Checking In On 2018
The Class of 2018 in Indiana was a very solid group throughout high school, and as recruits there was a nice combination of great guard play, steady wing play, and skillful front-liners. It was a talented but balanced group altogether,…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2018 in Indiana was a very solid group throughout high school, and as recruits there was a nice combination of great guard play, steady wing play, and skillful front-liners. It was a talented but balanced group altogether, so it’s to no one’s surprise that they began their college careers with consistent play. And, based on graduation losses, it looks like several of them could be candidates for bigger roles as Sophomores. Below is a look at how our Top-10 prospects performed during their Freshmen years of college. They are arranged alphabetically by last name.
Angel Baker, Pike H.S., Wright State University
Angel has always been a dynamic offensive weapon, capable of scoring it in bunches or finding the open teammate for easy baskets. She plays with a great deal of athletic talent as well. This season, she helped Wright State to a 27-7 record, winning both the regular season title and the conference tournament in the Horizon League. She played in all 34 games, didn’t start at all, but was a scoring threat off the bench, averaging 9.6 points per game. She also added 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, and she knocked down 77% of her free throws.
Mackenzie Blazek, Whiteland Community H.S., University of Illinois
Mackenzie is a tremendously skillful true post, who can score in a variety of ways on the block or facing the basket in the mid-post, plus she plays with a great motor and a lot of physicality. This season, Illinois finished with just a 10-20 record, but it was the most wins they’ve seen since the 2014-2015 season, and things are looking up for the Illini in the near future. Mackenzie played in all 30 games, she started 3 of them, and she averaged 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting right at 50% from the field.
Leigha Brown, DeKalb H.S., University of Nebraska
Leigha is a long, rangy wing who put up huge scoring numbers throughout her high school career. She is a fluid athlete with range well-beyond the 3-point line, and she was highly sought after because of her shooting ability. This season, the Cornhuskers finished with a 14-16 record, but they played several younger players and will return nearly everyone. Leigha played in all 30 games for Nebraska, starting six, and she averaged 9.6 points per game. She also added 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while shooting 73% from the free throw line.
Nia Clark, Ben Davis H.S., Miami University (Ohio)
Nia is a strong, physical, athletic combo guard who had a really nice career at Ben Davis. She can score it in bunches, but she can create for others as well. This season, she got off to a quick start, but she injured her knee and is petitioning the NCAA for a medical redshirt. All-in-all, Nia helped Miami to a 23-9 record. She was able to play in nine games, starting six of them, and she was scoring at a 10.6 point per game clip when she went down. She also averaged 2.7 rebounds per game, and she shot 78% from the line and 44% from beyond the arc.
Amy Dilk, Carmel H.S., University of Michigan
Amy is the 2018 Indiana Miss Basketball, and she is a long, fluid, and smooth point guard with good size and great instincts/feel for the game. She was a starter from Day-1 at Carmel, and she rarely disappointed with her play. This season, Michigan posted a 22-12 record, but they ran into the buzz saw that was the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA Tournament. Amy was a regular in the lineup, starting 29 of the 31 games in which she saw action. She averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, plus she led the Wolverines with 4.4 assists per game.
Katlyn Gilbert, Heritage Christian School, University of Notre Dame
Katlyn is a long, fluid, and smooth wing guard who can really score the ball. She’s an accurate perimeter shooter with a nice stroke, and she was a McDonald’s All-American. On a Notre Dame team that finished 35-4 and National Runners-Up, Katlyn was a key bench performer through the first seven games, but she ultimately required shoulder surgery and has received a medical redshirt for this season. Notre Dame didn’t sub often, so her 3.6 points per game led all Irish bench players. She also averaged 2.1 rebounds and shot 75% from the free throw line.
Emily Kiser, Noblesville H.S., University of Michigan
A one-time travel teammate and county rival of Amy Dilk’s (above), Emily also attends the University of Michigan. Emily is a strong but mobile, highly skilled face-up ‘4’ with good touch and a nice feel for the game. She played a limited role for the Wolverines this season, but I would anticipate her seeing much more action in the coming years, as they graduate a key front-liner and have another who will be a Senior in 2019-2020. Emily played in 18 games this year, averaging 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She also shot a solid 71% from the free throw line.
Tomi Taiwo, Carmel H.S., University of Iowa
Tomi has an intriguing high school story. Early on in her career, she was a raw athlete who possessed a great deal of talent. But it was during her Junior year that she really turned a corner skillfully, and heading into her Senior year her recruiting exploded. She played on a talented 29-7 Iowa team that made it to the Elite-8 this year, so her role was somewhat limited, but I’d expect her to see more action in the near future. She played in 19 games, and she averaged 1.4 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. She did shoot an impressive 44% from 3-point range.
Kayana Traylor, Martinsville H.S., Purdue University
Kayana is a strong and aggressive scoring point guard, and she had an outstanding career at Martinsville High School. She is athletic, tough-nosed, and she plays with a good motor. She put together a really nice Freshman campaign for a 19-15 Boilermaker squad, and her future looks bright in gold & black. Kayana started 22 of the 33 games she played in, averaging 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, while shooting a respectable 71% from the free throw line. She was also second on the team with a 3.6 assist per game average.
Michaela “K.K.” White, Pike H.S., Wabash Valley College
“K.K.” is a wiry strong and extremely athletic combo forward who could run and jump with the best of them in Indiana’s 2018 class. She has both post and perimeter skill, but she’s ideal in the mid-post where she can attack the basket. “K.K.” helped Wabash Valley to a 31-0 regular season, but they fell in the Elite-8 of the NJCAA Division-I Tournament, and they finished 32-1 on the season. “K.K.” played in 24 games, starting five of them, and she averaged 10.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 76% from the charity stripe.