Grassroots Review: Nike Lady Gym Rats
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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 Nike Lady Gym Rat girls who stood out in 2019.
BIGGEST STOCK-RISER
Trinity Thompson, 2021, 6-0 F, Michigan City H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan 17U
Entering the Spring, Trinity was an unknown just about everywhere in the state outside of Northwest Indiana, and for me, I hadn’t seen her since the grassroots season following her 8th Grade year of school. Even several Midwestern colleges were just starting to see her name pop up on recruiting lists, but most hadn’t seen her play live. So all she did was come out and perform against older competition for the duration of the Spring & Summer. Trinity is a strong, athletic, and very versatile forward. She is built like a power player, and she’s willing to play inside, rebound, and defend post players. However she is also skilled away from the basket. She can handle it a little in transition, initiate the offense from time to time, and she can score the ball anywhere inside of about an 18-foot bubble. On top of that, she plays with a motor. Her play this grassroots season has drawn her a great deal of college interest/offers, and she has put herself in a great spot recruiting-wise moving forward.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Jayla Smith, 2021, 5-10 G, Lawrence North H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Silver EYBL 17U
I have mentioned Jayla a couple of times previously, but what I’ve said in the past warrants repeating. I first saw her in November of her Freshman year, and she was a skinny little 5-5 combo guard playing Junior Varsity at Lawrence North. She showed flashes of potential, but she was tiny. Then when I saw her in the middle of July last Summer, she was up to about 5-8 or 5-9, still thin, but she showed the upside of being one of the top prospects in 2021. Last Winter she helped lead Lawrence North to the State Finals, she is now pushing 5-11, and while she is still slender, she has figured out how to play stronger and play against strength. She can flat out shoot/score the basketball, she has a quick handle and creates space well, and while she had a few “growing pains” learning how to play on the 17U EYBL circuit, she didn’t bat an eye and responded with many more good moments, drawing a lot of Division-I interest. Her growth and development over the past 21 months has been incredible, and she still has a high ceiling to improve even more.
MOST INTANGIBLE PLAYER
Justis Gordon, 2020, 5-10 W, Cathedral H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan 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. For the Gym Rats, this was tough to hand out, because I counted no fewer than five players I really liked before choosing Justis. With regards to Justis, specifically, I think if you compare her play at her high school with her play for this Tan team, you’ll see why I chose her. At Cathedral, Justis is relied upon to be the go-to player, the leading scorer, the top rebounder, and at times, the primary ball-handler. She is a strong, athletic, and smooth playmaker who can run offense like a point forward, create for others, and score it at a high rate herself. With this Tan group, she has the luxury of many talented players around her, so she sacrifices some of her individual statistics to win games. She still does a lot of the same things skillfully, but she doesn’t have to force the action as much offensively, she plays off of others, and because she isn’t chased by defenses, she’s able to move freely and make a lot of hustle plays for them.
MOST INTRIGUING YOUNGSTER
Laila Hull, 2023, 6-0 F, Zionsville Community H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Turquoise 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. There are several nice, young, talented prospects in the Gym Rats program, but Laila is very intriguing to me because she has yet to approach her ceiling. She is a long, wiry strong, fluid, and athletic forward. But for me, considering her age and height, she has a great deal of skillful potential that stands out. She can handle the ball a little in transition, she’s a solid straight-line driver from the perimeter, and she can knock down a 15-footer fairly consistently. She’s athletic enough to play outside full-time in the future, if she can continue developing her skillset, plus she can already defend multiple positions. She is still most comfortable inside of 15-feet, but the intrigue for me comes from the fact that she has the potential to be a wing, combined with the fact that she still might grow another 2-3 inches. She’ll definitely be one to watch moving forward.
TOUGHEST PLAYER
Kaiti Huber, 2020, 5-8 W, Zionsville Community H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Crimson 17U
Like with many of these awards, there are several players I could have chosen. Kaiti stood out to me here, because every time I see her play, she does something that qualifies as “tough”. She is a strong, physical wing who plays with some versatility. She can occasionally handle the ball and run offense, and she did a nice job of that last Winter with Maddie Nolan (2019) out with an injury. Kaiti likes contact, she rebounds her position well, and she will get on the floor for loose balls. She defends multiple positions, doesn’t back down from competition one bit, and at times she plays with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. I think she’s one of those kids you plug into a lineup to help you win games at both the high school and grassroots levels, and you know you are always going to get effort, toughness, and a competitive fire out of her.
