Gamechangers of the Midwest Melee

Brady Peterson May 18, 2022 @ 12:34 PM

This content series is sponsored by GameChanger - The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Girls Hoops. Today I’m talking about some players who possess game-changing abilities. Five kids I saw in Kansas City seemed to fit perfectly for this article. Kaycee McCumber-Arkansas Athletes Outreach Flight 2025 I loved everything the freshman did to open up the Midwest Melee on Saturday. She fit the mold of a versatile defensive forward. McCumber did a solid job defending in the paint on the perimeter, and I was impressed with how seamlessly she switched onto guards in space. The Farmington native also scored well in the paint on the other end. McCumber showed she’s no slouch with her back to the basket and finished in double digits to open the event. Marin Adams-Arkansas Athletes Outreach Flight 2025 The 5-foot-10 guard did a little bit of everything when I got to see her play. She made a lot of plays with the ball and is a triple threat with the ball. She shot the ball well and passed well as her team’s lead guard. I’m not sure if her best position will be a lead guard, but she’ll be a versatile combo guard. Her versatility will help her become a well-rounded player who can play at the next level. Laykin Moore Laykin Moore 5'11" | SF Mountain Home | 2025 State AR -Yanders Law 2025 Moore is a versatile wing who can do plenty of positive things with the ball. She’s a strong kid who uses her size in the paint and scores multiple ways. I liked how Moore used her 5-foot-10 to defend around and rebounded her area well. Offensively, I loved her scoring versatility and how well she used her size to create her shot in space. She used her strength to get to the mid-range area and continuously from about 10-15 feet. Taneya Howard Taneya Howard 5'11" | PF Broken Arrow | 2023 State OK -Banshees 2023 The 5-foot-10 forward did an excellent job making herself available around the basket. Howard scored through contact on multiple occasions and rebounded well on both ends, and started her team’s transition offense. She’s an undersized forward who I think can play up and defend some taller kids. I liked her ability to rebound outside her area. She was one of the most intense kids on the floor this weekend. Jenna Twedt Jenna Twedt 5'8" | SG Benton | 2023 State IA -Team Iowa 2023 The Iowa native excelled this weekend on both ends of the floor. She made shots consistently and defended her matchups well all weekend long. I loved the effort she put in, and she was the first player on the floor for loose balls. The wing made winning plays all weekend and was one of the better two-way prospects in Kansas City.