AIS Elite 80 Review: 2022 Wings
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 nine 2022 wings who participated in the event. We will have follow-up articles highlighting additional members of 2022, 2023, and 2024 who attended the event coming soon.
Gloria Brewer, 2022, 5-7 CG, Homeschooled (Clayton, IN)
Of the 72 girls on hand Sunday, Gloria was the sole participant I had never seen. She is a nice guard with a natural feel and understanding of the game. She has a wiry strong frame, solid all-around athleticism, and she can do a variety of things with the ball. She can handle it on occasion and initiate the offense, but she’s such a good shooter/scorer that I would want to screen her open away from the ball. She plays with a nice motor, she rebounds her position well, and she is a willing and capable defender. Over the Winter, she averaged 19.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 steals.
Makayla Hinshaw
Makayla
Hinshaw
5'8" | SG
Hamilton Southeastern | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 SG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.
I think Makayla is still somewhat under-recruited, because she is an extremely long, fast, and very athletic wing prospect. She has proven herself as a high-level defender, taking on just about any type of perimeter player equally well. Her development has typically been needed on the offensive end of the floor, but she’s handling it and attacking the basket much better and more aggressively, and she’s a much more consistent shooter from around the arc. If she can prove to score it consistently this next calendar year, I expect her recruiting to increase significantly, because of her athletic talent.
Kenna Kirby
Kenna
Kirby
5'8" | SG
Tri-West | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 SG, Tri-West H.S.
I have been a fan of Kenna’s over the last couple of years, and she continues to play at a fairly high level, especially offensively. She is a strong driver, a capable perimeter shooter when she’s in rhythm, and she competes at both ends of the floor every possession. She is just a gym rat and loves to be on the hardwood. The biggest thing for her, in my opinion, will be to continue working on her lateral quickness and vertical explosion. She has improved her athleticism over the years, but if she can take that next step in her training, it will make her a more consistent shooter and a better defender.
Lauren Leach
Lauren
Leach
5'10" | SF
Angola | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 SF, Angola H.S.
Lauren is one of two consecutive Northeast Indiana “sleepers” I will talk about here in succession. Lauren is extremely long, somewhat thin still, but very fluid and smooth. She has sort of a point forward skillset and approach to her game, she is really good off the bounce, and she glides around the floor somewhat effortlessly. She is a capable perimeter shooter, but added strength could make that more consistent. I also like her presence defensively, as she uses her length and fluidity to her advantage at that end of the floor.
Rebekah Marshall
Rebekah
Marshall
5'10" | SF
Columbia City | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 SF, Columbia City H.S.
Rebekah is the other Northeast corner “sleeper”, but her game is somewhat different than Leach’s. Rebekah has a long, wiry strong frame, and she looks much more physical and aggressive each time I see her. She is known as a pure shooter, and she has a beautiful stroke/soft touch in the mid-range game and from around the arc. She attacks the baseline aggressively now and finishes through contact, but she has always been a nice rebounder for her position/size. If Rebekah can be just a bit more dynamic off the dribble and change directions a little better, watch out.
Jaelynne Murray
Jaelynne
Murray
5'11" | SF
Pike | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 SF, Pike H.S.
I continue to be impressed with Jaelynne’s growth and maturation as a player over the last couple of months. She is playing with more awareness of situations, more discipline, and she’s allowing the game to come to her without forcing offense. Her jump-shot is tremendously more consistent, her handle and passing have also improved, and I really like the attention she is applying at the defensive end of the floor. I really hope Division-I programs have taken notice, because on top of all of the above, she is a long, wiry strong, and very athletic wing prospect who can play multiple positions/roles.
Natalie Noel
Natalie
Noel
5'10" | SF
Salem | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-10 SF, Salem H.S.
Natalie is another wing prospect in this class who continues to grow her game and put herself on the map in terms of recruiting. She is a long, wiry strong, and fairly fluid prospect who plays with versatility. She can handle it a little in transition, even initiate the offense, she’s a nice perimeter shooter when in rhythm, but she can also slice to the basket and finish through contact better…something she couldn’t do a year or two ago. She plays with a great motor, a nice basketball IQ, and she can be an effective defender in most systems because of her length and understanding.
Ellie Wilkerson
Ellie
Wilkerson
5'9" | SF
Plainfield | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-9 SF, Plainfield H.S.
Ellie is a tremendous high school basketball player who does a lot of everything well. She is probably a wing forward defensively, but offensively she is a chameleon. She can handle the ball in transition, run offense in the half-court, she’s an accurate perimeter shooter, and she can attack the basket off the bounce and finish inside. She’s strong enough to play in the mid-post and even on the low-block on occasion, she mixes it up and will rebound, and she is just a matchup problem because of her versatility. Look for her to have another strong year as a Junior at Plainfield.
Ella Wolfe
Ella
Wolfe
5'8" | SG
Tipton | 2022
State
IN
, 2022, 5-8 SG, Tipton H.S.
Ella is one of those small school kids who I think could fit in and play at a prominent 4A school. She is a fairly long, fluid, and fast lefty with good all-around athleticism and a little bounce to her game. She plays with a great motor, she can turn the corner and get downhill quickly, and she’s starting to shoot it more consistently from the perimeter. Defensively is where she can be special, as she uses her length and quickness well to force turnovers, whether she’s on the ball or one pass away. She also acts as the primary ball-handler for her high school team at times.