Summer Summary: Indiana Flight

Feature image is of [player_tooltip player_id="61059" first="Kenna" last="Kirby"] of Tri-West High School and Indiana Flight UAA-Kincer. In a year with a great deal of uncertainty, Central and Northern Indiana turned out to be quite the places to host a number of grassroots events. With the conclusion of the Run 4 Roses Classic a couple of weekends ago, and with kids starting up Fall leagues or playing Fall sports for their high schools, I wanted to turn my attention to reviewing what I saw all Summer long. I am in the early stages of rolling out a series of articles over the next week doing so. The programs who entered six or more teams in the 17U-14U age groups will get their own article, while the remaining teams will be divided into North, Central, and South articles later in the series. Below is a look at some of the 12 teams in those age groups who took the court for the Indiana Flight program throughout July and early August.   17U Teams: There were originally six Indiana Flight teams slated to play in the 17U division back in March, but by the time the Summer came along, the Indiana Flight UAA-Wright team opted out due to COVID, plus they already had a number of players committed to colleges. With that said, I will turn my attention to the other five teams I saw in action this Summer. The Indiana Flight UA Rise-Perry team is always fun to watch, because they typically play hard and have a nice mix of prospects to look at. 6-0 wing [player_tooltip player_id="130344" first="Kylee" last="Stepp"] (2021) of West Vigo was one of the more impressive offensive players I saw over the Summer. Her ability to shoot the ball as well as she does at her size is hard to match, plus she’s a nice North/South athlete who can get to the rim. She has enough ball skill as well to act as a point forward from time to time. I think she’ll become a real matchup problem offensively at the next level. 6-1 post [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"] (2021) of Triton Central is always a favorite of mine to watch. She works tremendously hard, rim-runs well, and just out-hustles her matchup every game. She is physical and tough around the block, and this Summer she did a nice job of facing the basket to as deep as the arc and burying open rhythm jumpers. She has already committed to IU-South Bend. 5-11 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="130360" first="Emily" last="Wood"] (2021) of Noblesville might be one of the more overlooked and under-recruited small college prospects in the 2021 class. She has really good length, fluid athleticism, and she plays with a nice motor. She could stand to get a little stronger, but she plays the right way and tries to be physical inside. She has a nose for the ball and finishes at odd angles inside of 15-feet. This Summer was my first time seeing 6-0 post [player_tooltip player_id="184236" first="Haley" last="Scott"] (2021) of Western, but I’m glad I did. She is strong, physical, and tough-nosed. She plays with a good motor, runs hard in transition, and boxes out well. She also has some touch in the mid-post and can finish with either hand around the basket. I think she’s an absolute hard-worker inside who could thrive in some of the better small college environments in the Midwest. Indiana Flight Silver/Attack is another strong, tough-nosed, hard-working group who probably outplays their talent at times. 5-7 wing [player_tooltip player_id="99410" first="Brooke" last="Grinstead"] (2021) of Bloomington South put together an outstanding Summer for them. She works as hard as anyone, is always on the floor, and she’s tough-nosed and willing to be physical as a perimeter player. Additionally, she is a talented perimeter shooter with a quick release, and she just has a nice, natural feel for the game and moves well without the ball. 5-8 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99361" first="Alexa" last="McKinley"] (2021) of Columbus North has long been a favorite of mine to watch. She always looks poised and prepared for each situation, she is a nice athlete with good length and wiry strength, plus she can score the ball a little bit at all three levels. She finds teammates in positions to score, plus she’s a willing and capable defender. 