Victory Region Finals: 17U Observations
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The featured image is of Jaci Menard Jaci Menard 5'11" | PF Boone Grove | 2023 IN (2023) of Boone Grove High School and the Northwest Indiana Thunder Gold 17U team. Memorial Weekend 2021 was the conclusion of the very…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Jaci Menard Jaci Menard 5'11" | PF Boone Grove | 2023 IN (2023) of Boone Grove High School and the Northwest Indiana Thunder Gold 17U team.
Memorial Weekend 2021 was the conclusion of the very first Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. There were three regional finals spread across the country, with Fishers High School in Central Indiana playing host to the Victory Region Finals. All of the teams in attendance were from East of the Mississippi River, and they stretched from as far North as Michigan, and as far South as North Carolina and Tennessee. While I was tasked with covering the entire 16U Division, I did come across a few Indiana prospects in the 17U Division who I felt were worthy of a few words here. Below is a look at a half dozen of those girls from the 17U Division.
Katie Bremer
Katie
Bremer
5'11" | PF
Cathedral | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-11 F, Cathedral H.S.
I hadn’t seen Katie since the Spring of 2019, so it was good to catch her in action again. She is definitely someone just about every small college in the Midwest will want to see in July. She has tremendous length, wiry strength, good speed and quickness at her size, plus she’s very bouncy. I think she’s probably best-suited to be a mid-post forward because of her mid-range jumper and ability to get to the basket, but she is a versatile defender as well who can take on wings and bigger guards if necessary.
Haley Polston
Haley
Polston
6'2" | C
Martinsville | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 6-2 C, Martinsville H.S.
I continue to be impressed with how much Haley has improved over the last 12-18 months. She has obviously spent a great deal of time in the gym, and she has transformed from a somewhat awkward, back-to-the-basket post player last Summer, to a much more mobile, active, and skillful kid who can now face the basket and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. She has good size and can still use her strength on the block, but her ability to play inside-out should impress coaches come July.
Jessie Ringen
Jessie
Ringen
5'9" | SF
Rensselaer Central | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-9 W, Rensselaer Central H.S.
Jessie has always been a really nice athlete with good strength, toughness, and a physical demeanor. Now, though, she has really built her skillset and can play any number of perimeter positions. She can handle the ball in transition and initiate the offense, she’s a nice downhill attacker when she wants to score it, plus she can hit the occasional rhythm 3-pointer when left open. I think she’s still underappreciated in terms of her recruiting, but that could change quickly over the Summer.
Abigail Tomblin
Abigail
Tomblin
5'8" | CG
South Central (Union Mills) | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 CG, South Central H.S. (Union Mills)
I have always enjoyed watching Abigail, because she is a tough-nosed, hard-working, skillful guard who plays with a nice presence and understanding of the game. She just has a natural feel, whether she’s on or off the ball. She can find open teammates through tight windows, but she’s also a nice scorer attacking the basket, and she’s a capable perimeter shooter. I think her position at the next level will depend upon who she can prove to defend off the dribble.
Abigail Young
Abigail
Young
5'8" | SG
Mooresville | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 SG, Mooresville H.S.
Abby has had a great Spring so far, and she is showing off her versatility. A couple of years ago, I honestly felt like she was more of a small forward. But she has done a nice job of working on her handle, her ability to change directions with the dribble, and she has made her perimeter shot more consistent. She always works incredibly hard, and she is a tough-nosed kid with solid athleticism and an athletically strong frame. She already has a lot of small colleges interested in watching her this July.
Jaci Menard
Jaci
Menard
5'11" | PF
Boone Grove | 2023
IN
, 2023, 5-11 PF, Boone Grove H.S.
Jaci moved to Indiana from New Hampshire last Summer/Fall, and she has already made a nice impact for both her high school and grassroots teams. She isn’t a flashy player by any means, but she works hard, she’s willing to be physical, and she can play at all three levels. She has nice touch around the perimeter and in the mid-post, she can attack the basket one or two dribbles productively, plus she can post up undersized defenders when she has an advantage.