The first two weeks of August - and we'll include July 31 in that - were as busy of a two-week period as I may have ever personally had. With three league nights packed in those two weeks (7/31, 8/2, 8/9), the task of helping put three teams in the Mase Madness charity tournament in Binghamton 8/11-8/13, working the Battle of NY team camp at Shenendehowa 8/4-8/6, early work regarding numerous fall events & projects, whether of my own or others, and various other tasks, it was a wild one. Time to recap, starting with the back end of EST.
First, about that first week of August. I suppose this will be a test to see how many people read this, because I'm asking for opinions in the process. With the week coming off the back end of the live period being a big one for me as I put two league dates there (in order to try & get more players there), I noticed two things. First, there were still a few people who took the week off. Second, many that didn't take the week off weren't at their usual performance during the week. At first, I was a little annoyed watching play, but then I realized I had to sit back and relax. It appeared to be August legs at its finest. A lot of tired girls trying to play in a steamy Union College gym, and their bodies didn't have much left to give them. The proof can be shown in various ways. Of course, the eye test doesn't lie. Let's take one stat and use it for this discussion, though. A telltale sign of fatigue is a drop in 3 point percentage. This summer had, without question, the highest number of threes made & 3 point percentage of the three. Teams were consistently hitting 30-40% of their attempted threes. On Wednesday, August 2, team totals from beyond the arc went like this; 3/15, 2/14, 8/29, 2/12, 2/7, 8/21 (a rare outlier), 4/24, 0/17, 7/21, 4/19, 6/20, 3/11, 3/16, 5/22, 1/7, 2/17. That 0/17? It came from Next Big Thing, a team that went 9-0 before the donut from deep led them to their first loss. And for those counting, those combined numbers are 60/272 - a touch over 22%. Tired legs can't make 20 footers. It seemed like girls were able to get it back together and refresh for some very good playoff games on the 9th - either that, or pride took over - but how the Monday/Wednesday set went begs the question. I certainly need to work around the live periods regardless. Should I frontload the league instead of backload it? Should I experiment with doing a Friday night/Saturday late morning-early afternoon early in the summer to get four games out of the way? I'm genuinely curious as to what people think. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Onto playoff night. Or as some would call it, the night that Outwork takes over.
Back in 2004, UConn was dominant in the women's college hoop game (shocker). When asked how they'd been able to establish such a reign, Geno Auriemma's answer was simple. 'We have Diana, and you don't.' Although obviously on a smaller scale than Diana Taurasi's dominance nearly 15 years ago, words similar to that were heard uttered after the championship game on the 9th. 'We have Chloe Chaffin and they don't.' This is taking nothing away from Outwork teammates. For the second straight year, Brianna Rozzi played an integral role in securing a championship W with some bigtime shots late. Rebecca Townes dominated the early going as one of only two players - along with Chloe - to play in all three EST championship games. Outwork may not even be a top 4 seed without the major contributions of 1st-year ESTer Erin Fox, and Madison Burke & Sam McKenna provided well-needed backcourt stability and a scoring infusion when needed. But on playoff night, Chloe takes it to another level. Her huge 2nd half - which ended up leading to an assist on a game-winning Madison Little basket in the final minute - spearheaded the 2016 win, as they came back from down 13 with 6 minutes left. This year, the deficit was 6 with 4 minutes remaining. But when they needed it, they got it. Two assists from Chloe on Rozzi buckets set the stage for Chloe to end her EST days the way it'd be written in a script. The three-year member of a team called 'Outwork' - the only player in EST to not miss a game in three years - outworks everyone around the basket for an offensive rebound, then wraps around and makes a left-handed reverse (not always her forte) for the game winning basket. It was the cherry on top of a 21 point/10 rebound game - to my surprise upon research, only the 2nd 20/10 game in 3 years of EST, with Steph Jankovic's 21/10 on 7/31 being the first - and the lasting memory of back-to-back Outwork titles. Chloe's shot attempts went up on playoff day. After going through the regular season with a higher shooting percentage, fewer attempts, and more assists than each of the previous two years, she took 42 shots between the two playoff games. She was 10/18 in the semifinal, going for 24 points & 7 rebounds, and then went 9/24 in the finals. First, with shooting percentages being what they usually are, I'll take the increase in attempts without batting an eye if I'm getting 45% from the field with it. Second, there's something to be said about deciding when it's your time to take over. Chloe is the type of person to want that moment and be up for the pressure of it. She took it and got the job done. Three years, 42 games, and along with being the EST 'all-time' leader in games played as of now, she's also the leader in total points. This league - and EST as a whole - isn't what it is without Chloe and Becca jumping on board in 2015.
