Midseason Standouts: 2023 Part Two
At the midway point of the high school hoops season, I thought it was the perfect time to check in on the young players we all should keep an eye on over the last few months of the season and…
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Continue ReadingAt the midway point of the high school hoops season, I thought it was the perfect time to check in on the young players we all should keep an eye on over the last few months of the season and over their next few years. Yesterday, we looked at four 2023 prospects who have made their mark, and today we will tackle the other four who have stood out to me on film.
Taylor Markussen – PG Omaha Northwest
I’ll be impressed if one of you can find a quicker player in Nebraska than Taylor Markussen. Defenders should work their hardest to mirror her first steps, because if she gets a step there is no recovering. Her size does not hinder her finishing ability at the rim as much as you’d expect. She uses that speed to beat the help defense to the spot, and if the help is in poor position, Markussen has proven she can initiate contact and draw the foul. Northwest slows the tempo to an excruciating pace at times, which does not play to her strengths, yet she still finds ways to get into the lane without much movement and tempo from her teammates.
Dyvine Harris – PG Lincoln North Star
Harris is a solid mover without the basketball, and a skilled screen-setter. She mixes up the look of her screens by switching angles, re-screening, and ghosting or slipping the screen. She does leave a lot of opportunities unrealized. Her cutting and driving lands in her advantageous positions, but too often she doesn’t see it, or seek it out. Instead of getting caught up in passing the ball along and getting to the next spot on the floor, recognizing those gaps and attacking them will earn her more scoring and playmaking opportunities. She is selective, but effective, shooting 50% from the field on the season.
Carly Purdy – F North Platte
Carly has the length, steady hands, and quick leaping that you often see in the best rebounders. It’s the skill she does best, but the motor doesn’t match the ability often enough. For entire quarters, she can move without any purpose or intent. Sometimes she is in position to get an easy rebound, but doesn’t put forth even minimal effort. On defense, I see a lot of the same lapses. She gets ball-watching frequently, and when she does attempt to defend it lacks intent and energy. She is a solid screener and shows some feel while rolling to the basket.
Savanna Solomon – PG Papillion La Vista South
Even on a deep and talented Papio South roster, Solomon is the one who is given control of the offense in crunch time. In a close game against Millard North this year, the Mustangs were sending double-teams and switching defensive looks every time down the floor, hoping to slow the talented sophomore point guard. She was never overwhelmed, she was never sped up or stymied, and she surgically dissected what they threw at her. She can shoot off the catch or dribble, she is an active defender who knows where to be at the right time, and she executes the important fundamentals at a high level.