Lady Gym Rats Invitational: 2020 Prospects Of Note
The annual Lady Gym Rats Invitational took place this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Once again my primary objective was to find specific prospects and try to catch up on players I haven’t seen yet this spring, or players…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Lady Gym Rats Invitational took place this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Once again my primary objective was to find specific prospects and try to catch up on players I haven’t seen yet this spring, or players I felt like I needed to see again. Below is a look at seven such young ladies in Indiana’s Class of 2020 who I thought played well when I was able to see them.
Katie Davidson, 5-10 W, Lawrence North H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Silver EYBL
Katie has always been “on the map” in terms of her recruiting, because she was stronger than her peers at a younger age, therefore she typically dominated her competition a couple of years back. Now, she still maintains that strength and power in her game, but she’s very skilled around the perimeter as she can handle, pass, and knock down shots consistently from outside, but she’s also somewhat versatile defensively and can guard undersized ‘4s’, wings, and some guards. Over the years she has earned a lot of interest from Big East and MAC schools, and I think as she plays through the Summer, she will be that “glue” kid who solidifies someone’s recruiting class.
Justis Gordon, 5-10 W, Cathedral H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan
Justis is a very unique player, and she has college coaches highly interested in her because of her talents and her work in the classroom. She is incredibly high-academic, and she has already drawn interest from schools like Johns Hopkins and Harvard because of it. On the basketball court, Justis is a “Jack-of-all-trades” type of player. She has a wiry strong, athletic frame, and she moves well in all directions. She’s probably at her best in transition as sort of a point forward type, and she is almost too unselfish at times, but she makes everyone around her better. She can hit shots at all levels, and for Cathedral I’ve seen her take over games offensively. She is just so versatile at both ends of the floor.
Jaci Jones, 5-4 PG, Fort Wayne South Side H.S., Always 100 Attack Gauntlet
Jaci is one of the grittiest, toughest, feistiest players in this 2020 class. She is strong, very physical for her size, and she backs down from no one. She has always struck me as a genuine leader whose play rallies her teammates to play a lot like her. She plays with a great motor, she is disciplined, and she makes plays at both ends of the floor. Jaci has a really good understanding of the game, and she will make plays based on instinct. She handle, pass, and find teammates in scoring situations, but she can also shoot/score herself. She verbally committed a while ago to Division-I Detroit Mercy.
Rylie Parker, 5-6 G, Homestead H.S., Always 100 Attack Gauntlet
Rylie has developed into a really nice basketball player, and she’s an absolute assassin from the perimeter. That was on display Saturday when she hit big shot after big shot against the Mac Irvin Lady Fire Godfather team. Rylie is strong, tough-nosed, and she plays with a good motor. She has always had a solid understanding of the game, but over time she has learned how to take angles defensively, and she has really improved her ball-handling. I wish she was maybe just a little taller for how she plays, but she is productive for Homestead, and she has already committed to Division-I Purdue-Fort Wayne.
Sydney Parrish, 6-2 W, Hamilton Southeastern H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Silver EYBL
Sydney has been written about numerous times, and she’ll likely see a lot more press over the next year. She is a long, fluid, and smooth scoring wing, and she can hit shots with deep range. One of the biggest changes I have seen in her game over the last year, is her aggressiveness and physicality in attacking the basket with authority. She’s always had a good handle and been able to attack straight-line off the bounce, but now she’s seeking contact and being more physical inside of 15-feet. I feel like she has earned many more trips to the free throw line because of it, and she has turned into a complete scorer. She recently gave a verbal commitment to Oregon.
Dash Shaw, 5-6 G, Gary West Side Leadership Academy, Mac Irvin Lady Fire Godfather
Dash is easily one of the better players in the state who no one talks much about. She is a high-level scorer who averaged over 23 points per game for Gary West Side this Winter, and she can do so by attacking the basket or knocking down shots outside. She has a wiry strong frame, she’s a solid athlete in all directions, and she has really good length for her height. While I think she has solid ball skills and the ability to play point guard at the next level, she has more often fulfilled a scoring role for both her high school and her grassroots teams. She is drawing a great deal of Division-I interest, so hopefully more people statewide will become familiar with her soon.
Taylor Westgate, 6-1 F/C, Oak Hill H.S., Always 100 Attack Gauntlet
On most occasions, posts are posts, and the really good ones fulfill a role that is often hard to duplicate on most rosters. They are asked to post up and “be big”, and they are unfairly expected to score it on every catch. Taylor is very unique because that stereotype doesn’t fit her style of play. She is the ideal teammate, because she understands how to sense tone and take what the defense gives her. She rarely forces the action, always differs to a teammate who’s playing well, and she plays extremely hard no matter how many shots/points she is getting. She can play strong and physical, she can play in the mid-post facing the basket, and she can guard players on the perimeter a little bit. She is a technically sound, versatile ‘big’ who has great value at the next level.