Chloe Clardy
Ashlon Jackson, Sammie Wagner and Aaliyah Moore were part of the BCS Training Breakfast Club. *Photos by Chris Hansen.
Sunday morning before the start of day two of the Check Me Out Showcase event, a collaboration of Brandon Clay Training and Elite Is Earned Basketball, the Breakfast Club spotlight session was held. This group of 14 players showed up at 8 o'clock in the morning for a small group workout and here are the takeaways.
Our staff got a first hand look at Adams last year during the BCSRealDeal event in July. She was fantastic using her size and skill to be productive in the backcourt. Adams was even better in this setting showing the ability to take coaching, listen and add pieces to her game quickly on the fly. She’s a stock riser coming out of this event with a box full of tools.
This was our first chance to see Angiolet in person. Her future HS coach, Katie Hensle, added Gianna’s name to our radar about a year ago. We were not disappointed. She has good size, athleticism and skill for a guard who hasn’t arrived on a high school campus yet. Angiolet is one of those sky is the limit type of prospects based on how hard she’ll work and continuing to make time for elite academy training settings like these.
Boswell’s game has grown leaps and bounds over the past two years. She has multiple scholarship offers already and for good reason. The left-hand dominant guard was a factor on both ends of the floor here. Boswell is an elite athlete who has spent countless hours on the hardwood making sure that her on-floor skill set matches her bounce off the floor.
Clardy has developed a national name for herself as one of the top guards in the region if not nationally in her class. She had that talent and work ethic on display during the training as well as the competitive portions of the Academy. Clardy has the physical tools, willingness to compete and emerging skill set to back up the buzz.
Hunter was just as impressive here as she was during our workout in Seattle last August. She’s a dynamic yet smooth option with the ball in her hands. She was looking to read the pace of the floor then shift into high gear to attack the basket. Hunter is also a more than capable attacker downhill. Combine that with her shooting ability and Hunter is a premier guard on a national stage.
This was our first opportunity to work with Jackson. The first thing that caught the staff’s attention was her positive demeanor. She was completely locked in during the opening shooting drills taking her range all the way out to 25 feet on the catch and shoot. Defensively, Jackson showcased herself as an elite option in that regard as well fighting over screens in pick and roll action while guarding the likes of Rori Harmon in doing so.
Jones has a positive energy and vibe to her game. Her willingness and ability to be taught was a major plus in grading her skill set. She was more than willing to take coaching and saw her shot fall consistently as a result. A slender-framed guard, Jones has plenty of room to keep maturing physically which will expand her shooting range in the process but she’s off to a fantastic start building her game.
Like Jones, McDermed is a slender guard who showed here the ability to make an open shot. McDermed’s willingness to be a consistent passer in the competition portion of added even more value to her current game. Based on what she showed here, McDermed has a chance to be a consistent shot maker and playmaker in the right system at the next level.
Petroelje has several schools tracking her play. They were following this trip closely on social media as well and for good reason. Petroelje made the trip from Michigan to compete against some of the top players in the country. She didn’t disappoint. Her current style of play and size reminds me of Erin Whalen. Petroelje can shoot the 3, has good vision at the forward position and showed here that she’s not afraid of competition.
Rickard pulled up Sunday morning ready to go. She’s emerging as one of the state’s premier guards in the class and showed improvement on her jumper to help back that billing. Rickard won the 3-point contest to close out the Academy and that was after a full morning of skills, drills and competition with and against her elite peers from the Lone Star State.
Simply put, Moore was the leader of the pack both with her actions and her energy. She was active in every drill no matter how big or small the buildup was. Moore allowed herself to be a willing student for two days. As a result, the future Texas Longhorn emerged showing that she can do more than just post to score and rebound. Moore’s skill set allowed her to be a pick and pop kid for the 3-pointer in ball screen action in addition to an elite level roller. She also made multiple second cuts to the paint after the ball was pitched to the off side. Moore’s versatility makes her a potential star.
Smith’s game has come a long way from our early days. She’s at the point in her development where in comparison to her peers she’s mastered a lot of the concepts that we teach. At that point, it becomes about taking what Smith’s mastered and continuing to push the envelope inside of gameplay. She has been a joy for our staff to watch progress. We’re seeing her reap the fruits of countless sessions and hours sharpening her craft.
There is no doubt that Snead is poised to have next in Texas. She’s an ultra dynamic option in the backcourt capable of making plays with her athleticism. Snead is a fantastic finisher at the rim using either hand off either leg already. As she keeps adding range and consistency to her outside shot, the defense will have to closeout harder allowing even more space for blow by drive attempts.
Wagner has been to multiple academies making a stop with us in Seattle last August. Our staff has always challenged her to keep developing and growing. This session was no different. For the future Baylor Lady Bear, becoming a knockdown outside shooter will only enhance what she brings to the table with her length, size and versatility on the floor. Wagner’s curiosity as a player is a fantastic trait that separates her from a lot of her peers at an early age.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
