For the Albany Capitals, it was a new face that stuck out
to me, and it was because of nothing to do with the stat sheet. Guilderland
2019 Gracianna Serravillo made an impact because she was consistently the
hardest worker on the court in their Sunday morning game. She was active on the
ball & off the ball defensively, and was likely their leading rebounder
while playing the wing. Effort and intangibles stuck out for her to the point
that anything she gave offensively was icing on the cake – but she gave some of
that too, as she showed the ability to knock down the perimeter jumper or go by
a defender if she was being crowded. Nice showing for her.
The Saratoga Sparks got a come-from-behind win over the
New England Crusaders in their morning game, thanks in large part to the
offensive exploits of Gloversville 2019 Harmony Philo. After falling behind in
the closing minutes, Harmony was able to knock down a couple big threes, one of
them contested, to help them retake the lead and sealed it with free throws.
Always known as a knockdown shooter, she’s got quicker with the release over
the last few months, which has allowed her to get it off and knock it down
consistently even with her growing reputation as a scorer. More to like from
Harmony on Sunday morning.
It was Catie Cunningham’s world on Sunday and we were
just living in it. Just a 2021 at West Genesee, the 5’10” wing was a driving
force behind her Syracuse Royals team handling the top RI Breakers squad. She
has made about a year’s worth of improvements in the last six weeks – perhaps
as quick of a growth as I’ve ever seen someone make in such a short time. Catie
was as confident as I’ve seen her, looking to score more at the wing and doing
so in a variety of ways. She used her supreme athleticism to get out in the
open court and finish, but she scored in the halfcourt by hitting perimeter
jumpers, mid-range Js & a floater, and by getting all the way to the rim.
Defensively, she’s a force as she can legitimately guard 1-3 and some 4s if
needed. Her hard work in recent months is truly paying off; she’s in the
process of blowing past many others in her class that were well beyond her just
a year ago.
Lone Wolf looked very good on Sunday morning against the Albany Capitals, jumping out to a big lead before I hit the road for Massachusetts. D2 commits Emma Carter (Franklin Pierce) and Emma Macdonough (St. Michael’s) held their own, both balancing time between the post and the wing. Uncommitted Rice 2018 Lisa Sulejmani was impressive, as she continues to look like she’s getting in better shape and impacting the game much more consistently. She picked up a Niagara offer over the summer and has D2 offers as well, and it appears as though she’s turning a corner at the perfect time. Perhaps most impressive to me, though, was Sadie Stetson. The St. Johnsbury 2019 guard – Gatorade state POY in VT last year that holds a Vermont offer – has always had major skill and a smooth look to her game. On this day, however, she was a consistent force. My only knock on her in the past was that she faded into the background too much. She did none of that in their game against the Capitals Sunday, as she wanted the ball in her hands, took control of the game, and made things happen for her team – whether she was running the point or at the wing. Stetson can hit shots, finish at the rim through contact and protect the ball against bigger players, and she can create for others and even make the highlight pass. More of this will only help her in her recruiting process going forward.
I-90 Elite represented well in Hanover, MA, where I was at Sunday afternoon. In that stretch, it was a pair of 2020s – playing for two different teams – that stuck out to me. On the 2020 team, it was 6’3” Cazenovia forward Lindsey Lawson – a relatively new I-90 face – making a difference and catching the eyes of many. She’s extremely long and athletic with the kind of motor to maximize that ability. Defensively, she made it tough for the opposition to get anything in the lane as her presence deterred many from taking a chance. Lawson was active on the glass at both ends and converted when she got the ball around the rim. She’s a newer face to D1 coaches – her first tournament with I-90 was the last one in Atlanta in late July – but it doesn’t take long to realize her through-the-roof potential. On Tony Kinch’s 2019 team, Catholic Central 2020 Ahniysha Jackson showed what she brings to the table in a major way in their final game of the tournament, a close win over Mass Mavericks. Down 47-43 with over 6 minutes left, Jackson took over offensively. When she’s hot, she’s likely the most dangerous scorer on her team, and she tuned the Mavericks up for 15 late points. The first 9 came from beyond the arc, as she got a little daylight and dropped a trio of threes. The remainder came from the free throw line, knocking all of her attempts down to ice their victory. She also made a stronger effort defensively, including sprinting back on breakaways twice to take away layups, showing her all-around improvement as a player. Great signs from these two in Hanover.
It was a test of mental & physical fortitude for the
City Rocks in Hanover, as they attacked the tournament with two teams and
limited numbers. For the younger team’s final game, they only had five players
– three had doubled up and played with the older team throughout the weekend.
Rochester duo Baylee Teal (Penfield
2020) and Saniaa Wilson (Bishop
Kearney 2021) played in eight games over the weekend. They still had a little
energy left in the reserves, as they helped lead a comeback in the final game
against the Maine Firecrackers. It came up short, but the ability to fight back
was eye-opening in itself. Baylee is becoming a stronger guard who is gaining
leadership qualities to match her talent. Always the young kid on the block
playing up, she’s now becoming more of an elder statesman, and it appears as
though she’s making a seamless transition into running the show.
MORE SHAMELESS PLUGGING!! Registration is still open for the 3rd annual Upstate Elite Showcase, now expanded to two sessions! Openings are available for the morning (10:00-1:00) and afternoon (1:00-4:00) sessions. Show your game in front of a QUICKLY EXPANDING list of Division II & III schools, along with preps and scouting services! EST is quickly becoming a can't miss spot to test yourself with/against the best players in the region, and more coaches have already been to 2017 EST events than 2015 & 2016... combined! Check out the blog post with full, detailed information along with registration info... right here! http://empirestatetakeover.blogspot.com/2017/08/3rd-annual-upstate-elite-showcase.html
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