Prospect Review: Underclassmen
I wanted to take the opportunity and write about eleven prospects from the classes of 2021 and 2022 who I’ve seen lately. These aren’t all of the underclassmen prospects I’ve seen, but they are a handful who I thought stood…
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Continue ReadingI wanted to take the opportunity and write about eleven prospects from the classes of 2021 and 2022 who I’ve seen lately. These aren’t all of the underclassmen prospects I’ve seen, but they are a handful who I thought stood out for one reason or another.
Ava Gardner, 2021, 5-6 G, Frankton H.S.
Ava is the younger sister of Addie Gardner (Frankton Class of 2020), and Ava looks like she’s starting to hit that same growth spurt Addie did last year. Ava has good length, she’s fluid and fairly athletic, and she’s built a little broader and stronger than Addie. Ava is also a capable perimeter shooter, but she’s much more of a true guard and better with the ball in her hands running offense and creating for others. As her game continues to mature and she gets stronger, I see her becoming more of a scorer next year for Frankton, if not by this Spring & Summer. She definitely has the chance to become a nice combo guard prospect for the next level.
Kyra Kennedy (#25) of Northfield
Kyra Kennedy, 2021, 5-6 W, Northfield H.S.
Kyra is an intriguing prospect because of her physical ability. She is very long, extremely bouncy, and she has end-to-end speed and quickness as well. She plays so much taller than she is because of her explosiveness, that you think she’s about 5-8 or 5-9 at times. Defensively, she can guard multiple types of players effectively, and she’s great in trapping situations or getting deflections / steals from help-side. Offensively, she will need more work on her handle and perimeter jumper, but she can blow by defenders and slash to the basket for easy scores. She needs some refinement, but she has a tremendous amount of ability and potential to work with.
Heather Pautler, 2021, 5-9 W, Daleville H.S.
Heather’s arrival at Daleville has helped them from a program who hasn’t had a winning season since 2012-2013, to one that has won 11 games so far this season and has a good chance at a Sectional title for the first time in the 2000s. Heather has a wiry strong frame, she’s a fluid athlete in all directions, and she’s a skillful wing who can get to the basket or knock down open perimeter jumpers consistently. This season she’s averaging 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.1 steals, while shooting 41% from 3 (22-54). If she can continue to develop her skillset, especially her handle, and if she can gain muscle-weight, I think she has a chance to be a really nice college wing.
Chloee Thomas, 2021, 6-0 F/C, Frankton H.S.
Chloee ended up being an early Christmas present for Frankton, as she transferred in this season from Hamilton Heights and gave the Eagles a post presence they would have otherwise sorely missed on this year’s roster. Chloee is a strong, physical, and fairly athletic interior player. She plays with a good motor, seeks contact, and she can score around the paint or in the mid-post facing the basket. She has soft hands and good feet, and I think as she matures, she can become either a face-up ‘5’ or more of a true power forward. She’s definitely a kid to keep an eye on going forward.
Lauryn Bates of Frankton
Morgan Viney, 2021, 5-8 F, Carroll H.S. (Flora)
Morgan seems like a tireless worker who gets a lot of rebounds she probably shouldn’t because of her motor. She plays much bigger than she is, she’s a solid athlete in all directions, and she is an effective scorer in the mid-post and around the basket. Ultimately, I think she’s more of an undersized ‘4’, but she’s still young, so if she can develop some sort of perimeter game, she could become more of a physical wing who can play inside-out.
Megan Wagner, 2021, 5-8 W, Carroll H.S. (Flora)
Megan is another high-motor kid for Carroll, but she’s a bit longer and much more active around the perimeter. She has good athleticism, even some bounce to her game, and she’s a capable perimeter shooter when set and in rhythm. Megan can also attack the basket off the bounce, and she’s sort of a perimeter scorer who can also play in the mid-post when necessary. I think as her game matures and she gets more dynamic with the basketball, she could possibly become more of a true guard, especially if she can prove to defend the ball a little better.
Lauryn Bates, 2022, 5-7 W, Frankton H.S.
Lauryn is another nice, young prospect for this Frankton team. She has length, fluidity, and athleticism, and she plays with a good motor. To me, she’s sort of like a point forward who can knock down the open jumper. She handles it some and runs offense, she can slash to the basket, and she just comes with so much versatility that she can sub in for just about anyone except a post and find a role. At her size, she will need to become more of a pure guard, but she’s young and has plenty of time to develop. I like her a lot and think she could be a really nice prospect down the road.
Emma Good, 2022, 5-6 G, Taylor H.S.
Emma is a very long and active combo guard who does a little of everything well. She is a capable shooter who has hit some big shots for them this year without hesitation, she can handle the ball comfortably and run offense, she can create shots for herself or others, and she’s a versatile defender who uses her length well to bother opposing ball-handlers. As she matures, she will need to get a bit stronger and more physical, and she could stand to make her ball-handling just a little more dynamic and explosive. But I think she has the tools to develop into a nice college prospect.
Kelsi Langley of Taylor
Kelsi Langley, 2022, 5-9 W, Taylor H.S.
I really like Kelsi’s game and her upside. She is extremely long, somewhat bouncy, fluid, and athletic in all directions. She’s a little thin and strength will be necessary for the next level, but she’s obviously still very young. She is a knockdown shooter outside who you just can’t let breathe, because she has range and confidence well-beyond the 3-point line already. She’s capable attacking the basket off the bounce, but I think as she gets stronger, that part of her game will take off, and she’ll become more of a pure scorer instead of being a jump-shooter. She has the potential to draw some Division-I onlookers this Spring and Summer on the grassroots circuit.
Lilly Maple, 2022, 5-6 G, Maconaquah H.S.
Lilly was a welcomed addition to the Maconaquah lineup, as they have been searching for a solid point guard for years now. While Lilly is probably more of a combo guard in recruiting terms, she does handle it a lot and run offense for Maconaquah. She has solid strength for her age, good all-around athleticism, she still might grow an inch or two, and she’s a solid perimeter shooter who can also score attacking the basket. She’s one of those kids who is just solid at most everything, but she will need to make one or two things a little more dynamic and find her niche for the next level.
Alexandra Merritt, 2022, 5-9 F, Maconaquah H.S.
Alexandra is a nice compliment to Lilly Maple (above). She is a wiry strong, fairly athletic, somewhat physical forward who can play a little around the perimeter but is great in the mid-post. She is very active, she battles on the boards, and she can knock down a 15-footer consistently. I think as her game matures, she will begin to stretch her range towards the perimeter. She could stand to change directions a little better off the dribble, but she’s still young and has probably always been bigger and been an interior player. Ultimately, I think she’s either a face-up ‘4’ or a physical wing in the years to come.
Header photo of Heather Pautler (#24 in white) of Daleville High School; photo courtesy of dalevillesports.com. Photo of Kyra Kennedy courtesy of wabashplaindealer.com. Photo of Lauryn Bates courtesy of photos.heraldbulletin.com. Photo of Kelsi Langley courtesy of kokomotribune.com.