July Day-4 Headlines
I apologize for playing a little catch-up here, but being in gyms nearly all day every day provides little opportunity to pump out reports. On Monday my July continued in Westfield, Indiana, at USJN’s 16th Annual Premier Showcase. While I…
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Continue ReadingI apologize for playing a little catch-up here, but being in gyms nearly all day every day provides little opportunity to pump out reports. On Monday my July continued in Westfield, Indiana, at USJN’s 16th Annual Premier Showcase. While I obviously was not able to see each of the teams in attendance, I did manage to get a look at several really nice teams and prospects throughout the day. Below is a look at a couple of things that stood out to me from my shortened Day-4 of July.
EMERGING YOUNG TALENT
I began my morning Monday at the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club watching Hamblin Hoops 15U and Michigan Crossover 15U on side-by-side courts. 5-7 W Lauryn Swain (2022) of Andrean High School caught my eye for Hamblin Hoops. She’s a wiry strong, athletic wing who plays with a great deal of versatility. She can play a point forward role and run offense, she can attack the basket for scores, and she’s a developing perimeter shooter. From that same team, 5-5 PG Kennedy Blakely (2024) also flashed good potential. She’s the younger sister of current Bishop Noll star Courtney Blakely (2021). Kennedy is a wiry lefty with a good pace about her, and she’s a capable perimeter shooter who can also run offense efficiently. For Crossover, they had a pair of Indiana sisters in Amiyah Reynolds (2023) and Kira Reynolds (2025) of South Bend. Look for them to team up with their older sister Mila (2022) and father-coach Steve at South Bend’s Washington High School in the coming seasons. I’ve already touched on Amiyah a couple of times in past articles, and her skill and understanding of the game at such a young age really impress me. Then considering she’s a 5-11 guard/wing makes it all that much more impressive. Kira is kind of a combination of both of her older sisters, and she’s already approaching 6-0 as just an incoming 7th Grader. She is long, slender, but fluid and fairly skilled at all levels offensively. She certainly has the opportunity to develop into a really nice prospect long-term.
THE ‘U’ IS REALLY TALENTED
…and I’m not talking about the Hurricanes. Sports City U out of Ohio has been one of the most dominant grassroots teams this season, and they are ironically not affiliated with any shoe company tour. They have height, tremendous athleticism, and they are all highly ranked prospects, both in the Buckeye state, but also nationally. Entering the season, 6-3 F Madeline Westbeld (2020) of Kettering Fairmont (OH) probably had the biggest reputation. She is a powerful and athletic forward who can play in the post, around the perimeter, and anywhere in between. I have been most impressed with 6-0 W Bree Hall (2021) of Huber Heights Wayne (OH). She is an extremely long and athletic guard who moves effortlessly around the court, she has a solid handle, and she can really shoot it…and I’m talking about different types of shots too. Despite all of the sizeable players, each time I’ve seen this team I’ve thought 5-6 PG Makira Cook (2020) of Mount Notre Dame (OH) makes this team go. She is a tough, strong, quick/fast, and skilled point guard who can take over a game at either end of the floor, whether it’s locking up an opponent’s point guard or hitting shots at all levels. One of the lesser talked about prospects is 6-3 F Makayla Elmore (2021) of Hopewell Louden (OH), and I think she’s actually one of the better pure prospects on this team. She has good size, she’s physical, she’s a nice athlete, and she plays with a very good motor. A pair of rising Sophomores have also impressed me each time I’ve seen them. 5-10 W Cotie McMahon (2022) of Centerville (OH) and 6-2 F Grace VanSlooten (2022) of Toledo Notre Dame Academy (OH) are already highly sought after by some of the nation’s best programs. McMahon is an incredible athlete with great strength, speed, and quickness. She can defend anyone, anywhere, anytime. She just needs to continue developing her skillset, but she has a slew of High-Major Division-I offers. VanSlooten is a tall, long, highly skilled face-up ‘4’. She is much more athletic than she looks, plus she’s an accurate perimeter shooter, a good passer, and a solid rebounder. Just to show the depth of this team, I am just now mentioning 6-2 Ohio State commit Gabby Hutcherson (2020) of Westerville South (OH) and 6-0 Virginia Tech commit Nevaeh Dean (2020) of Lakota West (OH). SCU also has another talented rising Sophomore in 5-9 G Chance Gray (2022) of Lakota West, and a nice rising Freshman in 5-10 W Mari Bickley (2023) of Shaker Heights Laurel (OH).