Thursday Standouts (Part-2)
The featured image is of Lillian Barnes Lillian Barnes 5'11" | SF Valparaiso | 2026 State IN (2026) of Valparaiso High School and City Elite Red Devils 15U. This week marked the beginning of the July “live” periods, and more…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Lillian Barnes Lillian Barnes 5'11" | SF Valparaiso | 2026 State IN (2026) of Valparaiso High School and City Elite Red Devils 15U.
This week marked the beginning of the July “live” periods, and more than 100 teams from Indiana found themselves South of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, for the Run 4 Roses tournament. To follow are five additional ladies who I thought stood out for one reason or another with their play when I was able to see them on Thursday, July 7th.
Destini Craig
Destini
Craig
5'9" | PF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-9 F, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S.,
Always 100
Elite 16U
– Destini was a monster all tournament, not just on Thursday. She is so much stronger than many of her peers, and when you couple that with her athleticism and nonstop motor, she can cause a lot of problems for opponents at this level. She is kind of a ‘tweener, playing either forward position. She has a nose for the ball and hits the boards hard, she is great in the mid-post and short corners, but she can also attack the basket from the perimeter, and typically good things happen when she does.
Kaitlyn Hoff
Kaitlyn
Hoff
5'11" | PF
North Central (Indianapolis) | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-11 F, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis), Pocket City Basketball 16U
– Kaitlyn is a forward who is built on the combination of strength and athleticism. She plays with power around the block and in the paint, but she also can run and jump with most kids her age, plus she has an endless motor. She showed off her defensive abilities Thursday, and it changed the game, as she had a series of steals and rebounds that helped limit her opponent from New Jersey. Throughout the rest of the week, she scored it inside, plus she knocked down a couple of 3-pointers as well.
Ava Ziolkowski
Ava
Ziolkowski
6'1" | PF
Crown Point | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 6-1 F, Crown Point H.S., Indiana Elite Prime 16U
– Ava is one of the better prospects in 2024 few people are talking about…until now. She showed her usual deft touch from the perimeter against high-level competition, she battled through physical play and grabbed her share of rebounds, and she did a nice job of sitting down in a stance and defending the perimeter well at her size. She is a versatile face-up ‘4’ who could be great for pick-and-pop offenses at the next level because of her touch. It will be fun to see how her role increases this Winter.
Icesis Thomas
Icesis
Thomas
5'10" | SF
Kenwood | 2025
State
IL
, 2025, 5-9 F, Bishop Noll Institute, Gym Rats-Walker 15U
– For lack of a better comparison, Icesis reminds me of
Destini Craig
Destini
Craig
5'9" | PF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024
State
IN
(above) in a lot of ways. Icesis plays with that same, relentless motor, she is strong, physical, and tough as can be, and she is a problem at this level at both ends of the floor. She is strong attacking the basket to her right, as she barrels through her peers and finishes at the basket consistently. She has a little touch in the mid-post and short corners, and she grabs a ton of rebounds. She can also defend multiple positions at a high level.
Lillian Barnes
Lillian
Barnes
5'11" | SF
Valparaiso | 2026
State
IN
, 2026, 5-10 W, Valparaiso H.S., City Elite Red Devils 15U
– Lillian is one of the better 2026s in the state, and I got my first look at her last Fall at a showcase event. Thursday, she was really good on the ball, acting as a point forward for her team. She has a strong frame for her age, some length, and she’s a solid athlete in most directions. She has some touch outside, she is good off the dribble and can change directions with the ball, plus she has a nice mid-range game. I don’t know how much she’ll grow, but she’s already a really nice prospect.