Grassroots Scouting – 2024 Prospects at the Summer Tuneup

The Summer Tuneup in Sioux City, IA featured a variety of 2024 prospects from South Dakota that kicked off their grassroots season of spring/summer basketball for 2022.  Below is a list of prospects who stood out in tournament play with notes on each individual's strengths that they showcased. [player_tooltip player_id="201446" first="Caylin" last="Kelly"] - Florence-Henry - 5’11" - F Kelly dominates opponents with her combination of physicality and smarts.  She is a smart player and showcases loads of talent.  Operating along the mid to low post she uses fantastic footwork to find ways to put herself in a scoring position. Attacking the rim comes naturally for this athlete with an attack mentality.  She fits in nearly every offense as she can operate from just about anywhere.  Guarding the 1-5 spot makes brings great defensive value as well.  The continued development of her outside shooting consistency makes her one of the most intriguing athletes as she could develop into the best all-around player in her class. [player_tooltip player_id="182473" first="Taylor" last="Watson"] - Florence-Henry - 5’ 8" - G Watson demonstrates an all-around solid perimeter game.  She can operate the 1 position and does a really nice job distributing the ball to open shooters.  She has one of the deadliest first steps in the state and can blow by defenders on the drive and finish at the rack.  Distributing the basketball to open teammates, operating smoothly with great pace in transition, and winning 1 on 1's to attack the basket make her a valuable offensive threat.  She defends well and knows how to put pressure on her opponent.  She's fantastic off the steal in getting the ball up the floor to a teammate or taking it coast to coast to finish it herself. [player_tooltip player_id="201448" first="Reese" last="Schmidt"] - Florence-Henry - 5’6" - G Schmidt’s game continues to develop as she adds to her offensive skillset.  She is a lockdown defender already and can be used to shut down other people’s most talented perimeter players.  She is consistent from beyond the arc when left open and has the potential to be a true 3 and D type of wing player.  Within the motion offense, she makes great cuts and spaces the floor well for her team, continuously moving without the basketball. Her ability to attack the rim is improving and she looks to have room for growth in her skillset yet going into her junior season. [player_tooltip player_id="362676" first="Kinsey" last="Evans"] - Chamberlain - 5’5" - G Evans is a high-energy athlete who instills a spark into her group.  She plays with relentless energy on the defensive end and improves those around her.  On offense, she can hit the three as well as operate the offense making her a dynamic threat.  Great vision paired with solid handles makes her a great guard prospect.  She is a scrappy defender who can pick her opponent up full court and harass them the entire length of the court.  This makes it very difficult for the opposing 1's to operate their half-court offense smoothly.  She's the epitome of high-energy and does a lot of the little things a team needs to succeed. [player_tooltip player_id="188311" first="Sydney" last="Olson"] - Garretson - 5’6" - F Olson has a great ability to get to the rim and finishes well with both hands.  She pairs her driving ability with a developing outside shot and looks to be improving on her deep ball.  When she attacks the middle she is very skilled at finishing a mid-range floater or jumper, as well as understanding when she can get all the way to the rim.  She moves well defensively and positions herself well in a team defense concept.  This gives her the ability to help effectively as well as stop her girl 1-on-1.  Sydney already appears to be making great strides early in the grassroots season and is a prospect to keep an eye on. [player_tooltip player_id="188218" first="Aweng" last="Akoi"] - Sioux Falls O’Gorman - 6’2" - C At 6’2" and more length than a person knows what to do with Akoi is arguably the most intriguing prospect of the 2024 class.  Her sister, current center at Wayne State topped out at 6’5" and translated nicely to college basketball.  Aweng is a defensive DISRUPTOR, allowing guards to pressure the basketball and play aggressively in the passing lanes as she provides full-time help at the rim.  She is a luxury defensively as she blocks everything she’s close to and also has the foot speed to be a legitimate on-ball defender if needed.  Length, athleticism, and an improving offensive game make Aweng a high level prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="342168" first="Lauren" last="Grinde"] - Tri-Valley - 5’6" - G Grinde is a SNIPER from downtown.  She has a smooth jump shot with true rhythm.  She does a nice job getting her hands and feet ready for the catch and gets her shot off quickly.  This translates to a high output in the scoring department.  A true ball-hawk on the defensive end she uses her quickness to jump passing lanes, pressure the basketball, and make this end a nightmare for her opponents.  She is explosive off the dribble and got to the rim faster than anyone else I observed at the tournament.  Look for Grinde to continue to rise up the prospect rankings! Hillary Hastings - Tri-Valley - 5’10" - G/F Hillary is another solid prospect who showed up at the Sioux City Tuneup tournament.  She has a nice shot from the outside and is a consistent option from beyond the arc.  At 5'10" and with good foot speed, she can defend multiple positions on defense and does a nice job doing it.  As Hastings continues her ability to create her own shot and score off the dribble she looks to climb up the rankings list as well.  She's a great team player who could be seen supporting her teammates and bringing positive body language all day long. [player_tooltip player_id="255781" first="Haley" last="Bergan"] - Brandon Valley - 5’6" - G Bergan is underrated as a scoring threat as she has a really nice game getting to the rim to score and has a nice shot from deep as well.  She has nice handles and operated the point some during her team's tournament as well.  Running the floor well and keeping spacing is a strength as she finds spots to score within the half-court offense.  Defensively she is a solid matchup around the perimeter and does a nice job keeping her girl from the rim.  Bergan is developing on both ends and noticeably improved over the course of the tournament. Keep an eye out for prospects of the talented class of 2024 as the grassroots season continues!