Flight Invitational Review: Class of 2022

This past 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 seven young ladies from the Class of 2022 who I wanted to point out from their play on Saturday. &nbsp; <strong>Diana Burgher, 6-0 F, North Harrison H.S., Indiana Flight UAA 15U</strong> Right from the start, I'll say this...each time I've seen her play, she has improved her skillset and just does more things at a higher level.  This past weekend she played with much more assertiveness offensively, she handled it a lot more and looked comfortable doing so, and she was just all-around more instinctual and at ease around the perimeter.  A year ago she was probably best posting around the block, but now she's more of a flex forward who can play in the mid-post or around the arc.  She has good length and athleticism, nice touch around the basket, and as she continues developing her handle and her perimeter jumper, I think colleges will take notice because she's still young and has the chance to develop into a really nice wing forward over time.  The way she played when I saw her Saturday has me excited about her future. &nbsp; <strong>Leah Carter, 6-0 F/C, Northwestern H.S., Indiana's Best-Elliott 16U</strong> If Northwestern has had one thing these last four seasons, it has been quality size.  Leah was a Freshman on this year's team, and her opportunity was limited by all of the veterans the Lady Tigers rostered.  But this coming season, with the graduation of <strong>Stephanie Burns</strong>, <strong>Allison Miller</strong>, and <strong>Novalei Loer</strong>, there could be a bigger role for Leah.  She has good length, a wiry strong frame that should be able to put on muscle, and she's a solid athlete in all directions.  Right now she's more of a defender/rebounder type of interior player, but she's athletic enough to develop into a really nice mid-post forward who can also post around the block.  I think she's still a wait-and-see kid because of growth and physical development, but my first impression of her is that she can develop into a really nice frontline prospect who could intrigue several colleges down the road. &nbsp; <strong>Olivia Lowry, 5-5 PG, West Lafayette Harrison H.S., Indiana's Best-Best 15U</strong> West Lafayette Harrison has a veteran, deep, and talented team right now, especially in the backcourt with Junior All-Star <strong>Sydney Jacobsen</strong> putting up huge numbers, so Olivia's role was to develop on Junior Varsity this season.  She is a very nice point guard prospect, though, with some length for her height, good speed and quickness, and she has a nice feistiness/toughness about her game.  She will still need to get stronger, but she's fairly decisive with the ball, and she doesn't turn it over often.  She can hit shots at all levels, and she's capable of breaking down the defense and finding teammates.  I also like her willingness to defend and get after opposing ball-handlers.  I think she is on the right track to develop into a really nice small college point guard prospect. &nbsp; <strong>Alaina Nugent, 5-9 G, Mount Vernon H.S. (Fortville), Sky Digg Elite-Nugent</strong> Admittedly, I didn't get to see a great deal of Alaina's game, as they were off-site from the main high school site, and I arrived shortly after the start of the second half.  But in what time I was able to watch this team play, Alaina was one player who did stand out to me.  She has really good length and fluid athleticism, she does need to get stronger, but she looks like she still might be growing and could approach 6-0 over time.  She has a solid handle, she glides to the basket off the bounce, but she looked like she's a shooter first, creator second.  She has solid shooting mechanics, and I'm guessing she's most comfortable around the perimeter.  I also think she can develop into a really good defender, because she has length and some quickness.  I need to see more of her, but I liked her potential based on what I was able to see. &nbsp; <strong>Emme Rooney, 5-7 G, Silver Creek H.S., Indiana Flight UAA 15U</strong> When I saw Emme back at the Shamrock Classic, she was solid, she played hard, and she was very consistent.  But this past Saturday, I felt like she was on a mission.  She was very assertive and aggressive to the hoop, she finished against contact inside, and she knocked down shots away from the basket.  She handled it a lot more and showed versatility offensively, and I left feeling like she will be important to this team's success this grassroots season.  I like her motor, her toughness, and her willingness to absorb contact, but I would also like to see her work on her quickness a little and continue developing her change-of-direction ball-handling.  If she can consistently be more of a combo guard than an off-guard, I really think that will help her recruiting long-term. &nbsp; <strong>Tori Smiley, 5-5 G, Lawrence Central H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Maroon</strong> During her middle school years at Belzer, Tori was a part of a nice trio that included <strong>Tanyuel Welch</strong> (North Central) and <strong>Halle Shelt</strong> (Park Tudor), and they rarely lost a game.  But now that she's in high school, she should become more of the focal point for Lawrence Central over the next couple of years.  She is a really nice athlete with good speed and quickness, she has a solid frame and is strong for her size, and she plays off of her physical talent quite a bit.  She's a capable ball-handler and she can knock down a perimeter jumper on occasion, but she was more of a wing when she was younger, and she's transitioning into more of a scoring point guard.  As her game grows, I look for her handle and jumper to improve each season, but she does have good physical talent and nice potential. &nbsp; <strong>Meredith Weiss, 5-11 F, Vincennes Rivet H.S., Nike Lady Gym Rats Maroon</strong> I had seen Meredith play on TV in both their Semi-State and State Final games this season, but this was my first opportunity to see her in person.  Meredith has a lot of upside, and I anticipate her playing a much bigger role for Rivet with the graduation of do-everything forward <strong>Grace Waggoner</strong>.  Meredith has a solid frame, broad shoulders, and some length.  She has long legs and looks like she still might grow another inch or two, plus she should get much stronger over the next couple of years.  She runs the floor well, is willing to be physical inside, has good hands and feet, but she can also play facing the basket in the mid-post and knock down a 15-foot jumper consistently.  She's a very intriguing prospect because she already does several things well, but I also think she still has a high ceiling and can continue developing into an even better player/prospect.