Speaking of Bri & Becca... how about Bri & Becca?! Becca Townes, now a rising senior at Our Lady of Lourdes, was one of the young bucks on the scene in 2015. Her & Chloe were the lone 2018s on their team; the rest were 2016s & 2017s. She has grown in two years from the fresh face to the wily veteran. She had stretches of dominance for Outwork, oftentimes being when they needed it most. Always gifted with quick hands, she became the league leader in steals this summer by baiting players into thinking they could pull off a move against her. She'd relax sometimes and put her hands down, but if you knew her game, you'd realize that was nothing more than a setup. 7 quick points before you could blink in the championship game also put her growth on full display - the 2018 (who by age really should be a 2019) showed she wasn't about to lose. Her backcourt mate, Brianna Rozzi, has also shown immense growth from last summer to this one. In 2016, she was the fresh face. A hot-blooded spitfire that could put the team on her back, but you'd also have to pull the reigns on her at times. It's remarkable to see how she's matured to this point. She's turned into a commanding floor general with an even head. She plays with intensity & focus and has a competitive edge that's second-to-none, but she plays with poise regardless of situation. She can control a game, or she can take it over if needed. The poise in tough situations and continued spurtability was as important a piece to the finals as anything. Bri had 5 points through 3.5 quarters. Outwork was down 6 with under 5 minutes left and nearly went down 9 as a Julie Ford three was just short. Bri ran out at the right time, getting a feed from Townes for a layup. Still down 4 later on - now 53-49 - Bri lined up a three off a Chloe feed in a clutch moment and it was good from the start. Soon after, she got in the open court again and found herself on the receiving end of another Chaffin pass, which she finished to give Outwork their first lead since the 1st half. Unrivaled desire to win with even emotions in tight spots is a deadly combo, and one that Bri has seemed to get to work in her favor.
Have to show love to the team that fell just short in the finals, Next Big Thing. In three years, there may not have been a more enjoyable team to watch in the league. They were very similar to the 2015 version of Outwork. A mix of older & younger, and a lot of girls that may not get the attention they deserve. Whether it's because they come from a smaller school, a team without much of a supporting cast, or they just get overshadowed or live in an area without much coverage, many of Next Big Thing's players don't get the kind of respect that many others have enjoyed. Well, at least they didn't. If this summer showed anything, it's that many of these girls deserve to see their name up at the head of discussion too. No team that I've had in the league has scored at the rate of NBT while maintaining scary balance. Julie Ford, a rising senior at Class C Cooperstown (committed to Albany), led NBT at 12 PPG. Right behind her was Madison Graber at 10.7, a rising senior at Class B Schalmont that showed this summer that she can be a major piece to the puzzle on a great team instead of just being a big scorer. Two Wasaren League rivals coexisted well and sat right behind Madison - Renna Poulin, a rising junior at Tamarac, had 10.3 per game, and Hoosick Falls rising sophomore Logan Thayne had 10.2. Thayne also averaged 10.1 rebounds per game, which marks the first time in EST that a girl has averaged a double-double for the summer. Averill Park's Stephanie Jankovic - for my money, the most underrated player left in the Suburban Council - ended up 5th on the team in scoring average, but her 9.9 PPG (literally 1 point short of 10 per game) was good for 11th in the league. Steph also averaged 7.3 RPG (7th in EST), 3.7 APG (2nd in EST), and 2.6 SPG (2nd in EST). Other players stepped up and had huge moments throughout the year for a team that finished 10-2 and didn't suffer their first loss until the last night of the regular season. Sophie Phillips, one of the three 2021s on the team (another being her twin sister, Lilly), had a 14 point showing in the middle of July, including the game-winning basket with 3 seconds left in a battle of teams that were unbeaten to start that night. Lilly also showed her great value in different stretches, finishing in double digits a couple times and showing electrifying athleticism in the open court. Kayla Doody, Maggie Schuermann, and Anna Jankovic - the other young buck on the squad - had their big moments through the summer. Everyone on NBT played their part and didn't stop the person next to them from playing their part as well. It wasn't the ending that any of them wanted, but it was a team that I - along with many that followed EST - took great joy in watching.
