Highland Shootout:2022 Evaluations
Saturday was the opening day of the 34th Annual Scott Credit Union Highland Shootout. The opening games were mostly easy wins for the better seeded teams. We did have the chance to see all of the teams and some excellent…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSaturday was the opening day of the 34th Annual Scott Credit Union Highland Shootout. The opening games were mostly easy wins for the better seeded teams. We did have the chance to see all of the teams and some excellent talent. Here we take a look at the 2022 talent that was on display.
- Alyssa Cole is a 5’9 wing from Nashville. Alyssa does a good job of using her strength to her advantage. She does this on both ends of the floor to be a rebounder and scorer for her team. The exciting part has been watching Alyssa improve her ball handling and outside shooting to expand her game. In this game she was able to take smaller wings and post them up to use her post moves. Alyssa has plenty of experience inside and it comes naturally to her, so this is like shooting fish in a barrel for her. She has become a threat to shoot the 3 and get to the hole off the bounce too.
- Maura Niemeier is a 5’7 guard from Civic Memorial. Maura uses her speed and quickness to be a top shelf defender. She is tough on the ball and also excels in the run and jump system used by the lady Eagles. Many of the points Maura scores comes off the transition buckets from her defense, but she is developing more confidence in the half court offense. Maura has a reliable catch and shoot game and is beginning to use her athletic ability to drive to the lane. Maura will be one for college coaches to watch develop.
- Claire Christeson is a 6ft 4/5 from Civic Memorial. Claire is another Lady Eagles player that can defend at a high level. She is long and moves well enough to guard multiple positions. Claire does a good job reading passes from the second line of the their run and jump defense which leads to many steals. She has a developing post move game and is a very good offensive rebounder. Most everything you see Claire accomplish on the floor is due to instincts, athletic ability and flat out effort. That is not to say she does not have skill, it is meant to emphasize how hard she plays. As Claire continues to develop her outside game she will become even more valuable.
- Reese Bennett is a 5’7 guard from Belleville West. Reese is a tough player that really shows her enthusiasm and grit when she plays. Her emotion comes through and sometimes that shows in a little toughness and sometimes it shows the dancing and smiling Reese. Either way, she is giving it her all and loving what she is doing. She has good outside shot and does much of her scoring outside the 3 point line. There is a little work that can be done to make her shot more consistent. Reese plays tough defense and works hard and those are traits that every coach loves.
- Alyssa Powell is a 5’10 forward from Triad. I have had the pleasure of watching Alyssa play many times in her career. She consistently shows athletic ability, specifically strength and jumping ability, that allow her to succeed as an undersized post player. Her true upside as a basketball player will be to continue developing her ball handling and get some help with her form on her shot. If she can do this she has the chance to become a very good 3 at some point.
- Emily Schnitker is a 5’7 guard from Nashville that has had a good year shooting the ball. In both games I have seen her she has been a back breaker hitting open 3’s while the defense worries about the inside game. She handles the ball well and is a good defender. Emily is a multi sport athlete that will take on an even bigger role next year and show more of what she can do.
- Sydney Tebbe is a 6ft post player from Okawville. Sydney showed strong moves in the post and did a good job of finishing through contact. She is a multi sport athlete that also plays volleyball and softball. Sydney is certainly a player for smaller colleges to watch her development. She has what it takes to play at the next level.
- Avery Christopher is a 5’4 point guard from O’Fallon. Avery is a very high level soccer player that is able to translate the footwork and quickness skills to the basketball floor. Avery is a defensive weapon that Coach Knolhoff can use at his disposal. She is capable of slowing down many guards and has done a good job creating tipped passes and steals. As she continues to develop her offense she will be a good player that will help the team win games.
- Rhylea Johnson is a 6’1 4/5 from O’Fallon. Rhylea suffered a knee injury in the fall that delayed her contribution this year, but she is beginning to show her old form. When she is healthy Rhylea is capable of playing both the high and low post. She is agile and can play facing the basket. She has a nice touch that allows her to hit shots out to 15 feet with consistency. The other thing that really flashes is her instincts and feel for the game. She made a very nice pass in the game Saturday that many players would not see or execute. As she becomes stronger and more comfortable coming back from her injury, she could be a big boost to O’Fallon this year.
This group of 2022 players is certainly a group to watch. I am not sure if there are D1 players in this group but certainly some D2 potential and strong NAIA/D3 talent. I know this about these girls, they will work hard to maximize the gifts they have.