Summer Summary: Indy Magic

Feature image is of [player_tooltip player_id="62527" first="Bridget" last="Dunn"] of Carmel High School and Indy Magic 17U BlueStar-Blanding. 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. This article puts us just past halfway 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 some of the seven teams in those age groups who took the court for the Indy Magic BlueStar program throughout July and early August.   17U Teams: The Indy Magic had two teams participate in the 17U division regularly, with the flagship team being the Indy Magic BlueStar-Blanding group. This year’s group was one of the more talented ones I can remember, and leading the way was 6-1 wing [player_tooltip player_id="10743" first="Kate" last="Clarke"] (2022) of Carmel. She is a highly skilled, versatile, and elite level scorer who has drawn a number of high-major Division-I offers over the years. She has an athletic frame, good length, and solid all-around athleticism, but it’s her offensive skillset that are drawing coaches. She is a pure shooter with range and a quick release, plus she has really worked on her handle and can run offense like a point forward or get to the basket and finish through contact. Carmel teammate [player_tooltip player_id="62527" first="Bridget" last="Dunn"] (2021) joined her for another year on this team, and the 6-3 forward looked strong as well. She is very long, wiry strong, but fluid and somewhat bouncy. She grew up as more of a guard/wing, and she still possesses a lot of those skills around the perimeter, but she also added six to seven inches between 7th Grade and now, so she has learned how to be more physical and play in the mid-post and on the low-block. Bridget has already committed to Kent State University. 5-5 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="97243" first="Teresa" last="Maggio"] (2022) and 5-6 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="99363" first="Aubrey" last="Burgess"] (2021) brought the "juice" for this team, as both of them played with a tremendous amount of energy and effort at both ends of the floor. Maggio, from McCutcheon, is a playmaker off the bounce, and she jets around the floor making plays for herself or teammates. She is starting to learn how to change speeds better, but that could use a little tinkering still. She shot it consistently when I saw her, and she has always done a nice job of being a fairly vocal lead guard. Maggio has already given a verbal commitment to IUPUI. Burgess, from Linton-Stockton, is fresh off a Class 2A State Title, and she does whatever she can to help her team win. She is really good at the defensive end of the floor, she can make shots outside or attack the basket offensively, but she also has nice ball skill and can run an offense at times. I also really like 6-1 forward [player_tooltip player_id="61046" first="Madison" last="Kerrigan"] (2022) of Westfield, and I think she still has a lot of upside to continue improving. She has a long, athletic frame, and she is really good in the 15 to 17-foot range. She can knock down the mid-range jumper consistently, but she’s strong enough to post and score inside, and she’s versatile enough to play around the perimeter and hit the occasional 3-pointer. If she can develop into about a 38%+ perimeter shooter, I think her stock would take off, but she’s certainly an undervalued recruit as-is. The other entry for the Indy Magic this year in 17U was the Indy Magic-Andrus group. I felt like one player who helped herself this Summer as much as anyone in any program was 5-3 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="184235" first="Abby" last="Worley"] (2021) of Mount Vernon (Fortville, Indiana). She has been on my radar for some time, but her play this Summer caused several small colleges to take notice. She is strong, quick (more quick than fast), and very tough-nosed. She is highly efficient and rarely turns it over, plus she will make shots when left open, but she doesn’t force the action at all. She plays with such a steady and calming demeanor, that it helps her teammates play within themselves. 6-3 post [player_tooltip player_id="34538" first="MyKayla" last="Moran"] (2022) of Hamilton Heights has probably drawn the most college attention of anyone on this team, picking up Division-I interest/offers. She has a strong frame, very good length, and she plays with a motor. I like how she tries to be physical when necessary, runs hard in transition, but also shows a little touch and finesse in the ten to 12-foot range. She still needs some work, but she has a lot of upside. 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="99424" first="Daylynn" last="Thornton"] (2021) of McCutcheon first caught my eye in April of 2019, and she continues to be an intriguing small college prospect. She has a strong, athletic frame, she is a nice North/South athlete, and she’s versatile skillfully. She’s more of an off-guard because of her ability to drive it and score or knock shots down outside, but she’s also capable of playing point guard at times and running offense. I also wanted to point out [player_tooltip player_id="130384" first="Ella" last="Shields"] (2021) and [player_tooltip player_id="128131" first="Mia" last="Shields"] (2022) of Kokomo. The well-traveled perimeter players should make a big impact for the WildKats this Winter. Ella is a solidly built, 5-9 wing. She is a very good perimeter shooter who can get hot outside, but she’s also strong and athletic enough to attack the basket and finish through contact. She has sort of a crafty game and she understands angles and how to get defenders off-balance. Mia, a 5-7 combo guard, is quicker and more of a primary ball-handler. She can play point and run offense, but she’s also a really nice multilevel scorer who can break down defenders or make shots around the perimeter. The scoring punch they bring should help Kokomo to several more wins in 2020-2021. