Summer Summary: Indiana Showcase

Feature image is of [player_tooltip player_id="128162" first="Nataley" last="Armstrong"] of Garrett High School and Indiana Showcase 16U BlueStar-Gorman. 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 about one-third of the way through a series of articles over the past few days 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 the 6 teams in those age groups who took the court for the Indiana Showcase BlueStar program throughout July and early August.   17U Teams: There was just one entry in the 17U division for Showcase this year, and that was the Indiana Showcase Junior Stars-George team. They were led by their backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="99383" first="Indiah" last="Kendrick"] (2021) and [player_tooltip player_id="59756" first="Ella" last="Hobson"] (2023) on most days. Kendrick, a 5-6 point guard from Avon, has steadily improved each year she has been in high school. She is very long for her height, extremely quick/fast, and ultimately just an electric playmaker off the bounce. Where she has improved the most, is playing with a lot more efficiency and discipline, not forcing the action as much, and learning how to change speeds and use her burst better to blow by defenders. She can shoot it outside a little as well, plus she can be an elite defender when she’s engaged at that end of the floor. Hobson, a 5-5 guard from Center Grove, has always been known as a deep shooter and someone who can fill up scoresheets. Playing "up" two age groups the last couple of years, she has really done a nice job of adapting to the speed and size of the game. She is wiry strong, tough-nosed, and very scrappy/feisty. This year, as opposed to last, she did many more things, and she looked like more of a creator with the ball in her hands than just a shooter/scorer. I was also fairly intrigued by the frontcourt play of [player_tooltip player_id="184245" first="Kaylee" last="Carte"] (2021), [player_tooltip player_id="97263" first="Quinn" last="Kelly"] (2022), and Olivia Labus (2021). Carte, a 5-11 power forward from Center Grove, plays with a nonstop motor, she’s strong, physical, and tough, and she simply out-hustles her matchups in most games. This Summer she showed some touch around the perimeter, and her versatility to be able to play on the block, in the mid-post, or around the perimeter in pick-and-pop situations, should be attractive to many of the Midwestern small college programs. Kelly, a 5-11 power forward from Greenwood Community, continues to be an intriguing prospect as well. She has an athletic frame with some strength, she moves well in most directions, and she’s a nice shooter/scorer from the mid-post. She can hit the 15-footer consistently or attack the basket off the dribble and finish. Labus, a 5-9 power forward from Guerin Catholic, was a new name for me to watch this Summer, but I think she has really nice value as a small college prospect. She has a good motor, and even though she’s a little shorter for the position she plays, she does have a nice, balanced skillset and finds ways to be crafty inside and score against taller, longer athletes. She has a little touch, she’s good in the mid-post, and she is a solid rebounder who can box out or pursue boards. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="99383" first="Indiah" last="Kendrick"], 2021, 5-5 PG, Avon H.S. Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="97263" first="Quinn" last="Kelly"], 2022, 5-11 PF, Greenwood Community H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="184245" first="Kaylee" last="Carte"], 2021, 5-11 PF, Center Grove H.S.   16U Teams: There was also just one squad in the 16U division for Showcase this Summer, but that group had a nice mixture of talented 2022s and 2023s spread throughout the roster. Indiana Showcase 16U BlueStar-Gorman ended up getting a big boost from Garrett High School, as the quarantine gave a couple of girls time to play this Summer, and in turn it gave them a platform to really boost their stock in terms of basketball recruiting. 5-9 small forward [player_tooltip player_id="127226" first="Bailey" last="Kelham"] (2023) probably saw the most benefit from the experience. She is a wiry strong, very athletic, and versatile forward who does a little of everything. She is developing her handle and making her perimeter jumper more consistent to be a full-time wing moving forward, but she’s an absolute mismatch in the mid-post, as she can shoot, attack and score, or rebound the ball at a high level and get a number of put-backs. Add to that her ability to defend multiple positions at a high level, and she will draw a number of interested colleges the next few years. 6-0 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="157170" first="Morgan" last="Ostrowski"] (2022) is another Railroader who might not have played in a "normal" year. She is extremely long, very bouncy, and much stronger than her somewhat slender frame might suggest. She can at times be a problem around the block, because she does a nice job of using her length and explosiveness to finish over defenders. She has some touch inside of 15-feet, and she can also be a shot-blocking presence at the defensive end of the floor. 