2021 Spring Stock-Risers
Throughout the Spring, I was able to view a tremendous number of prospects from Indiana at a variety of tournaments. Being able to take that list and choose five who stood out was difficult at best, and on the whole…
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Continue ReadingThroughout the Spring, I was able to view a tremendous number of prospects from Indiana at a variety of tournaments. Being able to take that list and choose five who stood out was difficult at best, and on the whole the 2021 class was outstanding and often played above and beyond expectations. With that being said, below is a quick look at five individuals who I felt stood out among the rest based on their play and improvement.
Amber Austin, 2021, 6-0 F/C, Homestead H.S.
Amber had about a three-weekend stretch where she really turned the corner and became dominant at times. She has always possessed a strong frame, athletic talent, and a solid skillset, but during this Spring stretch, something happened and she began playing much more determined and aggressive. She is strong enough and skilled enough in the low-post to score it in bunches there, but she also has a really nice mid-post game where she can hit the 15-footer or pass downhill fairly accurately. If she could ever stretch her range to 3-point range, watch out. She has been waiting her turn on a deep and talented Homestead frontline, but with a few graduation losses, she might get a lot more opportunity this coming season.
Kaitlyn Costner, 2021, 5-6 G, Elkhart Central H.S.
I was really high on Kaitlyn after watching her last Summer, and I wrote about her nearly two weeks ago after her strong play in Westfield at the Mid-America Challenge. I still don’t think I have seen another guard in this class as purely athletic as she is. While Kaitlyn still needs work on her jumper and her left-hand, she can take over games because her combination of speed, quickness, bounce, and motor are unparalleled in this class, so much so that I’ve heard from a couple of High-Major Division-I schools who have now added her to their lists of 2021 prospects because she stands out in a different way than most prospects. She has come a long way skillfully in the last year, so if that continues, I expect several more Division-I schools of all levels to pick up their interest in her.
Hanna Knoll, 2021, 5-8 G, Angola H.S.
The amount of growth Hanna has shown over the last year, both physically and skillfully, has been fun to watch. She is about two inches taller than she was a year ago, she’s noticeably stronger, and she looks much more fluid and explosive. She is handling it much tighter, knocking down perimeter jumpers much more consistently, and she’s scoring it effectively at all three levels. Her interest has picked up in a big way, earning a handful of Division-I offers, not to mention a ton of interest from a number of other Division-I schools. I am really close to considering her more of a true point guard who can score it instead of a combo guard.
Tenleigh Phelps, 2021, 5-10 F, Triton Central H.S.
Tenleigh continues to really impress with her strong play, and I think she has even surprised some people, admittedly myself included, with how much she has progressed over the past year or so. She is a powerful built forward, she almost looks like a power forward or center, but she has made her jumper so lethal, that you must respect her outside the arc. She can create space with the dribble to get her shot away, and if she gets a head of steam headed downhill, watch out because she’s going to finish inside. She is still a little left-hand dominant, and she still needs work on her lateral mobility, but she is a real offensive weapon, and she recently picked up her first Division-I offer.
Trinity Thompson, 2021, 6-0 F, Michigan City H.S.
Trinity is a transplant who came into Michigan City from Gary West Side this past season. She didn’t have a big reputation entering the Spring, but there are many colleges who are very aware of her now. Trinity is a strong, powerful, physical forward, and she too looks like a power forward, but don’t let that fool year. She has deceptively quick feet, she runs the floor well North/South, and she plays with a relentless motor. She has played on the perimeter growing up, so she has a solid handle, the instincts to create and find others, and she is a solid shooter to near the 3-point line. She reminds me a little of maybe an Aliyah Walker or a Nakeya Penny, both at Ball State, but I think Trinity is bigger/taller, a little more athletic, and more skilled when compared at the same age.