City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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There were 34 courts going at Spook Nook this past weekend as the Select Events Live! At the Nook and the first Girls Under Armour Association took place from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.

There were plenty of local squads in attendance to check out as well as out-of-area talent to get a look at, giving CoBL a chance to catch up with some players. Here’s the second part of our notebook from the event:

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GUAA/Live! At the Nook Coverage: Standouts | Notebook Pt. 1 | Notebook Pt. 2 | Notebook Pt. 3

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Gabby Bowes (2025 | Runnin’ Rebels White 17U)

Gabby Bowes has seen a lot of change in the last year.

Bowes was a part of the Rebels HGSL championship 17U team last summer while playing up an age group. She’s playing 17U again, but with a different roster of teammates and playing a very different style in the process.

The Germantown Academy junior, coming off a high school season playing for a new coach, is looking at it as an opportunity.

“It’s definitely an adjustment, but a good adjustment,” Bowes said.

Bowes, who stands 5-foot-10, has spent a lot of her high school and club career playing as a “big” while on teams that didn’t have a lot of size or true post players. That isn’t an issue with a Rebels group that includes Grace McDonough (Lansdale Catholic) and Janie Preston (Conestoga), so Bowes is in more of a natural position as a wing or bigger guard.

Offensively, Bowes is a floor-spacer and prolific three-point shooter. Last year and at GA, a lot of those looks come off a guard driving into the lane and the ball coming back out whereas this summer, the looks are coming from the paint a different way.

“We have two bigs, so we’re getting the ball into the post and playing out of the lane which we didn’t do last year,” Bowes said. “Coming from high school, we didn’t have a big either. I’m getting more off in-and-out than catch-and-shoot, I find the post and they find me back.

“It’s different, but I enjoy it.”

Bowes has been in GA’s rotation since her freshman season, but is a much more confident player now than she was two years ago. Playing up last summer definitely helped and she was a starter all season for the Patriots as they split the Inter-Ac title with Penn Charter and Notre Dame.

Her confidence in herself has never been stronger and Bowes has been working to add more to her game, she had a nice assist on a three in Saturday’s win over the Comets Select. This Rebels group is also providing a chance for Bowes to work on something else she views as very important.

“My defense, I want to be able to guard perimeter players,” Bowes said. “In high school, I only guarded the bigs, so I want to be better, get some quicker feet on the perimeter.”

Bowes currently has an offer from Chestnut Hill College and has been in contact with a few other programs. She’s hoping a strong summer will continue to bring opportunities.

Between GA and the Rebels, Bowes has faced a lot of changes in the last year but the way she sees it, it’s not at all a negative.

“It’s helped me for sure,” Bowes said. “I think it’s helped with my leadership, I try to be a vocal leader and that’s something I’ve had to step up with coming into a new team, still keeping my voice.” — Andrew Robinson

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Isabella Elizondo & Emily Wilson (2025 | Rebels Basketball Academy)

The pecking order might have changed, but the production didn’t.

Last year, as sophomores, Isabella Elizondo and Emily Wilson were secondary options for New Hope-Solebury. It wasn’t something either guard saw as a negative, they knew were they stood and that their time would come.

This season, as juniors, they were the top options as the Lions repeated as District 1 3A champions.

“It was a lot different, we were never the main shooters on the team, but I think we saw a lot of improvement,” Elizondo said. “We had some rough patches, but that just means we have to keep on getting better.”

New Hope's Emily Wilson, left, and Isabella Elizondo are teaming together with Rebels Basketball Academy this summer. (Photo: Andrew Robinson/CoBL)

The two guards have stayed together again for the travel season, playing under Lions coach Steve Polinski with Rebels Basketball Academy. When New Hope-Solebury lost its top two scorers from a year ago in Reagan Chrencik and Gabby D’Agostino, Elizondo and Wilson slipped right into those roles.

Elizondo’s play earned her a first team All-SOL Freedom nod while Wilson earned second team all-league honors as they were essentially 1A and 1B offensively for the Lions. As a whole, the SOL Freedom was much more competitive this winter, so having two guards who could not only score but do so playing well together was a huge benefit.

