Midseason Mentions (16U)
The featured image is of Rachel Harshman Rachel Harshman 6'0" | PF Mooresville | 2024 State IN (2024) of Mooresville High School and Indiana Blaze 16U. Now that we are through Memorial Weekend, the Spring season of grassroots basketball has…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Rachel Harshman Rachel Harshman 6'0" | PF Mooresville | 2024 State IN (2024) of Mooresville High School and Indiana Blaze 16U.
Now that we are through Memorial Weekend, the Spring season of grassroots basketball has concluded. Kids now return to their high school programs for open gyms, shootouts, showcases, and elite camps in June, before returning for the July 6-12 “live” period events. I wanted to take this time and catch up on some observations I’ve made throughout the Spring season with regards to the 16U teams and participants.
TOP 16U TEAMS
To this point, there are three teams who have really stood out to me at the 16U level. The Always 100 Elite group has great talent, depth, size, and a very dynamic backcourt drawing a lot of the attention. 5-6 point guard Jordyn Poole Jordyn Poole 5'6" | PG Fort Wayne Snider | 2024 State IN (2024) and 5-7 guard Joh’nea Donahue Joh’nea Donahue 5'8" | SG Fort Wayne Snider | 2024 State IN (2024), both of Fort Wayne Snider, have each been big reasons for this team’s success throughout the Spring. Poole has been one of the best guards in the state these last two years, regardless of class, and her dynamic playmaking and ability to defend have already secured her a number of high-major Division-I offers. Donahue has really stepped up of late, and she is starting to see the rewards of Division-I offers and interest from varying levels. She is a fairly strong, athletic, tough-nosed, and versatile scorer. 6-1 forward Lauren Gerken (2024) of Liberty-Benton (OH) might be a Buckeye, but she gives as much or more to this team at times as anyone. She is a nice athlete, tough-nosed, and she can flat out score the ball at all three levels. She has sort of a European style of multilevel face-up ‘4’ game offensively. Youngster Maya Makalusky Maya Makalusky 6'3" | SF Hamilton Southeastern | 2025 State IN (2025) of Hamilton Southeastern was a midseason addition last year, and she fulfills her role well. At 6-3, she sees over defenses, and she burns them equally well with her quick release and ability to stretch the defense with her perimeter shooting. This group has beaten nearly everyone who has stood in their way.
The Indiana Blaze have been every bit as dominant as the Always 100 group, and they are doing so with only three members of the 2024 class. Everyone else is 2025 (4), or 2026 (2). 6-1 wing Jaylah Lampley Jaylah Lampley 6'2" | SF Lawrence Central | 2025 State IN (2025) of Lawrence Central has been consistently great throughout the Spring, and she’s doing more and more off the bounce, creating for herself and teammates. She’s also a versatile defender who can take on two to three positions equally well. 5-7 point guard Laila Abdurraqib Laila Abdurraqib 5'7" | PG Lawrence Central | 2025 State IN (2025) of Lawrence Central is returning to form, following missing a great deal of time with an injury. She is a strong, tough-nosed, but athletic and skillful kid who can create or score it from all three levels. Winter high school fans have yet to see her play, but they’ll get plenty of opportunities the next three years. 6-0 front-liner Rachel Harshman Rachel Harshman 6'0" | PF Mooresville | 2024 State IN (2024) of Mooresville gives this team a physical and aggressive presence in the paint, she plays with a nonstop motor, but she can also step outside and knock down jumpers when her defender sags to help. 5-7 point guard Ryiah Wilson Ryiah Wilson 5'8" | CG South Bend Washington | 2025 State IN (2025) of South Bend Washington has also been playing at a high level. She is an elite defender who can guard the ball all 84-feet. She has length, wiry strength, and great speed & quickness. Offensively, she needs to learn to change speeds a little better, but otherwise she can cause havoc off the bounce.
It is rare that you hear of Indiana teams known primarily for their frontcourt play, but Indiana Elite Prime is built around their frontcourt combinations. 6-3 forward Faith Wiseman Faith Wiseman 6'4" | PF Indian Creek | 2024 State IN (2024) of Indian Creek has really come into her own this year with added strength. She’s playing much more confidently, more aggressively offensively, and she’s being more physical as well. She has tremendous length, wiry strength, and she plays with good speed and a little bounce in her step. She is great facing the basket, and her range comfortably extends to the 3-point line. 6-6 center Avery Gordon Avery Gordon 6'6" | C Brownsburg | 2025 State IN (2025) of Brownsburg has also come a long way over the past year. She has great size and strength, nice length, and she’s starting to show off a more consistent and well-rounded skillset on the low block. She still needs a little work, but the amount of growth she’s shown from one year to the next has been tremendous. I’ve also always been a fan of 6-1 forward Ava Ziolkowski Ava Ziolkowski 6'1" | PF Crown Point | 2024 State IN (2024) of Crown Point. I still think she’s a little under the radar in terms of her recruiting, as she has a solid frame, great length, and very nice touch around the perimeter. She could be a little more dynamic off the bounce, but her ability to pick-and-pop and make shots is a dangerous weapon. 5-11 forward Ayla Krygier Ayla Krygier 6'0" | SF Lake Central | 2025 State IN (2025) of Lake Central is another frontline player who gives this group versatility. She is a tough-nosed, strong, active, yet skillful inside-out kid. She can knock down a 3-pointer, attack the basket against bigger defenders, but she’s also a grinder who will get inside and rebound/defend against girls much bigger than herself.
