Mid-America Challenge Review (Part 5)

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 six non-Indiana prospects in the classes of 2022 &amp; 2025 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>Katie Beyer, 2022, 6-0 F, McHenry Community H.S. (IL), Illinois Elite BlueStar 17U</strong> While Katie might not be the most prolific of the Illinois Elite girls right now, especially considering she's playing 'up' a couple of age groups, she was one of their most intriguing to me.  She has a strong, athletic frame, she moves fairly well in all directions, and she displayed great balance and body control.  She looks like a '4' or '5', but she has some perimeter skill and the ability to attack the basket off the dribble.  In one move she made that stands out to me, she caught it on the right wing, drove baseline with her right, stopped mid-drive, drop-stepped to the middle of the floor around a defender in position to take a charge, and finished at the front of the rim with her left hand.  There are guards/wings who can't do that without travelling.  She plays with a very good motor, and she seemed like she had a quiet toughness to her.  She would probably remind Indiana people of 2019 Indiana Miss Basketball <strong>Jorie Allen</strong> stylistically. &nbsp; <strong>Sydni Scott, 2022, 5-7 PG, Cardinal O'Hara H.S. (PA), Philadelphia Belles EYBL 16U</strong> Sydni is a very athletic point guard who plays with a great deal of energy.  She has a solid feel for the position, and she seems like a natural point guard.  She has a good handle, she's a good shooter from the perimeter, but she also had a solid mid-range game and hit a couple of nice pull-ups.  She is talented enough to be an elite defender, so once she fully commits herself to that end of the floor, I think she will take the next step as far as her recruiting is concerned.  I was really impressed with her skill, ability, and overall play, and I felt like she could very well draw a lot of Mid-Major to High-Major Division-I interest over the Summer. &nbsp; <strong>Saniah Tyler, 2022, 5-6 PG, Incarnate Word Academy (MO), Saint Louis Eagles 16U</strong> Saniah is another nice, young, point guard prospect playing 'up' on the grassroots circuit.  She is a strong, low-to-the-ground athlete with very good speed and quickness.  She is a traditional point guard and looks to facilitate the offense.  She doesn't turn it over often, and she's really good in transition.  She didn't look to shoot it outside at all, so I'm not sure if she can't shoot it, or if she just doesn't look to shoot it enough.  Either way, she will need to prove to have a consistent perimeter shot in order to keep defenses honest.  I think she's a solid Division-I and high-level Division-II prospect. &nbsp; <strong>Carleigh Wilson, 2022, 5-10 W, Brentwood Academy (TN), Kentucky Premier-Cann EYBL 16U</strong> When I first started watching this Kentucky Premier team, Carleigh looked like a solid athlete, but she didn't stand out in any specific way.  As the game wore on, though, she really started to showcase her skill and ability.  She is a talented athlete with wiry strength, she moves well in all directions, and she has some bounce to her.  She could stand to improve her strength for the next level, since she's still young, but she's strong for her age.  She has a decent handle and can create offense almost like a point forward, she can slash to the basket and finish scores, and when she catches in rhythm with her feet set, she's a solid perimeter shooter.  I think she's just starting to scratch the surface and has really good upside. &nbsp; <strong>Kourtney Wilson, 2022, 5-9 G, Bethlehem Catholic H.S. (PA), Philadelphia Belles EYBL 16U</strong> Kourtney comes off the bench for this Philly Belles team, but she brings a lot of energy.  She is a wiry strong athlete, and she moves extremely well in all directions, plus she has some bounce to her.  She seemed very tough-nosed, and she was on attack all day at both ends of the floor.  She can sit down and defend a variety of guards the whole 84-feet, plus she's an aggressive scorer who can get to the basket and finish through contact.  Additionally, Kourtney hit a variety of perimeter jumpers, pull-ups, and she created offense for others.  I think right now she's more of a scorer who can occasionally play point guard.  If at 5'9 she can transition into more of a pass-first point guard who can also score, I think her recruiting could really take off, because she is physically talented. &nbsp; <strong>Zakiyah Johnson, 2025, 5-11 F, East M.S. (Shelbyville, KY), Kentucky Premier-West 14U</strong> Zakiyah is an incredibly intriguing youngster.  I don't normally talk about kids this young, but I went to watch the Indiana Showcase-Johnson 14U team, and Zakiyah stood out the most in that game.  She is a strong, physical, and athletic kid.  At first I thought she was more of an interior player, just big for her age, but as the game continued, she started bringing the ball up in transition, attacking the basket from the wing, and trying to create offense for others.  She is a versatile forward, still probably more of a face-up '4' at this age, but she has a developing perimeter skillset, and I have a feeling by the time she gets to high school, she could very well be a taller wing type of player.