Monday’s Baker’s Dozen
While I realize it’s a few days late, I’m finally off the road temporarily with a little time to put my thoughts onto “paper”. The USJN Premier Showcase at the Pacers Athletic Complex in Westfield, Indiana, hosted some of the…
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Continue ReadingWhile I realize it’s a few days late, I’m finally off the road temporarily with a little time to put my thoughts onto “paper”. The USJN Premier Showcase at the Pacers Athletic Complex in Westfield, Indiana, hosted some of the state’s, Midwest’s, and nation’s best teams and prospects July 5-8. While there were many options to choose from, below are 13 individuals from Indiana who I felt stood out throughout Monday’s action.
Katie Burton
Katie
Burton
5'9" | SG
Fishers | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SG, Fishers H.S.
I felt like Katie was at her best late in the day Monday, when her Kentucky Premier team took on the Gym Rats group. She was much more aggressive than in other games over the weekend, and she played with great confidence and intensity. Katie has always been an attacking scorer who finishes as well as any guard on the interior, but her ability to consistently make shots outside has really enhanced her overall offensive game. She plays with a good motor and is a decent defender, but I think that’s one area she’ll have to continue improving to play big minutes immediately at the next level.
Lilliann Frasure
Lilliann
Frasure
5'9" | SF
North Judson-San Pierre | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SG/SF, North Judson-San Pierre H.S.
Lilliann is one of the most complete basketball players in Indiana’s 2021 class. She isn’t necessarily elite in any one area, but she is strong in most areas, and she just does so many things well that it makes her difficult to match up with. She can handle the ball in transition and start the offense, she can attack the basket and score or create for others, plus she can knock down an open rhythm jumper. She plays with a tremendous motor, battles inside for rebounds, and does a lot of the “little things”. She could stand to get a little quicker defensively, but I think she’ll be a great fit at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she recently committed.
Daylynn Thornton
Daylynn
Thornton
5'8" | CG
McCutcheon | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-8 SG, McCutcheon H.S.
Daylynn is flying somewhat under the radar right now, but I’ve been watching her for more than a year now, and she has both talent and skill. She is a strong kid, a nice athlete, and she can run and jump fairly well. She plays with a solid motor, attacks the basket with determination, and she absorbs contact well. She has a good handle as well, and she can occasionally slide over and run offense, but I think she’s better when she’s in her scorer’s mentality and on attack. If she can shoot it just a little more consistently from the perimeter, I think it would certainly help her recruiting moving forward.
Koryn Greiwe
Koryn
Greiwe
5'7" | PG
Columbus East | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-6 PG, Columbus East H.S.
Koryn has always possessed ball skill, even back when I saw her in 8th Grade, but she has made quite the transformation from natural scorer to point guard who can score. She is a quietly tough, strong-for-her-size, gritty guard who can attack the basket and finish or knock down jumpers at all levels. However, what impressed me the most about her this week was her poise and patience running offense, her ability to find open teammates, and her willingness to take on a different role than she does for her high school team, where she’s counted on to score at a high rate. I really enjoyed watching the player I saw on Monday.
Rayah Kincer
Rayah
Kincer
5'10" | CG
Franklin Central | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-9 CG, Franklin Central H.S.
Is she a point guard, a point forward, or just a wing? Rayah really is a position-less basketball player who I have a hard time labeling. All I know is that she does many things very well, and her versatility should be highly valued by a number of college programs. Rayah looks stronger and much more physical than she did a year ago. She has a really nice handle, she is a primary ball-handler, and she values the basketball at the offensive end of the floor. She can attack the basket and finish through contact, plus she can knock down an open rhythm jumper outside. I think the biggest question for her will be which position she’ll defend at the next level.
Kenna Kirby
Kenna
Kirby
5'8" | SG
Tri-West | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 SG, Tri-West H.S.
Kenna has elevated her game over the last 18 months, and she is playing at such a consistent level now that her college interest should really pick up. She is a strong kid with deceptive length, she’s a nice athlete in most directions, and she plays with a good motor and quiet toughness. She shoots a really good ball from the perimeter, and that’s kind of her calling card, if you will. She can handle it on occasion and run offense, she can attack the basket and absorb contact reasonably well, plus she’s a cerebral player who seems to understand angles and rotations defensively.