5-7 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128162" first="Nataley" last="Armstrong"] (2022) was slated to be with this group from the beginning, and the Garrett floor general continues to improve each time I see her. She has tremendous length at her height, she’s quick, fast, and feisty, and she puts about as much energy in at the defensive end of the floor as she does at the offensive end. She creates steals, is great pushing the ball in transition, and is an unselfish creator who is always looking for open teammates. Two more Sophomores really stood out for this team over the last couple of months. 5-9 wing [player_tooltip player_id="96093" first="Lilly" last="Toppen"] (2023) of Kankakee Valley has a reputation as a smooth wing shooter, and she continued to do that throughout the Summer. But what she also did was show her ability to put the ball on the floor and attack or find open teammates. She has solid length, she’s a fluid athlete, and she seems like a fairly cerebral kid offensively who understands how to move without the basketball. 5-10 small forward Brooklyn Peterson (2023) of Mitchell was very impressive each time I saw her. She has an athletic frame, solid strength, and she can play comfortably around the perimeter or in the mid-post. She has some touch on her jumper to the 3-point line, she can attack and change directions going to the basket, and she is strong enough to absorb contact and finish inside. I also like her motor, her toughness, and her willingness to be a physical perimeter player. She transferred into Mitchell from Bedford North Lawrence. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="127226" first="Bailey" last="Kelham"], 2023, 5-9 SF, Garrett H.S. Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="157170" first="Morgan" last="Ostrowski"], 2022, 6-0 PF, Garrett H.S. Best Motor: Brooklyn Peterson, 2023, 5-10 SF, Mitchell H.S.   15U Teams: The 15U division was where Indiana Showcase had a bulk of their prospects, fielding three teams over the Summer. The Indiana Showcase 15U BlueStar-Eber group possessed as much talent as any of them. I have long been a fan of 6-0 wing [player_tooltip player_id="59786" first="Sydney" last="Warran"] (2023), and I think while she still needs continued development, she has a really nice ceiling for the next level. The Cascade student-athlete is long, wiry, and fairly fluid in most directions. She acts as sort of a point forward and a distributor first, but she has started to score the ball much more consistently in the last year. As she continues to gain strength, knock down shots outside more consistently, and prove to be a true wing defender, I think she’ll draw the eyes of several college programs. I was also very impressed with the potential of 5-8 wing Autumn Rucker (2023) of Indianapolis Pike. She is a long, wiry strong, and very athletic kid. She can run and jump with just about anyone in this class, she has good speed and body control and can get inside and finish through contact, plus she is an effortful, no-nonsense defender who can guard the ball end to end. She’ll need a little polish to her offensive skillset, but athletically she is a real problem for opponents. 5-10 forward Paige Kirtz (2023) of Brownsburg has a lot of upside as well and can develop into a really nice ballplayer/prospect long-term. She is very long, fluid, and somewhat bouncy, plus she might still squeeze out another inch or two. She is great in the mid-post, where she can knock down a 15-footer or attack the basket off the bounce, plus she is a really nice offensive rebounder who keeps possessions alive. 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="177308" first="Madisyn" last="Bailey"] (2024) of Bedford North Lawrence was a late addition to this group, as her team did not play until August. She will join a talented and deep backcourt for the Stars this year and bring good size, a strong frame, and a nice motor to the lineup. She has skillful versatility and can shoot/score the ball from the perimeter, she’s aggressive attacking the basket off the bounce, plus she can slide over and run offense from time to time. I also think 5-11 front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="178241" first="Bailey" last="Parham"] (2023) of Tri High could go somewhat under the radar for another year because of the size or her school and location. She is a tremendously productive interior player who does a nice job rebounding the ball, whether it’s boxing out or pursuing rebounds outside of her area. She has a solid/strong frame, some length, and she simply outworks her matchup on most occasions. The next step for her, especially at 5-11, will be to continue developing her 15 to 17-foot face-up game and add some versatility. Indiana Showcase-Sienne has a few intriguing prospects as well. 6-2 post [player_tooltip player_id="59731" first="Kendal" last="Bolen"] (2023) of Cathedral stood out because she towered over most of her teammates. She is extremely long, she runs the floor fairly well North/South, and she continues to develop her skillset around the basket. You can tell she has been coached and has absorbed coaching, now she just needs to take what she’s learned and be a bit more instinctual on the catch. She is a real presence