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="184235" first="Abby" last="Worley"], 2021, 5-3 PG, Mount Vernon H.S. (Fortville, IN) Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="61046" first="Madison" last="Kerrigan"], 2022, 6-1 PF, Westfield H.S. Best Motor: [player_tooltip player_id="99363" first="Aubrey" last="Burgess"], 2021, 5-6 CG, Linton-Stockton H.S.   16U Teams: There were three teams in the 16U division for the Indy Magic, but I unfortunately missed one of them this year. The top group was the Indy Magic BlueStar-Scott group, and they were actually a bunch of 2023s playing "up" all Summer. The group as a whole is talented, deep, and fun to watch. I am most intrigued by 5-10 wing [player_tooltip player_id="155438" first="Kaleah" last="Toomer"] (2023) of Ben Davis, and I think she has a great deal of talent and upside. She has a strong and athletic frame, good length, and the ability to play multiple positions. She has a solid handle, a really nice shot outside when she is able to catch it in rhythm, but she’s tough to stop when she’s attacking the basket because she’s just a better athlete than most girls who try to defend her. 5-6 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="96080" first="Isabella" last="Gizzi"] (2023) of New Palestine had a really nice Summer as well. She looked to improve from tournament to tournament, and she really found her groove later in the Summer. She has a long, wiry frame, but she’s very tough-nosed and willing to be a little physical outside (and definitely scrappy/feisty). She is a traditional pass-first point, but she can knock down open jumpers or get to the basket, plus she’s an effortful defender who gets after it at that end as well. 6-1 post [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"] (2023) of University has as much upside as anyone on this team, but she also plays a very unique style of basketball. She has the size and strength of a post, and she’s willing to use that and be physical around the basket. She has touch on her jumper and can play facing in the mid-post consistently, but she can knock down the occasional 3-pointer as well. At the same time, she has a nice handle for a player of her size, and she can really pass it. For lack of a better comparison, the recentness of watching the Denver Nuggets has me thinking her game has some similarities to a Nikola Jokić. Another really nice prospect on this team is 5-9 guard [player_tooltip player_id="59735" first="Kirsten" last="Clark"] (2023) of Ben Davis. She has already drawn Division-I attention, as she is a long, wiry strong kid who is a nice athlete as well. She is more of a scorer right now, she can slash to the basket and absorb contact, but she also has the ability to make shots from around the perimeter. I think as she continues to develop her game, I could see her taking on more ball-handling responsibilities and being able to initiate the offense more frequently. The other 16U group I saw was the Indy Magic-Marquis squad. They seemed to play fairly well together, but someone different stepped up each time I caught them in action. 6-0 post Sade Smith (2022) of Indianapolis Pike had a really nice Summer. She has a strong and athletic frame, she is physical inside, but she can play a little in the mid-post as well and attack defenders a dribble or two to the basket. She’ll also play hard and physical defensively, and she rebounds it fairly well. 5-11 forward Mya Childress (2022) of Zionsville is a ball of energy. She is really long, somewhat slender, but very fast North/South and somewhat bouncy. She plays with great effort, and I was really impressed with her ability to defend some guards and wings because of her athleticism. Offensively, she’ll need to continue developing her skillset, but she’s an effective mid-post and short-corner face-up ’4’ right now. I think she can become a full-time wing with a little more skill work. 5-6 guard Alexis Wines (2022) of Lebanon also caught my attention, especially considering I had very little background on her before this Summer. She is a wiry strong kid with some length and solid athleticism. She plays with a great motor, and she showed the ability to handle the ball and run offense from time to time, to attack the basket and score it or find open teammates, and the skill to knock down rhythm jumpers consistently. I also like her grittiness as an on-ball defender. 5-8 forward Emily Adamowicz (2022) of Muncie Burris is another prospect who showed some upside. She has really good length, solid all-around athleticism, and she plays with a really nice motor. She can play some in the mid-post and score/rebound there, but she can also play outside and defend multiple positions with her effort. Biggest Stock-Riser: [player_tooltip player_id="155438" first="Kaleah" last="Toomer"], 2023, 5-10 SF, Ben Davis H.S. Most Under-Recruited Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"], 2023, 6-1 PF/C, University H.S. Best Motor: Mya Childress, 2022, 5-11 CF, Zionsville Community H.S.   15U Teams: There was just one 15U team for the Indy Magic, and that was the other Indy Magic-Scott group. They had an interesting mix of prospects, and several of them played well when I was able to see them in action. I’ve always liked 5-5 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="59787" first="Kamryn" last="Washington"] (2023) of Warren Central, and I think she is an active and energetic playmaker who flies around the floor. She has good length, nice speed and quickness, and she can make plays for herself or teammates. She can make rhythm jumpers outside when she’s set or get to the basket for runners/floaters, plus she is scrappy/feisty defensively as well. 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id="96076" first="Alexia" last="Cole"] (2023) of Indianapolis Pike is another intriguing athlete with some upside. She has broad shoulders, good length, and an athletic frame that should continue to get stronger. She can run and jump, and she has some playmaking ability. I struggle with whether she’s more of a ’4’ or a wing, because she can be dominant at times in the mid-post and short-corners, but she’s also solid around the perimeter, putting her head down and attacking the basket. She just needs a little skill refinement, but she has definite athletic talent. 5-8 guard Emmrey Collinsworth (2023) of Westfield is a new name to me, and I was really impressed with her potential as well. She is long and wiry, but she’s very fast North/South and has an explosive first-step to the basket. She was aggressive to the basket, and though she didn’t shoot it often outside, she took and made good shots from the perimeter when I saw her. I also like her potential as a defender with her length and athleticism. 5-6 guard Jordan Patterson (2023) of University is another intriguing prospect who got better as the Summer wore on. She has an athletic/wiry strong frame, good North/South speed, and a little quickness. She plays with a tremendous motor, and she gives effort equally at both ends of the floor. I felt like at the beginning of the Summer she was more of a driver/scorer, but by the end she was handling it much more confidently, and she looked like a combo guard who could efficiently play point on occasion. Biggest Stock-Riser: Emmrey Collinsworth, 2023, 5-8 SG, Westfield H.S. Prospect With The Highest Ceiling: [player_tooltip player_id="96076" first="Alexia" last="Cole"], 2023, 5-10 CF, Pike H.S. Best Motor: Jordan Patterson, 2023, 5-6 CG, University H.S.