AIS Elite 80 Review: 2022 Front-Liners
Sunday marked the annual All-Indiana Elite 80 Showcase. With 72 girls able to participate, the event was once again solid, and this year’s setup allowed us to watch an entire 30-minute half (running clock) of each of the eight teams.…
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Continue ReadingSunday marked the annual All-Indiana Elite 80 Showcase. With 72 girls able to participate, the event was once again solid, and this year’s setup allowed us to watch an entire 30-minute half (running clock) of each of the eight teams. There were 24 members of the Class of 2022 on hand, so I have split them up into three different articles. Below is a look at seven 2022 forwards and posts who participated in the event. We will have follow-up articles highlighting additional members of 2023 and 2024 who attended the event coming soon.
Darryn Ely
Darryn
Ely
5'10" | PF
Cathedral | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-11 PF, Cathedral H.S.
Darryn joined the Indiana Showcase program late in July, and she was even a last-minute selection for this event, but she played about as well as anyone at the event. She is a long, wiry strong, and athletic/bouncy frontline prospect. She has nice touch to about 15-feet, maybe a little farther, plus she has really worked on developing her handle in the last year. She does a nice job of ripping and attacking the basket in one dribble. While she hasn’t seen a major role at Cathedral to this point, I’d anticipate they have to be excited about her growth and development for the upcoming season.
Madison Kerrigan, 2022, 6-1 PF, Westfield H.S.
I’ve watched Madi since 8th Grade, and I’ve always been intrigued by her upside. After watching her this past Sunday, really all Summer, I think she is somewhat under-recruited because she checks a lot of boxes. She might not be elite at any one thing, but she has good size, great length, and a wiry strong frame. She’s a nice athlete in most directions, she plays with a motor, and she has a solid understanding of the game. I think her skill/ability to face the basket, to play in the mid-post or around the perimeter, plus her presence in the paint would get my attention as a college coach.
DeMaria King
DeMaria
King
5'11" | PF
Charlestown | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 PF, Charlestown H.S.
The DeMaria I saw on Sunday wasn’t the same DeMaria I have seen previously at any time. She was as involved/active as I’ve ever seen her, but it was more of how she was playing skillfully that surprised me. She was doing much more off the dribble, trying to be a playmaker, and she showed the potential of a perimeter game. If she wants to be a face-up ’4’ or even a wing, she will need more skill refinement, but what she displayed Sunday was very encouraging. She is a nice athlete with some length and a strong frame.
Ally Madden
Ally
Madden
6'1" | C
Blue River Valley | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 6-2 C, Blue River Valley H.S.
Back in March, Ally was slated to play with the 17U Flight UAA team, but once they decided not to play this Summer, she went to their 16U UAA group. She has played well all Summer, and she looked good again on Sunday. Other than her size, she is somewhat unassuming as a prospect, but I assure you she’s very deceptive and productive. She is a better-than-you’d-think athlete, she has good hands, decent feet, and nice skill in the mid-post. She’s also a physical presence and can score it or rebound it well around the paint. She just continues to impress each time out.
Haley Polston, 2022, 6-1 C, Martinsville H.S.
Haley is still somewhat of an unknown in recruiting circles, but the true post had a nice developmental Summer and showed really nice upside. She has broad shoulders, a strong frame, and she plays with a nice motor. I really like her ability to sit down and establish position, and as she continues to learn, develop her skillset, and grow as a ballplayer, I think she can become a problem inside, because she will be a strong, physical presence. She also seems to really enjoy playing, so I am encouraged by her potential to improve at a fast rate.
Jozee Rhodes
Jozee
Rhodes
6'0" | PF
Plainfield | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 6-0 PF, Plainfield H.S.
I identified Jozee last week as a breakout player this Summer, and it wasn’t so much that she was an unknown, as it was her ability to recover from a serious injury and get back to form and then some. She looks as lean and explosive as ever, while still being a strong, physical presence. She plays with a good motor, and she is a real problem offensively, because she has the strength to score on the block and the skill to play facing the basket to the 3-point line. If anything, she could be a little better defensively, but more Varsity experience this Winter should help that.
Kennedy Wenger
Kennedy
Wenger
6'1" | PF
Evansville Mater Dei | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 6-0 PF, Evansville Mater Dei H.S.
Kennedy is an intriguing kid, as she’s an extremely long, fluid, and skillful face-up ’4’. She played on the travel circuit for the first time this Summer, and the experience should really help slow the game down for her this Winter at Mater Dei. She is sort of a finesse forward because she is still thin, but she is also a nice shooter with touch to the 3-point line. At the same time, she will put it on the floor and attack the basket, and she tries to be physical and box out/post at times. Strength will really help her game become much more consistent, so I’d still consider her a wait-and-see prospect.