Team 6
Coach: Colby Lewis
#20: 5'3 '25 Natalia Whitaker (Northwood)
Starting things off, we look at a player who already displays the ability to overwhelm her assignment in all facets of the game, Natalia Whitaker. She's a young, tough, well-rounded floor general with IQ, defensive prowess, and the ability to score from all levels. Whitaker displays a high motor, competitive streak, and consistently makes her presence felt on the glass. Next in her development process is working to get stronger, as it would make her a better finisher through contact. Coach Lewis on Whitaker: 'Natalia is a quick, shifty point guard. Good in the pick-and-roll, and made a few nice over-the-top passes to the roller. On multiple occasions, she showed the ability to stop behind the arc and shoot the three-pointer off the bounce. Tough, scrappy, and gets after it defensively while rebounding well for her size. Dove on the floor for loose balls. On drives, she had nice touch on her floaters. With her size, she will need to continue to improve finishing at the end of drives over taller defenders.' Whitaker was among the top standouts on display, and has all the tools to emerge as a strong contributor for Northwood sooner than later.
#21: 5'3 '24 Emily Kusnic (Forsyth Country Day)
Next, we look at a player who definitely stood out as the best passers on this team, Emily Kusnic. She's a smart, wiry, unselfish guard prospect with excellent vision, solid creation skills, and the ability to assert herself from all three levels offensively. Kusnic does everything at an above-average level and has the necessary adaptability to actively change her approach based on team need. Next in her development process is working on the use of her off-hand, as it would make her an even better ball-handler against defensive pressure. Coach Lewis on Kusnic: 'Emily is a high-IQ guard who knows the game. She's very unselfish and looks to make the extra pass whenever possible. Really good in catch-and-shoot situations. Extremely coachable. Good handle in the open court and played with her head up. She will need to continue to improve her ball-handling against pressure. She did make several drive-and-kick plays to open shooters!' Kusnic enjoyed a quality showing at camp, and should be a useful contributor for Forsyth Country Day over the foreseeable future.
#36: 5'5 '25 Grace Galyon (Reagan)
Moving onto a player whose intangibles are simply off-the-charts, especially for her age, Grace Galyon. She's a young, unselfish, high-motor guard prospect with terrific spot-up ability from mid-range and beyond the arc. Galyon is a quality all-around defender with the blend of quickness, toughness, and instinct to effectively contain all types of opponents. Next in her development process is working on the use of her off-hand, as it would make her a better finisher around the basket. Coach Lewis on Galyon: 'Grace is extremely coachable. Never complained. Always gave maximum effort and listened/executed. Very good defender, both on the ball and in help. There were several times when she was matched up with someone quicker, but she was able to slide her feet and stay in front. Offensively, she played within her role and took what the defense gave her. She could've been more aggressive at times and looked for her own shot more often. Can improve her ability to create for herself off the bounce.' Galyon did a lot of things well at camp and will emerge as a quality piece for Regan over the coming years.
#37: 5'5 '23 Dearia Page (North Mecklenburg)
Continuing onto a player who made a lasting impression as the top defender on this team, Dearia Page. She's a tough, rugged, high-motor guard prospect with IQ, quickness, and excellent penetration instincts. Page possesses a crafty handle, sharp vision, and shoots the ball at a high percentage along the perimeter. She's a terrific on-ball defender and regularly forces turnovers, which often lead to easy transition buckets. Next in her development process is working on her ability to move without the ball, as it would make her a better spot-up threat. Coach Lewis on Page: 'Dearia is a tough, very competitive combo guard. Aggressive defensively. Best defensive player on my team. Guarded the best player at camp as good or better than anyone. Rebounded well and came up with 50/50 balls. Offensively, she excelled getting downhill to the basket. She has a good handle and was able to break down defenders off the bounce. Capable shooter from the perimeter with time and space.' Page made an excellent impact at camp, and should be a productive contributor for North Mecklenburg during the upcoming season.
#54: 5'8 '27 Ramsey DeCarmine (Northwood Temple)
Next, we look at a player who made a nice impact, especially to be the youngest camper on display, Ramsey DeCarmine. She's a young, wiry wing prospect with a high motor and useful presence as a spot-up shooter from the perimeter. DeCarmine is an adequate passer, rebounder, and off-ball cutter with solid defensive prowess at the point of attack. Next in her development process is working on the use of her off-hand, as it would make her a better finisher around the basket. Coach Lewis on DeCarmine: 'Ramsey was one of the youngest players at camp. Seems to still be learning the game but was very coachable. Gave maximum effort. As long as she continues to develop, she will become more comfortable asserting herself'especially when playing with older players. Capable in catch-and-shoot situations. Her areas to improve: ball-handling, team defense, and understanding of spacing. That being said, she's still young and some of these things will naturally come as time progresses.' DeCarmine enjoyed a solid showing at camp and will be one to watch grow over the coming years.
#55: 5'8 '23 Addie Phipps (Mount Airy)
Moving onto a player who easily stood out among the most productive campers in attendance, Addie Phipps. She's a tough, skilled, all-around wing prospect with the combination of size, craftiness, and scoring ability to lead a potent offensive attack. Phipps can score from anywhere, set up others, or make her presence consistently felt as a defender and rebounder. Next in her development process is working on her consistency as a shooter off the bounce, as it would make her an even more difficult player for opponents to contain. Coach Lewis on Phipps: 'Addie was my team's best offensive threat. Shooter/scorer with a quick release (doesn't dip the ball) and deep range. Addie was also more than capable of attacking off the bounce. In our first game, she attacked closeouts. In our second and third games, she created, especially with her right to left crossover'where she would get to the cup and finish with her left (off) hand multiple times. She's a tough, strong competitor on both ends. Not afraid and went through contact on drives. Defensively, she provided our team with toughness and physicality. Didn't allow easy baskets (she would foul), came up with 50/50 balls, and made hustle plays.' Phipps was easily among the top performers on display, and should have a noteworthy upcoming season at Mount Airy.
#182: 6'0 '24 Eva McRae (Overhills)
Finishing up, we look at a player who truly possesses as much long-term upside as anyone from camp, Eva McRae. She's a strong, tough, physical post prospect with an unselfish mentality and a clear willingness to embrace her identity on both ends of the floor. McRae is a phenomenal two-way rebounder and capable finisher with the necessary touch to step out and knock down jumpers at a respectable clip. Next in her development process is working to get quicker, as it would make her a better defender when operating in space. Coach Lewis on McRae: 'Evan is a post player with very good hands and soft touch. She caught some tough passes from teammates and snagged rebounds over opponents. She was positive and always encouraging her teammates. Showed the ability to make the catch-and-shoot midrange. She creates really good positioning in the post. She will need to improve her ability to finish with her off-hand and also finishing through contact (she has a tendency to shy away from contact when she easily could've gone through her defender). Defensively, she walls-up very well. She can improve footspeed and lateral quickness to help her guard ball screens and when she gets switched onto perimeter players.' McRae highlighted a lot of enticing flashes at camp, and will certainly be a player to keep an eye on over the coming years at Overhills.