Grassroots Wrap-Up: 16U
The featured image is of Eva Dodds Eva Dodds 5'8" | SG New Prairie | 2023 IN (2023) of New Prairie High School and Tipping Point 16U. With the 2021 grassroots season having ended a couple of weeks ago, I…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Eva Dodds Eva Dodds 5'8" | SG New Prairie | 2023 IN (2023) of New Prairie High School and Tipping Point 16U.
With the 2021 grassroots season having ended a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to finish introducing several of the state’s teams in four final articles related to this. The bigger programs in 17U-15U have already gotten their own articles, while some of the smaller programs and individual teams will be found in these articles summarizing the remaining teams in each of the same age groups, 17U-15U. Below is a look at a handful of 16U teams who stood out throughout the Spring & Summer of 2021.
DistinXion
Champions 16U
The
DistinXion
Champions program is operated by former Washington star Luke Zeller and family. They always have hard-working teams who also train a lot in their downtime. With regards to their 16U group, specifically,
Ava Sowder
Ava
Sowder
5'8" | SF
Eastern (Pekin) | 2023
IN
(2023) of Eastern (Pekin) stands out and appears in our 2023 Top-175 rankings. She is a long, fluidly athletic, and somewhat smooth wing who plays a variety of roles for this team and the Musketeers. She seemingly glides around the floor at times, slicing to the basket for scores, but she can also slide over and play a point forward position, initiate the offense, and find teammates. Defensively, she can take on most 2s, 3s, and even some undersized 4s. Mallory Barrow (2023) of Bloomington North is another intriguing prospect with this group. At 5-10, she has solid height for a wing, wiry strength, and she’s a solid all-around athlete in most directions. She is known as a perimeter shooter, so you must respect her outside, but she will get inside and rebound as well. Guard Emma McDivitt (2023) is also a Bloomington North Cougar, after moving in last season from Brownsburg. She is smaller (5-4), but she’s quick, she can shoot it a little from around the arc, and she plays with a nice motor.
Indiana Red Storm 16U
I didn’t get much of a chance to see this Red Storm team, but when I did watch them, there were a couple of girls who stood out. This Summer was my first time seeing Isyss Donelson (2024) of Lawrence Central. She is a strong, physical wing forward with a balanced skillset. She is programmed as a scorer, but she can handle it in transition, get downhill in the half-court, and create offense for herself or others. She can knock down the occasional outside jumper, but as soon as that becomes more consistent, look for her to be that much more difficult to defend. This was also my first chance to see Chanya Lambert (2023), after she put together a nice 2020-2021 Winter for Central Christian in Indianapolis. She is a small but compact scorer who can make shots at all three levels, and she can put up points in bunches. And Amya Bass (2024) of Avon was another nice, shorter playmaker who did some good things off the bounce. With this Red Storm group being mostly 2024s, if they can stick together, they could have a couple of nice years left on the circuit.
