Team Intros: Always 100 16U & 15U
Now that we’ve completed the 17U intros throughout Indiana, I wanted to circle back and highlight several of the better underclass teams in the state, beginning alphabetically with the Always 100 program. There are some really nice teams in this…
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Continue ReadingNow that we’ve completed the 17U intros throughout Indiana, I wanted to circle back and highlight several of the better underclass teams in the state, beginning alphabetically with the Always 100 program. There are some really nice teams in this program, and I have hit on some of the standouts below.
Always 100 Elite 16U: Of the Always 100 underclass teams, I would probably point to the Always 100 Elite team coached by Rod Chamble as one to be very aware of. The backcourt features Olivia Smith (2022) of Fort Wayne South Side, Emily Parrett (2021) of Fort Wayne Carroll, McKenzie Hudgen (2021) of Mishawaka Marian, Carley Culberson (2021) of Yorktown, Moira McGinley (2021) of Bishop Chatard, and Brazyll Watkins (2021) of Lakeview (MI). Smith is a dynamic young playmaker with good strength, speed & quickness, and a veteran toughness about her. Parrett is a long and fluid point guard who sees the floor very well but who can also knock down shots from the perimeter. Hudgen is a high-motor, tough-nosed, and fairly physical on-the-floor athlete who does a variety of things fairly well. Culberson is a pure shooter/scorer who can put up points in bunches. She can also play on the ball and run offense. McGinley we’ve highlighted several times before, and she’s a fast, high-motor kid who does a little of everything well. I have yet to see Watkins, and with her being from Michigan, I’m not terribly familiar with her game. Up front for this team is an imposing frontline of Chanteese Craig (2021) of Fort Wayne Concordia, TiAuna White (2021) of Fort Wayne Northrop, Lamiya Woodson (2021) of Fort Wayne South Side, and Courtney Lee (2021) of Heritage Christian. Craig is a big-bodied true post who plays with physicality, but she also has some touch and passing skill. She already holds multiple Division-I offers. White is a strong, physical, athletic forward who can play in the mid-post or a little around the perimeter. Woodson is another strong, physical, and athletic kid who can also play in the mid-post a little bit. And Lee is a skillful post who can run the floor, finish around the basket, or play facing the basket in the mid-post. This group will definitely draw the interest of some Division-I schools, as well as most top-flight small colleges.
Always 100 -Wright 16U: Year after year, Coach Larry Wright always assembles solid entries, primarily from Northeast Indiana, and this year’s 16U is another fun one to watch. He has a point guard trio consisting of Grace Sullivan (2021) of Homestead, Chloe Jolloff (2021) of Lakewood Park Christian, and Kensie Ryman (2021) of Warsaw. Sullivan served as the backup point guard on Homestead’s Varsity team this past season, and she has a real poise and a nice feel for the game. She is starting to knock down shots consistently as well. Jolloff is a long, fluid, smooth playmaker who does most of her damage off the bounce. Ryman is a solidly built guard, maybe more of a combo guard, but she also does most things well. Ryin Ott (2021) of LaPorte plays sort of a point forward role for this team, as she can handle it and run offense, but she’s also good scoring it at all levels. She has already drawn a lot of Division-I interest so far. Jenna McFarland (2021) of Northeastern is a really nice wing athlete with a good motor, and she has really improved her perimeter shooting and ball-handling in the last year. Jaci Walker (2021) of Northridge and Emme Boots (2021) of Bluffton are a pair of versatile forwards who show comfort around the perimeter, but they are also strong enough and tough enough to be productive in the mid-post. Kendal Swartout (2021) of Concord is a solidly built, high-motor, inside-out post who makes a lot of blue-collared plays for this team. And Brynn Shoup-Hill (2021) is a skillful 6-2 post who can play on the block or knock down the 17-footer consistently. She picked up a couple of Division-I offers after her play this past weekend. I expect this team to have some Division-I interest, as well as a lot of small college interest throughout the Spring & Summer.
Additional Notes: The Always 100 Swish 16U team has a pair of nice 2022s playing “up” in J’Asia Scott from Fort Wayne Northrop and Rebekah Marshall of Columbia City. Scott is an athletic playmaker who can score it off the bounce, while Marshall is a wiry strong wing forward who is skillful and can score it at all levels. The Always 100 Hoopsters 15U team is a fun-to-watch younger team with guards Alayna Boots (2022) of Prairie Heights and Amanda Thatcher (2022) of Fort Wayne Northrop at the helm. The Always 100 program also consists of the Always 100 Takeover 16U team and the Always 100 -Todd 15U team; plus of note in the younger age groups is the Always 100 Black 14U team. Alison Stephens (2023) of Homestead is a strong and athletic young forward who can really shoot the basketball. That team also has a couple of 2023 6-footers to check out.