Teresa Maggio
Teresa
Maggio
5'5" | PG
McCutcheon | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-5 PG, McCutcheon H.S.
As a coach, I can confidently say that most coaches enjoy a feisty, tough-nosed, little water-bug who flies around with a nonstop motor like Teresa does. She is just a playmaker. She plays at one speed, is always on attack offensively, and she can get into the paint and collapse defenses, finding teammates for open shots, or she can finish in a variety of ways. Teresa is also a solid perimeter shooter who needs very little time or space to get her shot away. Defensively, she’s an absolute pest, constantly hounding the ball. Her stellar play this week earned her a Division-I offer just yesterday from a Horizon League school.
Jaelynne Murray
Jaelynne
Murray
5'11" | SF
Pike | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 SF, Pike H.S.
I’ve known for some time now that Jaelynne was a talented athlete. But what she showed Monday evening against the Philly Belles was about as well as I’ve seen her play. For starters, she played within herself and let the game come to her. She knocked down multiple perimeter shots and looked smooth doing so. Additionally, she wasn’t the least bit overwhelmed by the talent the Belles possess, and she attacked them when she could, plus she defended with intensity and focus. I’ve always liked her potential as a long athlete, but mix in an improved skillset and feel for the game, and she has a bright future ahead of her.
Ali Saunders, 2022, 5-9 PG, North Harrison H.S.
Ali is probably one of the best prospects in this 2022 class who few people statewide know about. At the same time, several Division-I programs are very aware of who she is. Ali is a wiry strong, fluidly athletic, and fairly physical point guard. She has good ball skill, she can attack the basket and absorb contact, plus she can knock down the perimeter jumper. Defensively, she is versatile and can take on ’1s’ and ’2s’ at her size. She looks taller and stronger than I remember her from a year ago, and I think she might still squeeze out one more inch. If anything, I would like to see her get just a little meaner and more assertive.
Ava Couch
Ava
Couch
5'10" | SF
Indy North Central | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-9 SF, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
When you watch her warm up, Ava is just your average, run of the mill kid. Once the ball is tipped, however, she is typically one of the most productive players on the floor. She has a fairly strong frame, a quiet toughness, and she plays with a tremendous motor. She is a solid athlete, she is a good perimeter shooter when in rhythm, and she can handle it a little in transition. But I think it’s her willingness to sit down and defend multiple types of players, plus her nose for the ball when it comes to rebounding, that stand out to me. For her to see as much time as she did as a Freshman at North Central says a lot about her.
Isabella Gizzi
Isabella
Gizzi
5'7" | PG
New Palestine | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-6 PG, New Palestine H.S.
Isabella strikes me as a kid who adapts/adjusts well, so playing against good competition this Summer should help her for the 2020-2021 season. This lefty point guard is still somewhat slender, but she has really good length, she doesn’t mind contact at all, and she has a nice stop-and-go burst. She can turn the corner and get downhill quickly, and she’s a nice facilitator who finds open teammates. If there is one area for her to improve, it would be shooting it from the perimeter consistently. If she can add that to her game, I think she would be incredibly difficult to defend.
McKenna Layden
McKenna
Layden
6'2" | SF
Northwestern | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-1 SF, Northwestern H.S.
McKenna’s game continues to steadily improve each time I see her. She is still thin, but she is extremely long, fluid, and fairly athletic. She continues to handle the ball better and better, she is kind of a quiet assassin shooting it from the perimeter, but I think lost in all of that is what a nice passer she is and what awareness she has for where her teammates are. She might not be done growing just yet, but she will need to eventually gain strength for the next level. I really like her upside as a tall, long wing now, whereas a year ago I thought she might be more of a face-up ’4’.
Ashlynn Shade
Ashlynn
Shade
5'10" | SG
La Lumiere Prep | 2023
State
#33
Nation
IN
, 2023, 5-10 CG, Noblesville H.S.
Ashlynn had herself a great first tournament, mostly playing against girls two years older than her. She was strong with the ball, constantly on attack, and she got into the lane just about anytime she wanted. She shot the ball well from the perimeter and was a primary scoring option for her Gym Rats team. Ashlynn does have tremendous ball skill and the awareness to make just about any pass. But she is scoring it at such a high rate right now, that I’d want her more as a scorer than a traditional pass-first point guard. One area I thought she was better than expected was defensively. She worked hard and was disciplined at that end of the floor when I watched her.