Just a quick follow-up from something in the last 'journal'. I talked about how strong the younger classes look in upstate NY. Look no further than this - in a league that featured nearly 10 girls committed to schools on scholarship already, along with several more players with an impressive list of offers (even some high majors), it was a 2021 that led the league in scoring. Aysia Pink, who will be entering her freshman year at Guilderland, took EST by storm. She helped turn a Young Guns season around, as they went from 0-4 to start the summer to finishing 6-6. She averaged 16 PPG, edging out the likes of Chloe Chaffin and Silke Milliman, and her 24 threes made led EST as well, just holding off Dolly Cairns and Sophie Tougas. And unlike Cairns & Tougas, she wasn't there every week (missed opening night). No one in EST averaged 16 or more last year, and only one - Danielle Migliore, then a rising senior at Frankfort-Schuyler & now entering her sophomore year playing at St. Bonaventure - surpassed that mark in 2015. Better yet, her shooting percentage was great. The 5'7" guard went 54/101 (53.5%) from the field, 24/51 (47.1%) from three, and 28/38 (73.7%) from the line. It's tough to put your stamp on the league in your first year the way Aysia did, especially at her age. It'll be fun to watch her growth, especially as she increases the ability to impact in all areas, just like it will be for the rest of a stacked Class of 2021.
Finally, congrats to the latest ESTers that have either made their verbal commitments to schools or have received offers. Jenna Zimmerman and Cameron Tooley, 2018s at South Jefferson and Shenendehowa that have previously been teammates for a week in the CNY fall league on a team that I happily coached, will be college teammates next fall as they both recently announced their commitments to Division II Le Moyne. They join Erin Fouracre - a 2018 at Colonie that stopped in on July 17 & got a game in EST - in a very strong recruiting class for the Dolphins thus far. They'll be lined up against Emma Carter for the next four years. A rising senior at Mount Abraham (VT) that saw time in 2015's summer league, played consistently in 2016's, and has done various one-day events through the last couple years, recently gave her verbal commitment to Franklin Pierce, a rival member of the NE-10. As far as offers go, three members of the Next Level squad have been racking them up in recent weeks. Grace Heeps - the most heavily offered player in the league that ended her summer by producing the first triple-double in EST history - added Buffalo to recent offers that have included Boston College, Seton Hall, and St. Joseph's. Silke Milliman, her teammate this coming year as a member of Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)'s 2019 class, has racked up Fordham, Vermont, Siena, and most recently NJIT over the last few weeks. Sophie Tougas has already reaped the benefits of a prep move and reclassification. Within 48 hours of announcing her decision to transfer from Glens Falls to Brewster Academy (NH) and become a member of the 2020 class, Tougas picked up offers from Rhode Island and Boston University. Last but not least, Cat Almeida has been earning additional offers after her play in July. Going into the month with a preexisting offer from Binghamton, she's recently piled up additional offers from Manhattan, Cal State Bakersfield, and Hofstra.
Keep an eye out for another post coming soon. There's much to be said about the experience I had at Mase Madness last weekend, along with upcoming events!
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