Top Upperclassmen at Pittsburgh Tip-Off
Let it be known car trouble can throw off your entire week. That being said, I’m finally getting around to doing a little recap on some of the top high school players in the upper three divisions from the Adidas…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLet it be known car trouble can throw off your entire week.
That being said, I’m finally getting around to doing a little recap on some of the top high school players in the upper three divisions from the Adidas Pittsburgh National Tip-Off tournament held last weekend in various locales south of downtown Pittsburgh.
Shaking off the rust from the lack of game conditions took a few quarters, but the players came around quickly and by week’s end, started showing signs of feeling the groove.
First, we’ll take a look at some of the top players from the 17u division.
The best game of the weekend was likely the kickoff as the West Virginia Dream, led by Wayne’s Alana Eves, came from behind to defeat the NCWV Swish 2021s.
Dream finished pool play with a spotless 3-0 mark while Swish was 2-1. Fans were denied a rematch, however, as the Dream only participated in pool action.
The post tandem of Meredith Maier and Autumn Lewis was up to the task all weekend and led Swish to the 17u championship title against the Western New York Lady Lakers.
The two teams from WV were definitely the cream of this bracket’s crop. A third Mountain state outfit, the WV Explosion, didn’t fare as well, finishing 0-3 in pool play.
Top Overall Performances
Autumn Lewis, NCWV Swish (Cabell Midland, 2021)
Lewis was consistent all weekend, showing why she’s in the upper echelon of 2021s in West Virginia.
Her interior quickness allows her to blow past defenders or quickly scoop an offensive board and stick a put-back. But while Lewis stands 5-10 and has the skills to play inside, the further she gets away from the basket, the deadlier she became.
Lewis’ size, quick release, and high-release point make her tough to defend. Given her ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket only compounds the problem.
When Swish went big and Lewis played more on the wing, she used her range to nail 3-pointers and attack rapidly closing-out defenders who were unable to recover.
When on the floor with Meredith Maier, the tandem negated second-chance points for the opposition.
Alana Eves, WV Dream (Wayne, 2021)
Eves was hitting from all levels in Dream’s first game and it didn’t stop there.
Whether popping a three in the corner, attacking the lane or driving and pulling up, Eves seemed dialed in all over the court.
In short, she knows how to finish
She’s displayed great anticipation defensively, flooding passing lanes and poking turnovers free from their intended targets.
A more than capable rebounder when needed, with Caroline Asbury and Julia Boone in the paint, she wasn’t asked to be the main force on the glass.
Meredith Maier, NCWV Swish (Grafton, 2022)
Both Lewis and Maier had impressive performances, but while Lewis’ had a bit more flash, Maier stood atop in physicality.
Simply put, the incoming Grafton junior is a rebounding machine. She routinely got position, used her athleticism to outjump opponents, and cleared rebounds with purpose.
New Mountain East Conference member Alderson Broaddus offered her for a reason.
Capable of running point when needed, Maier wasted little time in pushing the tempo post-rebound, resulting in a number of transition points.
Her physical post defense resulted in a number of blocks and altered shots.
She displayed versatility offensively, both in attacking the basket with both hands and pulling up from range. She’s a dominant post with a versatile skillset.
Kelci Blair Kelci Blair 5'6" | PG Johnson Central | 2021 State KY , WV Dream (Johnson Central, 2021)
Blair displayed why she is one of the Top 20 incoming seniors in Kentucky. An unselfish floor leader, Blair made a number of quality set-ups off the drive.
She showed range with a couple of triples in the win against Swish and kept her cool against full-court pressure. Despite being 5-6, Blair wasn’t afraid to mix it up inside and fight—oftentimes successfully—for rebounds.
But her best attribute of the weekend came on the defensive end. She forced turnovers, but her on-ball defense, both in the half-court and in transition were suffocating.
Attempts to drive past her resulted in passes or unsuccessful off-balance shots. She was a big reason that guard-based penetration scoring was at a minimum.
Victoria Sturm, NCWV Swish (Lincoln, 2021)
Offensively Sturm took a little bit to get going, but eventually showed why she’s one of Swish’s top offensive threats.
Later in the weekend, Sturm was both attacking via the dribble and hitting from the outside.
Her defense, however, was sound all weekend. Swish primarily utilized a zone scheme, with Sturm up top forcing turnovers and hustling back and forth above the key.
When forced to man-up in transition situations, she went into lockdown mode. Sturm primarily guards the opposition’s top threat.
Caroline Asbury, WV Dream (Spring Valley, 2021)
While Blair, Eves, and Jill Tothe were lighting it up from the perimeter, Asbury provided the bulk of the interior scoring.
Asbury has solid post moves, but she’s also quick with the dribble as she displayed with a couple of transition baskets and drives to the bucket.
She did an admirable job in keeping Maier and Lewis off the offensive glass against Swish and blocked a number of shots when the opposition’s guards attempted to attack the paint from the outside in.