Grassroots Review: Always 100
The 2019 grassroots season has come and gone, and teams are already starting to take shape for 2020. But before that happens, I wanted to have a little fun and take the time to reflect on some of the notable…
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Continue ReadingThe 2019 grassroots season has come and gone, and teams are already starting to take shape for 2020. But before that happens, I wanted to have a little fun and take the time to reflect on some of the notable players from this past season. These aren’t necessarily the most talented prospects in their respective programs, as much as they are ladies who stood out for one reason or another because of their play. Also, there are likely a few players who could qualify for multiple categories, but I have decided to limit each person to just one accolade. Below is a look into some of the Always 100 girls who stood out in 2019.
BIGGEST STOCK-RISER
MacKenzie McMahon, 2020, 5-11 F, Bellmont H.S., Always 100 -Wright 17U
This was actually a fairly easy choice for me, because not only did MacKenzie improve her recruiting, she came out of seemingly nowhere to put herself on the map. She is a strong, very athletic forward who plays with a tremendous motor (and could certainly have won that category too). I’m not sure there are any/many kids who run the floor in transition with her effort. She plays with some physicality, rebounds outside of her area, and she’s versatile at the defensive end of the floor. She’s a more than capable scorer in the mid-post, and if she can stretch her offensive game to the perimeter, her stock can continue to rise. She went from having little college interest, to picking up Division-II and NAIA offers in July.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Sydney Graber, 2020, 6-0 F, Homestead H.S., Always 100 Attack 17U
Sydney went through quite the transformation throughout the Spring & Summer. She had a solid high school season, but immediately after it ended she made a commitment to change her frame and work on her explosion, and the results were incredible. There were times in the Spring when she wore down quickly, but by June & July she was outstanding, and she went from just being a MAC commit, to being a potential steal for Central Michigan (where she is verbally committed). She played with great energy, more explosiveness, and she was scoring the ball at a high rate from everywhere on the floor. She had several games where she was the best player on the floor, and that was with talented teammates and talented opponents around her. If she can continue this stellar play for Homestead, she could be a 20p & 10r kid for the Spartans this Winter.
MOST INTANGIBLE PLAYER
Taylor Westgate, 2020, 6-1 F/C, Oak Hill H.S., Always 100 Attack 17U
I wanted to issue this award instead of a most valuable player, because I feel like the kids who do a lot of the “blue-collared” work don’t get enough credit. Taylor is just such a player. She is a talent, yes, and at her size she moves very well, plays with a great motor, and has good skill around the basket and in the mid-post. But it’s the other things that she does which stand out to me. She is a willing and capable defender, who sits down in a stance, defends the perimeter, plus she can switch onto the ball-handler and contain them for big chunks of time while her teammates recover behind her. She has a quiet demeanor and is very workmanlike, she is a bruising player at times physically, but she is never demonstrative about it. She rim-runs as well as any big, and she’ll sacrifice her own scoring for the betterment of the team. She deserves more consideration from colleges, because she has the skill and talent, but she is also the perfect plug-and-play kid who understands what it takes to be successful.
MOST INTRIGUING YOUNGSTER
Annaka Nelson, 2023, 6-0 F/C, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran School, Always 100 Black 14U
For this category, I limited my choices to those young ladies who are in the classes of 2023 or 2024, and who displayed a nice combination of substance in their game, as well as the potential to really improve over the next few seasons. Annaka is a player who has the coaches at Concordia excited. She has really good length, a wiry frame that could still grow another inch or two, and she’s a fluid athlete who runs the floor well. She has good hands, skill around the block, but she is also developing a really nice mid-post game. Ultimately, I think she can develop into more of a mid-post ‘4’ or possibly a pick-and-pop ‘4’, if she can continue to build her skillset. She is definitely one to watch moving forward.
