2023 Southern Illinois AAU All Stars
In these next few articles I will be recognizing some AAU All Stars from this summer. One thing that is important to understand is that with the addition of Brian Carman to our team we have defined some territories. For…
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Continue ReadingIn these next few articles I will be recognizing some AAU All Stars from this summer. One thing that is important to understand is that with the addition of Brian Carman to our team we have defined some territories. For the purposes of stories like this I will now only be writing about players south of Quincy/Jacksonville/Springfield/Decatur and Tuscola over to the border. Mt Zion is the only school that is on the border that is possibly unclear, that will be in my area. It is obviously not a straight line from West to East, but a line none the less. That will allow Brian and I to ensure when we write articles like this that there is a clear and defined area for us to use so that we do not try to recognize the same players and therefore get recognition for more players.
So, with that said, here are my 2023 AAU All Stars:
- Trinity Tingley Trinity Tingley 5'5" | PG Paris | 2023 State IL is a 5’5 Point Guard from Paris and Indiana Elite Havoc. Trinity has had an excellent summer showing off her hard work on her shooting stroke. She has consistently been able to hit open shots from behind the line and showing off increased range. Trinity has always had good handles and a feel for the game from her point guard spot. Being the daughter of a coach gives her an excellent understanding of how to play the game. With the increased focus on her shooting Trinity has become a legitimate threat that cannot be left alone.
- Alycia Triplett Alycia Triplett 5'11" | PF Fishers | 2023 State IN is a 5’11 Forward from Charleston and Indiana Elite Havoc. Alycia is a very strong and athletic player that does most of her damage in the lane and on the fast break. She takes the ball to the rim with authority and can finish with either hand. Alycia rebounds well and uses this skill to score easy points on put backs. For Alycia to maximize her potential coaches will be looking for her to show the outside shot and ball skills that would be commensurate with a wing player at the college level.
- Shakira McCline Shakira McCline 5'5" | CG East St. Louis | 2023 State IL is a 5’6 Guard from East St. Louis and Midwest United. Shakara has been playing at the 17u level this summer and done an outstanding job of scoring the ball. She can use her dribble to get into the lane and create mid range opportunities along with getting all the way to the rim. Shakara has a scorers mentality so she is always looking for a way to get a good shot. She can excel in the open floor where she uses her athletic ability to create lanes and out run her opponents.
- Shannon Dowell Shannon Dowell 5'9" | SG O'Fallon HS | 2023 State IL is a 5’9 Guard from O’Fallon and Brad Beal Elite. Shannon does a very good job using her length and athletic ability on both ends of the floor. She had multiple steals that led to runouts for her and her teammates. As she transitioned to offense she showed her ability to jump and finish over girls and also to hang in the air and let the defender fly by before she finished the layup. Shannon has shown improvements in her game in all aspects during the summer and looks ready to take on a bigger role for O’Fallon during the school year. Her long term upside is high based on her build, athletic ability and work ethic.
- Kylie Kinser Kylie Kinser 6'0" | PF Carrollton | 2023 State IL is a 6’0 Forward from Carrollton and the Inferno Elite 16u. Kylie is a multi dimensional player that can do well in the post but has also shown some skills away from the lane. She does a really good job in finding good spots to post and establishes good position and presents a target. During her high school season Kylie plays with another big so she has shown some skill there to step away from the lane and make some plays. Kylie will run the floor hard and is an above average defender and rebounder. She plays with a motor and has heart so many coaches would be drawn to her. Coaches at the lower levels looking for a stretch 4 should certainly have their eye on her.
- Zsana Hawkins Zsana Hawkins 5'11" | C O'Fallon | 2023 State IL is a 5’10 Post from O’Fallon and Brad Beal Elite. Z is a big bodied, quick footed hard worker that can get it done in the post. Because she is able to use her strength well she can play effectively against taller players. She has shown tremendous improvement within the last 12 months and her work ethic points toward that upward trend continuing.. As she improves her game away from the basket and her stamina, Z will begin to set her path to a very good career at OTHS.
- Ensley Tedeschi Ensley Tedeschi 6'1" | SF Benton | 2023 State IL is a 6′ Wing from Benton and Semo Sizzle. Ensley is a long and athletic wing that competes very hard. She uses her length well on the defensive end of the floor.The worst thing a girl can do is pick up her dribble with Ensley guarding her. That leads to a feeling of being surrounded by a crowd and not being able to see the floor. But, it is just Ensley and her length wreaking havoc. Ensley runs the floor hard and can score at all levels. She does a good job of getting to the rim and finishing over the top of smaller defenders, but Ensley also has a nice shot that she can also hit on the wing and out past the 3-point line.
- Gracie Heckert Gracie Heckert 5'9" | SG Beecher | 2023 State IL is a 5’8 Guard from Beecher City. Gracie is a tall and long guard that can play the point and also play off the ball. She can shoot very consistently from the 3-point line which helps create driving opportunities as teams have to respect her shot. I like to watch Gracie on both ends of the floor because she brings good length and athletic ability to the game. Defensively she has the right body and explosiveness to be a great on ball defender.Gracie is a willing passer and believes her height plays a big part in her ability to see the open player versus the shorter guards.
- Sophia Loden Sophia Loden 5'11" | SF Mascoutah | 2023 State IL is a 5’10 Forward from Mascoutah abd St Louis Phenom. Sophia has a high motor and is very scrappy which makes her a great teammate by just picking up loose balls and offensive boards. She played well in the summer sessions by showing off her improvement on her 3-point shot. Sophia has worked hard to improve her accuracy and her range by focusing on her balance throughout the shot, which is paying dividends. As Sophia continues to improve you will see her skill set continue to morph into that of a wing versus a 4/5. Once she masters her ball handling and ability to attack off the bounce her upside will start to become a reality.
There is some exciting upside and talent in this group. Next we will explore the class of 2024.