“We’ve been playing together since we were pretty young, so we just have a good feel for what the other is doing,” Elizondo said. “The give-and-go for us is one of our best things, we definitely get a lot from that.”

The two have a lot of similarities in their game. They can both shoot the ball, Wilson really had it going from three in Saturday’s win over CJ Hawks, both can get to the rim and they’re solid handling the ball, both guards taking a rebound end to end for a bucket.

“I know Izzy’s game and she knows mine,” Wilson said. “We’re able to build off each other.”

They weren’t seniors this past season, but the two guards knew their teammates would be looking to them to take the big shots and lead the way as scorers. While that was a responsibility both embraced, they also wanted to make sure their teammates felt empowered to take their opportunities.

“We’re the two main scorers on the team but what can really help the team is to get everyone else going,” Elizondo said.

“I think it’s up to us to build up everyone’s confidence,” Wilson said. “If they know we need you and you can meet that standard, they’ll definitely meet that expectation.”

Elizondo said a major focus this summer for both of them will be continuing to be strong with the ball, especially against pressure, and making good decisions as teams start to plan more for them next year. Wilson added having Polinski as their year-round coach helps, as he knows them best and will help in those areas.

Wilson and Elizondo have good continuity together and the same is true for their Rebels roster with a number of players back together from last year.

“Once we come back together, we immediately feel connected again,” Elizondo said. “Even coming back from last year, I already feel good about playing with them again.” — Andrew Robinson

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Avery Kocur (2026 | PA Royals 16U)

It’s all starting to come together for Avery Kocur.

After two seasons at William Tennent, both ending with first team All-SOL Freedom division honors, and into her second club season with the PA Royals, the guard’s play continues to grow. She also knows there’s still room to grow and isn’t planning on slowing down.

“I’m trying to improve everywhere,” Kocur said. “Shooting, driving, passing, all of it, I’m just looking to get better.”

The three has been a major point of emphasis of late, Kocur saying she wants to increase her range and consistency from the perimeter. She drained a triple off the bounce Saturday morning, one of three long-range hits she had in the game.

The sophomore added that while she knows off games will happen, she wants to be consistent in making all the shots she should. That approach is still something the 5-foot-9 guard, a natural point guard, is working to build up.

“I think I’ve been doing much better when it comes to scoring,” Kocur said after a 17-point effort in Saturday’s win over All-In. “Before, I was passing a lot and I wasn’t really looking for my shot and I think I’ve picked up on that.”

Kocur isn’t the only all-league player from Tennent on the PA Royals roster. Halie Staub, also a two-time all-SOL selection and a starter next to Kocur in the backcourt is also back with the Royals this summer.

The Panthers made a jump this past season, although they did fall short of a playoff berth, they were part of a competitive SOL Freedom division. With division champ Lower Moreland, New Hope-Solebury, Upper Moreland and Cheltenham all bringing key players back, it looks to be the same next year.

Earning all-league honors in a competitive division, let alone two years running, isn’t something Kocur is overlooking.

“It’s a big confidence boost,” Kocur said. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t get seen a lot but when I get an award like that, it does give me a lot of confidence.”

Kocur said she’s had some preliminary interest come in from the college level, a few emails and letters so far but she did notice a few coaches checking out games this weekend.

“Just hoping to build off that,” Kocur said. “It’s what I’ve been dreaming of.”  — Andrew Robinson

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Bridget Archbold (2025 | Philly Roots 17U)

It’s clear from watching Archbold play with the Philly Roots to see what she’s focusing on improving this summer. 

The 5-10 wing forward from Archbishop Carroll hasn’t had to play with the ball in her hands much the last three years thanks to the presence of West Point-bound Brooke Wilson, the future Army point guard doing much of the heavy lifting in that regard, along with current sophomore Alexis Eberz and the three McFillin sisters who came aboard this past season.

But with Wilson and Felicity McFillin (Air Force Academy) graduating, Archbold and the rest of the Patriots are all trying to play with the ball in their hands, explaining why she was bringing the ball upcourt and initiating offense for the Roots a good chunk of the time this weekend.

