KY Top 250: Josh’s Class of ’22 standouts

It is fitting that my first article for Prep Girls Hoops would be covering the Class of '22 at the PGH Kentucky Top 250 Expo.  Living in Louisville, this is definitely my lane to occupy.  And so I spent Saturday doing my best to cover 88 very impressive players across three courts at the Midamerica Sports Complex. [player_tooltip player_id="31885" first="Amiya" last="Jenkins"] Jenkins lives up to her #1 ranked billing in Kentucky. She is long, fast, and fundamentally sound in all aspects.  She glides across the court, making the hard work she puts in appear effortless, and she shows vocal leadership qualities that contribute to excellent team culture. I was most impressed with her defensive footwork, out-of-zone rebounding, finishing through contact, and completing the "And 1" to follow. Offensively she can do anything you could ever need an SF to do, and I believe she could also play either Guard position.  This is a bonafide Division 1 prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="31878" first="Daisha" last="White"] White is a patient ballhandler and distributor with a knack for penetration.  She is smooth, steady, and in control with the ability to score from multiple levels or find the open teammate in the paint or on the perimeter for an assist.  She is an unselfish, out-of-zone rebounder, alert on defense, has great instincts, and has a high basketball IQ. I can see why she is ranked as a Small Forward, she certainly has all of the needed skills, but she could just as easily play the Power Forward Position for most teams. She was the only player I had a chance to speak to after the event and I was shocked to learn she had no Division 1 offers.  If I were a Division 2 or high NAIA Coach at a school with a Veterinary program I would make her an offer today before the D1 schools wake up. [player_tooltip player_id="106165" first="Maddie" last="Kauffman"] Kauffman was impressive, running the floor without the ball and pushing the tempo with it.  She is a floor general that always seems to know when to pull back on the primary break and start to look for teammates in the secondary break. She accelerates to another gear for penetration off of a lightning crossover and a quick first step.  She also can catch and shoot the three and an excellent spin move to navigate traffic when taking it to the hole. If this is the #5 PG in Kentucky the players ranked above her will have to work hard to stay there. [player_tooltip player_id="106156" first="Abigail" last="Embry"] Embry is a strong ball-handler with a quick 1st step and does an excellent job using her body and handles to protect the ball.  She moves very well without the ball and has a high release to her three-point shot. She is perhaps a bit undersized to play the 4 at the next level, but I believe she could also play the 3. [player_tooltip player_id="106146" first="A’Nya" last="Winburn"] Winburn a very quick, has a great motor, seems to like contact, and runs the floor with great speed.  She has great handles, pushes the tempo, and has great skill in knocking down wing threes. If you are a coach that wants to run a Press Defense this is a player you should see. [player_tooltip player_id="157977" first="Sierra" last="Kemelgor"] Kemelgor displayed a very strong middle drive from the wing for a pull-up Jumper and a great-looking wing three. Unfortunately, I was only able to see her team play for a Half. But as she is not far away I will definitely get another chance to report on her abilities.  Stay tuned.