Newbies & Standouts at the USJN Mid-America Qualifier
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The featured image is of Emma Haan Emma Haan 5'8" | SG Zionsville | 2024 State IN of Zionsville Community High School and PAC Flight North Rise 15U/Indiana Flight Future 15U. Saturday, I was able to attend the USJN Mid-America…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Emma Haan Emma Haan 5'8" | SG Zionsville | 2024 State IN of Zionsville Community High School and PAC Flight North Rise 15U/Indiana Flight Future 15U.
Saturday, I was able to attend the USJN Mid-America Qualifier in Noblesville, Indiana, at the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club. While the event wasn’t nearly as big as it has been in past years, there were still 53 total teams on hand, and I was able to see about 20 of them throughout my day there. Below are some thoughts on a dozen prospects from the event. Six are prospects who I saw for the very first time, while six played well in front of me when I was able to catch them in action.
A First Look
Gloria Brewer Gloria Brewer 5'7" | SG Greencastle | 2023 State IN , 2022, 5-7 SG, Homeschooled, Indy Magic BlueStar 17U – In fairness, I saw Gloria at a showcase event in the Fall, but this was truly my first time seeing her in action with a team of any sort. She has a solid/strong frame, a little length, and she is a fairly shifty player off the bounce. She is programmed as a scorer, and she can make shots at all levels, plus she doesn’t bat an eye at a miss and will knock down the very next shot she takes. She plays with a quiet toughness and physicality to her as well.
Makenzie Carroll, 2022, 5-3 PG, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis), Indiana Showcase Red 17U – Makenzie is a smaller point guard prospect, but she has really good length at her height, she is quick, fast, and shifty, and she can change speeds and burst through gaps in the defense. I loved her hustle and grit, and she was willing to get into ball-handlers defensively as well. Obviously her size will affect her recruiting some, but she does a nice job of using her talents to make plays for her team.
Jordyn Sarver Jordyn Sarver 5'9" | SF Mitchell | 2022 State IN , 2022, 5-9 SF, Mitchell H.S., Indiana Elite Team Blaze Select 17U – Mitchell has a really nice group of Juniors and Sophomores on its roster right now, and Jordyn might be the best. She is a nice athlete, with length and wiry strength, and she moves well in all directions. She plays with a motor, she competes at both ends of the floor, and she plays with some versatility. She is more of a slasher than a shooter, but she can make open rhythm jumpers. I just like her all-around game.
Madison Short, 2023, 5-8 SF, Martinsville H.S., Indiana Showcase Black 16U – Madison is an extremely long, somewhat thin, but fast North/South wing. She does a nice job of attacking the basket off the bounce and finishing in and around the hoop. She tries to be physical, and she is a willing rebounder, plus she is versatile at the defensive end of the floor. I think as she continues to add strength to her frame, she will only be that much more consistent and effective at both ends, but she is already a nice ballplayer.
Lauren Foster Lauren Foster 5'7" | SG Indian Creek | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-7 SG, Indian Creek H.S., Indiana Showcase Black 15U – Lauren put together an outstanding season for the Lady Braves. She is a strong and physical wing guard with some length. She’s a nice athlete in most directions, and she plays with a good motor. I really like her quiet toughness and willingness to take on contact without emotion. She just gets after it and is a ballplayer. She can handle it some, shoot it some, but she’s at her best when she’s in the middle of everything.
Kya Hurt, 2025, 5-6 PG, Lawrence North H.S., Indiana Showcase White 15U – Kya was one of the most interesting newbies I watched Saturday. She has a strong, athletic frame, some length, and she’s a lefty who can really handle the ball. She attacks the basket either direction fairly equally, she can absorb contact, and she finishes at the hoop. She has some touch around the perimeter as well, and that should become more consistent over time. But her ability to create space with the dribble is impressive for a youngster.
Standout Performances
Ellie Wilkerson Ellie Wilkerson 5'9" | SF Plainfield | 2022 State IN , 2022, 5-9 SF, Plainfield H.S., Indy Magic BlueStar 17U – Over two different weekends this Spring, Ellie has been good each time I’ve seen her. She has a strong frame, broad shoulders, and she’s a nice North/South athlete who plays with a great motor. She can be physical and attack the basket, but she also has nice touch outside and a solid handle around the perimeter. She can act as a point forward or a wing scorer offensively, but she’s capable of battling forwards defensively.
Adelyn Walker Adelyn Walker 5'8" | SF Bella Vista Prep | 2023 State AZ , 2023, 5-7 SF, Martinsville H.S., Indiana Elite Team Blaze Select 17U – I have watched Adelyn a number of times over the last couple of years, and this was easily the most determined I’ve seen her, plus she showed as much perimeter skill as I can remember. In the past, I thought she was more comfortable in the mid-post, but Saturday she was great making plays in transition, and she scored it at all three levels. She is transforming into more of a point forward/wing type than a mid-post forward.
Emma Haan Emma Haan 5'8" | SG Zionsville | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-7 SF, Zionsville Community H.S., Indiana Flight Future 15U – Emma was a transplant for the weekend on this Flight group, and she stood out like she always does…with great hustle, physicality, and toughness. She flies all over the floor, putting her body on the line. She will rebound and defend, and she doesn’t leave anything behind. But I also thought she looked like this last year of Varsity ball has really helped her develop her skillset and understanding of the game. She was really good Saturday.
Kiarra Loveless Kiarra Loveless 6'1" | PF Westfield | 2024 State IN , 2024, 6-0 PF, Westfield H.S., Indiana Showcase Black 15U – I’ve always been a fan of Kiarra’s potential, and this weekend she didn’t disappoint. She played away from the basket as much as I’ve ever seen her, she was doing things off the dribble, defending more out on the floor, and she even knocked down a couple of jumpers between 15 and 20-feet. She has a strong, athletic frame, good all-around athleticism, and she plays with a motor. As her skillset continues to develop, she should be a nice long-term prospect.
Mia Robbennolt Mia Robbennolt 6'0" | PF Bloomington North | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-11 SF, Bloomington H.S. North, Indiana Flight Future 15U – Mia is highly intriguing because she continues to grow physically, plus her skillset has come a long way in the last year. She has great length, fluid athleticism, and a some bounce to her. She plays with a good motor and is always trying to make a play. She almost plays too hard at times, and once she learns how to sense tone a little better, I think she’ll be a more efficient player. She will also get stronger, which will definitely help her game.
Morgan Roberts Morgan Roberts 6'0" | SF Fishers | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-9 SG, Fishers H.S., Indiana Showcase Black 15U – Morgan is another prospect who just isn’t done growing yet, and I think once she finishes, she will get stronger and her game will really take off. She has tremendous length, and she might be pushing 5-10 now. She is a lefty who can handle it a little, but she also has good touch and can knock down shots when she gets her feet set. I do like how much more aggressively she is attacking the basket as well. She is starting to become more of a complete scorer.