Class of 2024 Sophomores Ready for a Breakout Season

The class of 2024 has many players ready for a breakout season. Here’s a look at some of them: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="205649" first="<strong>Abigail"</strong> last="<strong>Dean</strong>"] is a five-foot-six sophomore to be at Boulder Creek High School. She also plays for her grassroots team, West Coast Elite. The Lady Jags went 9-8 last season while Abby led her team in scoring as a freshman with a 9.6 points per game average. She is considered one of the state’s top players in the class of 2024. In her first game last January, she had 29 points, hitting five of seven three-pointers to go along with four assists and four steals. She was voted to the second team in the 6A Desert Valley Conference. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; One scout commented on her game after a WCE tournament. "She is a high motor kid, an elite defender, and improves every weekend. Abby also is a high academic player with a 3.8 GPA."  Her WCE team won the G365 Tournament in California in April and she played well in the Rising Stars Elite Camp. Another scout had this to say about her grassroots play. "She is a tough, gritty guard who has a high skill level. She shot the ball well and her defense was outstanding. She is the highest riser since the summer began and plays with purpose and intent." Noah Barofski, the Head Coach of the Lady Jags, believes she is an outstanding player. "Abby can play point or shooting guard with equal effectiveness. She is a strong two-way guard who is an aggressive scorer and tremendous outside three-point shooter." Beginning her sophomore year shortly, she is ready for a breakout season. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="205647" first="<strong>Maureen</strong>" last="<strong>Ulrich</strong>"] is a five-foot-eight sophomore to be at Xavier College Prep. As a seventh-grader, she played for the AZ Rebel Blues and led her team to the CYAA championship. She also made the All-Silver Second Team as a seventh-grader in the Diamond Classic Tournament. Last season, as a freshman, she averaged 3.7 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per contest. Xavier lost in the state tournament to Valley Vista, the eventual 6A state champion. Xavier finished with an overall 13-4 record and 6-2 in their conference. Maureen made Honorable Mention as selected by AZ Preps365 for the 6A Conference. Her coach, Jennifer Gillom, commented on her game. "She is starting to turn into a very good player for us, especially on defense. Her work ethic is impeccable." A scout had this to say about her play. "She is a hard-nosed competitor and as physical as they come. She is by nature quiet but always up for the challenge. She can handle, shoot, and defend and be easily classified as a combo guard. Maureen will work over the next three seasons to be a legitimate college prospect." After all, she is only going to be a sophomore. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="205652" first=<strong>"Savanna</strong>" last="<strong>Creal</strong>"] is a five-foot-eight sophomore to be who plays for Hamilton High School in Chandler. She plays both shooting guard and small forward and, as a freshman, averaged 4.9 points per game and 2.7 rebounds. The Huskies finished 19-2 last year and 7-1 in their conference. Hamilton lost to Valley Vista in the 6A state championship final last March. In her first game as a freshman, Savanna was selected Player of the Game by Max Preps as Chandler defeated Perry, 75-53. She had a game-high 18 points. She also plays for her grassroots team Arizona Elite 15U. Savanna considers herself to have a great work ethic and positive attitude that helps her entire team. She was selected to the Honorable Mention team by AZ Preps 365 this past season. Maintaining a 4.0 GPA, she plays for head coach Trevor Neider. "Savanna is fitting in nicely with the veterans on the team from the wing position," said her coach. "She is primed to have a great year." As she enters her sophomore season, she is ready for a breakout season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="205655" first="Madison" last="Brown"]</strong> is a five-foot-nine small forward and shooting guard for Desert Vista High School. She also plays for her club team, Arizona Elite 15U. Under first-year Head coach David Williams, the Lady Thunder finished 12-5 last season and 5-3 in their conference. As a seventh-grader, Madison made the Diamond Classic’s Silver All-Tournament third team. One scout mentioned that "she played very well in transition and will be a big-time player in Tucson in a couple of years." &nbsp; <img class="size-medium wp-image-213151 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Madison-Brown-1-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" /> &nbsp; Another scout commented on her game following her freshman year. "Madison has a strong mid-range jumper, can hit the spot-up three, and handles the ball. She also finds ways to get open, is considered a strong rebounder, and is solid as a one-on-one defender. She can also slide over on defense to block shots. She can only improve and become a big-time high school player very shortly." Going now into her sophomore season, she is ready to take the next step forward.