Battle of the Best Standouts: Part III
This past week I was out at the Battle of the Best tournament in Des Moines for the first few days for the first evaluation period in the 2021 calendar year. The field was very good with quite a few…
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Continue ReadingThis past week I was out at the Battle of the Best tournament in Des Moines for the first few days for the first evaluation period in the 2021 calendar year. The field was very good with quite a few EYBL programs as well as some of the top independents in the region. Below, I look at Part III of my standouts from the event regardless of class.
Elise Jaeger
Elise
Jaeger
6'1" | PF
Valley | 2024
State
IA
– 6’1 PF – 2024 – Valley HS (IA) – All Iowa Attack 2024 Elite
Jaeger is a very good high post player who showed the ability to stretch it out to the perimeter at times and create offense. She’s the type of player who you don’t expect to beat you off the bounce and then she does. Very solid fundamentals and excellent passer from the high post. I love her ability to defend as well; she’s a very tough player on both ends of the floor.
McKenna Murphy
McKenna
Murphy
5'11" | SG
Elkhart North | 2024
State
NE
– 5’8 G – 2024 – Fremont HS (NE) – Nebraska Attack 2023 UAA
Murphy really impressed me at the Battle of the Best as she scored the ball at all three levels very well. I thought that she had great body control when driving to the basket and as she got her defender on her hip she looked to score. She shot the ball well bringing together a very complete performance for her. I think she has a great frame that will hold strength at the next level.
Maddie Demke
Maddie
Demke
5'3" | PG
Bishop Heelan | 2024
IA
– 5’3 PG – 2024 – Bishop Heelan HS (IA) – Nebraska Attack 2023 UAA
Demke was a really impressive guard at the event as she’s a menace on the defensive end of the floor. Her ability to attack on the defensive side of the ball in the press puts a ton of pressure on the offense. She’s got great court vision with the ball in her hands as well which allow her to pass the ball to open teammates seamlessly. Demke had a really nice week in Des Moines.
Adison Markowski
Adison
Markowski
5'8" | SF
Lincoln Pius X | 2023
State
NE
– 5’8 G – 2023 – Pius X HS (NE) – Nebraska Lasers Supreme 2023 Gold
Markowski is a difference maker on the floor no matter how you look at it. She’s a very heady guard with a high basketball IQ. She see the floor well on the offensive end and plays with the ball well in transition. Markowski is wired to make winning plays on the floor and did so last week. I was really impressed with her scoring ability and her athleticism on the floor as well.
Shae Dillavou
Shae
Dillavou
5'7" | SF
Forest City | 2022
State
IA
– 5’10 W – 2022 – Forest City HS (IA) – North Iowa Fire 2022
Dillavou has really transformed her game over the past year or two and it is showing on the floor. She’s a really strong wing who can play most spots on the floor and is really good when she is in a mismatch situation. Dillavou overpowers people on the inside and has the ability to rebound the ball at a very high level. She has a great knack for scoring the ball along the perimeter as well.
Chloe Frank
Chloe
Frank
5'11" | SF
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura | 2022
State
IA
– 6′ W – 2022 – Garner-Hayfield-Ventura HS (IA) – North Iowa Fire 2022
Chloe just looks like a basketball player when she steps on the floor. She is a long and athletic wing who can slide between the wing and the guard spots fairly easily. Frank can shoot the ball from the outside really well too. Defensively, she has great length and knows how to use it well. She couples good anticipation with quick hands to garner a lot of steals and deflections which she can then turn into offense.
Kylee Norkus – 5’10 G – 2024 – Neuqua Valley HS (IL) – Midwest Elite EYBL 2023
Norkus really impressed me at the Battle of the Best as a shooter off the dribble. I thought that she was able to get to get spot really well and knock down shots. Norkus was also able to get to the rim at a very good pace and showed me the ability to finish really well with both hands. She made her teammates better around her all week long with her leadership on the floor.
Jenica Lewis – 5’9 PG – 2026 – Summit MS (IA) – Pure Prep Adidas 2023
One of the best players at the event regardless of class, Lewis has quickly grabbed the attention on a national scale. She’s a playmaker with the ball in her hands and most of the time the defense can’t do anything about it. She sees the floor better than most, if not all, players on the court with her as she plays 16U . Lewis is no doubt one of the top players in the country and the baselines at her games prove it.
Ace Austin – 5’5 PG – 2025 – Spring Garden HS (AL) – Alabama Southern Starz 2024 Bush
Austin was very good when I saw her play from the point guard spot. I thought that she dictated the tempo of the game very well and never seemed to get sped up by the quickness of the other team. I really liked her decision making as well once she got inside the perimeter as she didn’t force it. She was patient with the ball and made all the right plays. It will be really fun to see her progress.