Derby City Duel: Day-1
In this article:
The featured image is of Riley Neal Riley Neal 5'11" | SF North Oldham | 2022 State KY of South Oldham High School and Indiana Elite Venom-Burgher 16U. This weekend the PGH Circuit took me to Louisville, Kentucky, and the…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Riley Neal Riley Neal 5'11" | SF North Oldham | 2022 State KY of South Oldham High School and Indiana Elite Venom-Burgher 16U.
This weekend the PGH Circuit took me to Louisville, Kentucky, and the MidAmerica Sports Center for the Derby City Duel. There are several Indiana teams here, along with several others from all over the South. Below is a look at seven ladies who I thought performed well on Day-1 when I was able to see them play.
Keegan Kaiser
Keegan
Kaiser
5'9" | PG
Floyd Central | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-9 PG, Floyd Central H.S. (IN)
One year ago, Keegan began the Summer fairly strong then unfortunately missed a great deal of time following a knee injury. I wasn’t as impressed with a single game of hers today, as much as I thought she looked steady and confident each game I saw. She looks stronger, more like a traditional point guard than a combo, but she did shoot/score it well each game. She has good height, length, and she’s a nice all-around athlete. She could really surprise some college coaches in July.
Riley Neal
Riley
Neal
5'11" | SF
North Oldham | 2022
State
KY
, 2022, 5-11 SF, North Oldham H.S. (KY)
This was my first look at Riley, as it was my first time seeing her grassroots team this Spring. She is a really nice ballplayer, and I understand why she’s considered one of the better 2022 prospects in Kentucky. She has some length, wiry strength, and she plays with great motor. She affected the game at both ends today, playing solid, disciplined, half-court defense, while also scoring the ball at all three levels offensively. Her versatility should help her draw a wide variety of interest.
Marlee Beam, 2023, 6-1 F, Apex Friendship H.S. (NC)
I had the opportunity to see Marlee later in the evening Saturday, and I think she has nice upside and potential as a next level recruit. She has good height and wiry strength, plus she plays with some versatility. She was able to handle the ball a little in traffic, especially in transition, plus she showed comfort around the perimeter, as well as the balance and interior skill to play in the mid-post. She seems to have a solid feel and understanding of the game, and she played with a nice motor.
Emiyah Cobb, 2023, 5-7 PG, Clarksville Northwest H.S. (TN)
I saw Emiyah early and often Saturday, and each time I thought she played well. She is very long at her height, she’s quick/fast, and she’s very shifty with the ball in her hands. She did a nice job of blowing by people in transition and finishing with a variety of moves around the basket, but she also collapsed defenses throughout the day and found teammates open at the rim. Defensively, she was constantly in the passing lanes, and she got her hands on a lot of passes.
Jhaven Meade
Jhaven
Meade
6'4" | C
Franklin County | 2023
State
KY
, 2023, 6-4 C, Franklin County H.S. (KY)
Jhaven is not hard to miss if you attend one of her games. She has a big, strong frame, with broad shoulders and some length at her size. She is a solid athlete in the half-court, though she could get a little faster North/South when running in transition. I thought she did a nice job of establishing position on the block, as she seeks out physicality down there. At times her aggressiveness gets her in trouble, but I like a bit of a mean streak in a post player. She also showed solid hands and some touch around the rim.
Avery Patterson
Avery
Patterson
5'4" | CG
Bloomington North | 2023
IN
, 2023, 5-4 PG, Bloomington H.S. North (IN)
I have seen Avery several times over the past couple of years, but this was as well as she’s played in front of me. In the past, she had been more of a supporting player, and she was used as a wing shooter. But today, she handled the ball a great deal, made plays for her team/teammates, while still shooting the ball extremely well from deep. She isn’t very tall, but she has some strength at her size, she plays with solid speed and quickness, and she has a really nice motor and competitive spirit.
Jalyn Shelby
Jalyn
Shelby
5'11" | PF
Evansville North | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-11 F, Evansville North H.S. (IN)
I saw Jalyn with her grassroots team last Summer, but I feel like she really started to come out of her shell and be a much more aggressive scorer at a couple of Fall showcases. She has a strong, but athletic frame, and she’s a solid all-round athlete. She has the strength to play in the mid-post or even on the low-block against smaller defenders. She’s also a streaky perimeter shooter, but when she gets hot, she is incredibly dangerous from outside, and Saturday night she was hitting everything.