PCB XLeague Review: 2023-2026
Last Fall I wrote an article about Evansville and its under-recruited talent-base, calling it “The Lost World”, and paralleling it a little to the movie. This past Sunday, I traveled to Evansville to take in the tournament portion of the…
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Continue ReadingLast Fall I wrote an article about Evansville and its under-recruited talent-base, calling it “The Lost World”, and paralleling it a little to the movie. This past Sunday, I traveled to Evansville to take in the tournament portion of the inaugural Pocket City Basketball XLeague for girls. While their boys’ league is entering its 8th season this coming weekend, this was somewhat of an experimental season for the girls in an attempt to see if it could work. Not only did it work, but I would anticipate it at least doubling in size next year. It was entertaining and highly beneficial for me, as I came away with several names I did not have in the database, plus I had the opportunity to see a handful of girls I have heard of but either never seen or only seen on video. Below is a look at nine girls in the classes of 2023-2026 who I thought stood out Sunday with their play.
Lydia Bordfeld, 2023, 5-9 W, Evansville Reitz Memorial H.S.
Lydia is a very intriguing and skillful wing with a nice future ahead of her. She is a long, wiry strong kid who looks like she’ll get stronger over time and become a handful physically. She is a solid on-the-floor athlete with good fluidity, but she could stand to work on her lateral explosion a bit. She is kind of a point forward type who handles it, runs offense, finds teammates, and attacks the basket straight-line. I didn’t see her shoot it much from the perimeter, so I’d still like to evaluate that part of her game, but she definitely showcased a nice feel and understanding of the game, and I can see her playing early for Memorial.
Emily Mattingly, 2023, 5-8 G, Evansville Reitz Memorial H.S.
I really enjoyed watching Emily play, and she’s a kid who has star potential for Memorial. She is a long, wiry strong, fluidly athletic wing guard, and she has nice all-around athleticism to her. She is a talented perimeter shooter, but I think she’s more than “just a shooter”. She showed the ability to handle the ball some and run offense, she’s an athletic attacker who can change directions with the dribble in traffic, and she has the ability to develop into a versatile, high-level defender with just a little more attention at that end of the floor. I think she’s a kid who can become a Division-I prospect with some work and more visibility.
Jalyn Shelby, 2023, 5-10 F/C, Evansville North H.S.
Jalyn could very well make an impact for North on the interior this Winter. She is a broad-shouldered, strong, physical interior player who has a very good motor. She does a nice job of carving out space on the interior, whether it’s for post-ups or block-outs, she has good hands and a soft touch around the basket, plus she plays with balance and has decent footwork for a youngster. Right now, as a high school player, she could be tremendously productive inside of 10-feet. To elevate herself as a college prospect these next four seasons, she’ll need to stretch her game more to the mid-post and show some versatility, though she could still grow another inch or two in the meantime. I really enjoyed watching her effort Sunday.
Madison McCory, 2024, 5-4 G, North Knox H.S.
Madison was easily one of the top performers in the middle school division, and she was virtually unstoppable at times because she’s just that much stronger and more skillful than most of the other girls. She is a strong-for-her-size kid, she’s a solid North/South athlete, and she can handle it a little, attack the basket, and finish through contact. She also showed the ability to consistently make shots from the perimeter, and I think she’ll always be a dangerous scorer outside. At 5-4, though, she will need to continue developing her playmaking ability, because I’m not sure she’ll grow much more. She is a very nice basketball player though.
Mimi White, 2024, 5-8 F, Evansville Central H.S.
Mimi is a nice-sized 8th Grader, with solid athleticism, strength, and good all-around skill. She looks like she might still have another inch or two left in her, but she reminded me a little bit of Aliyah Evans (2020) of Greensburg High School when compared at the same age. Mimi has a similar approach in that she’s bigger and stronger than her peers, she can handle it and run offense from time to time, she’s a solid passer, and she can knock down an open jumper when in rhythm. She also plays with a good basketball IQ and a nice all-around feel for the game.
Libby Blythe, 2025, 5-7 F, Evansville North H.S.
Libby is another versatile, sort of hybrid forward prospect. For a 7th Grader, she’s actually built more like a power forward, as she’s taller than her peers, wiry strong, and she can play physical. However, she likes to handle the ball in transition, she’ll occasionally initiate the offense, and she can attack the basket off the bounce. She also showed the ability to knock down a couple of jumpers when in rhythm. She has really good length, the potential to grow, and she moves around the floor fairly fluidly. I think with both her growth potential and athletic potential, she could eventually become a nice-sized wing forward.
Alex McKinley, 2025, 5-5 W, North Knox H.S.
Throughout the course of the day, Alex showed the potential to become a key contributor at North Knox the moment she steps onto the high school floor. She is long, fluid, quick/fast, and very shifty. She really doesn’t have a position right now, because she does a little of everything so well. She can handle the ball and create offense, she can get to the rim and score in a variety of ways, she can knock down open rhythm jumpers, and she does a nice job with the thankless jobs, like screening, cutting, rebounding, etc. One area I think she can excel is at the defensive end of the floor, because she certainly has the length and ability, plus she has a nice understanding of the game.
Nya Dame, 2026, 5-0 PG, Princeton Community H.S.
Allie Taylor, 2026, 5-0 PG, Princeton Community H.S.
Princeton entered their 6th Grade team into the league, and these two look to be a more than formidable backcourt for the Tigers in the future. Nya is a strong, low-to-the-ground point guard who manages the game well. She runs the offense, puts her head down and attacks the basket straight-line, and she is tough-nosed, physical, and a willing defender. Allie is a long, slender, quick/fast, and shifty prospect. She does more in a creative way and looks to create offense for herself or her teammates, plus she’s a solid perimeter shooter. I think the combination of the two of them, along with their differences in style of play, will give Princeton a great deal of versatility in the backcourt in the years to come.