Spring Bling Review – Part 1
Saturday I attended the Always 100 Spring Bling at the SportONE Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is hosted by both the Always 100 program and the SMAC program out of Ohio. Since I only had the one day available…
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Continue ReadingSaturday I attended the Always 100 Spring Bling at the SportONE Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is hosted by both the Always 100 program and the SMAC program out of Ohio. Since I only had the one day available to attend, I sought out specific teams and players to see, therefore I wasn’t able to see everyone in attendance, and I did miss seeing several talented individuals. However, in what I did see, below is a look at nine girls in Indiana’s classes of 2020 and 2021 who I thought made an impression.
Addison Bayman, 2020, 5-6 G, Woodlan H.S., Always 100 -Edmonds
I first saw Addison at a 2018 Fall event, so it was good to follow up and see her again this weekend. She is a very long, fluidly athletic combo guard who does a little of everything well. She’s a good shooter/scorer, she knifes through the defense and creates for her teammates, and she plays with a motor. I also think she works at the defensive end of the floor and creates deflections with her length. She will still need to gain strength in order to absorb contact better, but she definitely has some intriguing qualities I think small colleges would really like.
Sydney Graber, 2020, 6-0 F, Homestead H.S., Always 100 Attack
I’ve seen Sydney numerous times over the past few years, but today was probably the most assertive and toughest I’ve seen her play against elite competition, as they squared off against Sports City U out of Ohio and the Indiana Elite Thunder team. Sydney had to help handle the ball in transition at times, she knocked down shots from the perimeter, which is sort of her thing, but she also was as active as I’ve ever seen her and she got physical and a little rough at times. That’s highly encouraging to see with such a strong frame. She has already committed to Central Michigan University.
Rachel Loobie, 2020, 6-0 F, Franklin Central H.S., Indiana Elite Thunder
Yesterday I saw a side of Rachel I haven’t seen often, and that was one of both frustration and then motivation. In one particular game, the officials were letting them play and she got popped a couple of times pretty good. It made her play harder and more physical, a little on the verge of out of control, but I liked her response in general. She is a nice athlete with a great frame and good all-around skill, but at times she “fits in” with this Thunder team and isn’t always aggressive. I really enjoyed seeing her get after it the way she did and play with sort of a “no nonsense” attitude. She has drawn a lot of Division-I interest, and I think she’s primed for a good Spring & Summer.
McKenzie McMahon, 2020, 5-10 F, Bellmont H.S., Always 100 -Wright
It has been a couple of years since I’ve seen Kenzie, and she has really improved her frame and added muscle and definition. She has always been a nice athlete, she has some length, and she’s a high-motor kid who makes a lot of hustle plays. I do think she’s sort of stuck between positions, trying to figure out if she’s a mid-post ‘4’ or a slashing perimeter forward, but she still finds a way to be productive. At the end of the day, whether she is a mid-post player or continues working on her perimeter skill, I think she’s going to draw a lot of small college interest because of her physical makeup, athleticism, and motor.
McKenzie Hudgen, 2021, 5-7 G, Mishawaka Marian H.S., Always 100 Elite
McKenzie is a really nice high school basketball player, and she’s one of those “jack-of-all-trades” sort of guards. She can handle it and run offense, she’s a capable perimeter shooter, she’s strong and can attack the basket, and she plays with a very good motor. She is going to give you everything she can at both ends of the floor, and she doesn’t make a lot of mistakes in general. She’s also a solid athlete and a versatile defender. She has already played a tournament with the Sky Digg Elite-Grennes team, but this Always 100 Elite team will be her permanent team this grassroots season.
Moira McGinley, 2021, 5-7 G, Bishop Chatard H.S., Always 100 Elite
If there is one thing Moira is consistent with, it’s all out effort and hustle. She flies around the floor simply outworking her opponents. She has length, very good North/South speed and some quickness. She is what I like to call “soccer player fast”. But her game doesn’t end with her ability or effort, she’s also a high IQ wing guard with good all-around skill. She can handle it a little and run offense at times, she can knock down open jumpers when in rhythm, but she’s probably best gliding to the basket. I also like her willingness to sit down and defend the ball the way she does. She’s just a nice, well-rounded wing guard.
Zakia Rasheed, 2021, 5-8 G, Bishop Chatard H.S., Always 100 Attack
I’ve seen Zakia numerous times over the past couple of years, but yesterday was probably the stiffest competition I’ve seen her face, and she responded nicely playing ‘up’ against some of the most talented 2020s in the Midwest. I thought she did a nice job of adjusting to the speed and especially the physicality of the game, she played with a good motor, and she created several turnovers with her hustle. She looked more explosive and quicker laterally, so that was encouraging, but I think for her, playing at this level all Spring & Summer will help her handle and ability to hit big shots against pressure defense.
Grace Sullivan, 2021, 5-4 PG, Homestead H.S., Always 100 -Wright
Grace’s progression as a college prospect has changed dramatically in the last year, and it’s because she has put a lot of emphasis into building her frame and making herself stronger. She is a long and lanky guard prospect still, but she has noticeable definition now, she’s absorbing contact much better, and she’s shooting it more consistently from the perimeter. She is very quick and quick with the ball, she’s somewhat crafty as well, and she plays with a really good motor and changes speeds well. With Kara Gealy and Sylare Starks on the way out due to graduation, look for her to possibly step into a starter’s role for Homestead next season.
TiAuna White, 2021, 5-9 F, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S., Always 100 Elite
Yesterday was my first time seeing TiAuna play, and she is a nice-looking athlete with a solid frame and some length. She plays with energy, doesn’t mind physicality, and she looked comfortable both in the mid-post and around the perimeter. In what I saw, I really only saw her in transition a lot and in quick offensive possessions. I would still like to see how she handles it and shoots it outside, but she definitely has some physical talent and upside. The combination of herself and classmate Destiny Jackson should make for a really nice frontcourt duo the next two years at Northrop.