5-7 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="62552" first="Jillian" last="Osswald"] (2021) of Hamilton Heights plays with a great deal of energy and effort as well. She is tough-nosed, hard-working, and always flies around the floor. She can handle the ball and run offense, she can knock down open jumpers, but I think it’s her efforts at the defensive end of the floor where she can really hound opposing ball-handlers that go unnoticed too often. The one player on their roster who I felt like turned the corner and played with much more confidence this Summer was 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id="128155" first="Kylah" last="Lawson"] (2022) of Columbus North. Kylah is extremely long, still a little thin, but very fluid, bouncy, and all-around athletic. She was more assertive offensively, as she looked to attack the basket off the bounce, but she also knocked down mid-post jumpers, and she was chasing down rebounds all over. I also think with her length and athleticism, that she can become a versatile defender who can take on guards, wings, or forwards equally well. If one thing is consistent year after year, it’s seeing Coach Mike Duke on the sideline with Indiana Flight-Duke. This year he had one of his deeper, more balanced teams, and they showed it most tournaments. 5-9 guard [player_tooltip player_id="130334" first="Maycee" last="Woods"] (2021) of Plainfield has really developed into quite the player. She has good length, speed, and athleticism in all directions. She has always been a nice perimeter shooter, but now she’s handling it much better and can initiate the offense at times. She is a versatile defender, and she plays with a nice motor. Maycee has already committed to play at Taylor University. I think the player who surprised me the most on this team was 6-0 post Andrea Justis (2022) of Columbus North. She has a strong frame, solid athleticism, and she works hard and rim-runs as well as any post her age. She’s willing to be physical, she attempts to rebound everything, and she has decent hands and footwork. The next step for her, really, is to become a bit more instinctual once she catches the ball on the block, but that should come with more repetitions. She definitely has a chance to be a nice small college prospect long-term. 5-9 forward [player_tooltip player_id="62569" first="Maddie" last="Patterson"] (2021) of Danville Community is one of the more consistent players in the 2021 class. You are always going to get good effort from her, plus she’ll play a little inside, a little outside, and fulfill a number of roles. She is strong enough to battle inside, she’s probably most "dominant" in the mid-post as a scorer, but she’s also a capable perimeter shooter and a nice North/South athlete who can get to the basket in one to two dribbles. High school teammate [player_tooltip player_id="128164" first="Haley" last="Godwin"] (2022), another 5-9 forward from Danville Community, is a ball of energy at times. She is a nice, wiry strong, somewhat bouncy athlete who plays hard in all directions. She is a pursuing rebounder, a versatile defender, and she can make plays off the bounce offensively. I think she’s a really nice mid-post scorer right now, but she’s athletic enough to be considered a wing, and as she continues developing her perimeter skill, I’d look for her to play more and more around the arc in the near future. Indiana Flight-Long seems like a quiet group of kids, but they are tough and play extremely hard as well. I have raved about 5-9 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="35044" first="Taylor" last="Cooney"] (2021) of Greensburg for years, as she is an under-recruited prospect who I know could help some of the better programs in the Midwest. She is long and athletic, but it’s her patience, skill, and savvy as a lead guard that have always stood out to me. She rarely forces the action, she has a tremendous feel for the game, but she does have the ability to shoot/score when needed. She’s also a nice, versatile defender. 5-11 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="130348" first="Paige" last="Ledford"] (2021) of Jac-Cen-Del has been a staple in the JCD lineup since her Freshman year, and she just continues to take advantage of her matchups. She plays with an outstanding motor, she is physical and tough-nosed inside, but she has great touch and buries lefty jumpers from the perimeter consistently. I think she is kind of a "sleeper" as a prospect, and she fits the role of a nice pick-and-pop ’4’ that a lot of the Midwestern small colleges seek yearly. 5-7 guard [player_tooltip player_id="130409" first="Emma" last="Litzelman"] (2021) of Cardinal Ritter was really good in the games I saw of her over the Summer. She is still kind of thin and unassuming, but she plays with nice motor, and she’s athletic in all directions. She can put it on the floor and glide to the basket, she’s capable of knocking down open rhythm jumpers, plus she has really improved her handle and can start the offense on occasion. I like her effort defensively, and she’ll get inside and scrap for rebounds. 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id="99397" first="Madison" last="Gray"] (2021) of Union County is kind of the "Jack-of-all-trades" type. She has a wiry strong, athletic frame, she’s a solid athlete in most directions, plus she plays a lot stronger than she is. Madison has a nice motor, she’s willing to be physical inside, she is a matchup problem in the mid-post, but she can also step outside and handle the ball a little or knock down the occasional perimeter jumper. She is just the definition of versatility. The final 17U team for Flight would be the Indiana Flight South group. They have a number of really nice Southern Indiana girls located between Louisville and Columbus. 