Ariyah Copeland
Daly Sullivan is continuing to prove her value as a high major point guard prospect with her Sky Diggs Elite PSB team this spring. *Photo by Ty Freeman.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.—Bracket play kicked off Saturday as teams competed for a chance to advance to the championship round on Sunday. Day two featured some great matchups and an incredible atmosphere as dozens of coaches lined the sidelines. Here is a look at the top standouts from Saturday.
Daly Sullivan (South Bend, Ind.), Sky Diggs Sullivan PSB– 2017
Sky Diggs Elite advanced to the championship round as Sullivan was on fire in the semifinal against Central Florida Elite EYBL. She scored the first 10 points of the game off of back-to-back 3-pointers, a floater in the lane, and then two free throws after a tough drive through traffic. She is a savvy point guard and maintains a calm demeanor that the rest of her team feeds off of throughout the game. After holding a substantial lead, CFE made a run late in the game and Sullivan calmly broke the press and assisted on two easy layups to ice the game. Her immediate impact on the stat sheet is obvious, but her presence on the floor and the leadership she brings takes Sky Diggs Sullivan to the next level.
Elizabeth Balogun (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Tennessee Xtreme Jr PSB – 2018
Elizabeth Balogun of Chattanooga,
Tenn. *Photo by Ty Freeman.Tennessee Xtreme is a team loaded with talent and Balogun was playing at a high level throughout bracket play. At 6 feet 1 inch, her length and speed causes havoc for opponents because she covers so much ground on defense. Balogun gets off the ground quickly to block shots, grab a board, and finish in the lane. She is strong with the ball and finishes well at the rim through contact. Balogun was also knocking down shots from 15 feet and out, which helped her team cruise to a semifinal win and into the championship game Sunday.
Savannah LeGate (Nashville, Tenn.), Tennessee Select – 2017
Josh Goodwin has a very talented group of players on his Select team and LeGate shined in Saturday’s semifinal. LeGate has great feel in the lane as she establishes early position on both offense and defense. She is patient after receiving a post feed and will either turn over her shoulder and finish or wait for the double-team and kick it out to a shooter. LeGate runs the floor well and has a knack for the ball coming off the rim. She can stretch the defense as a trail post with the ability to knock down a shot from outside and has good vision on outlets and reversals.
Ariyah Copeland (Columbus, Ga.), Blazers Exposure Red PSB– 2017
Copeland continues to impress with her ability to score around the rim. At 6-2, she is a legitimate scorer in the lane and has great feel with her back to the basket. The recent Alabama commit showed her ability to knock down the mid-range jumper and ran the floor well in transition. She is comfortable handling the ball and her strength is an asset because of her ability to find open perimeter players when the lane is congested.
Diamond Shavis (Bronx, N.Y.), New York Gauchos PSB – 2018
Shavis is crafty guard who really understands change of speed with the ball in her hands. She does a good job of catching on the wing and setting up her defender. Diamond creates well off ball screens and looks to attack the rim, but will also pull up from behind the arc if the defender goes third man under the screen. Her play propelled the Gauchos into the championship game of the @KrisWatkinsPSB division to face the Greensboro Lady Gaters.
AROUND THE RIM
Class of 2017 guard Shania Meertens of Winter Haven, Fla., is a must track prospect this season with Central Florida Elite EYBL.
Keep an eye on Class of 2017 point guard Taylor Hawks of Buford, Ga. She is a dynamite option at the position for the Georgia Hoopstars PSB.
Class of 2018 forward Jaron Stallworth of Buford, Ga., is leading the pack for Georgia Red Storm PSB.
Class of 2017 prospect Madison Wise of Greenfield, Ind., got her rhythm going as the weekend went along. She had multiple Division I schools tracking her every move with Indy Magic PSB.
Dyer joined the team at the end of 2012 and quickly made her presence felt as our in-house contributor for Peach State Media during all events and now as a writer for Prospects Nation. She’s been in the community as a columnist since 2008 and also serves on the Naismith Awards selection committee. Rebecca played college ball at both Kentucky and North Carolina.
Brandon Clay serves as the WNBA Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The JumpOffPlus.com International Report, which is picked up by more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide. He serves as the Executive Camp Director for the Elite Basketball Academy Camps. He serves on the Naismith Trophy Men’s / Women’s College Player of the Year Academy and is chairman of the HS Boys / Girls Board of Selectors and is on the McDonald’s All-American Selection Committee. He also is the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com.
