Summer Summary: Southern Indiana
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Feature image is of Ashlyn Traylor Ashlyn Traylor 5'8" | SG Franklin Community | 2022 State IN of Martinsville High School and Team Blaze Select. In a year with a great deal of uncertainty, Central and Northern Indiana turned out…
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Continue ReadingFeature image is of Ashlyn Traylor Ashlyn Traylor 5'8" | SG Franklin Community | 2022 State IN of Martinsville High School and Team Blaze Select.
In a year with a great deal of uncertainty, Central and Northern Indiana turned out to be quite the places to host a number of grassroots events. With the conclusion of the Run 4 Roses Classic a couple of weekends ago, and with kids participating in Fall leagues or playing Fall sports for their high schools, I wanted to turn my attention to reviewing what I saw all Summer long. This is the final article in a series of nine written over a two-week span doing so. The programs who entered six or more teams in the 17U-14U age groups have gotten their own articles, while the remaining programs/teams were divided into articles focusing on Northern, Central, or Southern teams. Below is a look at some of the approximately half dozen teams in those age groups from Southern Indiana who took the court throughout July and early August.
17U Teams:
Team Blaze Select: After the switch from coaching high school boys to high school girls a couple of years ago, Coach Derrick Cross has found several really nice Southern Indiana prospects to field a competitive team each of the last two Summers. One young lady who I have pointed out in the past as having been tremendously impressed with her growth and development throughout her high school career is 6-0 forward Haley Rose Haley Rose 6'0" | PF Linton-Stockton | 2021 State IN (2021) of Linton-Stockton. She has tremendous length, fluid athleticism, and she has really built a nice, versatile skillset. She can knock down the occasional 3-pointer, attack the basket off the bounce, she’s a matchup nightmare in the mid-post, and on occasion she can play around the block when needed. She will still need to gain a lot of strength for the next level, but I am a little surprised more schools aren’t on her by now. 5-7 wing Ashlyn Traylor Ashlyn Traylor 5'8" | SG Franklin Community | 2022 State IN (2022) of Martinsville has really grown on me over the last 12-18 months. When she got to high school, I felt like she was a ball of energy but often trying to do too many things just to make a play. Now, she looks so much more efficient and controlled, she has a good feel for the game, and I was really impressed with her vision and passing ability all Summer, finding teammates through even the smallest of windows. She can score the ball at all three levels, she’s tough and physical, she’ll rebound and defend, plus she still plays with that great energy. 5-9 forward Anya Friend Anya Friend 5'9" | SF Bloomington South | 2021 State IN (2021) of Bloomington South is on my short-list of the most deceptively effective players in the state. She is built like a post, strong, broad-shouldered, and extremely physical. She plays with a great motor, she seeks contact, and she rebounds at a nice rate. At the same time, she has quick feet, a solid handle, and she is a very good perimeter shooter who can go on streaks where she makes four, five, even six 3-pointers in a row. She is undervalued because of her height, but she will undoubtedly be a matchup problem at the small college level. 5-8 guard Pa’Shence Walker Pa’Shence Walker 5'8" | SG Martinsville | 2021 State IN (2021) of Martinsville is another really nice, under-the-radar talent who is under-recruited at this time. She has good length, a wiry strong, athletic frame, and she is a tremendous athlete in all directions. Her best trait is her ability to defend at a high level, whether that’s on the ball or in “help”. But she can handle it a little, attack the basket and finish, and she has a nice mid-range game as well. I think she has Division-I physical talent; it’s just a matter of where college coaches think she falls skillfully.
Biggest Stock-Riser:
Ashlyn Traylor
Ashlyn
Traylor
5'8" | SG
Franklin Community | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-7 SF, Martinsville H.S.
Most Under-Recruited Prospect:
Haley Rose
Haley
Rose
6'0" | PF
Linton-Stockton | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 6-0 PF, Linton-Stockton H.S.
Best Motor:
Anya Friend
Anya
Friend
5'9" | SF
Bloomington South | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 PF, Bloomington H.S. South
16U Teams:
Indiana Ambition Elite: This Ambition group is as hard-working as any team I saw this Summer, and while they might not have any “headliners” on the roster, there are some really nice small college prospects mixed in here. 5-8 forward Taylor Hart Taylor Hart 5'8" | PF Gibson Southern | 2022 IN (2022) of Gibson Southern is one of those kids who you have to really understand the game and not stare at stat sheets to appreciate her value. She has good length, nice athleticism, and she plays with an outstanding motor. She can defend just about anyone ‘2’ through ‘4’, plus she’ll rebound the ball outside of her area. Offensively, she is probably most comfortable in the mid-post and the short-corners, but she can step outside on occasion as well. 5-9 forward Kate Breeden (2022) of Evansville Mater Dei is kind of a late-bloomer. She has really good length, she’s just starting to get stronger, but she also plays with a nice motor and has a fairly high IQ for the game…which her father is Mater Dei’s Head Coach, so she plays with that coach’s kid type of feel for the game. She is a solid athlete in most directions, she’ll battle inside, but I think she’s a really nice face-up ‘4’ who can score it effectively in the mid-post or step outside and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. 5-8 guard Shelbie Beatty (2022) of Owensboro Apollo (KY) is an intriguing kid from across the Ohio River. She has a nice frame with broad shoulders and some length, she’s a solid North/South athlete, and she’s versatile skillfully. She looks to attack the basket in transition, she has a good handle and can run offense at times, plus she is a willing and hard-working defender. 5-9 forward Loren Stoll Loren Stoll 5'9" | SF Gibson Southern | 2022 IN (2022) of Gibson Southern is another kid in that mold of a Hart or Breeden. She is a solid athlete with some length, she plays with a nice motor at both ends of the floor, and she shows a lot of skillful versatility. I can’t decide if she’s more of a small forward or a power forward, but she is really good in the mid-post. She glides to the rim from just about everywhere, she’ll pursue rebounds, plus she’s a versatile defender.
