Team Intros: Additional 16U Teams
I wanted to take the time to circle back and touch on some additional 16U grassroots teams who I hadn’t yet addressed for one reason or another. Each of these teams have stood out to me for one reason or…
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Continue ReadingI wanted to take the time to circle back and touch on some additional 16U grassroots teams who I hadn’t yet addressed for one reason or another. Each of these teams have stood out to me for one reason or another, whether it be their strong play as a group, or they might have an individual or two who have played really well all Spring. Either way, below is a look at some remaining 16U squads from Indiana.
317 Elite 16U: Coached by Charles Kelley, Jr. – I have only seen this group a couple of times…at Triton Central and in Louisville…but each time I’ve been impressed with a couple of different players. At Triton Central it was wing Carissa Johnson (2021) and forward Laila McClimon (2021), both of Warren Central. Johnson is a strong wing athlete with some ball skill and the ability to get to the basket. McClimon is a nice, wiry strong athlete who is solid in the mid-post. When I was in Louisville, it was twins Olivia and Hailey Smith (2023) of Fishers who stood out. They are strong, physical wings who can shoot/score it outside or get to the basket, and they certainly didn’t look like 8th Graders playing against Sophomores…they fit right in.
Indiana Elite South 16U: Coached by Rob Kent – I realize I have already done an Indiana Elite intro article, but I was unaware of this team at that time. They have a really nice mix of Southern Indiana kids, most notably Kent’s daughter Addyson Kent (2021) of Jennings County. She is a skilled and tough-nosed point guard, and she is a solid athlete in all directions. Rob was a heck of a player when he was at JCHS, and Addyson is following in his footsteps. I also really like Zoe Zellers (2021) of Scottsburg. She has a nice combination of size, strength, and athleticism, plus she plays with a great motor and is highly productive inside of 15-feet. One kid I have yet to see is Madison White (2021) of Columbus North, but I’ve heard she’s a long, fluid wing who can really shoot it. I hope to see her very soon.
Indiana Lady Impact 16U: Coached by Nathan Dickson – It was back in March at the Shamrock Classic when I last saw this team. I am really impressed with the play of Jaelynne Murray (2022) of Pike, and it’s easy to see why she played such a big role for the Red Devils as a Freshman. She is long, athletic in all directions, and she has good ball skill. Though they are a 16U team, the roster is filled with mostly 2022s, and I also thought Destiny Hooks (2022) of Indianapolis North Central and Le’Aije Ellington (2022) of Warren Central both stood out when I saw them. Hooks is a fairly strong and active/athletic front-liner, while Ellington is a quick/fast and active little guard who plays with good toughness to her game.
Indiana Red 16U: Coached by Mark Harper – I’ve seen this team a couple of times, in Fort Wayne in April and in Louisville a couple of weeks ago. The duo of North Central-Farmersburg guards Courtney Williams (2021) and Averi Davidson (2021) is always solid. They can both handle it a little and shoot/score it around the perimeter. Northview has a pair of Freshmen who play for this team in Macey Timberman (2022) and Aliyah Owens (2022). Timberman played a huge role on Varsity and is a quick/fast little water-bug guard. Owens is a strong wing athlete who makes a lot of plays off the bounce. I also like Grace Likens (2021) from West Vigo. She is a long, fluid, and fairly athletic inside-out forward with good all-around potential.
Indiana’s Best Red 16U: Coached by Terryn Elliott – Oddly enough, the draw to this team has been 8th Grader Ashlynn Brooke (2023) of Pioneer. She is a dynamic little guard who has put up points in bunches against Sophomores all Spring. Her ability to create, shoot, and score will be difficult to stop in Class 1A next season. Her older sister, Olivia Brooke (2021) of Pioneer, is a really nice wing athlete who plays with a great motor. I’m also intrigued by the potential of Leah Carter (2022) of Northwestern. She has a solid frame, length, and the potential to develop into a nice college front-liner with some work.
Indy Magic-Blanding 16U: Coached by Justin Blanding – This is a very interesting mix of kids, but there are certainly a couple who stand out. The growth and development of Averi Phelps (2021) of Tri has me intrigued. She was about 5-10 to 5-11 as a Freshman and she’s approaching 6-2 now. She is a big, strong, powerful true post who seeks out physicality. With just a little more work on her finishing moves and better footwork, she could develop into a really nice small college post prospect. I also like the Gausepohl twins (2022s) from Fishers, Emily and Haley. Emily is a little shorter/smaller and is more of a point guard prospect. She has solid speed and quickness, and she does a nice job of managing a game. Haley has some wiry strength, she’s a nice shooter/scorer, and she likes to play a little bit more physical from the wing position.
