a few names to look for (if you can't get to the games themselves)
I haven't seen all our local teams yet in basketball, but I want to talk about some of the under-the-radar players I've noticed on the teams I have seen. Of course you will hear a lot about the star players over the coming months, but the players around them will be key to success.
I've seen more of the girls teams so far, probably because they started a week earlier. So, I'll start with them.
Berlin: I got to see the Redcoats against Rocky Hill earlier this week, and to be honest, the whole team is a bunch of very solid role players. They play well as a group, but I think it's clear the name you'll probably hear the most over the coming months (and years) is Katelyn Zarotney, with seniors Meagan Guy and Kristin Legenza likely to be next.
So, with that in mind, I want to talk about Alexys Vazquez and Kaitlin Bovee. Vazquez is a fighter, with a finesse player's touch. On defense she will go hard at all times, and will likely play somewhere between guard and forward. But her biggest asset it that three-point shot, and when I say she has range, I mean range. She looks to shoot anywhere within 25 feet, a serious rarity at the high school level, and she can hit it. Teams will get burned by her.
Plainville: Everybody knows about Des Pina by now, or should. But she would be the first to admit she can't win on her own. Already this season she has been double and triple teamed, and slapped in the face by an opposing player.
Pina needs help from shooters in particular, and along with Alyssa Martino, who emerged last year as a deep threat, Val Caron could be just what is called for. Caron is young still, but has improved dramatically since last year. She has a shot, can take the ball off the dribble when needed and should improve more as time goes on.
The others we need to mention are Sarah Dinda and Alex Petit, who despite their small stature compared to the other bigs in the NWC, manage to hold their own on the glass. They'll need to.
Rocky Hill: Three months from now this player may be among those stars based on what I've seen. Two years ago she was a no-mistakes, but no flash guard whose job it was to pass off to more aggressive scorers on the team. Now she may be that scorer.
I'm talking about senior Meghan Daley, who I knew could be a very good shooter. But I've never seen her so aggressive putting the ball on the floor, so vocal on the court, or so seemingly determined to lead her squad. I'm looking for big things from her now.
New Britain: It's tough to consider any of the Canes starters role players. All five have the capability of being a star. But I'm going to remind people of all the little things that Sarah Sideranko and Cassandra Bell do.
Sideranko is far from being a sidekick in the backcourt to Symone Roberts. In her own right, the junior is as competitive as athletes come, at any level, and a lockdown defender. She also attacks the glass amazingly well for her size, always makes the extra pass, and at times can be a threat from outside.
Bell is a coach's dream in that she plays far above her natural ability by being very athletic. She can run, jump and bang on the inside. She filled in admirably for the injured Tyler Kimball in guarding opponents' tallest players. And at the time she wasn't fully recovered from a minor injury of her own, or at full stamina.
Wethersfield: You're going to hear about Heather Lyhne, Abigail Corning and Kelly Gionfriddo. But what about center Erin Verre?
Verre can be a tough task for opponents to handle, with her size. She is also quite athletic, a fullback on the soccer team, and smart on the court. Verre could be the difference in many games this season.
Now, on to the guys.
Berlin: I showed up to watch the Redcoats-Terriers boys game on Monday, my day off. I'm just that dedicated.
What I saw is a familiar last name: Glowiak. I'm talking about Steven, younger brother to former New Britain High star Bryan and son of New Britain coach Stan.
Like his brother, Glowiak is a pure shooter, one of the more natural looking shooters I've seen in the past four years. The ball leaves his hand in a flash, and that's usually a good sign. He may be a bit too fast on the trigger right now, but I'd rather have that than a great shooter who doesn't want to take the chance.
I like John Guzze in the backcourt as well. He's another good shooter, and seems to be well-served by the varsity experience he's gotten the past couple years.
Rocky Hill: I may never have seen such a drastic one-year improvement as that I see in Peter Foxen. Like Daley for the girls' team, Foxen may not be a role player for long. He plays fundamental defense in the post with what I'm estimating to be about a 6-3 frame. He denies his man the ball well, even against a stud like Nick Greenbacker of East Catholic.
And offensively he's become one of the team's top threats, scoring 17 with Greenbacker guarding him. He has a sweet touch around the hoop and can step out and take 17-18 footers. If he can learn to go up strong to the glass as well, he'll be really tough to defend.
I also like Ryan Bengston. Bengston is a fighter. He gets everything he can out of his talent. And he's the kind of player whose intensity on the court is contagious.
