Holiday Bash at South Warren part 1

I overdid it on my travels during the Holidays and had to deal with some serious burnout on the writing end. Not the game watching. I'm a basketball fanatic. I don't think I can watch too much. But the writing... I have to do that to support my basketball habit. So here is part 1 of the tournament at South Warren High with 2 more Holiday Tournaments to go before a Deep Dive into the All A Classic. Keep the reading glasses handy. [player_tooltip player_id="157954" first="Rylee" last="Turner"] - ’22 5’9"/SG - Newport Central Catholic The first time I saw [player_tooltip player_id="157954" first="Rylee" last="Turner"] play she was sprinting her way to more than 1.5 points per minute on the road against a traditional girls basketball powerhouse with multiple State Championship Banners on display on her way to a 50 point outing. So it was no surprise to see her score 32 (1 point per minute) and grab 12 rebounds in Bowling Green a few weeks ago. For the tournament, she averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game and for the season she is scoring 26.5 points and grabbing 11.8 rebounds and she does it in so many ways but very rarely with the three-point shot. She IS the scouting report for the opposing team yet she still gets open and gets to the rim at will. She outworks and out hustles everyone else on the floor for rebounds, loose balls, and layups from running the floor. She doesn’t take plays off on defense blocking a few shots, deflecting passes, and on one occasion turning a dribbler away twice then stepping the ball from her and going to the floor for the ball to shovel it to a teammate. She is hands down the best finisher in the class of ’22 making layups and short jumpers in a variety of ways through contact and often through the teeth of the defense. This is my pick as the player that will make the biggest jump when the newest rankings come out, this class of ’22 player in the Commonwealth. [player_tooltip player_id="231483" first="Talynne" last="Shearer"] - ’24 6’1"/PF - Rockcastle County Shearer collected 11 points and 4 rebounds in a losing effort against a tough opponent that plays very solid defense. She is averaging 11.6 points on the season and 6.8 rebounds per game. Her versatility was on display making a 14 footer right corner jumper, a layup through contact, a rebound putback, a three from the right wing, and a drive from the top right for a 4 footer. She also demonstrated a feat of upper-body strength by launching a shot from 3/4 court that hit the backboard as time expired in the 1st Quarter. Alyrica Hughes - ’24 5’7"/PG - Owensboro Hughes has a nice crossover, makes crisp passes, and has quick hands when on defense. But she has a bad habit of letting opponents dribble past her with the ball and attempt to get a back tip, which works sometimes but will get her in trouble against the better competition. Stopping or limiting penetration is what separates the scholarships from the should-have-been players. If she will take that next step she will be playing on the next level. Her offensive skills are exceptional. She executed a euro-step to finish with a layup and avoid a charge, penetrated into the paint for a 6-foot floater, and made a wide-arcing drive from the left side of the lane for a left-handed layup. She scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds when I was there and averaged 13.5 points and 5.75 rebounds during the tournament. Caroline Eaglin - ’25 5’4"/SG - Newport Central Catholic Eaglin has emerged as the primary scoring option to back up Turner for the Thoroughbreds. She scored 15 points, making 2 of 4 threes when was there and averaged 16 points, and made 60% of her three-point shots throughout the tournament. She also nailed a halfcourt shot at the buzzer ending the 3rd quarter to seize a 2 point lead. In a game her team won by only 4 points that shot was big for more than just the distance it was released. Addison McClure - ’22 5’3"/PG - Rockcastle County McClure has great court vision for distributing the ball to her teammates. She made an assist by finding a teammate for a layup on a backdoor cut and found another under the hoop in transition, She averaged 8 points while shooting 55% from three-point range, and 83% from the free-throw line throughout the tournament. McLaine Hudson - ’26 5’4"/CG - South Warren As an 8th grader, Hudson is a star in the making. She tallied 17 points 6 rebounds and made 10 of 12 Free Throws while I was watching and averaged 11.75 points while shooting 37.5% from three-point range, and 76% at the free-throw line. Gracie Hodges - ’23 5’7"/SF- South Warren Hodges is dangerous on the drive and scored 12 points, and grabbed 7 rebounds while splitting two defenders for a layup, driving down the left side of the lane for a layup, or penetrating from the short corner for a layup. She averaged 12.5 points per game in the tournament, most likely by dribbling past opponents for layups.