Lady Region Elite 16U: Coached by Rudy Chabes – This group is a mixture of girls spread throughout several different age groups, but the ones who stand out to me the most are primarily 2021s. I mentioned Laila Rogers (2021) of Hammond Bishop Noll yesterday in an article, and I’ve been a big fan of hers. She is wiry strong, athletic, and she plays with a great motor. She’s a nice mid-post forward. Taylor Austin (2021) of Lake Station Edison has probably drawn the most media attention so far, as she’s already topped 1000 points for her career. She’s a dynamic scoring combo guard who can put up points in bunches. I was more impressed with her ability to distribute when I saw her in Westfield earlier this Spring. Rose Fuentes (2021) is another who stands out for Hammond Bishop Noll. A year ago she was their main catalyst from the wing, but now she’s starting to handle and drive it much better, becoming more of a scorer than a shooter. And Trinity Barnes (2022) of Gary West Side is a nice-looking Freshman wing who can do a variety of things. She’s a solid athlete with some length too.
MBA Select Silver Gauntlet-Creech 16U: Coached by Rod Creech – For a 16U team, they only have one 2021 on their roster, plus a mixture of girls from all other classes. Jada Patton (2022) from Penn is the forward I’ve been really excited about and wrote about her again yesterday. She is a strong, physical forward with athleticism and skill at all three levels. Laney Creech (2023) is a long, fluid, smooth, and skilled wing who does a little bit of everything, and she can play almost a point forward role. Nevaeh Foster (2023) of South Bend is a long, wiry strong, and athletic wing guard who can create for herself or others, and she can score it at all three levels. And Gracie Bobo (2022) of Penn is another nice combo guard with some length and size. She can make plays off the dribble for others or score the basketball attacking the paint.
MBA Select Silver Gauntlet-Stephens 16U: Coached by Rod Creech – This 16U group has a couple of 2021s, but again it’s full of mostly younger prospects. Bailie Stephens (2022) of Warsaw Community is a tough, strong, physical point guard prospect who has good ball skill and plays with a great motor. Lauren Pollock (2021) of LaPorte is an intriguing true post. She has really good length, wiry strength, she just needs to continue developing athletically, because she moves like she grew quickly. Jadelyn Williams (2020) of Concord is a smaller but strong point guard who plays with a great deal of speed and athleticism. She is a playmaker with a good motor. And Payton Adkins (2022) of Penn is a long, fluid, and fairly smooth wing guard with solid ball skill.
Midwest Finest 16U: Coached by Lee Larkins – The 16U group is probably the deepest and most talented Midwest Finest group this season. They’ve gotten strong guard play this Spring from Jillian Osswald (2021) of Hamilton Heights, Koryn Greiwe (2022) of Columbus East, and Kathryn Perry (2021) of Shenandoah. Osswald has really turned that corner and become a complete guard, making plays for others, creating offense for herself, but also becoming a really nice defensive player. Greiwe is the youngster on the team, but she’s strong, tough-nosed, and she can really shoot/score the ball from the perimeter. Perry is smallish, but she’s incredibly tough and feisty, she can run offense, but she can also shoot/score it outside, and she has created havoc defensively. Erikka Hill (2021) of Shenandoah has been strong on the interior. She’s a physical, tough, and assertive power forward prospect with a great motor. Lexi Shelton (2021) of Mount Vernon-Fortville is a strong, physical wing forward with a really nice understanding of the game and a pretty jump-shot. Alayha Allen (2021) of Richmond has given them good minutes inside. She is a long, fluid athlete with some bounce in her game. She can rebound and block shots. And Dynasty Witherspoon (2021) of Indianapolis North Central has always flashed big upside, she’s 6-2 and long, and she has flashes where she puts together possessions of consistency inside.
Motivational Movements 16U: Coached by David Goodwell – Goodwell, formerly of Always 100, has created this new program, and there are a few players to highlight as well. Jasney Combs (2021) of Fort Wayne South Side is a dynamic guard who can make plays from the point or the wing. She is quick and athletic, and she has the ability to score it in bunches. Kaylee Fuelling (2021) of Norwell is a typical, sound, skillful Norwell guard. She is strong, physical on the ball, and she is a really nice game manager as a point guard. Janaiya Bright (2021) of Bishop Luers and Cierra “C.C.” Calloway (2021) of Concordia Lutheran are really nice wing athletes. Bright is a wiry strong, bouncy, and North/South fast kid. Calloway is a long and lean, fluid, and smooth slasher. I also like Delaney Bailey (2021) from Bishop Luers. She is a strong, physical, but skillful kid who can play on the wing or in the mid-post effectively.