Weekend Review: Front-Liners
This past weekend I attended the USJN Mid-America Qualifier in Westfield, Indiana. I was able to see more than 30 teams in the field and evaluate more than 300 prospects at the event. Below is a look at eight frontline…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis past weekend I attended the USJN Mid-America Qualifier in Westfield, Indiana. I was able to see more than 30 teams in the field and evaluate more than 300 prospects at the event. Below is a look at eight frontline prospects who caught my eye. They aren’t necessarily the eight most talented or the eight who put up the best statistics, but they did stand out to me for one reason or another.
Megan Mills, 2020, 5-10 PF/SF, Pendleton Heights H.S., Indiana Showcase-Sinclair
Megan is an extremely long, fluid, and bouncy athlete. She plays with a tremendous motor, and she’s a very good rebounder outside of her area. She has an okay handle and can get to the basket in one to two dribbles, plus she can occasionally bring it up in transition. I would say she’s probably most effective in the mid-post, because if you can get your best athlete the ball in the middle of the defense, they’re in trouble. If she could shoot it consistently outside, I think she would be more of a true wing. Defensively, she gets a lot of deflections/steals with her length and quickness, plus she can defend some guards on the ball as well. She is also a high-level soccer prospect.
Alaina Omonodé, 2020, 6-0 C, West Lafayette H.S., Grand Park Premier-Jacobsen
Alaina can be quite an imposing presence in the paint who just wears opponents down. She isn’t overly tall for how she plays, but she is so strong and powerful, plus she plays with a motor, that she can frustrate the opposition over the course of a game. She is a back-to-the-basket true post with solid hands and decent feet. She does need a little more polish on finishing moves, but she has good instincts and is quick to rebound her own misses and finish before the defense reacts. She had a strong season at West Lafayette, averaging 18.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, and she earned a spot on the Junior All-Star team. I think she’ll see her recruiting really pick up this Spring.
Bridget Dunn, 2021, 6-2 PF, Carmel H.S., Indy Magic-Andrus
I have a feeling that Bridget is going to see her recruiting take off this Spring, especially if she continues to play the way she is right now. She is extremely long, fluid, and still-growing. She was about a 5-8 wing/guard when she was in 8th Grade, and she has maintained a lot of that perimeter skill through her growth spurt. She is a good perimeter shooter with a quick release, and at 6-2 that makes her quite the mismatch. She can also put it on the floor a little and help in transition. Because she’s grown so quick, she needs to play lower, and she’ll need to build a lot more strength, but she tries to play physical and doesn’t shy away from contact, plus she’s developing solid post skill. She falls in line with a Blake Smith (Carmel/Ball State) or a Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield/Akron), but I think Bridget is actually more skilled and complete than those two were when compared at the same age.
Arial Ford, 2021, 6-1 C, Pike H.S., TBC Belles-Brown
I hadn’t seen Arial play in almost two years, so I’m happy to have caught up with her again Saturday. She is so strong, powerful, and physical now, but for as thick/strong as she is, she’s a very nice athlete who can move around the floor and get off the ground quite well. She had one blocked shot where she got off the floor and threw it over the bleachers. She has good hands and feet in the post, but she also showed comfort in the mid-post and even knocked down a 3-pointer. She only averaged 1.7 points for Pike this Winter, but with the graduation losses they suffered last year and will suffer this year, I think she could become a sudden focal point for the Red Devils.
Emily Wood, 2021, 5-10 PF, Noblesville H.S., Indiana Flight Red
I first saw Emily play back before Thanksgiving during the high school season, and I came away intrigued with her potential. After watching her again this past weekend, I think she has a chance to develop into a really nice small college forward prospect. She has really good length, a wiry strong frame, and she doesn’t mind physicality. She plays with a relentless motor and will pursue/fight for rebounds out of her area. She moves well in all directions, she has a little bounce, and she has a soft touch that is highly effective in the mid-post area. I almost think, with a little more strength, she could become a decent 3-point threat. I’m interested to see how her game develops from here.
Taylor Bowen, 2022, 5-10 PF/SF, Culver Academy, Grand Park Premier-Bowen
Taylor is the daughter of former Carmel High School Head Coach Scott Bowen (2004-2014), so she undoubtedly has a great feel and understanding of the game. He’s a good-sized guy, and she is both growing and getting stronger at a nice rate. Taylor has some length, broad shoulders, and she plays with a nice chip/toughness to her game. She can be physical and play strong inside, she’s really effective in the mid-post, but she can also step out and play comfortably around the perimeter, knocking down the occasional 3-pointer. I think as she continues to develop her game, she’ll be a true power forward, but with skill and the ability to play both inside and out.
Taylor Singer, 2022, 6-2 C, Gibson Southern H.S., Indiana Flight UAA-Wright
Taylor is a new addition to this team, and while I received her name last Summer, this was my first time ever seeing her play. She definitely looks the part, as she is a long, strong, and athletically gifted big who can run the floor well and has some bounce. Skillfully, right now, she’s a little raw and will need to work on a solid go-to and counter with her back to the basket, but she plays hard, doesn’t mind contact, and she comes up with a lot of easy baskets in transition and off of offensive rebounds. She looks like she has a solid feel for the game, and I can even see her adding a nice shot to 15-feet. I think she can develop into a heck of a mismatch because of her raw athleticism, and she could see a lot of Division-I interest come her way sooner rather than later. She has a high ceiling right now.
Kelsey Dubois, 2023, 6-0 PF, University H.S., Indy Magic-Blanding
Kelsey is one of the players I keep recalling in my mind the most from this past weekend. I am really intrigued by her potential, and I’m curious to see how her game develops over time. She has a great frame for her age, she has some length, and she’s a solid North/South athlete. She could stand to be a little quicker laterally and play lower to the ground, but she’s still very young and has time, plus I think her frame will take on good muscle-mass throughout high school. She is an offensive threat at all levels, she can put it on the floor a little, knock down the occasional 3-pointer, and she’s tremendously effective in the mid-post. She’s even strong enough to post inside consistently. I think she is already very solid, but she also has a lot of upside to look forward to.