Small School, Big Game: Class 2A Upperclassmen

Not only does Indiana take a great deal of pride in its basketball, but it takes a great deal of pride in its small school basketball (<em>cue the theme music to "Hoosiers"</em>). It is highly improbable to cover everyone each year on the PGH sites, however we do like to make note of several young ladies who may or may not get the attention they deserve based on their quality play. In this article, I have focused on Seniors and Juniors from Class 2A schools who are currently uncommitted. I tried to find five such young ladies who stand out as talents, but who might not be well-known on the statewide level at this time. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="62554" first="Mariah" last="Dickerson"], 2021, 6-0 C, Evansville Mater Dei H.S.</strong></span> Mariah is probably the best-known of this group, and the strong, physical, and aggressive post prospect actually earned a Division-I offer a couple of years ago. She has dealt with her share of injuries, slowing down her exposure and recruiting, but she had a great Summer/Fall, and she is primed for a big season for the Wildcats. She does a really nice job of carving out space in the paint offensively, plus she’s an enforcer defensively. But it’s her deceptive athleticism, coupled with her soft touch in the mid-post, that make her a real threat anywhere inside the arc. Mater Dei is always dangerous come tournament time, and Mariah will be a big reason why. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99397" first="Madison" last="Gray"], 2021, 5-10 CF, Union County H.S.</strong></span> Madi is one of the more well-rounded, complete forwards in the state. She has a wiry strong frame, some length, and solid athleticism. She can handle the ball in transition, initiate the offense, and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. She’s tremendously tough to match up with in the mid-post because of her shot and ability to drive, plus she has good skill and footwork either direction when posting up around the block. Madison is also a versatile defender who can take on wings, forwards, and posts. She passed the 1000-point plateau late last season, plus she rebounds, and hands out assists. She is a really nice ballplayer. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="62571" first="Jasmine" last="Walker"], 2021, 5-11 PF, Clarksville H.S.</strong></span> Jasmine unfortunately missed her entire Sophomore season due to injury, plus with the current situation of the pandemic, she hasn’t gotten a lot of exposure outside of the high school seasons since her Freshman year. Jasmine is a long, athletic, and fairly strong frontline prospect. She might be more of a post at this point, but she moved really well as a youngster and blocked a ton of shots. She can box out to rebound, plus she plays hard and will chase down rebounds outside of her area. She has always needed to develop more touch/finesse away from the basket offensively, but she does some damage inside at the rim. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128127" first="Jaleigh" last="Crawford"], 2022, 5-11 CF, Elwood Community H.S.</strong></span> Jaleigh is a talented three-sport athlete who could probably play any one of the three at the next level. She is a terrific athlete who can run and jump, she has great length, wiry strength, and she plays with a nice motor. She is probably more of a ’4’ skillfully, but she has to handle the ball a lot for Elwood to succeed, so she’s used to pushing it in transition and creating offense off the bounce. She does need to make her jump-shot a bit more consistent, but I think the skill development she has made in the last two years has been great. She almost didn’t play last year, then returned to average 17.8 points and 14.4 rebounds per game. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="61033" first="Myah" last="Montgomery"], 2022, 6-0 SF, Southridge H.S.</strong></span> Myah is another talented prospect who has taken a hit due to injury. Myah was good but a bit inconsistent as a Freshman, though she exploded for 38 points in a December 2018 game. As a Sophomore last season, she got out to a great start, averaging 21.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game through 12 games, but then she suffered a torn ACL and missed the remainder of the Winter, as well as the entire grassroots season. While she’s still not quite back to 100% yet, she has returned to action this season, which is very encouraging. She has Division-I potential, both in ability and skill, so I’ll be anxious to see her again at full-strength.