Weekend Review: 14U
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Last weekend was my first true venture out of the house since the pandemic slowdown began in mid-March, and it was great to be back in the gym again seeing many coaching friends, parents, and most importantly prospects. It was…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend was my first true venture out of the house since the pandemic slowdown began in mid-March, and it was great to be back in the gym again seeing many coaching friends, parents, and most importantly prospects. It was also the first chance for many of the below teams to open their grassroots season (a handful of teams played in early March before the shutdown). Saturday I headed to Noblesville for the USJN Mid-America Qualifier, while Sunday I was in Fort Wayne for the Gym Rats Summer Tune-Up. I saw a variety of teams, and below is a look at several prospects from the 14U teams I was able to see over that two-day stretch. If a team you follow was there and I didn’t get the opportunity to see them, I will seek them out in the next few weeks.
Always 100
Elite – Tharp
While
Always 100
has several entries in the 14U age group, this Elite group probably has the most talent top to bottom. I was most impressed with 5-5 point guard
Jordyn Poole
Jordyn
Poole
5'6" | PG
Fort Wayne Snider | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Fort Wayne Snider. She is long, extremely quick/fast, and explosive with the ball in her hands. She keeps it on a string and regularly gets defenders off-balance. She’s able to break down defenses and find teammates, plus she can score it at all levels. She’s going to be tough to deal with the next four years. Likely joining her in the backcourt at Snider is 5-8 guard
Joh’nea Donahue
Joh’nea
Donahue
5'8" | SG
Fort Wayne Snider | 2024
State
IN
(2024). She is a strong, athletic, physical guard, but she possesses good ball skill and the ability to score it around the perimeter or at the basket. I also like her attention at the defensive end of the floor. 5-10 wing
Destini Craig
Destini
Craig
5'9" | PF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024
State
IN
(2024) is another talented athlete on this roster. She has good size and strength, she’s a nice straight-line driver to the basket, and she can play in the mid-post, plus she rebounds her position well. Another prospect on this team who is enjoyable to watch is Kylie Caswell (2024) of Angola. She isn’t very big at 5-2, but she’s incredibly scrappy/feisty, very quick/fast, and she plays with a lot of heart and energy. She’s also skilled and can play either guard spot.
Always 100
– Paul
Unfortunately for me, two players I have heard a lot about but haven’t seen yet weren’t in uniform. That’s okay, though, as this team has several other really nice prospects as well. 5-5 point guard
Kyndra Sheets
Kyndra
Sheets
5'6" | PG
Columbia City | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Columbia City has already gained quite a reputation in her neck of the woods as a strong, skilled, and high IQ lead guard. She takes care of the ball, has a nice handle, and gets it where it needs to go on time/on target. Future high school teammate Molly Baker (2024), a 5-10 power forward, showed good hands, the ability to run the floor well, and she finished just about everything inside. 5-3 combo guard Jersey Paul (2024) of Churubusco makes three Whitley County prospects on the roster. She is quick/fast, incredibly active, and very feisty at both ends of the floor…that tends to run in the family. I also thought 5-5 guard Emma Reust (2024) of Homestead had a good showing when I saw them. She’s a nicely skilled, long, and athletic guard who is more of a ‘2’ right now, but she can probably slide over and play some point.
Grand Park Premier – Robbins
This team really stands out to me from the weekend, as they headed into the game I saw as an underdog on paper from what I was told, and they controlled the contest from beginning to end. 5-5 point guard Alli Harness (2024) from Carroll (Flora, IN) was outstanding. She has length and solid athleticism, but it was her skill, composure, and ability to make shot after shot from deep that led her team to victory. I also thought 5-7 guard Isabel Scales (2024) of Caston had a nice outing. She is a bit stronger of a guard, she was good attacking the basket downhill, but she also hit some shots outside and made several hustle plays. 5-8 wing Madison Wagner (2024) of Carroll (Flora) also flashed some upside. She has length, wiry strength, plus she’s a versatile player skillfully. She handled it a little in transition, scored it a little at all three levels, plus she battled bigger girls inside. Lastly, 5-7 guard Morgan Roberts (2024) of Fishers is somewhat intriguing to me. She has great length, fluid athleticism, and she looks like a nice lefty perimeter shooter. I think she will be a much different player once she finishes growing and adds strength.
Indiana Flight Future – Meade
The Flight program has four nice teams in the 2024 age group, and this one is about as scrappy as any of them. 5-10 power forward
Juliann Woodard
Juliann
Woodard
6'1" | PF
Jennings County | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Jennings County is a real force inside. She is so strong, aggressive, and high-energy compared to her peers that she is tremendously productive right now. She’ll need to continue expanding her mid-post game, but she has a lot of upside. 5-6 combo guards Claire Lindsey (2024) of Roncalli and
Elle Marble
Elle
Marble
5'9" | CG
Jeffersonville | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Jeffersonville are problems in the backcourt. They are both long, athletic, and tough-nosed girls who can play either guard spot. They can both run offense or score it when necessary. As a coach of more than 20 years, defense is something that warms my heart, and I felt like 5-5 guard Reagan Hughes (2024) of Jac-Cen-Del is one of the scrappiest defenders I have seen so far in this 2024 class. This team is tough to play against because of their grittiness, so I’d be careful challenging them.