Jr. Indiana Fever-Phillips: This Jr. Indiana Fever team was a mix of Louisville area kids, along with three girls from Southern Indiana. They were scrappy and competitive each time out, and they often played much bigger than they were. I was most impressed with 5-7 point guard Kiela Phillips (2023). She showed good speed and quickness, a nice all-around feel for the game, and while she was more of a shooter/scorer when I saw her as a younger prospect, I really enjoyed her vision and how well she passed the ball and ran offense this Summer. She has transferred from Silver Creek back to Jeffersonville, but unfortunately she injured her knee this Summer and will miss the high school season. 5-11 post Cadence Singleton Cadence Singleton 5'11" | PF Jeffersonville | 2023 State IN (2023), also of Jeffersonville, has some definite upside to her game. She is broad-shouldered, strong, and almost overpowering at times. She is a solid athlete considering her physical makeup, and she carves out space and scores around the basket fairly effectively. She’s a nice box-out rebounder, a solid lane-clogger defensively, but the next step for her will be to expand her offensive skillset and be able to score it consistently in the mid-post. 5-5 guard Maranda Mason (2023) is a third Jeffersonville prospect on this team. She has a slender frame, but she’s extremely long, quick/fast, and very feisty. She is more of a spot up shooter right now, but she does have some ball skill, and I think she can develop into more of a point guard over time. She plays with a nice motor, and she’ll get into ball-handlers at the defensive end of the floor. 5-6 guard Alexia Weaver (2023) of DuPont Manual (KY) in Louisville seemed to step up the most when I saw them after Phillips went down with her injury. Weaver is a wiry strong and very athletic guard. She can score it at all three levels, but she is probably best getting down hill and attacking the basket. She can run offense as well, plus she’s a capable and versatile defensive player.
Biggest Stock-Riser: Kiela Phillips, 2023, 5-7 PG, Jeffersonville H.S.
Most Under-Recruited Prospect:
Cadence Singleton
Cadence
Singleton
5'11" | PF
Jeffersonville | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-11 C, Jeffersonville H.S.
Best Motor:
Taylor Hart
Taylor
Hart
5'8" | PF
Gibson Southern | 2022
IN
, 2022, 5-8 CF, Gibson Southern H.S.
15U Teams:
Indiana Ambition Elite: The 15U Ambition group was missing a few girls when I saw them, so the group I saw seemed to be led by the two-headed monster of Adylan Ayer Adylan Ayer 5'9" | SF Daviess County | 2023 State KY (2023) and Emily Mattingly Emily Mattingly 5'10" | SF Evansville Memorial | 2023 State IN (2023). Ayer is a 5-10 wing from Daviess County (KY) in Owensboro. She has a wiry strong, athletic frame with great length, she’s a talented athlete in all directions, and she plays at 100 mph. She plays off of her ability more than anything right now, always on attack, and she either beats defenders to the rim or she can finish around them. She can play a point forward or off-guard role right now, and as she continues to develop her skillset and understanding of the game, look for her to draw a lot of college interest. Mattingly is kind of an under-the-radar 5-9 wing guard from Evansville Memorial who does a lot of specific things really well. First, she’s a fairly strong, solid athlete in most directions, plus she plays with a really nice motor. She has a great pace to her game, she sees/scans the floor well and finds open teammates, but she is also a knockdown perimeter shooter with some range. She can defend multiple positions and shows her versatility at that end of the floor, and I think she’s the type of kid college coaches are really drawn to because of her ability to see and think the game at a different level than most girls her age. 5-10 forward Lydia Bordfeld Lydia Bordfeld 5'11" | SF Evansville Memorial | 2023 IN (2023) teams up with Mattingly at Evansville Memorial, and I’m still trying to put my finger on what position she might play at the next level. She has good length, wiry strength, and fluid all-around athleticism. She has shown the ability in the past to play around the perimeter like a point forward, but this Summer she was used more in the mid-post as a ‘4’ and was effective there as well. I think athletically she’s a wing forward, as long as she continues to develop her ability to consistently shoot/score it from outside. I also thought 5-1 guard Bailey Poole (2023) of Hancock County (KY) in Lewisport showed some grit, toughness, but also skill and ability. She isn’t very tall, obviously, but she does play hard and with a chip on her shoulder, she is wiry strong, and she played well off of everyone else. She can handle it and run offense, but she also showed the ability to bury shots from the perimeter when she got any space and had rhythm.
