My “Beat People Like a Drum” Wichita I-35 Expo Team
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There was so much talent on the floor at the Wichita I-35 Exposure event that it was often hard to zone in on players who consistently worked over opponents regardless of who was trying to defend them. Here’s a look…
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Continue ReadingThere was so much talent on the floor at the Wichita I-35 Exposure event that it was often hard to zone in on players who consistently worked over opponents regardless of who was trying to defend them. Here’s a look at some of my Beat People Like a Drum team.
KaMyra Barber KaMyra Barber 5'9" | PG Wichita Heights | 2025 State KS , 5’9″, SG/PG, Wichita Northwest, KS Bluejays, 2025 – As accustomed I am to seeing Barber play on the wing or even the small forward position it was really something to watch her playing the point. She excelled. Barber is a good perimeter shooter with a solid release that can pop a jumper from all over and off different flows. She also has good length, quickness, handles, and a solid floor IQ. She was a walking mismatch that would use her perimeter game to make defenders pick her up sooner, whom she would then beat off the bounce. And a teammate setting real high screens, the extra room made it easier for her to gather assists whether passing out or dishing in when help came.
Brooke Bettis Brooke Bettis 5'6" | PG Tulsa Union | 2025 State OK , 5’5″, PG, Tulsa Union, EYG, 2025 – Bettis showed me a bunch. Two of the top things were her scrappiness and IQ. She has a effective, quick crossover that helps her get a half-stap. The other half-step comes from setting defenders up so she can accelerate by them. Among the best players in attendance at setting up the high screen and punishing defenders based upon how her defender reacts to it. A great moment for her was when she finished two plays around against challengers, including against contact on one of them. Watching her and Mya Mayberry Mya Mayberry 5'4" | PG Heights | 2024 State KS go at it on both ends of the floor was very entertaining.
Aliyah Green Aliyah Green 6'0" | PF Andover | 2025 State KS , 6’0″, PF, Hutchinson, Kansas United, 2025 – After missing a healthy chunk of the summer Green was in terrific form. Her game is substantially improved over what I saw in April. Fast, quick with the ball, and aggressive Green was strong on both ends of the floor. She has a terrific frame that she uses to overpower opponents with whether she is rebounding, defending on the interior, or working in the paint. Two things especially stood out. Green was among the top players at the event using ball fakes. She not only used them to get a step or two on the perimeter drive but to also put a couple together to create a shot inside. Green repeatedly she crushed defenders to go baseline and get the score. She also shot the three ball well.
Amani Lipscomb Amani Lipscomb 5'2" | PG Houston | 2024 State TN , 5’2″, Maize South, 2024 – My PGH Kansas colleague Adrian Maloney already wrote about her dominant day defensively. What she did on the other end of the floor better have some of her opponents going back to the 1-on-1 defense drawing board. The work she put into her perimeter shooting game, especially her step back jumper, has her at another level or two above the majority of point guards attending. Some of her opponents had terrific days with the ball but matched up with Lipscomb defensively there was a bunch of matador defense played. A terrific transition passer Lipscomb blew by defenders of the bounce and finished around, over, and under people. Teammates knew where to be to catch an expected pass, knowing Lipscomb knew where to go with the ball 10 steps before she got to the delivery point.
Mya Mayberry Mya Mayberry 5'4" | PG Heights | 2024 State KS , 5’5″, PG, Wichita Heights, Southwest Elite, 2024 – Mayberry has terrific quickness and handles to go with fairly quiet athleticism. Her battle with Brooke Bettis Brooke Bettis 5'6" | PG Tulsa Union | 2025 State OK was something to watch as they took turns making defensive plays or making plays the other could not stop. What really froze players was her use of a reverse spin and especially a fake reverse spin. Often left defenders in their tracks while she was three steps by them or popped out that space for a mid-range jumper. Defenders who did not run with her were punished repeatedly in transition with her ability to push the temps.
Sadie Spray Sadie Spray 5'8" | PG Great Bend | 2024 State KS , 5’9″, PG, Great Bend, Wheat State Elite, 2024 – Spray made more than a couple highly regarded players look ugly with her transition handles and speed with the ball and her ability to finish through contact. She was very effective with her forward quickness to blow by people who need a great deal of work to defend laterally with physicality.
Elizabeth Tjaden Elizabeth Tjaden 5'9" | SG Clearwater | 2024 State KS , 5’9″, SG, Clearwater, Southwest Elite, 2024 – While currently ranked 21st in the 2024 class I consider Tjaden a stock riser due to her play this weekend. Long know as a great shooter, Tjaden has grown a couple inches and gotten the Steve Austin bigger, faster, stronger gains over the summer. Most players not only could not stop her but it was very uncommon for any player to even completely physically match up with her. Yes she shot the three ball effectively and with range. She also beat people off the dribble, physically out played people on both ends, and rebounded with strength. Definitely not the player Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League and other area opponents are used to seeing. With play like this she may average 25 a game this season.
Brittan Zeka Brittan Zeka 5'10" | CG Wellington | 2025 State KS , 5’3″, PG, Wellington, Kansas United, 2025 – Another great practitioner of leave-you-in-the-dust perimeter head and shoulder and ball fakes, Zeka was terrific at applying them to create her own shot. Used them to create separation for a perimeter or mid-range jumper. Was especially effective at losing defenders to attack the basket explosively. Zeka was also very fast in transition and showed solid quickness defensively.
Featured image: Hutchinson 2025 Aliyah Green Aliyah Green 6'0" | PF Andover | 2025 State KS . Photo: Robert Kelly.