River City Run: Alyx’s Day One Standouts (16U)
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After spending the entire day yesterday watching games, it’s safe to say there are a lot of talented players and teams competing in Louisville this weekend. I had the pleasure of watching the 16U division all day and while I…
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Continue ReadingAfter spending the entire day yesterday watching games, it’s safe to say there are a lot of talented players and teams competing in Louisville this weekend. I had the pleasure of watching the 16U division all day and while I didn’t get to see every team or player as much as I would’ve liked, there were a lot of players that managed to catch my eye multiple times on day 1. I’ll dive into all of the standouts more throughout the week, but for now, here are the players that stood out the most to me on the opening day of this tournament.
Lola Lampley | 6’2″ | Class of 2026 | Indiana Blaze 2024
When I looked at the roster and saw Lampley was only an 8th grader, I was absolutely shocked. At 6’2″, she was out there running point guard like a seasoned veteran. She can do it all – scores, passes, handles it, facilitates, rebounds, defends, and the list goes on. Lampley is a high D1 prospect that can go as far as she possibly wants to. I’ve coached middle school kids with D1 offers and I can still say confidently that I’ve never seen a middle schooler as skilled as she is. However, she would have been a standout regardless of her class. She really is a special talent that needs to be on every college coaches radar.
Denyha Jacobs
Denyha
Jacobs
5'7" | SF
Warren Central | 2024
State
IN
| 5’7″ | Class of 2024 | Lady Team Teague 2024 Majors
Jacobs is another player that can do it all. She’s got excellent strength and has a high basketball IQ. She does a great job of getting to the rim and finishing, but she also stretches the defense with her shooting ability. Jacobs crashes the boards hard and comes up with a lot of rebounds.
Allison Spieker Allison Spieker 5'8" | SG Whitefield Academy | 2024 State KY | 5’7″ | Class of 2024 | Kentucky ICE 2024
If you let Spieker get hot, you’re in trouble. Once she knocks down a couple of 3’s, they just keep raining down. However, it didn’t stop there – she was scoring off of drives and floaters, throwing some impressive passes, and coming up with multiple steals and rebounds. Even if she’s not hitting her outside shot, she’s going to find ways to put the ball in the basket because she’s a natural scorer. She also can really handle the ball well and looks comfortable when she has the ball in her hands.
Avery Kelley Avery Kelley 5'6" | PG Evansville Memorial | 2024 State IN | 5’6″ | Class of 2024 | Pocket City Basketball 2024
Kelley did a great job running point for Pocket City on Saturday. She pushes the tempo and can quickly change speeds. She really has strong handles and she’s a shifty finisher around the rim. Kelley has a knack for drawing fouls around the basket as well. She handles pressure extremely well and makes some great passes. She stayed composed no matter what was thrown at her.
Emma Hendricks Emma Hendricks 5'8" | SF Brownsburg | 2024 State IN | 5’8″ | Class of 2024 | IN Showcase 2024 Red
Hendricks is such a solid player. She didn’t let anything rattle her and she really fought every second she was on the floor. She can get to the rim and isn’t afraid to take contact. Hendricks is a really good ball handler and has no problems weaving through traffic. She also can make passes through traffic. She catches the ball ready to shoot and she can get her shot off quickly. I was also impressed on the defensive end as she did a great job reading the passing lanes.
Laken Williams Laken Williams 5'4" | PG Martin County | 2024 State KY | 5’5″ | Class of 2024 | OV Lady Dragons 2024 Red
Williams has a way of getting to the rim and finishing like someone double her size. She can handle the ball with pressure and has a variety of ball handling skills that she utilizes well. She can knock down the 3 or mid-range jumper as well. Williams looks to get her teammates involved and she made some impressive passes in both of her games on Saturday.