Duel for the Dynasty: 17U All-Duel Honorable Mention
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Just like the First Team and Second Team All-Duel teams were very similar talent-wise, these players who garner honorable mentions are big time prospects who very easily could have been listed among the other two teams. There was just so…
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Continue ReadingJust like the First Team and Second Team All-Duel teams were very similar talent-wise, these players who garner honorable mentions are big time prospects who very easily could have been listed among the other two teams. There was just so much talent on display in Fort Worth last weekend that ranking everyone has proven to be a challenge. These players are very, very good and deserve a lot of attention from college coaches.
Desiree Marshall-Penny | 5-5 CG | Oklahoma Chaos 2022 | Tulsa Union High, OK | 2022 | @desiree_penny
Speaking of players who could have very easily been First or Second Team, Desiree did everything she needed to in order to be listed among the best of the best at the Duel. She always stands out, whether it be on the PGH Circuit or with her State Semi-final squad at Union High. Marshall-Penny has a very confident stroke from deep and is just a really good shooter. Desiree scored in double-digits in all but one game. She goes hard all game and is an outstanding competitor. You can just see it in her eyes. She wants it and she is not going to let her team lose if it is left up to her. She is a good point guard who delivers crisp passes to teammates. She is also a tremendous on-ball defender. Marshall-Penny is going to play in college. She has the heart and the talent to be everything that a college coach could want.
Paola Perez-Mendoza Paola Perez-Mendoza 5'5" | PG McClintock | 2021 State AZ | 5-5 PG | New Mexico D1 2022 | McClintock High, AZ | 2021 | @paola_0717
I – and everyone else around me – was absolutely shocked to find out that Perez-Mendoza was a 2021 that wasn’t committed anywhere. She is an absolutely phenomenal point guard. If you enjoy basketball, played the right way and with a hint of childhood, schoolyard fun, Paola is the player you will want to watch. She is good at setting teammates up to score and clearly relishes the role. She dishes behind the back and through the legs to any teammate who is open and uses her outstanding court vision to almost always hit the right player. She is very quick and shows tremendous handles. She is a tough defender with lightning quick hands that is very adept at popping the ball out of the opposing ballhandler’s grasp. She is a true point guard in that she runs the floor, coaching her teammates and positioning everyone properly. Oh, by the way, she can also score. Paola had a total of 36 points in four games.
Abigail Tomaski Abigail Tomaski 6'0" | SG Memorial | 2023 State TX | 6-0 G/F | Just Play Elite 17U | Memorial High, Houston, TX | 2023 | @AbigailTomaski
As mentioned before, JP Elite went undefeated on the weekend and a large part of that was their impressive size all over the floor. Tomaski is a really big guard that can handle the ball and is a very good shooter. She often plays point and does a really good job of it. With her size, handles and scoring ability, I would have to say that Tomaski is most likely a D-I point guard. Oh, by the way, she is only a 2023. She totaled 36 points in four games, but more importantly dished out a lot of assists and used her outstanding length to make life very tough on the opposition. She is quick enough laterally to guard any opposing guard or shooting forward, but has the size to move into the lane and guard the other team’s bigs. She is an all-around impressive player and you definitely need to get a look at her on the PGH circuit sooner, rather than later.
Katelyn Coleman | 5-9 CG | Mississippi Delta Elite 2022 | McEvans High, MS | 2022 | @coleman_katelyn
Coleman is another guard with really good size. She is tall and long and well-built enough to take the beating and banging down low. She has good handles and does a good job of getting to the rim and finishing through contact. She is quick and does a good job of getting her defender off balance and forcing her way to the rim. That isn’t to say that Katelyn can’t also shoot it. She has a very good jumper with a high release thanks to her very long arms. Coleman looks like she still has a little room to get taller and that could spell doom for opposing teams. Coleman looks to have everything figured out heading into her senior year and college coaches will want to get to Mississippi to take a look at this outstanding player.
Elle Papahronis Elle Papahronis 5'11" | SF Edmond North | 2023 State OK | 6-0 G/F | Trae Young Elite 2022 | Edmond North High, OK | 2023 | @EllePapahronis
I’m not sure there is anything left to say about Elle that hasn’t already been said. She is a D-I player. She averaged almost nine points a game in the PGH Circuit Duel for the Dynasty. She is tall and very long and is just a really, really good basketball player. Elle is smart and tough and looks to be a great teammate. As I’ve mentioned before, she is a coach’s kid and not only has a high basketball IQ, but looks to be very coachable. She lets her play do the talking for her. Elle is a three-level scorer who knows when to stop and pop or to take her defender one-on-one and finish strong at the rim. She finishes through contact and hits her free throws should she get an ’and-1.’ Papahronis currently holds several D-I offers including one from Navy where her older sister Toni has already committed.