BEST MOTOR
Hope Sivori, 2020, 5-5 PG, The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy (KY), Nike Lady Gym Rats Silver EYBL
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. I am not as familiar with Hope’s game as I am with the Indiana kids in the Gym Rats program, but over the last couple of years I’ve been able to figure out one thing about Hope…she is always playing at a high speed with a nonstop, Energizer Bunny motor. Hope flies around the floor, attacking the basket assertively, defending hard and aggressively, and diving after every loose ball she thinks she can get her hands on. She is absolutely relentless at times with what she brings to the floor, and in today’s game, that’s difficult for most players to match. Her energy is infectious and draws you in, but then you realize she is skilled and able, and she has drawn her share of Division-I and small college interest/offers because of it. She is always entertaining to watch.
MOST ENJOYABLE BACKCOURT
Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan 17U
This was not the tallest or most talented backcourt in the state, or even in the Gym Rats program, but they were incredibly fun to watch every game, and they all play with great motors. This is a very diverse group, with girls from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and they figured out a way early in the Spring to mesh together well and win games. Tamia Perryman (2020) of Fishers exploded onto the scene this grassroots season, after not having playing travel ball for some time. The long, wiry strong, and extremely athletic wing brings a nice combination of energy and athletic talent to the floor. She is great attacking the basket for scores, and she recently committed to Marian. I thought Ilani Williams-Harris (2020) of Indy’s Covenant Christian had about as good of a Summer as she has ever had. She was explosive as usual, but she also showed a lot more discipline and improved ball skills & decision-making. She has already committed to Indianapolis. Jackie Maulucci (2020) of Hamilton Southeastern has been a favorite of mine, and I think she is primed for a big Senior season. The recent Indiana Wesleyan commit missed some time with an injury, but when she was on the floor she was really good for this Tan team. She is a steady combo guard who can score or distribute. Kiarah Carney (2020) of Louisville Ballard (KY) grew on me quickly, and I like her length, explosiveness, energy, and versatility. She is a playmaker with the ball, and she can lock up defensively. She is incredibly under-recruited. Mia Beam (2020) of the Christian Academy of Louisville (KY) is an absolute threat shooting it from the perimeter. She likes to run the baseline, hide in the long-corners, and bury jump-shot after jump-shot. And Makira Webster (2020) from Kettering Fairmont (OH) was their best player at times. She is another explosively athletic combo guard who can create scores for herself or others, and she can really lock up. The thing that stands out most about this group, was their willingness to be in-your-face defensively the length of the floor and turn people over.
MOST ENJOYABLE FRONTCOURT
Nike Lady Gym Rats Gold EYBL 16U
Not many of the Gym Rats teams have a traditional frontcourt, and most line up a variety of small forwards/wings who play outside offensively, but inside defensively out of necessity. Such was the case with this Gold team, and I thought they were incredibly fun to watch throughout July. There were four “frontcourt” players from this group who performed admirably against bigger, stronger competition. Rayah Kincer (2022) of Franklin Central and Mary Wilson (2021) of Center Grove are true wing players in the 5-9 to 5-10 range who were the ones that defensively often had to play much bigger than they are. Rayah is an intriguing young wing with good length and a versatile skillset. She plays with a quiet toughness, she’s a very good perimeter shooter, but she’s also a nice, fluid athlete who seemingly glides to the basket. Mary is a wiry strong, somewhat physical wing who plays with a great motor. She is a solid athlete, a knockdown shooter in the mid-range, and she has developed into a very good perimeter shooter as well. Ariel Helm (2022) of Indianapolis North Central joined the team late in the Spring and provided an immediate boost on the interior. She is a strong, powerful, and athletic front-liner who plays with a great deal of physicality inside, but she can also attack the basket a little bit off the bounce. She’s a nice offensive rebounder and a versatile defender. And then there is Meredith Weiss (2022) of Vincennes Rivet, who joined the team for July after spending the Spring with the NLGR Maroon 15U group. Meredith has a nice combination of size, strength, and skill. She is a solid athlete, she can play in the mid-post effectively, but she’s also strong enough against her peers to score it around the block. She has a really nice future as a prospect, and this frontline group was fun to watch because of their willingness to all play somewhat out of position defensively and battle throughout the Summer.