“The Classic” Review (Part 1)
This past weekend was an incredibly busy time for me, as I travelled to Louisville Friday, back to Westfield for Saturday’s action, only to return to Louisville again Sunday. I spent my time watching Indiana teams and prospects I had…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend was an incredibly busy time for me, as I travelled to Louisville Friday, back to Westfield for Saturday’s action, only to return to Louisville again Sunday. I spent my time watching Indiana teams and prospects I had yet to see, plus I checked in on some kids I felt like I needed to view one more time. Below is a look at nine such prospects who I thought played well Friday & Sunday at The Classic in Louisville, Kentucky, when I was able to see them in action.
Lauronai Daly, 2020, 6-2 C, Warren Central H.S., First Lady’s Black
Lauronai doesn’t have a big name or reputation around the state, but what she does have is a lot of joy for the game, and she shows that passion by continuing to play and compete. She seemingly gets better each time I watch her, and while she is thin, she’s extremely long, she runs the floor well North/South, and she has some lateral fluidity as well. Right now she’s more of a shot-blocking presence in the lane than anything, but she has steadily improved her offensive skillset, and I think as she gets stronger she’ll be able to absorb contact better, finish stronger, and rebound more aggressively. She needs some work, but I think she could be a steal for a small college program willing to help her continue developing her game, and she can develop into an impact player down the road.
Rachel Loobie, 2020, 6-0 F, Franklin Central H.S., Indiana Elite Thunder
Rachel has been on a mission this Spring, especially during the two “live” periods, and I have personally heard from several schools who have been impressed with her play. She is a really nice athlete in all directions, she is great in the mid-post, but she is also comfortable around the perimeter or on the low-block. Sunday, in a matchup against a tough Sports City U program, I felt like she did as much as she could to help her team against a frontline that was taller, longer, and stronger than herself. She was able to match up with them athletically, and she has seen some offers/interest come in this week because of her play.
Meredith Raley, 2020, 6-0 F, Gibson Southern H.S., Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H.-Hisle
It has been a joy to watch Meredith develop her game over the years. If I remember correctly, she was about a 5’7 wing as a Freshman, and she was most comfortable around the perimeter. Now, heading into her Senior season, she is a strong, hard-working, inside-out forward who still possesses a lot of that perimeter skill. She can handle the ball on occasion in transition, she can knock down an open 3-pointer, but she’s also really good on the block and outstanding in the mid-post as she slices by defenders. While she isn’t necessarily elite at any one thing, she is tremendously versatile and really helped herself this past weekend.
Sydney Watkins, 2020, 5-9 G, Heritage Christian School, Indiana Elite Thunder
I’ve talked, and talked, and talked about how much I enjoy watching Sydney play over the last year and a half, and I’ve mentioned how I felt like she was still a bit under-recruited. After this past weekend it was great to hear a few schools tell me that they’ve jotted her name down as one to follow throughout the Summer because, surprise surprise, they like how hard she plays, what a nice athlete she is, and how aggressively she defends the ball. That is Sydney in a nutshell. Her play this past Winter earned her a spot on the Junior All-Star team, and now her play this Spring could very well earn her a free education. Not only is she talented, but she brings a lot of intangible qualities to a team as well.
Ilani Williams-Harris, 2020, 5-7 G, Covenant Christian School, Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan
I have seen Ilani numerous times over the years, I’ve always liked her all-around game, but this past weekend when I saw her, I thought it was the most complete she’s looked. She has always been more of a scorer in the times I’ve viewed her, but Sunday she was playing more of a point guard/facilitator role. She did knock down shots outside, drive the ball athletically/aggressively to the rim and finish, and look to score when opportunities presented themselves, but she didn’t force the action and was just solid with the ball. At her size, if she can prove to be more of a point guard who can score instead of a scorer who can play point, I think it will really increase her value for the next level.
Amber Austin, 2021, 6-0 C, Homestead H.S., Indiana Flight UAA-Wright 16U
I began hearing about Amber back when she was an 8th Grader, and to this point she has been on strong teams at Homestead High School and with this Flight group, to where she has never been the primary option. So this Spring she has decided to take it upon herself to at least be more of an option. The last couple of weekends she has been tremendous. She’s much more aggressive offensively when she catches it, she’s showing strong finishing moves around the basket, and she has done a nice job in the mid-post. She has a broad frame with good strength, solid length, and good all-around athleticism too. All of a sudden she has strung together a series of quality games and I can only assume it has helped her interest pick up. She’s also a high-academic kid, from what I understand.
Kalea Fleming, 2021, 5-5 G, Loogootee H.S., Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H.-Trosper 16U
Kalea is yet another kid without a big reputation on a statewide scale, but she’s a really nice ballplayer who has improved a great deal since I saw her last summer. She is a wiry strong kid, a really nice athlete in all directions, and she plays with a very good motor. She is working her way into becoming a primary ball-handler, and she fulfilled that role when I saw this team over the weekend. She could still stand to be a little more dynamic changing directions against pressure, but she can put her head down and go by defenders, absorbing contact along the way. I also think she’s a really nice, versatile defender.
Rebekah Gordon, 2021, 6-0 F, Heritage Hills H.S., Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H.-Trosper 16U
Like Meredith Raley (above), Rebekah is another really nice Southern Indiana ‘big’ who could end up being somewhat under-recruited because of her location. She is talented though, and I think several low-major Division-I and Division-II schools are missing out on her. She has really good length, wiry strength, and some bounce to her game. She’s also not a back-to-the-basket kid, plus she moves around the floor well. She can knock down the 17-footer, she can even shoot the runner a little bit, and she makes many athletic plays that her initial appearance might not suggest. I really like her upside, talent, and skill, and I hope schools make a point to see her this July.
Alivia Terry, 2021, 5-8 W, Indianapolis North Central H.S., Indiana Flight UAA-Wright 16U
While perimeter players like Hanna Knoll, Katie Burton, and Lilliann Frasure get a lot of the attention for this Indiana Flight team, Alivia is a really nice basketball player who I thought played well in the two games I was able to see Sunday. She is a strong and physical wing, and she actually grew earlier than most girls. What she has done over the last few years, though, is really work on her explosiveness and made herself into a really nice perimeter shooter. She likes to run wide in transition, and she finds wing and long-corner jumpers wide open thanks to the penetration of the other aforementioned perimeter players. Alivia is probably undervalued right now, but if she keeps consistently knocking down shots the way she has been recently, that could change quickly.