Lady Team Teague 16U
This Team Teague is one of the more talented 16U teams top to bottom in Indiana right now, but they probably don’t get enough attention and have several under-the-radar prospects at this time. They are also one of the few teams with talented size on their roster. 6-1 power forward
Taylor Guess
Taylor
Guess
6'1" | PF
Ben Davis | 2023
State
IN
(2023) and 6-3 post
Cristen Carter
Cristen
Carter
6'3" | C
Ben Davis | 2023
State
IN
(2023), both of Ben Davis, are as athletically talented of front-liners as you’ll find in Indiana in any class. Guess is a long, wiry-strong, run-and-jump athlete who plays with quickness and explosion in all directions, including vertically. She is most comfortable in the mid-post, she can also score it on the low-block, plus she’s a versatile defender who can protect the paint or defend some out on the floor. Carter is more of a true center. She likes to establish herself on the block, she has some strength, length, and good hands, and she’ll go to power moves to get to the basket to finish. Defensively, she’s a nice help-side defender who clogs the lane and blocks a lot of shots. From there,
Laniya Early
Laniya
Early
5'10" | SF
Lawrence North | 2023
State
IN
(2023) of Lawrence North was impressive in the times I saw her. She is an athletically built wing with good burst and some strength. She plays with a nice toughness to her game, and she is talented in transition, breaking down defenders and creating offense. She’ll also defend hard. Point guard
Talia Harris
Talia
Harris
5'8" | PG
Fishers | 2024
State
IN
(2024) of Fishers continues to get better and better as she gains strength and confidence. She has a unique ability to get into the paint and make the right decision. She’ll find teammates, but she can also finish with a variety of floaters/runners. I felt like
Giavonnie Belton
Giavonnie
Belton
5'7" | SG
Pike | 2023
State
IN
(2023) of Pike had a really nice Spring & Summer as well. She can score the ball at all three levels, and I like the pace she plays with. She’s a nice athlete, but she does a nice job of picking her spots to be explosive and attack aggressively. She also shot it well outside when I saw her. One youngster to keep an eye on for this coming season is 5-11 post
Jamaya Thomas
Jamaya
Thomas
6'1" | C
Lawrence North | 2025
State
IN
(2025) of Lawrence North. She is a strong, powerful, physical post who does a nice job of using her frame to carve out space. She has soft hands and can finish inside, plus she plays with a nice motor.
OPS 16U
The 16U OPS group was maybe as balanced and competitive as any of their teams this year. They have a little size, nice wings, and solid guard play. By all accounts, Huntington North wing
Taylor Double
Taylor
Double
5'10" | SF
Huntington North | 2023
State
IN
(2023) had a fantastic Summer. She is a really nice athlete with some explosiveness in all directions, but she also has a versatile skillset. In the past she has played anywhere from the mid-post to the perimeter, but this season she looked much more comfortable outside, knocking down shots consistently and attacking the basket with precision. I also thought
Kayla Gibbs
Kayla
Gibbs
5'7" | SG
Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 2023
State
IN
(2023) of Carroll (Fort Wayne) looked much-improved. She will need to take on a bigger role for the Chargers this Winter, but I think she’s up to it. She has tremendous length, wiry strength, and fluid athleticism in all directions. She can handle it some and run offense, she can attack the basket a little, and she can knock down open rhythm jumpers. 6-1 post
Skyla Tomasek
Skyla
Tomasek
6'2" | C
Norwell | 2023
State
IN
(2023) of Norwell is another prospect who could see a significant increase in opportunities this Winter, following a big 2021 graduating class for the Knights. She has a lot of length, but she’s strong and physical as well, she’s a nice facilitator out of the post, and she continues to show a developing perimeter game where she’s able to consistently knock down perimeter jumpers at the top of the key and in the long-corners. I also think
Olivia Waters
Olivia
Waters
5'11" | SF
Blackford | 2023
State
IN
(2023) of Blackford is another wing who could attract college attention from a variety of levels. She is an extremely long, skillful wing who plays with a great deal of versatility. She handles the ball and plays a point forward position for the Bruins, but with OPS she is more of a wing scorer who can knock down shots outside or attack and create offense for herself and others.
Tipping Point 16U
Tipping Point has been around for some time now in Northern Indiana, but they made a nice impression this year on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. 5-8 guard
Eva Dodds
Eva
Dodds
5'8" | SG
New Prairie | 2023
IN
(2023) of New Prairie was probably their best player, and certainly their most impactful perimeter player. She is a solid all-around athlete, and she has done a nice job of transitioning from more of a wing position at a younger age, to now being a primary ball-handler who can score it or create for others. 6-2 post Kendal Taylor (2023) of Concord ending up being the “right place, right time” type of post. She is highly productive at times because she establishes position early on the block, she’s strong/powerful, she keeps the ball high, and she can finish through contact. Another nice player who was actually playing “down” an age group is Madyson Gorball (2022) of Northridge. She has a fairly strong frame, she’s a solid athlete, and she plays with a really nice motor. She could provide added depth for an already strong Lady Raiders team, making them 9-10 deep this Winter.