DOUBLE “UP”
Later this month we will be releasing our first watchlist for the 2026 class. In the meantime, three of the absolute best 2026s in this state are playing “up” two age groups with great success. 6-3 wing Lola Lampley (2026) is a unique combination of size, strength, and physicality, but she also possesses athleticism, skill, and a nice understanding of the game. She has the potential to build her frame into something overwhelmingly powerful for not only her peers, but against older prospects as well. She has solid ball skills, the ability to get through traffic and score at the basket, plus she has some touch around the perimeter. She rebounds her position well, and she can block shots at the defensive end of the floor, but despite her size and appearance, she is on a path to be one of the top wing prospects in the country in 2026, if not the best. She will attend Lawrence Central High School and already holds a number of high-major Division-I offers.
With that said, 5-7 point guard Kamrah Banks Kamrah Banks 5'9" | PG Crispus Attucks | 2026 State IN (2026) is another elite prospect on the national level, and she too already holds Division-I offers from too many schools to count. She is quick, fast, and explosive, she has nice length, wiry strength, and a creative mind. She can break you down with the dribble, get to the basket and finish, or pull up and knock down the mid-range jumper. Her range should come over time, and as she adds a consistent perimeter stroke, she’s going to be that much tougher off the bounce. She can make tough passes to teammates through small windows, and she sees the floor well, scanning side to side, as she brings the ball up the floor. She is a solid on-ball defender, and she does it with effort, but I think she can be elite at that end of the floor once she plays with a little more of a sense of urgency defensively. She is from Indianapolis and has grown up in the Franklin Township school district.
The third of these prospects is 6-0 forward Aniyah McKenzie (2026). She does so many good things on the floor, that you either get caught up watching her production and forget she’s just an 8th Grader, or you’re wowed by what she’s capable of at her size and strength. She has a strong frame, good length, but she’s also very active and athletic in all directions. She plays with a tremendous motor, she’s sort of a “glue” kid in some ways, because her effort and willingness to do a lot of the “little things” other people don’t want to do stand out. She’s a willing rebounder, a solid interior defender, and she’ll get on the floor for loose balls. At the same time, she has great touch in the mid-post and short-corners, and she can extend that to the arc, plus she has a solid handle, she can get to the rim off the bounce, and she’s very unselfish. Additionally, she will also sit in a stance and defend guards and wings. Aniyah has Division-I offers already, and she will attend Lawrence Central High School.
KEEP AN EYE ON…
There have been several ladies in the 16U division stand out throughout the Spring, so I’ve limited it to just five who really “pop” when I think about how they’ve played. The first is 5-8 wing Emma Hendricks Emma Hendricks 5'8" | SF Brownsburg | 2024 State IN (2024) of Brownsburg and Indiana Showcase Red. She is such a dangerous perimeter shooter, you really can’t give her any space because she gets rhythm way too easily. She can stretch the defense by knocking down several 3-pointers a game, but her team shoots it so well she ends up open more often than not. She is starting to put it on the floor a little better, and as she becomes more of a complete scorer, it will really benefit from a recruiting standpoint, because we know she can bury it from 20-feet. Then there is 5-6 point guard Avery Kelley Avery Kelley 5'6" | PG Evansville Memorial | 2024 State IN (2024) of Evansville Memorial and Pocket City Basketball. She has really taken off during the month of May, playing well against some of the nation’s better programs. She is tough-nosed, feisty, and plays with a great motor. She can knock down shots from the 3-point line and in the mid-range, and she is one of the best guards I’ve seen in a while at getting inside, jump-stopping, and playing out of a “dead” pivot. She can find teammates or score around defenders at the basket. She’s also gritty at the defensive end of the floor and willingly rebounds her position.
Next is probably 5-9 wing Adrianne Tolen Adrianne Tolen 5'10" | SF West Lafayette | 2024 State IN (2024) of West Lafayette and PAC Flight North-Robbins. More than anything, just her participation in grassroots basketball this year will help her recruiting. But she has a great frame, strength, length, and she’s a nice athlete with some bounce to her. She can handle the ball like a point forward and create offense for herself or others, and she can play off the ball and act as more of a shooter/scorer for her team. I also like her defensive versatility. 5-5 combo guard Sophia Morrison Sophia Morrison 5'6" | CG Eastbrook | 2024 State IN (2024) of Eastbrook and Always 100 -Gamble is another lesser-known prospect who colleges better get on sooner rather than later. She is one of the last people in the state I would want to play H-O-R-S-E against, but you wouldn’t know it because she’s usually defended hard, and she doesn’t force shots. This Spring she is handling the ball a lot more, acting as a facilitator, and she does a really nice job of balancing that with her ability to shoot/score. She is strong, tough-nosed, and will be a really nice addition at the next level. Lastly, I want to point out 5-5 guard Amaya Collins (2024) of Frankton and Lady Team Teague. Amaya isn’t very big, but she can really shoot it. She has nice length, quickness, and she can get by defenders, but it’s her ability to move without the basketball and find open space, then bury shot after shot with limited space that stands out to me. She is a threat just about anywhere on the offensive end of the floor because of it. She has also stepped up a bit defensively this Spring, and she’s attacking the ball with more comfort and discipline out away from the arc.