5-9 forward [player_tooltip player_id="22694" first="Gracie" last="Adams"] (2021) of Lanesville and 5-9 wing [player_tooltip player_id="62561" first="Jaclyn" last="Emly"] (2021) of Silver Creek have been the constant for this team growing up. Adams is a tough, physical, fairly athletic forward who does a little of everything. She is skilled around the perimeter and can play some outside, but she’s probably best in the mid-post where she can knock down 15-footers or use her quick first step to get inside and finish. She is great at drawing contact and getting to the line, plus she’s an outstanding rebounder with a nose for the ball. Emly is a wiry strong, fairly fluid wing with good all-around perimeter skill. She can run offense like a point forward at times, she’s a capable perimeter shooter, and she can also get inside and battle a little. Emly is also a somewhat versatile defender, and she recently gave a commitment to Kentucky Wesleyan University. Over the last couple of years, I have grown to really like [player_tooltip player_id="99380" first="Karly" last="Sweeney"]’s (2021) game. The 5-7 guard from Salem is one of the toughest, feistiest players in Southern Indiana, and she has been a big cog in Salem’s recent success. She is a nice one-directional athlete who can get downhill and finish inside, she is a great rebounder for her size/position, and she’s an effortful and scrappy defender who doesn’t mind mixing it up at that end of the floor. She is a productive kid who I think sometimes flies a little under the radar in the Summer months but shouldn’t. One youngster on this team to keep an eye on moving forward is 5-5 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128188" first="Taylor" last="Treat"] (2022) of New Albany. She is a quick/fast, somewhat of a water-bug type of playmaker. She is a really nice athlete, she plays with a motor, but she can sometimes play almost too fast for her teammates. When she plays within herself, she can be a problem, because she can get into the paint and collapse defenses or finish herself. I also like her potential to become a really nice on-ball defender. She definitely has physical talent. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="99410" first="Brooke" last="Grinstead"], 2021, 5-7 W, Bloomington H.S. South Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="35044" first="Taylor" last="Cooney"], 2021, 5-9 PG, Greensburg H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"], 2021, 6-1 C, Triton Central H.S.   16U Teams: Indiana Flight only rolled out one traditional 16U team this Summer, and that was the Indiana Flight UAA-Kincer group. I felt like the one player who stepped up the most with this group was probably 6-0 forward [player_tooltip player_id="61051" first="Jozee" last="Rhodes"] (2022) of Plainfield. Bouncing back from injury, Jozee was great from the beginning of the Summer to the end. She is strong, physical, and tough-nosed. She is a solid on-the-floor athlete who plays with a nice motor, plus she showed a really nice offensive skillset. She has the ability to shoot it consistently, and her range extends to behind the arc. She’ll need to get a little quicker defensively, but otherwise she could be a really nice weapon as a face-up ’4’ at the next level. Another player who was bouncing back from a series of injuries is 5-10 guard [player_tooltip player_id="34537" first="Rayah" last="Kincer"] (2022) of Franklin Central. Her play seemed to consistently improve as the Summer wore on, presumably because she was getting back to 100% and playing more like her old self. Rayah is a versatile, multilevel perimeter player who is strong enough to be considered a small forward, but she is skilled like a point guard with a solid handle and feel for running offense. She is a nice North/South attacker, and she shot it much better by August. 6-2 post [player_tooltip player_id="97266" first="Ally" last="Madden"] (2022) was originally planning on playing with the 17U UAA group, but with their season canceled, she joined this group and fit in seamlessly. Ally has a fairly strong frame, she has really nice length, and she’s a bit bouncier and more athletic than she might look at first glance. She has good hands and touch around the block, plus she can face the rim to near the perimeter. Defensively, she’s a deceptive shot-blocker who times her jumps well, and she is an active and physical rebounder. I also wanted to point out 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="97250" first="Makayla" last="Hinshaw"] (2022) of Hamilton Southeastern from this group. She has always been a really nice athlete with great length and speed, so she has found her value at the defensive end of the floor. But she’s starting to handle and shoot it much better around the perimeter, plus she’s able to slice by defenders and get to the basket with some ease. I’d look for her to have a much bigger impact for HSE this Winter. 