Mid-America Challenge Review (Part 3)

Last weekend was an incredibly busy time for me, as I travelled to Louisville Friday, back to Westfield for Saturday’s action, only to return to Louisville again Sunday.  Being from Indiana, I spent my time watching several Indiana teams and prospects I had yet to see, plus I checked in on some kids I felt like I needed to view one more time.  I also spent some time watching several non-Indiana teams.  Below is a look at seven non-Indiana prospects in the Class of 2020 who I thought played well Saturday at the Mid-America Challenge in Westfield, Indiana, when I was able to see them in action. &nbsp; <strong>Jenna Badali, 5-4 PG, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts H.S. (IL), Illinois Defenders-D'Apice</strong> I primarily went to watch the Illinois Defenders to see a couple of Indiana kids on their roster, and I was pleasantly surprised by Jenna's play.  She is a tough-nosed, wiry strong, and fairly athletic point guard who plays with her head up at all times scanning the floor.  She was one of the better passers I saw all weekend, and she just has a natural feel and good vision/timing for the game.  She is fairly quick, feisty, and she has a solid handle and perimeter shot as well.  She makes this team go...at least in the game I saw she did.  I can definitely see her drawing a lot of attention from the better Midwestern small colleges. &nbsp; <strong>Isis Fitch, 6-2 C, Victor J. Andrew H.S. (IL), Illinois Elite BlueStar</strong> Isis absolutely looks the part.  She has a big, strong, athletic frame, long arms, plus she plays with a motor and runs the floor well North/South.  Offensively, she is more of a back-to-the-basket true post, and she is a relentless rebounder at both ends of the floor.  She has good hands, and she looks like she knows what to do with it once she catches it, but she struggled to finish in the game I saw.  If she can figure that out, maybe improve her footwork a little, I think she'll see several more offers, because she certainly has the physical makeup to be a really nice "next level" post player. &nbsp; <strong>Sidney McCrea, 5-9 W, Cedar Rapids Prairie H.S. (IA), Team Iowa Elite BlueStar</strong> I received a little information about this team before watching them, so I knew Sidney was someone to keep an eye on, and she didn't disappoint.  Sidney is a long, fluid, and fairly smooth wing who is a real creator off the dribble.  I went back and forth debating whether she was more of a point guard or a point forward, and I honestly settled somewhere in between.  Either way, offensively, I think she's someone who you want the ball in her hands because she can break down defenses and almost always makes the correct decision.  Her "positioning" will come down to how her college coach wants to use her defensively.  I do think she has some versatility at that end of the floor, and she could be really effective in trapping situations. &nbsp; <strong>Hadley Miller, 5-9 W, Three Rivers H.S. (MI), MBA Select Gold Gauntlet</strong> Earlier this Spring, I remember a college coach excitedly asking me if I had seen Hadley yet.  Now that I've finally seen her, I can understand why.  Hadley is a long, fluid, and smoothly athletic wing guard/forward who is just a ballplayer.  She's a position-less prospect who does so many different things well.  She can grab a rebound, push it in transition, and create offense for her teammates or get to the rim and score.  She has the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter or the mid-post consistently.  Plus, she is a versatile defender with a great motor who can defend '1' through '3' in most situations.  I really like her and this MBA team this season, and they even gave the Kentucky Premier-Milby EYBL 17U squad quite a game Sunday afternoon. &nbsp; <strong>Maddie Scherr, 6-0 G, Larry A. Ryle H.S. (KY), Kentucky Premier-Milby EYBL</strong> With her recent commitment to the University of Oregon, and her high National ranking by recruiting services, I was anxious to get a glimpse of Maddie last weekend.  Needless to say, I was impressed.  Oregon is building something special in 2020, with five Top-50 commitments already, and they're still pursuing others.  Maddie is a fairly strong, athletic, and very skillful wing guard.  She has a solid handle and can run offense on occasion, but she's such a pure shooter/scorer on the wing, that I would want to work to get her open coming off of screens each possession.  She plays with a good motor, she can get physical at times, and at her size she provides a mismatch as a guard and can post smaller defenders, plus she rebounds her position fairly well. &nbsp; <strong>Elizabeth Taylor, 5-11 W, Elizabethtown H.S. (KY), Kentucky Premier-Milby EYBL</strong> Ellie isn't a starter for this KYP team, and I'm guessing she doesn't draw as much college attention as her teammates right now, but she stood out to me, and I feel like she could be a nice "sleeper" in this 2020 class.  She is another one of those position-less kids, because she just does so many things with the basketball.  She is a long, somewhat slender creator with very good ball skill, so you can play her as a big point guard.  She's also a decent shooter you can play off the ball.  Defensively, I think she has a lot of versatility because of her mobility and her length.  But in the end, I think she still needs to gain strength, though once she does, she could be a really nice collegian. &nbsp; <strong>Malea Williams, 6-3 F, Scott County H.S. (KY), Kentucky Premier-Milby EYBL</strong> Malea is a really impressive forward who probably has to fight off stereotypes a lot.  She is tall, extremely long, but somewhat slender.  Those ladies typically get a "soft" label, and people question how they can affect a college game.  But Malea is different.  First, she's fluidly athletic, bouncy, and she doesn't mind contact.  Second, she is highly skilled for a player her height, and she really is skilled like a perimeter forward, she doesn't "hide" away from the basket.  She can knock down the 3-pointer consistently, she can put it on the floor and attack the basket, plus she's quick enough to defend both wings and forwards, and with her height and length, she can be a real problem for smaller players.  Yes, she does need to continue getting stronger, but the sky is the limit for her, because of her unique combination of height, skill, and ability.