“Yeah, definitely trying to work on being on-ball,” she said. “I feel like everybody on (Carroll’s) working on that, we’re all finding how to move with the ball and try to move without the ball. [...] It was so nice to have Brooke, because you knew it was all calm when she had the ball; it’s going to be an adjustment getting everybody comfortable with the ball in their hands.”

A solid outside shooter in catch-and-shoot situations who can guard multiple positions, Archbold is starting to hear from some area Division III programs, including Immaculata, Catholic (D.C.) and FDU-Florham (N.J.). College basketball is the plan, but first up are plans to win a Catholic League title with the Patriots, who fell just short in the championship game this year and lost in the PIAA 6A state quarterfinals.

Whether or not Archbold starts or comes off the bench this season, she’ll be one of the team’s veterans and leaders along with classmate Maddie McFillin, fellow wing forward Brooke Olender, shooting guard Olivia Nardi and more.

“I’m going to try really hard, not to take control over (the team), but to try to bring it together as much as I possibly can,” she said. “Brooke was a great leader, same with Felicity McFilllin too, but [...] we have a lot of people in our class, so I think it’ll be a good senior class to take leadership of this team.” — Josh Verlin

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Quick Hits

— Luca D’Andrea (2026 | Mid-Atlantic Magic 16U) has quite a different experience when it comes to Archbishop Wood in-season vs. off-season. During the winter, the St. Hubert’s sophomore was at the opposite end of the PCL standings from the league championship Vikings, the Bambies not known as a powerhouse in the Catholic League. But during the summer, she teams up with a trio of Wood sophomores to a lot more on-court success with the Magic. 

“They’re great players and they’re fun to actually play with,” D’Andrea said of Sophia Topakas, Paige Barats, Emma Yogis and the rest of the Magic 2026s. “This team compared to my high school team, it’s such a different experience. They push me to be better and that’s what really gets me going.”

A multi-sport athlete, D’Andrea also plays club soccer with Copa Express, the center midfielder alternating between both club sports this spring. She said she hopes to make a decision by the end of the summer which one she’ll be focusing on here on out to prepare for college.

D’Andrea showcased her versatility on the court during a Saturday afternoon win for the Magic, doing a combination of scoring, passing and rebounding as part of a strong full-team effort from her squad. The 5-10 wing guard stepped out to knock down a 3-pointer, was smooth in finishing in transition, and kept her head up with the ball in her hands to find open teammates. 

“I think my passing’s there, I hustle a lot and I know that,” she said, “and I just think I need to get stronger with the ball.”

— Kareena Preuss (2025 | Lady Runnin’ Rebels Red 17U) enters this offseason much more confident than a year ago. As a junior at Spring-Ford, she went from a reserve into the starting lineup for Mickey McDaniel, playing a major role on a team that made it to the PAC, District 1 and PIAA 6A state championship games. 

Though she didn’t have to be one of the Rams’ stars, a four-girl senior class taking care of much of the heavy lifting, her shot-making ability on the wing and defensive length was no doubt valuable during a 27-win campaign. 

“I think this season really boosted my confidence,” she said. “I got more comfortable playing with the team, and I think I overall became a better player with my confidence, I think that’s been a big thing in my game.”

She looked confident on Saturday, leading the Runnin’ Rebels’ secondary 17U squad with a 15-point, 11-rebound outing against the Syracuse Nets. She showed off her ability to stretch the floor with a couple 3s but also was tough on the glass, grabbing a trio of offensive rebounds and put them back up for layups, then used her length to guard inside and out. 

Preuss said she’s yet to hear from any college coaches, but there were plenty of small-college types watching the win; there’s no doubt it won’t be long before she’s got a group on her case. 

She’ll have to play an even bigger role as a senior at Spring-Ford, with four college-bound seniors graduating led by D-I recruits Anna Azzara (Wright State) and Mac Pettinelli (St. Bonaventure). She and Christina Tiffan return from last year’s rotation, but a lot of former role and JV players will have to step up.

“I think, my class has not played together since travel ball, so it’ll be exciting to play again together, it’s definitely going to be different without four of our five starters,” Preuss said. “It’ll be good, we just need to get back into the groove of things this summer, working out together.”