When learning and researching 5-foot-4 2029 point guard Georgia Schmaltz of Goodhue High School (MN), I quickly came to find that being unprepared to take the basketball court clearly is not an option.
Schmaltz is one that consistently works on her game and skills and it’s obvious that she loves the process of improving day by day, week by week. She has been honing her game and skills with private training sessions with Trevor Heidish of Never Sleep Athletics (neversleepathletcs.com) based in Apple Valley, Minnesota. So that also explains her dedication to improvement and development.
It’s also easy to see her passion and love for the game just by how she plays so intently, focused, alert, and with non-stop energy and movement.
Although only 5-foot-4, the left-handed point guard has overall ball skills, elite point guard feel, and three-point shooting, essentially diminishong her lack of prototypical size. She has a handle on the ball that allows her to get to anywhere on the court, handle the ball while being pressured full-court, and get to her spots to deliver dime passes. She’s an elite passer that anticipates the action before it happens. And like they say with quarterbacks, she throws her opponent open and leads cutters to the hoop for optimal space and easier opportunities to finish for points. Schmaltz has a very advanced and well-rounded game of skill of ball-handling, passing, and shooting for a prospect going into her Sophomore season. She’s an elite three-point shooter with consistent on-target shots, and her shooting stroke and consistency from three are an explanation of the amount of practice reps she has put into her shot. Another aspect of her game is that, if she gets run off the three-point line and is heavily guarded at the three-point line, she has a midrange and float-game where she can easily get her running floater off overtop the defense.
Defensively is where her approach, intentiveness, focus, and alertness really make themselves known and standout. She is ready and in a stance with defensive hands to anticipate the next pass to get in perfect defensive positioning, considering the ball and her matchup. Where she positions herself on defense is near perfection to be in help defense and readiness if her matchup gets a catch. Her defensive IQ is right up there with her offensive feel and she stays in front of her matchup with quick lateral feet, anticipation and quick processing ability. A defensive approach and ability that is well beyond her years.
Schmaltz was the junior varsity point guard in her Freshman season, and while not knowing the dynamics of the team, it’s clear on film that she was one of the leaders and made the team go with her on-court play and she most definitely led by example with her seriousness and effort.
Highlight video
Full game film
#3 in purple in the JV (second) game
This past offseason Schmaltz played with travel program Legacy Hoops based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on their East 15U Elite team. She played her normal point guard position as a true facilitator that kept the offense and the ball moving, while always being shot-ready on the perimeter to get her valuable and accurate three-point shot off. The highlights below show her overall impact and how her three-point shooting was of great value to the team.
To put everything together, although she’s doesn’t possess elite height and length, Georgia Schmaltz projects to be highly recruitable at the NAIA/D3 level, with her intangibles, skill, point guard feel and passing, team defense, and ability to space the floor and hit threes.
Goodhue’s varsity returns three starting guards that are now Seniors, but you can count on Georgia Schmaltz being prepared in whatever varsity role she may play.