Harrison is a 5’7 guard from Mt. Vernon. Annibelle led the team in scoring and seemed to be a steady influence throughout the game. She can handle the ball and defend while also finding ways to score. She uses her defense to create offense and had a big 3rd quarter in the game I saw which was when Mt.Vernon pulled away for the win. She is someone that can play small college ball if she can find the right fit.
All in all this was a great event that I really enjoyed Saturday. Good Luck to all of the teams as they continue the season.