Indiana Flight North – Caldwell
This was the other Flight 14U group I was able to see over the weekend, and they are built inside-out. 6-1 twins Isabelle Poehlein (2024) and Sophia Poehlein (2024) of Zionsville Community compliment each other very well. Isabelle plays a bit more physical and enjoys contact around the block, finishing nearly everything, while Sophia is skilled in the mid-post and can even step outside and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. Both are long and fluid athletes with some bounce. 6-1 post
Lauryn Merritt
Lauryn
Merritt
6'4" | C
Maconaquah | 2024
IN
(2024) of Maconaquah is another more traditional low-block kid right now, but with her length and ability to move around the floor, I think she can become a face-up ‘5’ or even ‘4’ over time with more skill improvement. 5-7 wing
Emma Haan
Emma
Haan
5'8" | SG
Zionsville | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Zionsville Community was everything I was promised, in that she absolutely runs through walls. She has solid skill, but it’s her energy, toughness, and physicality that stand out. I also thought 5-2 point guard Ella Hickok (2024) was fun to watch. She is long for her size, very quick/fast, and she’s always in the action. I hope she grows because I really enjoy how she plays.
Indiana Showcase Rising BlueStar – Lake/B. Gorman
The top Indiana Showcase group in 14U has a lot of wing/guard depth but not much size. It doesn’t stop them from competing every possession, though. 5-8 guard Alivia Elmore (2024) of Jennings County stood out to me in the game I saw. She has length, wiry strength, and she’s a nice all-around athlete. She made plays at both ends of the floor, and you can see quickly that she’s a natural scorer. I also felt like 5-2 point guard Emma Ancelet (2025) of Danville Community was fun to watch. She isn’t very big, but she’s quick/fast and quick with the ball. You couldn’t tell she was a year younger considering her toughness and composure playing point. 5-8 guard
Creedance Chittenden
Creedance
Chittenden
5'8" | SF
Cascade | 2024
IN
(2024) of Cascade and 5-8 wing
Ariana Marks
Ariana
Marks
5'8" | SF
Mooresville | 2024
IN
(2024) of Mooresville both contributed nicely as well. They each have some length, wiry strength, and they play with good motors. I also like their balanced skillsets, though Chittenden seemed a little more comfortable around the perimeter, while Marks was attacking more off the dribble.
Lady Legit – J. Gorman
The Lady Legit program does a nice job of identifying some solid Fort Wayne girls each year, and their 14U team definitely plays with speed and athleticism. 5-7 wing Aniyah Woodson (2024) of Fort Wayne North Side has some length, broad shoulders, and an aggressive attacking style. She absorbs contact well and finishes through bigger players at the basket. She is a cousin of Youngstown State University commit and South Side Archer
Lamyia Woodson
Lamyia
Woodson
6'0" | PF
Fort Wayne South Side | 2021
State
IN
(2021). 5-5 guard Sydney Gorman (2024) of Fort Wayne Wayne is the final member of a series of Gorman siblings coming through Fort Wayne Community Schools. She has really nice length, speed & quickness, and she has a solid feel for the game. Strength will be the biggest need for her in the coming year or so. 5-10 post Addie Shank (2024) of Fort Wayne Bishop Luers also flashed some potential to be a nice prospect down the road. She has some length, a solid frame, and she plays with a good motor. She has decent hands and feet, but she’ll just need a little time, like most traditional posts, to figure it all out.
Nike Lady Gym Rats – Banks
There are a handful of Gym Rats teams in 14U, but this one probably possesses the most talent of the Indianapolis groups. 5-9 wing
Aniyah Bishop
Aniyah
Bishop
5'10" | SF
Lake Central | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Hammond, Indiana, has noticeable talent. She is extremely long, fluid and smooth, and somewhat bouncy. She can play just about any perimeter position right now, but I think she’s most comfortable as sort of a point forward. Her older sister is 2018 Indiana All-Star Jenasae Bishop. 5-8 wing
Koryn Marshall
Koryn
Marshall
5'8" | SF
Heritage Christian | 2024
IN
(2024) of New Palestine plays incredibly hard. She has solid ball skill and the ability to score it at all three levels, but I really enjoyed her toughness and physicality. 5-10 power forward
Rachel Harshman
Rachel
Harshman
6'0" | PF
Mooresville | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Mooresville is another hard-working prospect who gives it her all every possession. She showed some skill in the mid-post, but she was better playing physically around the rim. There are a number of talented guards on this roster, but I felt like 5-5 point guard
Kenzie Fulks
Kenzie
Fulks
5'7" | PG
Bethesda Christian | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Bethesda Christian stood out to me the most this day. She has a strong frame, very good ball skill and passing ability, plus she can create for others, score going to the basket, or knock down open rhythm jumpers.
Nike Lady Gym Rats – Patton
This Northwest Indiana Gym Rats group has a strong influence of Lake Central prospects on its roster. 5-4 point guard Riley Milausnic (2024) of Lake Central had a nice day. She has very good length, fluid/quick movements, and she often gets defenders off-balance so she can attack. She can shoot it as well, but I really like her ball skills and creativity off the bounce. 4’11 point guard Kennedie Burks (2024) of Merrillville isn’t very big, but she can play. She is extremely quick/fast, dynamic off the dribble, and she doesn’t make mistakes. She can knock down an open jumper or get into the paint and collapse defenses. She’s also a magnet to the ball defensively and makes plays at that end as well. A couple of younger Lake Central prospects also stood out. They are 5-2 point guard Vanessa Wimberly (2025) and 5-9 power forward Ayla Krygier (2025). Wimberly is extremely quick/fast and shifty. She’s also fairly strong for her size/age. She is an absolute playmaker who will draw a great deal of college attention down the road. Krygier might have been the team’s most consistently productive player all day. She has an athletic frame, great hands and feet, and she scored the ball at the rim and in the mid-post. If she ever approaches 6-feet, she’s going to be quite the handful and a nice recruit.