Midwest Summer Showcase Review

July 20-22, Westfield, Indiana, was once again the scene for a USJN event, however this time it was their 7th Annual Midwest Summer Showcase. With the tournament running throughout the week, it was a smaller field, but there were still several quality teams/programs from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and West Virginia. As the Senior Editor for PGH Indiana, I am seeking out Hoosierland teams at events, however when I come across anyone from the Midwest who stands out, I like to highlight them when possible. Below is a look at nine young ladies from Michigan and Ohio who caught my attention during the opportunity I had to see them last week.   Janae Hoying, 2021, 5-7 PG, Minster H.S. (OH) Whether it’s with her travel or high school team, I feel like at times people forget Janae can play because of teammate [player_tooltip player_id="32556" first="Ivy" last="Wolf"] (below). Janae is extremely long, fluid and smooth, and she is quite the playmaker herself. She was really good last week, as she shot it consistently from the perimeter, broke down defenses and found teammates, and she was incredibly active and feisty at the defensive end of the floor. She is playing much stronger than she did the last couple of Summers, and I really think that in itself has helped her game become much more consistent. Janae has already verbally committed to the University of Findlay. Callie Hunt, 2021, 6-1 C, Edgewood H.S. (OH) Callie had a solid first couple of games when I saw her last week, but it was a Wednesday matchup against a good Illinois team where I thought she shined through the most. She has broad shoulders, length, and a fairly strong frame. She works hard and rim-runs fairly well, but what I like the most about her is her ability to make shots at all levels. In the last game I saw, she buried multiple 3-pointers from a trail position and looked very comfortable doing so. At her size, and with her ability to play inside, that outside shot in itself should draw her a lot of college interest as a pick-and-pop (or roll) ’5’. [player_tooltip player_id="91103" first="Marissa" last="Jenike"], 2021, 5-9 SF, West Clermont H.S. (OH) I have already commented about Marissa in a previous article, and she almost instantly catches your eye when you see her play. She has really good length and fluid athleticism. She moves around the floor so effortlessly at times, it just stands out. She plays sort of a point forward role for her travel team, she has a solid handle, and she can turn the corner and get downhill. She could work on changing directions in tight space a little better, but she does play with a great deal of versatility. I also like how she can defend a variety of guards and wings. I could see her drawing some Division-I, Division-II, and NAIA interest. [player_tooltip player_id="159039" first="Dana" last="Rose"], 2021, 6-0 PF, Fort Laramie H.S. (OH) I really enjoyed watching Dana play last week, as she’s one of those kids who fills a role, but she’s much-needed to help a team win. She has a wiry strong frame, really good length, and nice North/South athleticism. She could play just a little lower and work on her lateral quickness, but she has end-to-end speed and some bounce to her. Offensively, she was really good in the mid-post, she looked comfortable at times around the perimeter, plus she has good hands and finished around the basket. Defensively, she blocked shots, defended out on the floor at times, and was a good help-side defender who rebounded well. [player_tooltip player_id="32556" first="Ivy" last="Wolf"], 2021, 5-8 PG, Minster H.S. (OH) I have seen Ivy a number of times over the last three Summers, and I think this was the most I’ve liked her play over that span. It wasn’t for anything special that she did, just that she was consistent in every area of the game, and she showed off an incredible feel and understanding. She is so strong and physical for a lead guard, but she still maintains good speed and quickness. She handles it well, and you aren’t likely to take it from her. She can make shots at all three levels, plus she’s so effective attacking the basket and finishing or finding teammates. She is a complete package of a player. Ivy has already committed to Miami University in Ohio. [player_tooltip player_id="147783" first="Izzy" last="Hadley"], 2022, 5-5 PG, Clarkston H.S. (MI) Izzy was an absolute blur last week. If it wasn’t for her yellow shoes, you might not have been able to keep up with her. She is little, but she has good length at her size, she’s extremely quick/fast, and she’s a very feisty playmaker who works at both ends of the floor. She is best off the bounce, but she did show the ability to knock down open rhythm jumpers. I also liked her ability to pursue rebounds at her size. Defensively, though, is where I think she can really change a game, as she can extend herself 84-feet and constantly turn opposing ball-handlers, speed them up, and get them rattled. [player_tooltip player_id="147767" first="Madison" last="Skorupski"], 2022, 5-8 PG, Clarkston H.S. (MI) Madison is kind of the calming presence for the Michigan PR1DE team, as she plays with a nice veteran savvy and poise. She is a wiry strong, fairly long, and versatile guard. She is definitely a point guard at the next level, but because of her size and strength, she’s able to play off the ball and make plays at both ends of the floor. With the ball, she’s fairly smooth, she runs offense and finds open teammates, but she can also knock down open rhythm jumpers. Defensively, she works hard and contains smaller, quicker guards reasonably well, but she’s best against bigger guards and some wings. Madison is just really balanced. [player_tooltip player_id="147743" first="Maeve" last="St. John"], 2022, 5-6 PG, Howell H.S. (MI) Maeve strikes me as the type of guard college coaches fall in love with, because she combines the best traits of travel teammates Hadley and Skorupski (above). Maeve is extremely long, quick/fast, and very shifty. She plays with a great deal of confidence, and she understands how to change speeds really well and pick her spots to impact a game. She has a tight handle, she keeps the ball on a string, and she rocks defenders to sleep. She can knock down open shots, get by defenders to score at the rim, plus she has a keen sense of where her teammates are. Defensively, she is a playmaker both on and off the ball. The 2022 class of point guards in Michigan is strong, and Maeve is one of the better ones I’ve seen. Sophie Huffman, 2023, 5-5 PG, Wilmington H.S. (OH) This was my first time seeing Sophie play, she was playing in the 17U age group, and she was really impressive for a smaller guard. She is very quick/fast, she was great off the bounce, but for this team she was playing more on the wing. She was consistent shooting it from the perimeter, plus she did a nice job of attacking the baseline and finding teammates. She didn’t force as much as most young guards playing "up" like this, and I thought she did a nice job of changing speeds and finding her spots to make an impact. As she continues to grow her game and get stronger, look for her to be a really nice prospect long-term.