Regional Review: Underclassmen
Saturday I was able to see the morning games of the Charlestown Regional. Salem knocked off defending State Runner-Up Greensburg, while Gibson Southern took care of Vincennes Lincoln. Below is a look at eight Sophomores and Freshmen from the two…
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Continue ReadingSaturday I was able to see the morning games of the Charlestown Regional. Salem knocked off defending State Runner-Up Greensburg, while Gibson Southern took care of Vincennes Lincoln. Below is a look at eight Sophomores and Freshmen from the two games who stood out to me. Prospects are arranged by graduating class, then alphabetically by last name.
Taylor Cooney, 2021, 5-6 PG, Greensburg H.S.
I have always been a big fan of Taylor’s, and I think she’s a little undervalued by people who follow Greensburg, because she doesn’t necessarily put up the same numbers as Evans, Wilkison, or Morrison. Taylor is a traditional point guard, she has very good length, and she is fluid in all directions, plus she’s fairly quick. She has a nice feel for the game, and she can create for others…she’s almost too unselfish at times. She also possesses a solid jump-shot and is becoming more of a threat around the perimeter, plus she’s taking contact a little better this year. She looked a couple of inches taller to me Saturday than she did throughout the grassroots season.
Maycee Lange, 2021, 6-0 F, Vincennes Lincoln H.S.
Maycee flashed a great deal of potential last Summer, and now she has come full-circle and become a legitimate Division-I prospect. She has a strong frame, some length, and she’s athletic in all directions. She plays with a good motor and toughness, but sometimes she gets caught playing almost “too hard” and needs to understand situations and tone just a little better. However, what impresses me the most with her game this year, is she’s starting to be a legitimate threat around the perimeter. She is shooting a good percentage when she’s open, patient, and in rhythm, and the fact she has developed from a back-to-the-basket ‘4’ into a face-up ‘4’ could really draw a lot of college attention this Spring.
Kami Miller
Kami Miller, 2021, 5-9 W, Gibson Southern H.S.
I had seen Kami play some with her grassroots team last season, and she was solid, but I was told I needed to watch her a little more, and I’m glad I did. She is so long, fairly athletic North / South, and she is versatile. Defensively, she is probably a ‘3’, but she makes a lot of plays with her length. Offensively, she has ball skills and plays almost a point forward position for Gibson Southern. She is always on the attack off the bounce, looking to get to the rim and find open teammates. She plays hard as well, but the next step for her is to get a little stronger and take contact a little better as she goes through the lane. She is a capable perimeter shooter as well, so she is threat in just about every way offensively.
Karly Sweeney, 2021, 5-6 W, Salem H.S.
Saturday was my first time seeing Karly play, and I really like what she brings to her team. She is a power wing who can play off the ball and score it, but she also showed the ability to handle it in transition and initiate the offense. She is strong, tough-nosed, and plays with a motor. She is a one-directional athlete when attacking the rim, so she’ll need to work on changing directions a little smoother, but she plays much taller than she is and rebounds well for her position. I just think she contributes in a lot of different ways for Salem, and she’s probably one of those kids you don’t necessarily game-plan for as an opposing coach considering their other weapons, but in the end, she’s probably the one who beats you more times than not.
Anna West, 2021, 6-0 C, Greensburg H.S.
Anna plays off the bench at times for Greensburg, but she’s essentially their sixth starter and does a nice job of bringing some size and physicality on the interior to a smaller lineup. She isn’t a big scorer, but she is opportunistic and will grab offensive rebounds and score them, or she’ll get shots because of her guards’ penetration. She is physical though, she seems to play hard, and she creates a paint presence defensively that really helps shore up Greensburg’s defense. I already think she’s a solid small college post prospect, but if she can develop a go-to move and a counter, that could really help her recruiting.
Melina Wilkison
Melina Wilkison, 2021, 5-6 W, Greensburg H.S.
Melina is all energy and all motor all the time. She is a quick / fast and fairly athletic wing, she is an aggressive scorer, and she can put up points in bunches. She isn’t huge, and 5-6 might actually be generous, but she is highly productive. She can handle it and attack the basket, she can knock down the open jumper, and she can be a pest defensively. For her to be an effective college player, especially at 5-6, she’ll need to get a little stronger, and she’ll need to work on her ball skill and how to change speeds. I think it would benefit her to show combo guard abilities instead of just being a high-motor scorer. But, in the end, she is tremendous at times for Greensburg and is just a Sophomore.
Dani Kroeger, 2022, 5-5 PG, Vincennes Lincoln H.S.
When I saw Lincoln the other day, I knew the “usual suspects”, but Dani was new to me and impressive at times. She is a solid, skilled, and fairly disciplined point guard who played good minutes for them. She has quickness and athleticism, and she seemed to be head-up most of the time looking for open teammates. She has some length and can causes problems defensively as well, but I was most impressed with her poise in a Regional game and her ability to take care of the ball and run offense. I think going forward her role will increase, but the one area she’ll need to improve upon is shooting it consistently from the perimeter. If she can be a real threat out there and keep defenses honest, I think she could be a viable third option for Lincoln next season.
Natalie Noel, 2022, 5-9 F, Salem H.S.
I had Natalie’s name written down as someone to keep on the radar in 2022, but Saturday was my first time seeing her. She is a nice athlete on the wing, she has a wiry strong frame that should get stronger, and she didn’t seem like much of a Freshman out there and played with confidence and poise. She has solid ball skills and can handle it some in transition, she likes to attack off the dribble, but she is also willing to play inside some and score it in the mid-post or battle on the boards. I think as she matures, she could develop into a strong wing with some guard skills. I didn’t get a chance to see her shoot many jumpers, so I would like to see that part of her game, but she is certainly a nice young talent.
Header photo of Taylor Cooney of Greensburg High School; photo courtesy of James Howell, Jr., at the Greensburg Daily News. Photo of Kami Miller courtesy of the Sky Digg 2K20 Twitter account. Photo of Melina Wilkison courtesy of the Greensburg Daily News.