Grassroots Wrap-Up: 15U

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="298255" first="Joey" last="Rastrelli"] (2024) of Warsaw Community High School and 5 Star/MBA Select Silver 15U. With the 2021 grassroots season having ended a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to finish introducing several of the state’s teams in four final articles related to this. The bigger programs in 17U-15U have already gotten their own articles, while some of the smaller programs and individual teams will be found in these articles summarizing the remaining teams in each of the same age groups, 17U-15U. Below is a look at a handful of 15U teams who stood out throughout the Spring & Summer of 2021.   5 Star/MBA Select Silver 15U This group was kind of an under-the-radar team altogether. They are very guard-heavy, but they have some really skillful and talented perimeter players amongst them. [player_tooltip player_id="298255" first="Joey" last="Rastrelli"] (2024) of Warsaw Community continues to grow and develop her frame, she has tremendous length, fluid athleticism, plus she is versatile offensively. She can handle the ball and run offense, she can knock down the open perimeter jumper, plus she can slither to the basket to finish. [player_tooltip player_id="239359" first="Justyce" last="Williams"] (2024) of Jimtown initially popped up on our radar at the PGH Indiana Top-250 Expo last Fall in Fort Wayne. She is a strong, athletic, and high-motor combo guard who is great attacking the basket. She does a nice job of absorbing contact and finishing, plus she’s a versatile defender. Asiah Shaffer (2024) of Mishawaka and Karleisha Echols (2024) of Mishawka Marian are a pair of nice, smaller guards who can create offense on the ball or make shots off it. The one sizeable player on this roster is 6-3 [player_tooltip player_id="177319" first="Kaylie" last="DeHaven"] (2024) of Northridge. She is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and a little bouncy. She’ll need to continue getting stronger, but she has some skill and the ability to finish with either hand around the basket. Lady Legit 15U This long-standing Fort Wayne area group had two teams this year, with the 15U group being a nice collection of local 2024 prospects. 5-11 front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="298259" first="Addie" last="Shank"] (2024) of Bishop Luers put together a really nice 2020-2021 season and looks to follow that up as a Sophomore. She is stronger, much more confident and assertive, and she plays with an outstanding motor. She loves contact and will battle inside relentlessly, but she also flashes nice skill in the mid-post facing the basket. 5-7 guard [player_tooltip player_id="298263" first="Sydney" last="Gorman"] (2024) of Wayne High School is a long, fluid, and athletic combo guard who does a little of everything. She can score the ball at all three levels consistently, but she also has solid ball skill and can play point at times. Wing Aniyah Woodson (2024) of Fort Wayne North Side is a strong, athletic, downhill attacker who loves to get to the basket off the bounce. She will only be scarier and scarier as a weapon as she continues to develop her skillset. And guard Mariah Luna (2024) of Wayne is another versatile guard. She is smallish, but she is quick/fast, feisty, and she can fill it up outside or get by defenders and collapse the defense, finding open teammates. Lady Team Teague 15U The 15U Team Teague doesn’t have a lot of "household" names, but they always play hard, compete, and battle other good teams down to the wire. I have really been impressed with the continued development of [player_tooltip player_id="298253" first="Catherine" last="Cline"] (2024) of Cathedral. At 5-11, she has great length, fluidity, and bounce, but she also has quick feet and can defend out on the floor. She has nice mid-post skill, but she’s starting to be more and more comfortable around the perimeter. [player_tooltip player_id="295787" first="Gabrielle" last="Burrus"] (2025) of North Central (Indianapolis) is another nice, young prospect coming to the Panthers this season. She is a tough-nosed, physical point guard prospect, but she also has a dangerous jumper, with range to about 25-feet. She is crafty with the ball, and she can find teammates through the smallest of windows. 6-0 power forward Taylor Lewis (2024) of Cathedral and 6-1 power forward Natalia Franklin (2024) of Lawrence bring a lot of upside. They are still wait-and-see kids because of their physical growth, but they both have great length, some bounce, fluid athleticism, and they play with nice motors. Wing Denyah Jacobs (2024) is another Lawrence Central Bear, and she put together a really nice Freshman campaign in 2020-2021. She is a solid athlete with some physicality from the wing position. Midwest Explosion 15U Midwest Explosion made several appearances this Spring & Summer, and they field a lot of players from Muncie to Richmond to Winchester. Standing out on the 15U team was 6-1 forward [player_tooltip player_id="295783" first="Kimber" last="Abshear"] (2025) of Monroe Central. She has great length, some bounce to her, and she plays hard and runs the floor well. She is more of a mid-post forward than a low-block kid, so her versatility at her height should really help her moving forward. High school teammate Sydney Patterson (2025) is a really nice point guard prospect who could also find early minutes for Monroe Central this year. She is a solid all-around athlete, plus she can play on or off the ball. Blackford twins Sydnee Morris (2024) and Savanna Morris (2024) add nice depth to a strong 2023 group in Hartford City. Sydnee plays with a great deal of versatility, as she will float around the perimeter and work the mid-post or the short-corners. Savanna prefers to play closer to the paint, but she battles aggressively inside and is a nice rebounder. PAC Flight North Black 15U This specific PAC team was quite the scrappy group. They have a balanced mixed of guards and wings who play well together. [player_tooltip player_id="298258" first="Keaton" last="Gatlin"] (2024) of Carmel is probably their best athlete and all-around ballplayer. She is a strong, tough-nosed, athletic combo guard who does a really nice job of playing off the bounce. She can get through traffic and absorb contact, but she also has some skill and finesse around the perimeter. [player_tooltip player_id="264121" first="Hallie" last="Wolfe"] (2024) of Tipton had some big moments late in the season for the Blue Devils. She can wear a number of hats...she’s best as a wing shooter, because she has great touch outside, but she can also handle it like a point forward, and she does a nice job of attacking the basket off the bounce. [player_tooltip player_id="177315" first="Creedance" last="Chittenden"] (2024) of Cascade is a nice, long, wiry-strong wing who also plays well off the bounce. She can shoot it a little outside, plus she glides to the basket somewhat effortlessly at times. PAC Flight North UA Rise 15U The Rise group had a strong season, just clicking throughout. They only lost one time in three weekends of Rise action, and they played other good teams tough during the remainder of their schedule. [player_tooltip player_id="201873" first="Alli" last="Harness"] (2024) of Carroll (Flora) followed up a strong 2020-2021 season with a good Summer. She has length, quickness, and she can really shoot it with deep range. She has ball skills and can create off the bounce, but she’s almost better as a shooting guard at times. [player_tooltip player_id="177325" first="Emma" last="Haan"] (2024) of Zionsville Community continued her high-motor efforts, but she has added to and enhance her skillset. She is such an accurate and consistent shooter now, plus she has always been a strong and physical driver. She is just a tough matchup for her peers to stop. [player_tooltip player_id="239358" first="Madison" last="Wagner"] (2024) of Carroll (Flora) and [player_tooltip player_id="239357" first="Isabel" last="Scales"] (2024) of Caston are a pair of tough-nosed, physical, strong, and fairly athletic wings who also possess good skill. They can each handle it a little like point forwards, and they can score the basketball at multiple levels. Mooresville front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="239348" first="Kalyn" last="Bunch"] (2024) came to this team this season, adding needed size. She has an athletically strong frame, she plays with a good motor, and she willingly battles much bigger/taller players. She has good mid-post face-up skill as well.