Grassroots Preview: TBC Belles 17U
New to the scene this grassroots season are the TBC Belles, organized by Mr. Stew Brown. The Belles feature a mixture of several really nice prospects from both Marion County (Indianapolis) and Madison County. The group has looked solid the last couple of weekends, and I expect for them to be competitive all season.
TBC Belles
Coach Stew Brown
No. | Name | Ht. | Pos. | Class | High School |
1 | Arial Ford | 6-1 | C | 2021 | Pike |
3 | Makaila Mayberry | 5-8 | F | 2020 | Arsenal Technical |
4 | Joslynn Spears | 5-6 | G | 2021 | Pike |
10 | Morgan Knepp | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Lapel |
20 | Vanessa Wilson | 5-5 | G | 2020 | Decatur Central |
21 | Mya Crawford | 5-3 | G | 2020 | Beech Grove |
32 | Laikyn Connor | 6-0 | C | 2020 | Pendleton Heights |
Makynlee Taylor | 5-11 | F | 2020 | Lapel |
Overview: This group has a somewhat imposing frontline, and that’s where we’ll start. Arial Ford is a strong, physical, but athletic post with some bounce and good length. She has skill at all levels offensively, and she’s quite the presence defensively, whether it’s blocking shots or rebounding. Like Ford, Laikyn Connor is another strong/thick, physical, true post. She isn’t quite as bouncy and athletic as Ford, but she definitely asserts herself on the interior and plays with a lot of effort. From there, Makynlee Taylor is one of the more under-the-radar forwards in the 2020 class in Indiana. She has length, very good North/South athleticism, and a little bounce in her step. She can play on the block and is comfortable around the perimeter, but I think she’s best in the mid-post. Makaila Mayberry is a long, slender, fluidly athletic mid-post forward with some bounce and energy. She will make a lot of hustle plays for this team. The backcourt can also be an area of strength. Joslynn Spears is a really nice athlete who can create offense for herself or teammates, and she puts a lot of pressure on defenses. She’s also a capable defender herself. Vanessa Wilson is a tough-nosed, strong, and physical wing guard. She can shoot/score it at all levels, she plays with a tremendous motor, and she’s a solid athlete. Morgan Knepp is a skilled guard with good wiry strength, and she had a good year as Lapel’s point guard. And Mya Crawford is an extremely quick/fast and athletic guard who puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses by getting into the lane with ease. She’s also an 84-feet on-ball defender who can frustrate opposing ball-handlers. I’d expect a variety of colleges to be following this group all Spring & Summer.