TOUGHEST PLAYER
Jaci Jones, 2020, 5-4 PG, Fort Wayne South Side H.S., Always 100 Attack 17U
Yes, there are several prospects who can be considered for this award, but why is it that usually it’s the smallest players who have the grittiest approach to the game? I can remember seeing Jaci play all the way back in 8th Grade, and while she has improved her skillset and gotten much stronger, her style of play and her toughness haven’t changed one bit. She is a feisty, almost mean, point guard prospect who shows her toughness in a variety of ways. She can be in-your-face defensively, she can take a hit and keep going, she can miss several shots in a row, only to knock down a big shot in crunch time, plus she does a lot of the little things like diving on the floor, taking charges, battling ‘bigs’, grabbing rebounds, and communicating…yes, communicating is a toughness trait. I think too often when we call kids tough, we are addressing one type of toughness that they perform really well. Jaci does several tough things at a high level, so it was an easy choice for me.
BEST MOTOR
Zakia Rasheed, 2021, 5-8 G, Bishop Chatard H.S., Always 100 Attack 17U
This is a very difficult award to hand out, because if you look up and down this article, I bet you can easily find four or five players worthy, not to mention a couple of players I haven’t included. However, the combination of awarding each player just once, and the memory of a specific game in the Spring, made Zakia my choice for this accolade. When her Always 100 team took on Sports City U out of Ohio back in early April, every player Zakia matched up with was taller, longer, faster, and bouncier. But she was one of the standouts in that game, because she has a nonstop motor and a never-quit attitude that makes her compete on every possession. She is tough, she is strong, and she is skilled, but she is highly productive at both ends of the floor because of her willingness to outhustle her opponents for the entirety of a game.
MOST ENJOYABLE BACKCOURT
Always 100 Elite 16U
This was not the tallest, most skilled, or most talented backcourt in the state, or maybe even in the Always 100 program, but all they did was lead their team to a number of wins over teams who looked more impressive “on paper”. Olivia Smith (2022) of Fort Wayne South Side is a strong, tough-nosed point guard who brings a lot of heart to the game. She is a real talent, and her energy is contagious. McKenzie Hudgen (2021) of Mishawaka Marian is another tough kid, a strong kid, and she plays with a great deal of skill and versatility as a combo guard. Moira McGinley (2021) of Bishop Chatard is a fast, athletic, high-motor wing guard who flies around the floor at both ends making plays. Emily Parrett (2021) of Fort Wayne Carroll is a wiry and skillful point guard who brings a calming presence and nice all-around feel for the game to the lineup, and Leah Smith (2021) of Hamilton (Ohio) is a wiry strong athlete with a good motor, and she offers a nice presence defensively. When you sit and watch this group play against more talented teams, you find yourself asking how they can frustrate and attack them so easily. I have a one-word answer for you that sums it up…”collectively”. They are a fun group to watch play together.
MOST ENJOYABLE FRONTCOURT
Always 100 -Wright 16U
This was a lot tougher of a call for me than the backcourt, but ultimately I settled on Coach Larry Wright’s group. The player who I thought turned the corner the most this Summer was Kendal Swartout (2021) of Concord. A year ago, she was so much more comfortable staying inside and doing her work around the block. But now, she looks more explosive, she’s comfortable handling the ball, and she’s even starting to knock down a ‘3’ or two each game from the top of the key. Brynn Shoup-Hill (2021) of Goshen had a really nice Summer, and she saw the rewards come in the form of several Division-I offers. She is a skillful post with good athleticism and a solid frame. Long and fluid wing Ryin Ott (2021) of LaPorte continues to show flashes of a really talented and skillful point forward who can do so many things with the basketball. She is just so smooth with it, and she has her share of Division-I interest as well. And I thought Emme Boots (2021) of Bluffton and Jaci Walker (2021) of Northridge had really nice seasons as well. They are both strong kids with nice motors. Emme is a little more perimeter oriented and can knock down shots outside, while Jaci is a little taller and more physical in the mid-post and on the interior. Both are good rebounders as well.