Grassroots Review: Indiana Elite
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 Indiana Elite girls who stood out in 2019.
BIGGEST STOCK-RISER
Sydney Watkins, 2020, 5-9 G, Heritage Christian School, Indiana Elite Thunder 17U
I have raved here over and over again about Sydney’s potential since the inception of PGH Indiana back in August of 2018. She is a talented athlete with a great motor, she has a long, wiry strong frame, and she is a very coachable kid who seems to pick things up quickly. Where she excels, is as a high-level defender, and she proved that over the course of this Spring and Summer when she frustrated multiple National Top-100 prospects in different games. I’m not convinced she was a much different player than she was 15 months ago, but she stayed patient, and I think by choosing to play on a bigger stage against more elite guards this Summer, she gained more visibility, and she was able to prove to colleges how good she really is. She ended up with multiple Division-I offers, and she has recently verbally committed to attend Miami University in Ohio.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Laini Joseph, 2021, 5-9 W, Cameron H.S. (Cameron, MO), Indiana Elite Lightning 16U
First things first…Laini grew up in Northern Indiana, and when the grassroots season began, she had just finished her second season at Winamac Community High School. Her family has since moved to Cameron, Missouri, but she finished the Summer with her Indiana Elite Lightning team, so I considered her eligible for this award. It was a tight race, but I feel like her game has grown the most over the last year. She is a strong, tough-nosed, physical wing who plays with a good motor. She is a point forward and can run offense, she is a nice driver and finisher around the basket, and she is a very good shooter from the perimeter when she gets set. I like her versatility offensively, but she is somewhat versatile defensively as well, as she can defend some “2s”, wings, and even some undersized “4s”. She will undoubtedly be a huge loss for Winamac, who posted an 18-7 record last year…their most wins since 2012.
MOST INTANGIBLE PLAYER
Alyna Santiago, 2021, 5-5 G, Crown Point H.S., Indiana Elite Prime 16U
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. Alyna is just such a player. When you look at the Indiana Elite Prime roster, it is littered with talented prospects, herself included, but she seemingly does whatever they need her to, game-in and game-out. Alyna is a tough-nosed, gritty, strong guard who plays with a great motor. She has speed & quickness, good ball skill, and she’s a great defender as well. In an era where dribble-drive and ball screens are used constantly, Alyna is a commodity because she can really lock up and change a game without scoring herself. She is almost too unselfish as a point guard, but she can hit an open shot, and she’s strong attacking the basket. I think her ability, approach, and skill level are very recruitable, but she’s maybe a little under-appreciated because she doesn’t put up 20 points per game.
MOST INTRIGUING YOUNGSTER
McKenna Layden, 2023, 6-0 F, Northwestern H.S., Indiana Elite Fury 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. I’ve talked about McKenna a couple of times previously, and I think she has a really nice combination of skill, talent, and potential. She is extremely long, still somewhat thin, but she plays very physical and is a tough-nosed kid with a motor. Each time I’ve seen her, I’ve been impressed with her physicality in her frame, but this Summer her entire skillset was on display. She (unofficially) put up what appeared to be a couple of the quietest triple-doubles you’ll see. She makes plays off the bounce, she is a very good mid-range shooter, a developing perimeter shooter, and she can score in and around the basket. She continues to grow and could see 6-2 at some point, so if she can continue getting stronger as well, I think her ceiling is as high as anyone’s in the 2023 class.
TOUGHEST PLAYER
Jessica Carrothers, 2022, 5-7 G, Crown Point H.S., Indiana Elite Prime 16U
Toughness and grit pretty much define Jessica’s game. She is a strong, aggressive, and attacking style of guard. She is a solid on-the-floor athlete, she plays with a nonstop motor, and she seeks out contact. She is decent shooting it outside, but she is tremendous when she attacks the rim straight-line. She can get inside and finish, she does a nice job of drawing contact, and she uses the free throw line as a real weapon. Defensively, she backs down from no one, and she gives that end of the floor just as much attention, plus she’s a very good rebounder as a guard. Jessica put up huge numbers throughout an impressive Freshman season in 2018-2019, so it should be exciting to see what more she can do over these next three seasons. She has drawn interest from a variety of schools already.
BEST MOTOR
Kendall Bostic, 2020, 6-1 F/C, Northwestern H.S., Indiana Elite Thunder 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, Kendall’s “calling card” over the years has always been how hard she plays and how she just out-competes her matchup each game. For her size and strength, it’s impressive to see her run the floor as hard as she does and always hit people and play physical inside, even when she’s tired. She doesn’t seem to rest until she sits down on the sideline. She has really improved her skillset over the years, and she is a threat with her back to the basket or facing it to about 17-feet. Kendall verbally committed to Michigan State University a while ago. I remember first seeing her at the Run 4 Roses in Lexington, Kentucky, back between her 8th Grade and Freshman years, and I can’t believe all of these 2020s are already beginning their Senior years of high school.
MOST ENJOYABLE BACKCOURT
Indiana Elite Prime 16U
This was not the tallest or most talented backcourt in the state, or maybe even in the Indiana Elite program, but they were incredibly fun to watch every game, and they all play with great motors. Jessica Carrothers (mentioned above) is the heart and soul of this group. Her toughness and ability to score it really gets everyone else going. I thought Madelyn Bischoff (2021) of Roncalli had some moments throughout the Spring, but the way she shot it during July was impressive. In one game I caught, she had to have made at least seven 3-pointers or more, with a few coming from deep. She has really good length, fluidity, and she is skilled as a shooter/scorer or as a ball-handler who can run offense. Audra Emmerson (2021) of Fishers isn’t the most intimidating player physically during warm-ups, but she can play. She has great length, speed & quickness, and she can glide by you and create or bury jumpers with range. She’s also a tough-nosed defender who can frustrate opposing ball-handlers. Speaking of good defenders, Alyna Santiago (mentioned above) is also a part of this backcourt, and she brings great energy to the court. This Prime team can also turn to Katie Howard (2021) of Fishers, and you must find her each possession because she’s a very good shooter with range beyond the arc. She is a tough, strong, high IQ guard who just makes good basketball decisions. This group of guards always competes and plays bigger than they might appear.
MOST ENJOYABLE FRONTCOURT
Indiana Elite Platinum 17U
This was an incredibly tough decision for me between this Platinum group and Indiana Elite Prime, as both groups have talented 2021 & 2022 frontcourt prospects. At the end of the day, though, I went with the Platinum group because I felt like they carried their team a little more with injuries really hindering their backcourt play throughout the Spring & Summer. Meg Newman (2021) of Indianapolis North Central saw her recruiting really explode, and you’d think she was from the West Coast with all of the Pac-12 offers she picked up. She has good size, strength, skill, and athleticism, and when she’s fully engaged, she is a real handful to defend because she can play inside or out. Katey Richason (2021) of Zionsville Community has continued to make herself and her skillset more versatile. She is handling it much better, she’s knocking down 3-pointers consistently, but she still maintains her tough and physical play inside. She plays with a great motor and could have a huge season for Zionsville. Gigi Eldredge (2021) of Westfield has always been someone I’ve been intrigued by. She has strength, she plays with physicality, but she’s also a really nice athlete who is highly effective around the block and in the mid-post. Unfortunately, she’s now out with an injury. Then there is Alyssa Crockett (2022), also from Westfield, and the youngster on the team. She had some really good moments throughout the Spring & Summer, and her size, ability, and skillset remind me somewhat of teammate Meg Newman. This could be a big year for Alyssa from a skill development standpoint, and I think her upside for big things is really nice. This foursome might not be great on the golf course, but they are tough on the hardwood.