14U The Exclusive – part 1
Last weekend the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit event known as The Exclusive was held in Aurora, Illinois at various venues. I was covering the 14U age group and this is the first of a few articles covering various players that…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit event known as The Exclusive was held in Aurora, Illinois at various venues. I was covering the 14U age group and this is the first of a few articles covering various players that impressed in no particular order.
But first I need to stress to all of the players at the event that will be entering high school next year that they need to keep up on the arms race. The muscles in the arms race.
Every player I saw is still using their “girl” arms and in high school you are going to face players who have developed “woman” arms that they are going to be able to legally push you around with in games and in practice. You have to adapt to compete.
Hitting the weights isn’t a bad idea but I would suggest Yoga. It will build muscles in your arms and anywhere else you need them. But most importantly, it will keep you flexible and help reduce your likelihood of a variety of injuries.
Charlie Axus – 5’4″ – Deerpath ’26 – Full Package ’26 White
Axus displayed a nice pump fake and go move to gain lane penetration, made a rebound putback, and dove to the floor for a tie-up. She scored on a layup after a steal and after receiving an up-the-street pass. She made an assist during an inbounds pass to a teammate on a dive cut to the basket -and another assist to a teammate for a 4-foot jumper.
Kyla Hunt – 5’1″ – East Jessamine ’26 – Overtime Performance ’26
Hunt made a three near the top of the key from the college range. She keeps the ball low during speed dribble and penetrated past two defenders by making herself small like a bowling ball to roll past them to make a 6-footer.
Francesca Witson – 5’6″ – Witosha Central ’26 – Wisconsin Playground Club ’26
Witson made a layup through tons of contact and another on an up-the-street pass layup on an up-the-street pass from a teammate. She stole a pass like a safety on the back end of the press.
For some reason, she reminds me of Stanford Forward Cameron Brink with the way she played.
Amiyah Galica – 5’6″ – The Prarie School ’26 – Wisconsin Playground Club ’26
Galica played excellent on-ball defense and demonstrated controlled ballhandling at all times. She made an assist on an up-the-street pass and great post feed from the right wing.
She stole a pass at 3/4 court and drove in for a layup to force a foul and made a three from the top.
Addison Schlib – 5’7″ – Wredling ’26 – M14 Hoops ’26 Rising 3SSB
Schlib has great quickness in getting into the lane and to the rim. Twice I noted that she blew right by her defender on the left side of the lane for a layup. She also scored a layup on an up-the-street pass and another on a fastbreak through contact and made the follow-up free throw.
Laila Collier-White – 5’6″ – 21st Century ’26 – Wisconsin Playground Elite ’26 National
I had seen Collier-White playing earlier in the day and she was rushing her shot too much, Or perhaps she just hasn’t developed her shooting platform enough for shooting on the move. When I saw her later she was using a floater after penetration which was a much better shot for her current skill set.
To continue to improve she must develop a jump stop and a pull up jumper for 8 feet and in, She is too good at penetration not to develop the shots to compliment her game.
She made 2 for 2 shots on back-to-back trips to the free throw line and it looks like she it automatic from the line.
Macy Menendez – 5’3″ – Benet ’26 – M14 Hoops ’26 Rising 3SSB
Menendez can shoot the ball in transition. She made a free throw line jumper and a right wing three in transition. She also got an assist to a teammate for a layup.