6 Shooters to watch in the Class of 2023
The skill breakdown series continues as we cover some of the top snipers from deep in the Class of 2023 in Arizona. This group of incoming juniors is promising with some breakout candidates looming. There tend to be major leaps…
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Continue ReadingThe skill breakdown series continues as we cover some of the top snipers from deep in the Class of 2023 in Arizona.
This group of incoming juniors is promising with some breakout candidates looming. There tend to be major leaps from sophomore to junior seasons as players advance their game and get more opportunities, so be on the lookout for these girls.
Shooting is one of the most needle-moving skills in basketball today, and a great way to look for the elite of the elite in this regard is finding the best combination of volume and efficiency. Some other positive shooting indicators include free-throw percentage, and two-point field goal percent (indicating touch around the rim).
Related: 7 Shooters to watch in the Class of 2022
Mackenzie Nielsen Mackenzie Nielsen 5'10" | SG Sunrise Mountain | 2023 State AZ
Nielsen was automatic from deep her sophomore season, shooting at a 38% clip on 130 attempts in 19 games (6.8 attempts per game). Her ability to score with ease combined with her all-around game makes her someone that should rise up rankings in the coming years.
Her combination of size, efficiency, and volume puts her at the top of this list. She has adequate size for a guard at around ~5’9″ and did a nice job in the passing lanes averaging 1.9 steals per game to go with her 13.3 points a contest on 46% FG shooting.
Sierra Labuwi Sierra Labuwi 5'6" | CG Cactus Shadows | 2023 State AZLabuwi had an ultra-efficient season both from deep and the charity stripe. The 5’7″ guard shot a sparkling 41% from three-point range on a high volume and also compiled an 80% clip from the free-throw line (39-for-49). As a sophomore for the Cactus Shadows Falcons, she averaged 10.8 points per game, so be on the lookout for a breakout junior season with additional responsibilities on the offensive end.
If she can sustain that efficiency on a higher volume, we’re potentially talking about one of the best scorers in the state.
Mia Amundsen Mia Amundsen 5'9" | CG Millennium | 2023 State AZAmundsen is ranked 10th on our Class of 2023 Rankings for a reason, as she showed some serious flashes throughout her sophomore season for the Millennium Tigers. The evasive combo guard was among the top three-point shooters in her class, finishing fifth in total threes made and fourth in three-point percentage. That intersection of volume and efficiency is a sign of good things to come for Mia going forward.
Amelie Cartagena Amelie Cartagena 5'5" | CG Seton Catholic | 2023 State AZCartagena is yet another one of our top-ranked players (21st) in the state to appear on this list. She is a 5’6″ combo guard that had a productive sophomore year for Seton Catholic. Amelie made 27 of her 71 three-point attempts which was good for a crisp 38% clip. She was also 10-for-12 from the charity stripe, good for an 82% mark albeit a small sample size.
Cartagena finished 7th in total threes made (among sophomores) and 2nd in percentage, making her one of the most efficient shooters in the class. Keep an eye out for a junior leap from the dynamic combo guard from Chandler.
Zoe Libis (Trinity Christian, CG)
Libis is a 5’5″ combo guard out of Trinity Christian in Prescott that has shown signs of becoming an integral piece in their rotation moving forward. As a sophomore, she averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game in 15 contests. Her shot also looks encouraging as she connected on 25 of her 71 attempts, good for a 35% clip from deep.
Sofia Nieto (Sunnyslope, G/W)
Nieto is a 5’8″ guard/wing that provides a nice combination of size and shooting for her position. While she only averaged 5.9 points per game, she made the most of her opportunities from three-point range as she shot 21-for-61, good for a 34% clip. Sunnyslope is losing their top-scoring senior next season, so look for Nieto to take on more opportunity as one of their main options offensively.
That does it for the top shooters from long distance for the Class of 2023, stay tuned for our continued coverage on skill breakdowns and upcoming AAU tournaments around the state!