Jahnna Hajdukovich has Lathrop High School poised to compete with the best in the state for years to come. *Photo by Chris Hansen.

ANCHORAGE – For 17 years now the Dimond Lady Lynx Prep Shootout has been the single best place to watch the best of high school basketball in Alaska. Whether the host school is the favorite to win or not it has built the tournament into a 16-team, highly competitive four-day event.

This year coaches from Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado, Duke, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah and Washington made appearances and here is a look at some of the talent the coaches were thousands of miles from home to see.

Ruthy Hebard (Fairbanks, Alaska), West Valley – 2016

'16 ELITE 60 forward Ruthy Hebardz.*Photo by Chris Hansen.

This 6-foot-3 junior has nearly single-handedly raised the profile of this event by virtue of the number of power conference schools recruiting her. While her impact undoubtedly opens doors for other Alaskans to get Division I looks, remembering the state does not have a D-I school within its borders, her play this event is worthy of praise.

Hebard has few peers athletically but her genius in this setting was how she generated much of her offensive output on the defensive end. While she did impress at times in the halfcourt, her growth was seen in her ability to create turnovers and seamlessly transition to offensive attack mode. She utilizes her physical gifts but does so under control in the open court now. In the half court she is extending her range while still being a capable post scorer. She projects easily as a player who would thrive at the forward (4) position in a four-out system where she could knock down the ball reversal jumper and slash on one and two-dribble attacks without having a need for a polished mid-range pull-up game.

This viewing provided quite a contrast to the July viewing period where she was asked to do a lot against deeper teams, often playing out of position. Here her versatility was on display, exploiting mismatches she poses. If she continues to improve as she has in the last 12 months she will be worth the long flights to Fairbanks taken by her college suitors.

SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS

Leya Depreist is no stranger to us. Having seen her at the Dimond Shootout a year ago, followed by strong play at the EBA Super 64 Camp in June and with Ryan Hales’ Alaska Lady Hoops squad in July, the 6-3 post showed off her strength in the post. She is a power interior player with good hands. The combination of width in her frame and overall strength allows her to play through contact and makes her a terrific rebounder. As her ability to hit the face-up 15 footer improves she’ll be a real contributor at the next level on both ends of the floor.

The next exciting prospect from Alaska also hails from Fairbanks, like Hebard. Jahnna Hajdukovich, whose father Jim, an assistant coach on her Lathrop High team, is a former standout at Alaska-Anchorage, shows the signs of writing her own basketball legacy. The 5-6 point guard has a fearlessness about her play as well as a flare. Her competitive nature allows her to slice up opposing defenses off the dribble in spite of her slight frame. She loves to create for her teammates, often finishing the play with a dramatic look-away while delivering a pass. She has enough wiggle with the ball to break down a defender in the half court and showed a nice mid-range jumper to boot. As she gets stronger she will be one to keep a close eye on.

AROUND THE RIM

♦ Sophomore wing-forward Ashlynn Burgess of Chugiak, Alaska, is a classic tweener. She stands just 5-9 but poses matchup problems at the high school level. She has a nose for the ball and does a good deal of damage on the offensive glass. She’s too quick for post defenders and has the size to overpower most guards. While not as tall or quick as Stanford freshman Britney McPhee, at this level she produces in a lot of the same ways.

♦ Lathrop has more than Hajdukovic contributing fromt its freshman class. Tyra Do of Fairbanks, Alaska, is a 5-11 forward with length and plenty of agility, as evidenced by her playing the top of her team’s full court press, espeicallly impressive for a frontcourt player. While not a physical inside player she is skilled, has good touch on her shot and is a crafty passer in the paint.

♦ Ava Thompkins of Juneau, Alaska, is a 5-10 junior guard for Thunder Mountain High School. Her length mid-range scoring knack stood out as her team battled eventual gold division champions, West Valley, in the quarterfinal round.

♦ Air Force commit Marshala Eady looks like a new player this winter. With her West Anchorage squad graduating quite a few impact players from last year’s roster, the 5-9 guard looks comfortable taking the lead. She is more effective off the dribble now, using her strength and finishing more consistently.

♦ West Valley won four straight games to take home the Dimond Lady Lynx Shootout and while much credit will be given to Hebard, senior point guard Carlee Marques of Fairbanks, Alaska, also made big contributions. The diminutive 5-4 prospect handled the ball and got her team into her sets but she also punished teams for doubling the post by knocking down the kick out 3-pointer on a regular basis. Follow @ChrisHansenPSB