Victory Region Finals: 16U Front-Liners
The featured image is of Ashlee Schram (2023) of Tipton H.S. and IGB16U, and Kate Wenger (2023) of Evansville Mater Dei H.S. and S.W.I.S.H. City 16U. Memorial Weekend 2021 was the conclusion of the very first Prep Girls Hoops Circuit.…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Ashlee Schram (2023) of Tipton H.S. and IGB16U, and Kate Wenger (2023) of Evansville Mater Dei H.S. and S.W.I.S.H. City 16U.
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 Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee. I was tasked with covering the entire 16U Division, so I wanted to take the time to highlight those players who stood out throughout the weekend. This is the fourth and final article breaking down the 16U Division by positions, and yes, some of the highlighted prospects might have appeared this past week on our 16U All-Tourney team.
Faith Carson, 2023, 6-4 C, Buchanan H.S. (MI), UTS Elite
Faith was one of the most recruited prospects on hand in the 16U Division last weekend. She is an intimidating presence in the paint, and someone who opponents must game-plan for and pay attention to every possession. She has tremendous size and strength, and that’s easy to see, but she is also a solid athlete at her size, she has good footwork, she has nice hands, and she is skilled offensively on the block and in the mid-post.
Elise Cupp, 2023, 6-2 C, Wyoming H.S. (OH), Dayton Metro
Elise is a big part of what this Dayton Metro 16U team wants to do each game. She has nice size, very good strength, and she’s willing to be physical and aggressive inside. She tries to bury people on the block so she can always finish at the rim, plus she is very physical on block-outs, ball-screens, and at the defensive end of the floor. The next step for her will be to extend her offensive game to the mid-post more consistently.
Emma Filiatreau, 2023, 6-1 PF, Bethlehem H.S. (KY), Team Firstep
Emma is the toughest assignment on her Team Firstep, because being their tallest player, she often matches up with the other team’s ‘5s’. She is a nice, athletically built forward who has some skill facing the basket, not a traditional post. She can knock down rhythm jumpers to as far as the 3-point line, and she can put the ball on the floor two to three dribbles and attack posts off the bounce. She also outworks her matchups.
Jhaven Meade, 2023, 6-3 C, Franklin County H.S. (KY), Overtime Performance-1
This was my second time seeing Jhaven in the last month, and she has a lot of upside to her game. She has broad shoulders, good strength, and she understands how to use her size and be physical. She also has nice length and catches/keeps the ball high on most occasions. When she needs a score, she prefers to play with her back to the basket and just power through defenders, but she is a willing face-up shooter in the mid-post.
Ashlee Schram, 2023, 6-3 C, Tipton H.S. (IN), IGB
While Faith Carson (above) is the more sought-after prospect, I felt like Ashlee had the best weekend of the traditional posts. She has size and strength, but her game is built around her hands, skill, and coordination. She has nice footwork, outstanding touch, and she can finish with a variety of moves around the basket or consistently knock down the 15 to 17-footer. She was also aggressive rebounding and blocking shots last weekend.
Kendal Taylor, 2023, 6-2 C, Concord H.S. (IN), Tipping Point
I talked about Kendal after the Derby City Duel, and I still believe Kendal is one of the lesser-known post prospects in Indiana at this time. She has a very strong and powerful frame, some length, and she understands where to be and when. She is just always in the right spot at the right time. She is a people-mover and prefers to play almost exclusively on the block, but she’s very good at establishing position and finishing inside.
Amber Tretter, 2023, 6-1 PF, Forest Park H.S. (IN), S.W.I.S.H. City
Amber is one of the best-kept secrets in Southern Indiana, and this July should be the first time she’s ever really played in front of Division-I coaches. She is extremely long, very bouncy, and she moves around the floor almost effortlessly. She still needs to get stronger, but her approach is to be physical, so she plays the game the right way. She’s also skilled facing the basket and can make rhythm jumpers to the 3-point line.
Kate Wenger, 2023, 5-11 PF, Evansville Mater Dei H.S. (IN), S.W.I.S.H. City
This Spring has been great for Kate so far, because she’s able to step outside of her area and play against other girls her size and bigger. She is a strong and physical power forward, a solid all-around athlete, but she also has nice skill in the mid-post. She can take and make jumpers consistently in the 15 to 17-foot range, she can take smaller defenders to the block, and she plays with a nice motor and is a willing defender.
Abbie Lucas, 2024, 6-0 PF, Bloomington H.S. South (IN), IGB
Abbie is an athletically built forward with good length, nice all-around athleticism, and a great motor. She sprints in transition and typically beats her matchup down the floor, she is active and aggressive on the boards, and she is a versatile defender who can take on most wings, forwards, and undersized posts. She has nice skill in the mid-post, and as she becomes more comfortable outside, she’s athletic enough to be a ‘3’.