River City Run: Most Versatile Players
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One of the skills that is hardest to defend is versatility. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but when you are able to change and adapt in a seamless fashion, you’re putting a real challenge on the defense. There were a lot of…
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Continue ReadingOne of the skills that is hardest to defend is versatility. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but when you are able to change and adapt in a seamless fashion, you’re putting a real challenge on the defense. There were a lot of versatile players this past weekend at PGH’s River City Run, but here are some of the players that really showcased their versatility in the games I got to watch. All of the following players played in the 16U division.
Sophie Johnson | 6’0″ | Class of 2024 | Pocket City Basketball 2024
Johnson has the skills to score at all 3 levels. She is extremely tough to stop. You give her space and she can knock down the shot from anywhere on the court. You play her too close and she’ll drive right around you. Johnson can shift her body to finish tough shots around the rim. She has a lot of solid moves, with the ball and in the paint, and that only adds to her versatility. She can grab rebounds and handle the ball, but she also does a great job finding open teammates.
Monique Mitchell Monique Mitchell 5'11" | SF South Bend Washington | 2025 State IN | 5’11″ | Class of 2025 | Indiana Blaze 16U
Mitchell has great size and while she’s a power forward, she has all the necessary guard skills as well. She’s got excellent strength and she plays so hard when she’s out there. She played excellent defense and she can absolutely dominate on the boards. Mitchell doesn’t shy away from contact and she made some great passes to her teammates. She also can really stretch the defense with her outside shooting abilities.
Kyra Freeman | 5’8″ | Class of 2024 | Kentucky ICE 2024
Freeman has the ability to play multiple positions and she did a great job of both scoring around the basket and outside of the perimeter. She really works when she’s out there and she can come up with a lot of put-back buckets as a result. Freeman uses her length to score in a variety of ways around the rim and she isn’t afraid to take the contact.
Emma Hendricks Emma Hendricks 5'8" | SF Brownsburg | 2024 State IN | 5’8″ | Class of 2024 | IN Showcase 2024 Red
Hendricks can bring the ball up the court or play off of the ball, but she’s effective no matter what position she’s playing. She can shoot the ball from deep and she makes great drives to the basket. She also has good floaters and is a great passer. Hendricks can change and adapt in a split second and she proved to be a tough defensive assignment time and time again. She was finishing some really tough shots around the rim and she was finishing consistently.
Kamara Mills | 5’7″ | Class of 2024 | Lady Team Teague 2024 Majors
Mills can score off of the dribble, off of the catch, and on the move. She makes the defense really question what she’s going to do next because she can get to the rim just as easily as she can stop and pop. Mills really mixes up her scoring styles and makes it nearly impossible for her defender to know what’s coming. When I was watching this past weekend, there was a play where it seemed like she was just pulling the ball out to set up a play, but once she got outside of the perimeter, she pulled up and nailed the outside jumper. Mills made great passes all weekend as well.
Ryiah Wilson Ryiah Wilson 5'8" | CG South Bend Washington | 2025 State IN | 5’7″ | Class of 2025 | Indiana Blaze 16U
Honestly, I could have put the entire Indiana Blaze team on this list, but Wilson’s versatility was really shining through all weekend. She could get into the paint at-will and she just made play after play after play. She found various ways to get her shot off if the opportunity was there, and if it wasn’t, she was always ready to make the extra pass. Wilson showed her ability to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor, and she also showcased some phenomenal moves around the basket. She handled pressure well and made herself a true triple threat.