Indiana Shock: I really enjoyed watching this Indiana Shock team, as they played hard and were well-organized as a group. 6-1 power forward Amber Tretter Amber Tretter 6'1" | PF Forest Park | 2023 State IN (2023) of Forest Park showed a tremendous amount of upside. She is incredibly long, wiry, but still somewhat thin. Still, though, she seeks contact, tries to be physical, and plays the “right” way, plus on a number of occasions she was the first one on the floor and grabbed rebounds out of opponents’ hands. I really like her intensity and toughness for a slender kid. She showed some touch in the mid-post, and she’s a bouncy, fluid athlete who should only continue to elevate her stock over time. 5-10 wing Lydia Betz Lydia Betz 5'10" | SF Forest Park | 2023 State IN (2023), also from Forest Park, helps give the Rangers a really nice outlook for the next three seasons. Lydia has broad shoulders, a strong, athletic frame, and really nice length. She’s a lefty and has some touch around the perimeter, but she also has a solid handle and can play sort of a point forward role. She’ll score it in the mid-post, battle for rebounds, and she has shown some versatility defensively as well. 5-5 point guard Trinity Britton (2023) of South Spencer is a nice little lead guard. She is tough-nosed and feisty at both ends of the floor, she is a solid athlete in most directions, plus she’s skilled and plays with a good basketball IQ. Her father is the boys’ Head Coach at South Spencer, and she plays like a coach’s kid. She sees the floor well, gets the ball where it needs to go, plus she takes/makes open shots and doesn’t force the action too often. 5-10 power forward Reagan Martin Reagan Martin 5'11" | PF Owen Valley | 2023 IN (2023) of Owen Valley is another nice frontline player on this team. She has a wiry strong frame with good length, and she is a solid all-around athlete. She is possibly still growing as well. She is a quietly tough kid, she plays with a really nice motor, and she has shown a versatile skillset. She is probably best facing the basket in the mid-post, but she can occasionally step outside and knock down a 3-pointer or post smaller defenders on the block.
Biggest Stock-Riser:
Amber Tretter
Amber
Tretter
6'1" | PF
Forest Park | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-1 PF, Forest Park H.S.
Prospect With The Highest Ceiling:
Emily Mattingly
Emily
Mattingly
5'10" | SF
Evansville Memorial | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-9 SG, Evansville Memorial H.S.
Best Motor: Trinity Britton, 2023, 5-5 PG, South Spencer H.S.
14U Teams:
Indiana Ambition Elite: The 14U group in the Ambition program had a combination of establish ballplayers and prospects who aren’t quite there yet but who have nice futures ahead of them. My favorite of the group was probably 5-9 wing Sophie Johnson Sophie Johnson 6'0" | PF Evansville Memorial | 2024 State IN (2024) of Evansville Memorial. She is a long, wiry strong, and very athletic wing in all directions. She takes on sort of a point forward role, and she does a lot of different things for this team. She’ll handle it in transition, she looks to attack off the bounce, and she can knock down the occasional jumper from the wing. She plays with a good motor and has a lot of upside/talent. 5-8 guard Chloey Graham Chloey Graham 5'9" | SG Gibson Southern | 2024 State IN (2024) of Gibson Southern has drawn a lot of praise at a young age from people in the area. She has a wiry strong and athletic frame, she moves well in most directions, but she is a dangerous perimeter shooter and could find a role in that capacity on a deep Gibson Southern Varsity team this year. She handles it fairly well, but if she can learn to be more dynamic off the bounce and turn into more of a multilevel scorer than just a shooter, it will certainly benefit her game and her recruiting. 5-7 wing Hayleigh Cummins (2024) of Washington is another one of those deceptively effective prospects. She is kind of built like an undersized power forward, but she is more athletic than you’d think in most directions, she plays with an outstanding motor, and she’s skillful. She can handle the ball in transition, attack the basket straight-line from the wing, and she has a decent little pull-up jumper. She’ll need to continue building her skillset at her height, but I think she’ll be undervalued throughout her career and could sneak up on people. Then there is 6-5 post Kaelyse Mitchell (2025) of Evansville Reitz, and she stands out, well, because she’s 6-5. She has a big frame, broad shoulders, and a powerful make-up. She has some length and decent hands, she keeps the ball high, and she can be overpowering against her peers on the block. She has some work to do in regards to her explosiveness and pure strength, but she’s young and still trying to understand what she possesses physically.
Biggest Stock-Riser:
Chloey Graham
Chloey
Graham
5'9" | SG
Gibson Southern | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-8 SG, Gibson Southern H.S.
Prospect With The Highest Ceiling:
Sophie Johnson
Sophie
Johnson
6'0" | PF
Evansville Memorial | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-9 SF, Evansville Memorial H.S.
Best Motor: Hayleigh Cummins, 2024, 5-7 SF, Washington H.S.