A First Look: Hamilton Southeastern
Saturday, November 3rd, I had the opportunity to see Hamilton Southeastern when they traveled to Ben Davis to participate in a nice little round-robin shootout. I saw much of the Royals 95-18 win over Southport, and while the Cardinals provided…
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Continue ReadingSaturday, November 3rd, I had the opportunity to see Hamilton Southeastern when they traveled to Ben Davis to participate in a nice little round-robin shootout. I saw much of the Royals 95-18 win over Southport, and while the Cardinals provided little resistance for Hamilton Southeastern, the Royals did look like a strong contender in Class 4A. The Royals are back in action tonight, as they travel to Class 4A Franklin Central. Below is a look at eight prospects who stood out against Southport.
Amaya Hamilton, 2019, 6-1 F
Amaya is a long, fluid, and athletic forward who plays with a great deal of versatility. She was skilled enough at a younger age that there were inclinations she might become more of a wing. But with her growth she has turned into a nice face-up ‘4’ who can play some around the perimeter. She has shot the ball much better near the perimeter over the last six to eight months, but she’s also able to take smaller defenders inside and finish over them athletically. Amaya has committed to Duquesne University, and she has the skill and physical tools to make an immediate impact.
Senior Wing Tayah Irvin
Tayah Irvin, 2019, 6-1 W
Tayah is one of my favorite prospects in the 2019 class, because I think she projects to have a much better college career than high school career. She is tremendously long, fluid, and she has incredibly quick feet for someone 6-1 to where she can defend just about any perimeter player she wants. She still needs to gain a little strength, but she has improved her ball-handling, and she’s a consistent perimeter shooter who seems to like the low-wing and long-corner shots the most. She has committed to play at Northern Kentucky University.
Malea Jackson, 2019, 5-7 G
Malea is a strong, physical, and athletic guard. She can handle it and run offense, she’s capable of defending most other guards 84-feet, and she’s a willing distributor. What she continues to improve upon, is her ability to score the ball consistently herself. She is hitting open jumpers with more regularity, and she’s looking to assert herself more attacking the basket. I don’t know that she’ll ever be a 20 point per game kid, but she can get you 20 on a given night, plus she does so many different things to help the team. She has committed to Division-II University of Illinois-Springfield.
Molly Walton, 2019, 5-7 G
Molly is the third of three sisters to come through in recent years, and she’s an incredibly steady, skilled, and high IQ player with a good motor. She has some strength to her and isn’t afraid to be physical, she rebounds her position well, and she can knock down an open shot. While there might be better athletes in the lineup, her ability to handle and pass the ball under pressure is a calming influence at times. I just enjoy watching kids who play the game the “right” way and who are steady and consistent, and she fits the bill for that. She is currently uncommitted as far as college basketball goes.
Junior Wing Sydney Parrish
Sydney Parrish, 2020, 6-2 W
Last season Sydney played through pain at times, and she didn’t put up the gaudy numbers I think many expected her to. Make no mistake about it, she’s still the same skillful, talented kid she’s always been, and this year she looks much healthier and more explosive. She is scoring the ball in bunches, and she’s hitting shots outside, in the mid-post, and she’s getting to the rim at ease. Her versatile, guard-like skillset at 6-2 is impressive, and it’s the reason pretty much every school in the Midwest and most of the better schools nationally have recruited her. She is still uncommitted at this time.
Jackie Maulucci, 2020, 5-8 G
Jackie is another prospect who has spent time overcoming injuries, and this year she looks as strong, fluid, and explosive as ever. She is a nice-looking combo guard with good length and balanced skill. She can play point at times, and she does a lot of that in the Summer, but for Hamilton Southeastern, they ask her to be more of a slashing scorer and defender. I like how she glides to the basket and scores inside against taller players on a regular basis. She can also create scoring opportunities for others, and she’s a willing passer. Defensively she shows some versatility as well. She has drawn a variety of college interest at all levels.
Lauren Morris, 2020, 5-4 PG
Lauren could be key to Hamilton Southeastern’s postseason success this year. While they have an experienced and talented first unit, she has taken this last year to really improve her strength and tighten up her skillset. Now she’s a long, quick / fast, and wiry strong point guard who can give them a real burst and change of pace off the bench. She is explosive in transition, and she’s always looking to get the ball to the open teammate. Her added strength has helped her shoot it more consistently as well, plus she’s an even better defender than before, and that was maybe her best quality to begin with.
Lydia Self, 2021, 5-10 W
I hadn’t seen Lydia since last season, and she has grown a couple of inches and gained more fluidity athletically. She still needs to add some strength, but this year she is becoming an effective wing scorer who can glide to the basket or knock down open jumpers consistently. The next step for her is to just make herself a little more dynamic off the dribble and work on her quickness defensively. She has a lot of upside though, and I think with another year of physical development and strength-gain, she could turn into a really nice college prospect as a long and skilled wing scorer.
Header photo of Hamilton Southeastern’s athletics logo courtesy of hseroyalsathletics.com. Photo of Tayah Irvin courtesy of Indiana Flight’s Twitter account. Photo of Sydney Parrish courtesy of Keith Hollins’ Twitter account.