A First Look: Homestead

Saturday, November 3rd, I had the opportunity to see Homestead when they traveled to Carmel, winning 64-43. It took Homestead about two and a half quarters to finally get a consistent rhythm and pull away, but in the end, the Spartans were just too much for Carmel. Homestead probably has the deepest, most versatile, and one of the most talented frontlines in all of Indiana. What impressed me most was how much the guards have improved and how they stepped up in this game. The Spartans are back in action Friday night, as they host a feisty and hot-starting Class 3A Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran in a SAC matchup. Below is a look at seven prospects who stood out against Carmel.   Sylare Starks, 2019, 5-8 W A year ago, it seemed to me like Sylare was trying to “fit in” at times throughout the year, as she had transferred in over the Summer of 2017. She also took on a lot more of the ball-handling responsibilities. This year she looks extremely comfortable within their system, and she is playing much more aggressive as a scorer. She is a strong, physical wing who can play on the ball, off the ball as a wing scorer, and she can even play in the mid-post when necessary and put her physicality to good use. She’s a capable perimeter shooter when open and in rhythm, but I like her much more as an athletic straight-line driver because she can go by / through people, and she’s great finishing around the basket. She is committed to Division-I Detroit Mercy.   Kara Gealy, 2019, 5-6 PG Kara has never been a real flashy, overwhelming athlete on the floor, but she’s one of the better game managers in the 2019 class. She rarely turns it over, she commands the offense, and she can knock down open jumpers with consistency. She has good speed / quickness, and she is starting to play with a lot more feistiness. I just like how she always gets her teammates into the correct spots offensively, and she delivers the ball on-time / on-target. She did look to attack the rim a little more against Carmel, and I’m guessing she’ll score it a lot more consistently this season. She has committed to Division-II Tiffin in Ohio.   [caption id="attachment_17630" align="alignright" width="217"] Senior Forward Haley Swing[/caption] Haley Swing, 2019, 6-0 F I thought Haley looked like one of the most improved players in the state, regardless of class, over the Summer. She has always been slender, but she played with a much more physical mentality, her motor has been tremendous over the last eight months, and she is willingly battling stronger girls on a regular basis. She is a fluid athlete with great length, and while she typically has been a nice mid-range to perimeter shooter who can glide by defenders, I absolutely love her recent play inside of 10-feet. She’s rebounding it at a higher clip, and she’s scoring it around the basket much more effectively. She has committed to Division-II Grand Valley State in Michigan.   Sydney Graber, 2020, 6-0 F Sydney is a unique blend of size, strength, and skill. She is strong enough and physical enough to play around the basket, but she is one of the best perimeter shooters in the class of 2020, even though she’s built like more of a power player. She has also handled it much better over the last year, and she has a nice feel for the game and all-around basketball IQ. Her shot selection around the perimeter has improved with maturity, and her finish moves around the basket have gotten a lot better as well. I think she’s one of the toughest matchups on this team for opponents because of her versatility. She has already given a verbal commitment to Central Michigan in the MAC.   Rylie Parker, 2020, 5-6 G I hadn’t seen Rylie since last Winter, and she has done some really nice things to improve her game. It looks like she’s improved her quickness and athleticism, she looks much more confident with the ball in her hands, and she’s shooting it very well. Homestead uses her more off the ball right now, but they run her through a gauntlet of screen-the-screener and staggered screens to get her open, and if she gets even a ray of light, she’s knocking down the shot in rhythm. Like Graber (above), Rylie has already given an early verbal commitment, as she will attend Division-I Purdue Fort Wayne.   [caption id="attachment_17631" align="alignleft" width="211"] Freshman Wing Ayanna Patterson[/caption] Grace Sullivan, 2021, 5-4 G Grace played sparingly against Carmel, as Starks, Gealy, and Parker (all above) all played extremely well that game. Grace transferred into Homestead from Fort Wayne Canterbury over the Summer, so as she gets acclimated to the system, I think we’ll see more of her as the season progresses. She is smallish, but she has good speed and quickness, she is feisty, and she knows how to run the team efficiently. She does a nice job of pushing the ball up the floor with some urgency, then getting her team into offense if transition opportunities aren’t there. She’ll also be a pest at the defensive end of the floor.   Ayanna Patterson, 2022, 6-4 W It’s one thing to watch Ayanna play 16U grassroots basketball as a 14-year old and look really solid against top competition. It’s another thing to watch her play in a high school setting against “normal” competition and stand out. Her athleticism, skill, and poise for a Freshman is second-to-none right now, as she led all scorers in this game while having to sit for a stretch due to being briefly hurt. She has tremendous length, fluidity, and explosiveness, and she can even handle the ball and initiate offense for them. She has solid shooting mechanics, but when she develops a consistent 3-ball, there won’t be many people at all who can defend her 1-on-1. She has already garnered over 25 Division-I offers.   Header photo of Homestead's athletics logo courtesy of Homestead's athletics Twitter account. Photo of Haley Swing courtesy of news-sentinel.com. Photo of Ayanna Patterson courtesy of the Patterson family and Always 100.