I'll be at Newington Friday night, so hopefully I'll have something to add on them. But I like what I see from most of the others, so far.
I've seen more of the girls teams so far, probably because they started a week earlier. So, I'll start with them.
Berlin: I got to see the Redcoats against Rocky Hill earlier this week, and to be honest, the whole team is a bunch of very solid role players. They play well as a group, but I think it's clear the name you'll probably hear the most over the coming months (and years) is Katelyn Zarotney, with seniors Meagan Guy and Kristin Legenza likely to be next.
So, with that in mind, I want to talk about Alexys Vazquez and Kaitlin Bovee. Vazquez is a fighter, with a finesse player's touch. On defense she will go hard at all times, and will likely play somewhere between guard and forward. But her biggest asset it that three-point shot, and when I say she has range, I mean range. She looks to shoot anywhere within 25 feet, a serious rarity at the high school level, and she can hit it. Teams will get burned by her.
Plainville: Everybody knows about Des Pina by now, or should. But she would be the first to admit she can't win on her own. Already this season she has been double and triple teamed, and slapped in the face by an opposing player.
Pina needs help from shooters in particular, and along with Alyssa Martino, who emerged last year as a deep threat, Val Caron could be just what is called for. Caron is young still, but has improved dramatically since last year. She has a shot, can take the ball off the dribble when needed and should improve more as time goes on.
The others we need to mention are Sarah Dinda and Alex Petit, who despite their small stature compared to the other bigs in the NWC, manage to hold their own on the glass. They'll need to.
Rocky Hill: Three months from now this player may be among those stars based on what I've seen. Two years ago she was a no-mistakes, but no flash guard whose job it was to pass off to more aggressive scorers on the team. Now she may be that scorer.
I'm talking about senior Meghan Daley, who I knew could be a very good shooter. But I've never seen her so aggressive putting the ball on the floor, so vocal on the court, or so seemingly determined to lead her squad. I'm looking for big things from her now.
New Britain: It's tough to consider any of the Canes starters role players. All five have the capability of being a star. But I'm going to remind people of all the little things that Sarah Sideranko and Cassandra Bell do.
Sideranko is far from being a sidekick in the backcourt to Symone Roberts. In her own right, the junior is as competitive as athletes come, at any level, and a lockdown defender. She also attacks the glass amazingly well for her size, always makes the extra pass, and at times can be a threat from outside.
Bell is a coach's dream in that she plays far above her natural ability by being very athletic. She can run, jump and bang on the inside. She filled in admirably for the injured Tyler Kimball in guarding opponents' tallest players. And at the time she wasn't fully recovered from a minor injury of her own, or at full stamina.
Wethersfield: You're going to hear about Heather Lyhne, Abigail Corning and Kelly Gionfriddo. But what about center Erin Verre?
Verre can be a tough task for opponents to handle, with her size. She is also quite athletic, a fullback on the soccer team, and smart on the court. Verre could be the difference in many games this season.
Now, on to the guys.
Berlin: I showed up to watch the Redcoats-Terriers boys game on Monday, my day off. I'm just that dedicated.
What I saw is a familiar last name: Glowiak. I'm talking about Steven, younger brother to former New Britain High star Bryan and son of New Britain coach Stan.
Like his brother, Glowiak is a pure shooter, one of the more natural looking shooters I've seen in the past four years. The ball leaves his hand in a flash, and that's usually a good sign. He may be a bit too fast on the trigger right now, but I'd rather have that than a great shooter who doesn't want to take the chance.
I like John Guzze in the backcourt as well. He's another good shooter, and seems to be well-served by the varsity experience he's gotten the past couple years.
Rocky Hill: I may never have seen such a drastic one-year improvement as that I see in Peter Foxen. Like Daley for the girls' team, Foxen may not be a role player for long. He plays fundamental defense in the post with what I'm estimating to be about a 6-3 frame. He denies his man the ball well, even against a stud like Nick Greenbacker of East Catholic.
And offensively he's become one of the team's top threats, scoring 17 with Greenbacker guarding him. He has a sweet touch around the hoop and can step out and take 17-18 footers. If he can learn to go up strong to the glass as well, he'll be really tough to defend.
I also like Ryan Bengston. Bengston is a fighter. He gets everything he can out of his talent. And he's the kind of player whose intensity on the court is contagious.
I'll be at Newington Friday night, so hopefully I'll have something to add on them. But I like what I see from most of the others, so far.
Labels: basketball
posted by Ryan Pipke at
1:06 AM
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