Class of 2014 shooting guard Courtney Ekmark of Phoenix, Ariz., has emerged as prospect with a bright future. She'll be taking her sharp-shooting ability to Connecticut after she graduates from St. Mary's Catholic.

Vitals

Name: Courtney Ekmark - Grad Year: 2014
Location: Phoenix, Ariz. – School: St. Mary's Catholic
Current Position: SG – Projected Position: SG

Strengths

Courtney Ekmark of Phoenix, Ariz., is one of the nation's premier shot makers regardless of graduating class. With her willingness to take and make the open shot, the 6-foot wing has established herself as an elite-level prospect in the class of 2014. Her father, Curtis, played at Marquette and coaches both her Arizona Warriors club team and St. Mary's school team as well. Ekmark's shooting ability and basketball intelligence landed her scholarship offers from almost all of college basketball's premier programs. Last May, she decided to attend Connecticut and will take her offensive prowess to Storrs two summers from now. On the defensive end, the No. 13 ranked player in the ProspectsNation.com ELITE 60, is a legitimate position defender with a craftiness to keep other wing players in front of her.

Area To Improve

Ekmark is working on her ability to make shots off of the bounce. Being able to create and subsequently hit the one-dribble jumper will only make it that much tougher for defenders to lock in to Ekmark on the perimeter. Unlike her freshman and sophomore seasons, opposing defenders are approaching her as the primary offensive weapon for her school team this year. That has made it tougher for Ekmark to get the same type of clean looks that she's made a living knocking down in the past. Given her work ethic on the floor and in the classroom, look for the straight-A student to make that a point of emphasis this upcoming off-season.

The Bottom Line

Shooters who can also defend on the other end are crucial to the success of successful teams at every level on both sides of the basketball. In this case, Ekmark fits that bill to a T. A competitor by nature, the sharp-shooting guard will have a chance to be a part of one of the more storied programs in the women's game. First, she has work to do to keep St. Mary's amongst the nation's elite high school programs.

#ProspectsNation TV: Brandon Clay takes a look at Elite Basketball Academy camper and ELITE 60 prospect Courtney Ekmark's game: