The Midwest Hoop Spotlight Academic Elite Showcase was absolutely loaded with talent from across the region and beyond. After a day of great competition, some players stood out to our team as the "Top Performers" from the event. Check out the players spotlighted below: 

Abby Drendel (2023 Naperville North HS IL): One of the top two-way players at the event, Drendel displayed her ability to both pour it in on the offensive end and shut down opponents defensively during the showcase. A versatile guard with good positional size, Drendel possesses a clean, smooth jump shot that she can knock down at an efficient rate both from long range and in the mid-range. In addition to her shooting ability, Drendel was also a skilled slasher, using her handle and physicality to make her way to the hoop and finish through contact. Very active and engaged on the defensive end, Drendel fought for loose balls, steals, and rebounds. 

Jadyn Kosanic (2023 DePaul Prep IL): Kosanic is a dynamic, athletic playmaker and shot creator at the point guard position. One of the showcase's best scorers and distributors, Kosanic made orchestrating the offense look routine, finding an excellent balance of setting teammates up with open looks and scoring for herself. Possessing a quick first step and a tight handle, Kosanic is adept at blowing by defenders on the way to a pull-up jumper or taking it all the way to the rim. The guard was very impressive finishing over larger defenders when attacking the rim, and displaying some very creative finishes. In addition to her scoring ability, Kosanic’s passing ability was impressive as she made excellent reads out of the pick-and-roll and showed an ability to deliver accurate passes from difficult angles.

Aliya Maldonado (2023 Lake Forest HS IL): A well-rounded and athletic guard, Maldonado’s defensive ability and versatility were on display during her time at the showcase. A skilled guard with a very versatile offensive game, Maldonado was highly impressive knocking down jump shots, cutting to the hoop, and putting small defenders in the post all while still being an excellent playmaker. Defensively, Maldonado was excellent at playing with a very high activity level and physicality. Over the course of the showcase, Maldonado blocked multiple shots, stripped the ball, and came down with many tough rebounds. 

Lauren Miller (2024 Trinity HS IL): An active and athletic slashing wing, Miller displayed her diverse offensive skillset during the showcase. A wing with some size and a confident handle, Miller was excelled getting to the rim through traffic. A strong finisher, Miller was adept at absorbing and finishing through contact. In addition to her ability to score attacking the hoop, Miller did an excellent job cutting to create open looks for herself and getting putbacks off the offensive boards. In addition to her ability to slash to the hoop, Miller’s reliable jump shot made her an extremely tough cover and one of the top scorers at the showcase. 

Sonya Potthoff (2023 Mahtomedi HS MN): A highly skilled offensive player, Potthoff was one of the top shooters and all-around scorers from the event. Possessing a quick, clean release Potthoff regularly punished defenses that gave her any space during the showcase with her knockdown jump shot. Using a tight reliable handle Potthoff displayed she was also comfortable getting to her spots and scoring off the dribble. A true scoring problem for defenses, she showed she will find a way to get an open look as she was excellent at moving off the ball. 

Maureen Regan (2023 St. Ignatius Prep IL): An elite playmaker and scorer, Regan buried shots at a highly efficient rate during her time at the showcase. One of the event's top shooters, Regan was able to get her shot off in the catch and shoot by moving well off the ball, or off the dribble using her tight and crafty handle to get to her spots. A three-level scorer, Regan managed to score around the hoop with creative finishes and floaters, in the midrange with an impressive pull-up jumper, or from well beyond the three-point arc. Another impressive part of Regan’s game that stood out during her time at the showcase was her ability to find the open teammate when drawing extra defensive attention, setting up many teammates with open opportunities. 

Ameli Sanchez (2024 Stagg HS IL): A versatile, shot-creating guard, Sanchez’s diverse offensive skillset led to her being named one of the top scorers of the showcase. Possessing good positional size, Sanchez has a crafty handle that she is adept at using to get to her spots offensively. In addition to her ability to score off the dribble, Sanchez moved well off the ball during the showcase, creating open scoring opportunities for herself. When looking to score, Sanchez displayed a very smooth jump shot that she knocked down with consistency. In addition to her shooting ability, Sanchez did an excellent job scoring with an impressive floater game and by putting smaller guards in the post. Sanchez’s versatility was evident defensively as well as she excelled in moving her feet on the perimeter and guarding multiple positions. 

Lexi Sepulveda (2024 Plainfield East HS IL): An athletic two-way guard with a diverse offensive game, Sepulveda was one of the top scorers during her time at the showcase as well to one of the op players. Displaying an impressive skillset, Sepulveda excelled at getting out in space and attacking the hoop in transition where she converted at a high rate. In addition to her slashing ability, Sepulveda showed a confident three-point stroke that she knocked down with consistency, keeping defenders honest. A high-energy defensive player, Sepulveda came up with many steals that she turned into scoring opportunities for herself on the other end, further helping her pour it in during the showcase.

Lauren Strifling (2025 Homestead HS WI): Only a rising sophomore, Strifling still put together an extremely impressive performance during her time at the showcase, leading to her being named one of the event's top scorers. The forward already possesses a very diverse offensive skill set as she showed she is capable of handling the ball and initiating or taking things into her own hands and scoring from all three levels. Very active on the boards, Strifiling was all over the place grabbing rebounds on the way to put back buckets, further showing her scoring ability.

Taiylor Williams (2023 Brookstone HS GA):  All the way from Georgia, Williams’ very high skill level and two-way play really stood out at the showcase. A very quick, and athletic guard Williams showed she does a little bit of everything on the court. Offensively, Williams is a skilled ball handler, playmaker, and shot creator. Using her tight handle and speed, the guard routinely got to the hoop or her spots for an easy bucket showing she was one of the top scorers at the showcase. In addition to her scoring prowess, Williams was an outstanding playmaker and defender, setting up teammates with easy looks from difficult passes. A two-way player, Williams was very active and engaged defensively, using her long arms and quick hands she came up with many steals and blocks, easily cementing herself as a top defender at the showcase.

Cadence Xiong (2023 West Bend East HS WI): Xiong put together a tremendous performance at the Academic Elite showcase. Displaying that she was one of the top distributors and scores in the building, Xiong was dominant offensively. Dynamic with the ball, Xiong has a tight crafty handle that she uses to probe and manipulate the defense on her way to her spots. After getting where she wants to go, Xiong is a highly adept scorer from all three levels and won’t hesitate to make the defense pay if left open. When drawing extra defensive attention, the point guard also showed a tremendous ability to find the open man, demonstrating her playmaking skills.

Honorable Mention: Nicky Huss, Molly Knight, Ava Melendez, Sofia Rocca, Maddie Witchger