2022 State Tournament Performers Part II
The 2020 Nebraska State Tournament was full of ups and downs, including a bright set of rising players from the Class of 2022. This is the second of a two-part series in which I will share my thoughts on some…
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Continue ReadingThe 2020 Nebraska State Tournament was full of ups and downs, including a bright set of rising players from the Class of 2022. This is the second of a two-part series in which I will share my thoughts on some of the 2022 players that I saw at the Nebraska State Tournament.
Olivia Reed (6’0″ Forward, Chadron): The daughter of Chadron State’s men’s basketball coach Houston Reed, Olivia Reed is a long, athletic player who is also an outstanding middle distance runner in track. She is a very good driver, but she can also shoot it a little bit from the perimeter. Reed led the Cardinals back to the state tournament for the first time since 2016 while averaging 17 points and seven boards a night. This may be a diamond in the rough in the Sandhills of Nebraska that college coaches may be flocking to the next couple of years.
Rylie Rice (5’9″ Guard, Grand Island Central Catholic): Rice could be one of the best shooters in the state; she has terrific range, and she changes the complexion of your defensive game plan because you can’t help off of her and allow her to let it fly from deep. There are times where Rice needs to work on her shot selection, but that should come with maturity. After averaging 15 a game for the Crusaders this winter, but Rice will need to continue her passing and ball handling to make the leap to from an NAIA to a Division II prospect.
Alexis Folkers (5’5″ Guard, Crofton): Folkers is a good ball handler who is a good decision maker. She is an excellent shooter, but her release needs to come out of her hand a little bit quicker. Folkers only average seven points a game, but Crofton’s deep and experienced program usually has very good players not putting up the high numbers that players from other schools might. She does attack the rim well and finishes well, and she will continue to grow under the tutelage of Aaron Losing, and the winning culture of this point guard will make any NAIA school better in a couple of years.
Shayla Meyer (5’11” Forward, Superior): A tremendous athlete who can play both inside and outside, Meyer has a tremendous upside and a long, athletic frame. She can take a smaller player inside and a bigger player outside. After averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 boards a game for the 21-4 Wildcats, Shayla Meyer will face a tremendous challenge next season without having Nebraska volleyball recruit Kalynn Meyer to play along side her. How Shayla Meyer adjusts to this attention will be a big key to both her future and the future of Superior’s team.
Karley Heimes (5’11” Forward, Wynot): Heimes has a similar profile to Folkers; she is a very good young player who doesn’t have a lot of eye-popping statistics but is really important to a consistent winner. She is a long, athletic forward who is perfect for the pressing, trapping system of Wynot. She only averaged 5.5 points a game, but she is a good shooter from 15-17 feet. To be successful at the next level, Heimes needs to extend her jump shot to consistently shooting the 3 and she also needs to get stronger, but this is a winner that NAIA schools need to take a look at in a couple of years.