defensively, and she plays with a really nice motor. I also feel like 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id="59739" first="Izzy" last="Crickmore"] (2023) of Center Grove continues to improve. She is a long, fairly fluid athlete, but I’m still trying to put my finger on what position she might be moving forward. At times she looks comfortable around the perimeter, she can put it on the floor and straight-line drive it to the rim, but at other times she just looks like a really nice mid-post ’4’ who can hit the 15-footer consistently, attack from there, and rebound it consistently. She will need to get a lot stronger, but she certainly has some talent and versatility to work with. Another Center Grove Lady Trojan, 5-4 point guard Lily Howe (2023), showed a nice all-around game when I was able to see her. She has some strength at her size, and she plays with a veteran savvy and a good all-around basketball IQ. She is skilled with the ball in her hands, and she does a nice job as a game manager, running offense and finding open teammates in positions to score. All-in-all, I just really like her overall feel for the game. 5-6 guard Kaylinn Dugan (2023) of Plainfield is someone I was unfamiliar with heading into the Summer, but she was really good each time I saw this team play. She wasn’t too dissimilar from most Plainfield guards I’ve seen over the years. She has some length, she’s a wiry athlete who moves well in most directions, and she plays with a good motor. She has a quiet toughness to her as well, and she showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and be productive as either an attacking scorer or a willing passer. That brings us to the Indiana Showcase-Armstrong team. This group was very scrappy and worked hard each time out. While I only had the opportunity to see them once this Summer, the player who stood out the most was 6-0 post Jordyn Coleman (2023) from Indianapolis Pike. She has a strong, almost powerful frame, some length, and she seemed to work hard when I saw her. She does a solid job of establishing herself inside, but now she just needs more reps to continue learning how to score it in different situations. She was a noticeable presence defensively in the paint, and I think overall she has good upside as a prospect if she keeps working on her game. Biggest Stock-Riser: Autumn Rucker, 2023, 5-8 SF, Pike H.S. Prospect With The Highest Ceiling: [player_tooltip player_id="177308" first="Madisyn" last="Bailey"], 2024, 5-8 SG, Bedford North Lawrence H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="178241" first="Bailey" last="Parham"], 2023, 5-11 PF, Tri H.S.   14U Teams: There was also one 14U team in the Showcase program this year...Indiana Showcase 14U Rising BlueStar-Lake. They were almost exclusively a group of guards and wings, and they used their speed and quickness as a team to bother opponents. I was only able to see them in one tournament back in late-June, but 5-8 guard Alivia Elmore (2024) of Jennings County stood out when I saw them play. She is extremely long, wiry, and fluidly athletic. She has some bounce to her as well, and she makes a lot of plays just with her athleticism. As she continues to grow her game, she’ll just need to be a bit more efficient and learn how to play against zones and set defenses a little better, but there is definite talent and skill in her game, and she has a nice ceiling as a prospect. 5-8 wings Emma Hendricks (2024), [player_tooltip player_id="177315" first="Creedance" last="Chittenden"] (2024), and [player_tooltip player_id="177340" first="Ariana" last="Marks"] (2024) all had moments in the tournament I saw. They are all solid athletes who do a number of different things well. I felt like Hendricks was probably the best pure shooter/scorer of the three. She is from Brownsburg and joined this team late because her original team didn’t play until sometime in August. She has a nice basketball IQ and feel for the game, and I’ll be interested to see what role she fills this year as a Freshman for the Bulldogs. Chittenden is from Cascade, and she has good length and fairly fluid athleticism. She showed solid ball skill and the ability to drive it a little. I think once she gets stronger and a bit more dynamic off the bounce, she could really elevate her ability to score the ball. Marks is from Mooresville and is like a lot of the wings that have played for the Pioneers in the past. She has a wiry strong frame, she’s fairly fluid in all directions, and she plays with a quiet toughness and a motor. She kind of plays a point forward role and should thrive in that system. I also thought 5-2 point guard Emma Ancelet (2025) of Danville did a really nice job, considering she is little and a year younger. She is very quick and quick with the ball, she is tough at her size, and she flies around the floor trying to make plays at both ends. Obviously she’s still young, but she’ll need to get much stronger, plus hopefully she’ll grow another couple of inches. I’ll be curious to see her one year from now. Prospect With The Highest Ceiling: Alivia Elmore, 2024, 5-8 SG, Jennings County H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="177340" first="Ariana" last="Marks"], 2024, 5-8 SF, Mooresville H.S.