Flight Invitational Review: Class of 2020
Last Saturday was the annual Indiana Flight Invitational. It is typically a really nice event, featuring most/all of the Indiana Flight teams, as well as many of the other top programs in the state. This year it saw programs like…
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Continue ReadingLast Saturday was the annual Indiana Flight Invitational. It is typically a really nice event, featuring most/all of the Indiana Flight teams, as well as many of the other top programs in the state. This year it saw programs like IGB, Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H., Indiana’s Best, Lady Aces, Lady Region Elite, Nike Lady Gym Rats, Shelby Sting, and Sky Digg Elite all represented in the high school divisions. Below is a look at eight young ladies from the Class of 2020 who I wanted to point out from their play last Saturday.
Shaelynn Bell, 6-0 C, Terre Haute North Vigo H.S., Indiana Flight West
Shaelynn is someone who has intrigued me over the last three years, but there’s something about her play this Spring that is just different. She’s playing with more of a sense of urgency, and she just looks more engaged and active at both ends of the floor. When you first watch her, you’re drawn to her appearance because she just looks like a ballplayer. She has long arms, long legs, and a wiry strong frame. She runs the floor North/South with some ease, and she is fairly mobile laterally as well. She could definitely stand to be a more aggressive and consistent scorer, but she does have solid skill on the low-block and in the mid-post. I think her value right now is as a rebounder/defender, but as her offensive skill continues to develop, she could become a nice small college mismatch.
Michaela Cox, 6-0 F/C, Terre Haute South Vigo H.S., Indiana Flight West
This was my first time ever seeing Michaela play, and she was incredibly intriguing to me. I definitely still need to see more of her to better evaluate her all-around offensive skillset, but she certainly possesses very good length, some bounce, and fluid athleticism in all directions. She is more of a defender/rebounder right now, as she can defend the interior and provide a shot-blocking presence. But she also moves well enough to step out and defend forwards and even some wings on the perimeter. Offensively, she looked most comfortable in the mid-post, but again that looks like the area of her game that probably needs the most work right now. I really like her upside for the next level, but I’ve also heard she’s a talented volleyball player who might choose that route instead.
Aliyah Evans, 5-10 F, Greensburg H.S., Indiana Flight Storm
Aliyah is the perfect combination of power, grit, toughness, physicality, but also finesse and skill. She is built like a power forward, and if you don’t watch her long enough, you’ll think that’s her primary role, because she’s a willing and capable rebounder, and she likes to power through smaller defenders for scores in the paint. But the more you watch her play, you realize she handles and passes it like a wing and can play almost a point forward position at times in transition or in the half-court. She has some touch, especially in the mid-post, but she can knock down the occasionally 3-pointer. I really like how she’s picking her spots this Spring and understanding when to do what skillfully and not forcing action.
Kenna Hisle, 5-10 W, Evansville North H.S., Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H.
My opportunity to see Evansville area kids is limited to the Spring and Summer mostly, so I’m always excited to see them each Spring because there’s a lot of opportunity for their game to change a great deal in a year’s time. Kenna is such a case, as I was really impressed with her play last weekend. She has always been a nice ballplayer and a solid talent, but I was most excited about how much quicker-footed she looked, plus she appeared to be a little leaner, longer, and just more explosive in all directions. I’ve always considered her as more of a point forward, but I think she has transitioned nicely into being more of a traditional off-guard with good ball-handling and passing ability. She can score it at all levels, and I think she has gone a little hidden being down in the “Pocket City”.
Toree Jackson, 6-0 F, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis), Lady Aces/The Factory
Toree is very intriguing to me, and she’s a bit of a “sleeper” as far as recruiting goes because she doesn’t get much floor time on a deep North Central team. She is incredibly long, wiry strong, and athletic in all directions. She seems to want to be more of a wing, and she’s a willing perimeter shooter, but she could stand to be more consistent from beyond the arc. When she needs a basket, however, she looks to either attack the basket aggressively, or she goes to the post and works against smaller defenders. Ultimately, I think she’s a really nice, versatile, mid-post ‘4’, who can also post up inside or step out and knock down an occasional jumper. I really like her upside and potential for the next level.
Tessa Lomax, 6-1 C, Columbus North H.S., Indiana Flight Storm
Tessa’s college interest should really soar this Spring & Summer, as she has developed nicely into a powerful true post, with good size and strength, physicality, and a much more aggressive offensive nature around the block than she’s shown in past years. She just looks all-around more confident and assertive, and I like how she understands when to attack the basket for scores. She seems like a high-motor kid who does what it takes to help her team(s) win, as she will also rebound and defend at a fairly high level. She could stand to get a little quicker laterally, and she can always develop a go-to and counter-move combination, but if I’m a small college, I would be recruiting her aggressively because I think she can be a real mismatch in a couple of years.
Tamia Perryman, 5-9 W, Fishers H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan
I have been watching Tamia for the better part of two years now, but she is really starting to make an impression on a lot of people, as this is her first time playing grassroots basketball at the high school level. She is a long, wiry strong, and very explosive athlete who can run and jump with the best of them. She plays with a great motor, and more than anything, she just needs to control her athleticism and understand when to turn it up and pick her spots better. She is an aggressive driver to the basket, and she can finish inside through contact. She could stand to work on her jumper, though, as that’s probably the main thing missing from her offensive arsenal. Defensively, I think she has great versatility and can guard all wings, plus even a few point guards and power forwards because of her combination of strength, toughness, and quickness.
Meredith Raley, 6-0 F, Gibson Southern H.S., Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H.
Meredith has really turned that corner from a really nice high school basketball player to an impressive college prospect. Over the years, she has gone from being more of a wing forward to developing into a strong, physical, and skillful forward who can play on the interior or around the perimeter. She has a tremendous motor, good toughness, and she is so effective because she can stick the 3-pointer, drive the ball straight-line to the basket and finish through contact, or post up inside and dominate weaker defenders. She typically knows what to do and when to do it, and she has been scoring the ball at a high level over the last year. Hopefully this grassroots season really helps her visibility, because I’m guessing a lot of schools are unfamiliar with her, and she has a lot to offer at the next level.