I overdid it on my travels during the Holidays and had to deal with some serious burnout on the writing end. Not the game watching. I'm a basketball fanatic. I don't think I can watch too much. But the writing... I have to do that to support my basketball habit.

So here is part 1 of the tournament at South Warren High with 2 more Holiday Tournaments to go before a Deep Dive into the All A Classic. Keep the reading glasses handy.

Rylee Turner Rylee Turner 5'11" | SG Newport Central Catholic | 2022 State KY - ’22 5’9"/SG - Newport Central Catholic

The first time I saw Rylee Turner Rylee Turner 5'11" | SG Newport Central Catholic | 2022 State KY play she was sprinting her way to more than 1.5 points per minute on the road against a traditional girls basketball powerhouse with multiple State Championship Banners on display on her way to a 50 point outing. So it was no surprise to see her score 32 (1 point per minute) and grab 12 rebounds in Bowling Green a few weeks ago.

For the tournament, she averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game and for the season she is scoring 26.5 points and grabbing 11.8 rebounds and she does it in so many ways but very rarely with the three-point shot. She IS the scouting report for the opposing team yet she still gets open and gets to the rim at will. She outworks and out hustles everyone else on the floor for rebounds, loose balls, and layups from running the floor.

She doesn’t take plays off on defense blocking a few shots, deflecting passes, and on one occasion turning a dribbler away twice then stepping the ball from her and going to the floor for the ball to shovel it to a teammate.

She is hands down the best finisher in the class of ’22 making layups and short jumpers in a variety of ways through contact and often through the teeth of the defense. This is my pick as the player that will make the biggest jump when the newest rankings come out, this class of ’22 player in the Commonwealth.

Talynne Shearer Talynne Shearer 6'1" | PF Rockcastle County | 2024 State KY - ’24 6’1"/PF - Rockcastle County

Shearer collected 11 points and 4 rebounds in a losing effort against a tough opponent that plays very solid defense. She is averaging 11.6 points on the season and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Her versatility was on display making a 14 footer right corner jumper, a layup through contact, a rebound putback, a three from the right wing, and a drive from the top right for a 4 footer. She also demonstrated a feat of upper-body strength by launching a shot from 3/4 court that hit the backboard as time expired in the 1st Quarter.

Alyrica Hughes - ’24 5’7"/PG - Owensboro

Hughes has a nice crossover, makes crisp passes, and has quick hands when on defense. But she has a bad habit of letting opponents dribble past her with the ball and attempt to get a back tip, which works sometimes but will get her in trouble against the better competition. Stopping or limiting penetration is what separates the scholarships from the should-have-been players. If she will take that next step she will be playing on the next level.

Her offensive skills are exceptional. She executed a euro-step to finish with a layup and avoid a charge, penetrated into the paint for a 6-foot floater, and made a wide-arcing drive from the left side of the lane for a left-handed layup. She scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds when I was there and averaged 13.5 points and 5.75 rebounds during the tournament.

Caroline Eaglin - ’25 5’4"/SG - Newport Central Catholic

Eaglin has emerged as the primary scoring option to back up Turner for the Thoroughbreds. She scored 15 points, making 2 of 4 threes when was there and averaged 16 points, and made 60% of her three-point shots throughout the tournament.

She also nailed a halfcourt shot at the buzzer ending the 3rd quarter to seize a 2 point lead. In a game her team won by only 4 points that shot was big for more than just the distance it was released.

Addison McClure - ’22 5’3"/PG - Rockcastle County

McClure has great court vision for distributing the ball to her teammates. She made an assist by finding a teammate for a layup on a backdoor cut and found another under the hoop in transition,

She averaged 8 points while shooting 55% from three-point range, and 83% from the free-throw line throughout the tournament.

McLaine Hudson - ’26 5’4"/CG - South Warren

As an 8th grader, Hudson is a star in the making. She tallied 17 points 6 rebounds and made 10 of 12 Free Throws while I was watching and averaged 11.75 points while shooting 37.5% from three-point range, and 76% at the free-throw line.

Gracie Hodges - ’23 5’7"/SF- South Warren

Hodges is dangerous on the drive and scored 12 points, and grabbed 7 rebounds while splitting two defenders for a layup, driving down the left side of the lane for a layup, or penetrating from the short corner for a layup. She averaged 12.5 points per game in the tournament, most likely by dribbling past opponents for layups.