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="61059" first="Kenna" last="Kirby"] (2022) of Tri-West is another really nice guard for this team who does a really good job at the offensive end of the floor. She’s a capable perimeter shooter with range beyond the arc, she has an athletically strong frame and can attack the basket for scores as well, but all-in-all she just has a natural feel for being able to score the basketball in any situation. She has shown a great deal of growth in her game the last couple of years, and I’d anticipate a big Winter out of her as well. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="61051" first="Jozee" last="Rhodes"], 2022, 6-0 PF, Plainfield H.S. Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="34537" first="Rayah" last="Kincer"], 2022, 5-10 CG, Franklin Central H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="97250" first="Makayla" last="Hinshaw"], 2022, 5-8 SG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.   15U Teams: Like with 16U, there was only one traditional 15U team in the Flight program this year. Indiana Flight Future-Redar is comprised of mostly Southern Indiana girls, and they play really well together. 5-5 point guard Jackie Crews (2023) of Paoli is a really nice, young, lead guard with some upside. She has good quickness (she’s more quick than fast), she has a wiry strong frame, she has really good length at her height, and she plays with a nice motor. I really like the pace she plays with, as she doesn’t force the action too often, but she does get the ball where it needs to go, and she can shoot/score it on occasion when her team needs that from her. She is a really nice, cerebral, traditional point guard. One of her backcourt ’mates was 5-7 guard [player_tooltip player_id="178236" first="Madelyn" last="Hackman"] (2023) of Brownstown Central. She is a fairly strong, somewhat physical, and tough-nosed guard who plays with good versatility. She can handle the ball in transition and even initiate the offense at times, she’s a capable perimeter shooter, and she’s a nice downhill scorer who can get to the basket and finish through contact. I really like her style of play and her strong motor. Unfortunately 5-9 guard [player_tooltip player_id="59747" first="Riley" last="Flinn"] (2023) of West Lafayette Harrison was not in attendance when I saw them this Summer. Look for her to contribute to Harrison’s lineup more this year, as she’s a long, fluid, and versatile combo guard with talent and skill. 5-10 power forwards Ryleigh Anderson (2023) and Lizzie Redar (2023) were essentially the entire frontline for this team, but both have intriguing qualities. Anderson, from Paoli, is a strong, physical, and assertive kid inside of about 15-feet. She is a nice rebounder, she can play with her back to the basket, but she can knock down shots in the short-corner or at the elbows. I also liked her motor and toughness at the defensive end of the floor. Redar, from Lawrenceburg, looked like she was still more of a developmental prospect, but she too did some really nice things. She has good length, she’s a fairly fluid athlete, and while she got inside to rebound and score on occasion, she also looked reasonably comfortable playing in the mid-post and around the perimeter on occasion. As she continues to develop her skillset, I look for her to figure it out and become much more consistently productive. She also looks like she still might grow another inch or two. Biggest Stock-Riser: Lizzie Redar, 2023, 5-10 PF, Lawrenceburg H.S. Prospect With The Highest Ceiling: [player_tooltip player_id="59747" first="Riley" last="Flinn"], 2023, 5-9 CG, West Lafayette Harrison H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="178236" first="Madelyn" last="Hackman"], 2023, 5-7 SG, Brownstown Central H.S.   14U Teams: Back in March there were originally four 14U teams who were to represent the Flight program, although the Indiana Flight UAA-Klem team was going to be the 15U representative in the Under Armour Association. That team and Indiana Flight South-Hickey ended up only playing a couple of tournaments in August, and I was unfortunately not able to be in attendance when they played due to other tournaments taking place. However, Indiana Flight North-Caldwell played a lot in July, and they were fun to watch together. 