Basketball has started to come back as the 17th annual Premier Showcase was played early this week. Incredibly talented field of teams from all across the nation. Here is our part one of our top performances from the games we watched.

Jaelyn Acker / Wisconsin Lakers / 5’7” / 2021

Acker is a high energy point guard that was everywhere on the court. She hustles after every loose ball and rebound, ripping the ball away from opponents. Acker plays great on ball defense making it tough for any opponent to drive past her. The guard has good vision, firing on target passes all over the court. She also showed the ability to knock down some threes.

 

Kamorea Arnold / Midwest Elite / 5’8” / 2023

Kamorea Arnold was the fastest player at the tournament. Arnold has blazing speed and is able to outrun everyone on the break, netting her easy layups. She is very patient on the drive. The guard reads the defense very well and then drives past them with a burst of speed all the way to the basket. She can hit shots from the perimeter as well making it hard for opponents to stop her from getting to her spot on the floor. It is very easy to see why she is one of the best players in the nation. 

 

Gabrielle Burgess / Illinois Elite / 5’8”/ 2023

Gabrielle Burgess is a quick, defensive guard who plays aggressive press defense and is skilled at forcing turnovers. Burgess reads the offense and is able to get her hands in the passing lane, knocking away passes or intercepting them. On offense, the guard has the ability to knock down the three pointer and the mid range shot. Her energy is tough to match, and she has the stamina to play with that energy throughout the entire game.

 

Maddi Cluse / Ohio Xtreme / 5’10” / 2021

Maddi Cluse is a very fast all around guard. Cluse has speed, and great handles allowing her to drive by defenders and get into the paint often. The guard has incredible body control in the air which lets her finish through contact at the rim consistently. She shows a high basketball IQ and great vision with the ball in her hands. Cluse can score at will yet still has the selflessness to get her teammates involved and set them up for easy looks at the basket. On defense, she aggressively attacks the ball handler, ripping away steals or forcing bad passes.

 

Allison Ediger / West Michigan Drive / 6’3 / 2021

At 6’3, Ediger is a real force to be reckoned with. The strong forward can put the ball on the ground where she is extremely difficult to keep in front of with her quick first step. Ediger showed her toughness when getting to the rim, often finishing through contact or getting to the free throw line on numerous occasions. Her height, along with her length, forces bad shot attempts, turnovers and helps her block shots.

 

Ella Giorgi / Minnesota Suns / 6’3” / 2021

Ella Giorgi is a lengthy stretch forward who has great length and awareness. Her length makes it hard for opponents to shoot over her which resulted in many tough shots. On offense, Giorgi is a threat from all three levels. The forward has good positioning in the post. She is able to put back rebounds or catch and finish inside. Not only can she score from the paint, but Giorgi can step outside and drain the mid range jumper and step outside the arc and drain the three. Her height and shooting ability makes her extremely tough to stop on the offensive end.

 

Kenzie Hare / M14 Hoops / 5’9” / 2022

Hare is a high energy confident player on both sides of the ball. Hare harrasses the offense, forcing difficult looks, turnovers, and jump balls. She also shows off her athletic ability by being able to time her jumps and block shots. On offense, she’s a confident shooter and will take (and make) the three pointer with good range, but also has the ability to take defenders off the dribble.

 

Aanaya Harris / Team Factory / 5’9" / 2021

Aanaya Harris is a strong and active forward with some length, she plays big and is dominant down low. Harris uses her toughness to back down defenders and fight inside for boards. With her length, she was dominant on both ends of the court, getting steals on defense and finishing around the basket on offense. The strong forward is energetic and has a high motor to keep her going. Harris, a solid defender and solid offensive threat, really impressed at the tournament.

 

 

Addison Hill / Indy Magic / 5’8 / 2021

Addison Hill is a high energy forward that is active all over the floor. Hill plays great on ball pressure defense and was able to collect steals and force a good amount of turnovers. With a quick first step, the active forward blew past her defenders and was able to get to the rim or draw fouls. Hill showed a nice shooting touch, knocking down shots from the midrange and from beyond the arc.

 

Avery Larson / Illinois Elite / 6’4” / 2022

Avery Larson is a strong forward that has a fierce presence in the paint. The forward rebounds the ball effectively, using her size and strength to out muscle opponents. She is able to start the break after her rebounds quickly. On offense, Larson is a threat in the post, using her size and footwork to make her way to the basket and draw fouls.

 

Ayanna Patterson / Ohio United / 6’3”/ 2022

Ayanna Patterson is one of the top players in the country and it showed why. Patterson is an incredible paint protector. Her height and length alone forces bad shot attempts, and turnovers. She is extremely athletic and can block shots as well. The forward has great speed allowing her to play aggressive press defense and come away with steals. On offense, Patterson has a quick first step which she uses to drive by defenders and finish through contact. The Ohio United star can do it all and is a huge two way asset. Has such a great combination of size and skill.

 

Kate Palmer / Lady Lightning / 5’10" / 2021

The quick and athletic guard put on an impressive performance. Kate Palmer can score in bunches, she has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc plus can drive by defenders. Palmer is all over the court, on offense she moves around without the ball getting open shots for herself plays tough defense. At 5’10, the skilled guard sees the floor well and has a great IQ for the game.

 

Kenzie Seffner / M14 Hoops / 5’4” / 2021

Smart point guard who is very good with the ball in her hands. Has good moves with the ball to beat defenders and get paint touches. Has great vision on her drives and does a very nice job of creating for her teammates. Sees the floor very well and has a good sense of where everyone is and where to go with the basketball. As well the rising senior spotting up for a three. Plays with good energy and was diving on the floor for loose balls. One of those floor generals that just makes everyone around her better.

 

Alayna Soukup / Illinois Elite / 5’9” / 2022

Skilled guard with a strong frame who plays well on or off the ball. Impressed with a good all-around skill set. Knocked down shots from both the mid-range and beyond the arc. Battled defenders to drive into the paint plus create space to get herself good looks. Tough defender who knows where to be and showed she is tough to get by. Don’t be surprised to see her in our 2022 Midwest rankings at some point.

 

Lizzie Strom / Kingdom Hoops / 5’11” / 2021

Lizzie Strom is a playmaking guard who excels at using her handles to set up shots for her team. Strom has tremendous vision, (especially in the pick & roll) seeing over the defense and catching them out of position with her on target passes. She is able to drive into the lane herself and finish with a flurry of moves including the floater. Additionally, the guard can rebound well. She has a knack for knowing where the ball will end up after a missed shot and can get to that spot and quickly start the break.

 

Tiana Timpe / Wisconsin Lakers / 5’10” / 2021

Tiana Timpe is a lengthy guard who can get hot in a hurry and score at all three levels. She has a quick first step which she uses to drive by her opponents and finish at the rim. Timpe has a smooth shooting stroke and when she gets hot, she will knock down multiple threes in a row. The guard is an athletic defender, who can shut down opponents from driving. Central Michigan is getting a good one in Timpe.

 

Ryan Viele / Indy Magic / 5’7” / 2022

Viele is an athletic guard who can run the offense for her team. Viele has good handles and is able to use those to drive to the rim and draw a foul or kick it out to an open teammate. Viele’s energy is hard to match on the defensive side of the ball. She gets in her opponents face and forces turnovers or jump balls.

 

Ashley Wachter / Illinois Elite / 5’8” / 2021

Wachter is a playmaking guard who's good with the ball and a smooth shooting stroke. Wachter leads the offense and uses her vision to find open teammates, either cutting inside or on the perimeter. The guard cannot be left open, as she has the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.