IUSABB/IGBRR State Tourney Review: Wings
As an evaluator, you get to a point during a season (whether it be high school or grassroots), where you attend games & events specifically seeking out prospects you haven’t seen in a while (or even at all). This past…
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Continue ReadingAs an evaluator, you get to a point during a season (whether it be high school or grassroots), where you attend games & events specifically seeking out prospects you haven’t seen in a while (or even at all). This past weekend I spent a great deal of time either viewing kids for the first time this Spring, or reviewing kids I didn’t feel I spent enough time watching over the last couple of months. Below are eight wing guards & forwards who I wanted to highlight today for one reason or another.
Irye Gomez, 2021, 5-8 G, Bedford North Lawrence H.S., Team Indiana Rising Stars
I have long been a fan of Irye’s game, and she was outstanding in one of the games I saw Saturday, scoring more than half of her team’s points. She is a wiry strong athlete, tough-nosed, and she plays with a motor. She can handle it some and run offense, but she’s just so good as a scorer/creator that you kind of have to let her go. She was really good off the bounce attacking the basket, and her mid-range game has become much more consistent. She has already seen some Varsity action at Bedford, but I think she’s in line to be a key wing for them this coming season.
Laini Joseph, 2021, 5-9 W, Winamac Community H.S., Indiana Elite Lightning
Laini is a strong, physical, but athletic wing guard/forward. She is built like a power forward, but she possesses guard skills and plays almost like a point forward. She is really good in transition, she passes on the move very well, and she’s tough trying to stop when she’s determined going to the basket. For as strongly built as she is, she has a great deal of finesse and body control, and she just has this “team first” mentality and does whatever it takes to help her team, even though she can probably takeover a lot more than she does. I’ve heard a rumor that she’ll be moving out of state after the school year, but she should remain with this team throughout the Summer.
Chloe McKnight, 2021, 5-8 G, Bedford North Lawrence H.S., Team Indiana-Burton
The day Chloe stepped foot on the BNL campus, she was instantly one of their best shooting threats, and she played immediately as a Freshman. She had a good start to her career, but she tore her ACL in the state tournament and missed the entire 2018 grassroots season. This year she bounced back, played well in spots, but this past weekend she looked like she had finally returned to form. She was leaner, more explosive, faster, and extremely confident. A missed shot doesn’t phase her like it might some shooters, but now she has a lot more diversity to her game and is scoring it off the dribble a lot more. I’ve liked her since I first saw her in 8th Grade, and this past weekend was easily the most impressed I’ve been by Chloe’s game.
Kylie Stepp, 2021, 5-11 W, West Vigo H.S., Indiana Flight-Duke
Kylie is another player I’ve seen several times over the last couple of years, and this was by far the most she has shown me. She is long, fluid, and athletic, and until now I always thought of her as more of a ‘4’ because she wasn’t this assertive (when I’ve seen her) offensively. She was pulling up in transition from 3-point range, hitting shots off of reversal, and really looking to attack to score instead of attack to pass. She has a really nice combination of athletic talent, physical makeup, and skill, that if she can consistently play at this level offensively, she could very well start drawing some Division-I interest, if she hasn’t already.
Kate Clarke, 2022, 6-0 W, Carmel H.S., Indy Magic-Andrus
I’ve pointed out Kate several times since the induction of Prep Girls Hoops Indiana in August, and she is one of the best Freshmen in the state, but there was something I saw this past weekend that stood out to me, and that was her ball-handling. Kate has always been a skillful kid, no doubt, but this past weekend I was able to see her handle it a lot more in tight space, and she was really good with it, changing directions, and creating for others. She is also a talented shooter/scorer with size, and she’s a solid athlete as well. She’s on most Midwestern Division-I schools’ radars as a top prospect.
Savanna Bischoff, 2023, 5-7 G, Roncalli H.S., Indiana Elite Fury
It seems like there are 17 Bischoff girls running around playing basketball, and Savanna is the next one. I’m assuming she’ll head to Roncalli like her older sisters, and so far she reminds me most of Madelyn (2021). Savanna is long, fluid, and versatile skillfully. She can handle the ball a little and run offense, she’s a capable perimeter shooter, and she’s solid off the dribble as well. She’s a little thin and will need strength, but she’s probably not done growing, and she’s a tough/feisty kid with her build as-is right now. It will be fun to watch her develop as a basketball player, especially if she can come in and help Madelyn and Alana Vinson (2020) this coming season.
Taylor Farris, 2023, 5-7 W, Northeastern H.S., NuVision Sportz 14U
This was my first time seeing Taylor, and although she didn’t have a great deal of help around her, she definitely stood out as a young player to watch. She is a wiry strong athlete, she can run & jump, and she can play multiple positions. Right now, she is probably best off the bounce attacking the basket because of her strength and athletic ability compared to her peers. She can handle it a little, create a little, and she’s good finishing around the basket. I also think her mechanics are solid, she just needs more reps shooting it, and she is an athletic shooter who leaves the floor and gets it away quickly. She’s definitely someone with nice upside.
Sydney Warren, 2023, 5-10 W, Cascade H.S., Indiana Showcase-Gage
Sydney is a wait-and-see prospect right now, but she’s incredibly intriguing and someone I will certainly continue to follow throughout the years. She is slender but incredibly long, she’s fluid, she plays with a good motor, and she’s versatile skillfully. She looks like she still might even have two to three inches left in her. She plays a point forward role for her grassroots team, and she glides around the floor almost effortlessly. She will need to continue getting stronger and developing her perimeter skillset, but she could turn into a really nice, tall, athletic wing prospect long-term.