Main Event Arkansas: Younger Stars Shine Bright

As I watched competitive games throughout the Main Event Tournament, many players got my attention. But I was surprised by a few “younger” athletes playing “up” and making a positive impact on their teams. I’ve listed a few of those young stars; <strong>Lauren Brewster-All Arkansas Red 25, 5’5” SG, Pulaski Heights MS-</strong>Lauren is just a 7th grader playing for the All Arkansas Red 2025 group. And she fits nicely. Her skills are advanced enough to hold her own. Lauren uses both hands effortlessly and can finish strong because of her speed and quickness. She’s smart and anticipates well. When she hits the high school basketball scene in a couple of years she’ll make a definite impact. <b>Caroline Dean-Arkansas Fastdogs, 5’5” PG, Nashville HS-</b>Caroline logged several quality minutes with her State Champion high school team as a freshman last season. She has plenty of experience in competitive basketball. Caroline can get out on the break and score as well as dish off for the higher percentage shot. She has good court vision and can catch and shoot the three-ball. I was impressed with her maturity on the court. <strong>Drew Lattimore-All Arkansas Red 25, 5’6” SG, Little Rock Central HS-</strong>This soon-to-be sophomore is strong to the basket. She has a very quick first step that can get her a basket or draw a foul. Drew positions herself very well to secure defensive rebounds. If she can develop her weak side this summer, she has a chance to log some varsity minutes this coming school year. <strong>Kylah Pearcy-Arkansas Fastdogs, 5’7” PG, Greenwood HS-</strong>Kylah plays hard, especially on defense. This soon-to-be freshman is getting plenty of high school experience this summer that might translate to important minutes at the varsity level next school year. Kylah anticipates well and plays with the maturity of an upperclassmen. <strong>Kori Sanders-Arkansas Mavericks Sellars, 5’3” PG, Lamar HS-</strong>Kori is one of the quickest players on the court. She played a huge part in the Lamar High School post-season run last year. Her leadership will be even more important in her sophomore season. She anticipates well, leading her team in steals. Kori doesn’t look to score as much as finding the open teammate. She’ll need to score more next season. She has a very high basketball IQ. <strong>Izabella Smith-Arkansas Fastdogs, 5’4” PG, Greenwood HS-</strong>Izabella plays with energy. She is a good free-throw shooter, and has an excellent touch-to-turnover ratio. If she can develop defensively and get a little stronger, she might get some important varsity playing time as a sophomore next school season. All of these young players are experiencing valuable time on the court at the high school level. Look for these players to be future stars at their schools in the near future. Bobby Brown