5-9 guard [player_tooltip player_id="177313" first="Allison" last="Caldwell"] (2024) of Zionsville is one of the better prospects in Indiana’s 2024 class. She just has such a natural feel for the game, she can handle the ball at times, she’s a great passer, and I feel like whenever she attacks and gets to about the free throw line, she always makes the correct decision (continue driving, pull up and shoot, or pass). She has good length and might still grow a little bit, plus she’s a fluid all-around athlete. She could end up playing early and often on a Zionsville team needing guards to go with their talented frontline. 6-1 twin power forwards [player_tooltip player_id="177349" first="Isabelle" last="Poehlein"] (2024) and [player_tooltip player_id="177350" first="Sophia" last="Poehlein"] (2024) of Zionsville flash a great deal of potential and could be really good moving forward. Isabelle is a bit more forceful and physical on the interior, and she seems to prefer to play with her back to the basket a little more. She is a nice athlete with tremendous length, and she is productive in the mid-post as well. Sophia is the same long, athletic forward, but she is more of a mid-post to perimeter face-up ’4’, and she has some touch around the arc as well. Both are somewhat versatile defensively, and while they can block shots inside, they do a nice job of defending out on the floor. I know this sounds like an advertisement for Eagle basketball, but 5-7 wing [player_tooltip player_id="177325" first="Emma" last="Haan"] (2024), also of Zionsville, had her moments this Summer as well. She is a strong, physical, tough-nosed wing. She plays with a tremendous motor and just makes plays at both ends of the floor. I’m not sure how much she’s going to grow, but her energy and effort are contagious, and she’ll surely carve out a role for ZCHS at some point. I also really liked 5-2 point guard Ella Hickok (2024) of Hamilton Heights the more I watched this team. She is an extremely quick/fast little water-bug who flies around the floor somewhat effortlessly. She is a playmaker and has good skill and understanding of the game; she’s just little. She also needs to sense tone a little more and learn how to change speeds, but you have to love her effort at all times. Indiana Flight Future-Meade was the other 14U team who took the court this Summer, and they’ve played consistently over the last 2 1/2 months. [player_tooltip player_id="177362" first="Juliann" last="Woodard"] (2024) of Jennings County stood out early and often for them, but it wasn’t until my second or third time watching her that I really appreciated all she was capable of. The 5-11 power forward is fairly strong, she has broad shoulders and long arms, and she prefers the physical style of play inside, plus she plays with an aggressive motor. But, as the Summer wore on, I was able to see good face-up skill out of her in the mid-post, and on occasion she would extend that to the arc. If she can continue developing that perimeter game and be both physical inside and skillful outside, it will really help her recruiting in a big way, because I’m not sure how much taller she’ll get. 5-9 small forward [player_tooltip player_id="177357" first="Kendall" last="Sterling"] (2024) of Seymour is another solid prospect from this team. She has a fairly strong frame, she’s a solid athlete in most directions, and she too is skillful at multiple levels. I think she can be highly productive at times in the mid-post, but she can also handle it a little and knock down the occasional jumper outside. I still think her "bread and butter" is using her frame and attacking the basket North/South, taking on contact, and getting to the free throw line. I also really enjoyed the backcourt combination of 5-6 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="177339" first="Elle" last="Marble"] (2024) of Jeffersonville and 5’6 guard Claire Lindsey (2024) of Roncalli. Marble is a bit slender still, possibly still growing, but she is a fairly fluid and skillful point guard who does a lot of things consistently well. She can run offense and manage a team, but she can also slice to the basket and get layups or free throw opportunities. I also like her length at the defensive end of the floor. Lindsey is a wiry-strong, tough-nosed combo guard who plays with a good motor. She hustles at both ends of the floor and is always trying to make a play. Defensively, she can take on all sorts of guards, and she can turn people over on occasion. Offensively, she is programmed more like a shooter/scorer, but she can handle the ball some and run offense at times. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="177362" first="Juliann" last="Woodard"], 2024, 5-11 PF, Jennings County H.S. Prospect With The Highest Ceiling: [player_tooltip player_id="177313" first="Allison" last="Caldwell"], 2024, 5-9 SG, Zionsville Community H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="177325" first="Emma" last="Haan"], 2024, 5-7 SF, Zionsville Community H.S.