Midwest Basketball Showcase Team Spotlights First Wave
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Prep Girls Hoops takes a look at the teams that participated in last weekend’s Midwest Showcase, which was held at the HyVee Arena in Kansas City. We will break up the 13 teams over three different reports with the schools…
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Continue ReadingPrep Girls Hoops takes a look at the teams that participated in last weekend’s Midwest Showcase, which was held at the HyVee Arena in Kansas City. We will break up the 13 teams over three different reports with the schools listed in alphabetical order. Here is the look at the first wave of teams.
BATTLE
The Spartans have a good balance of excellent guard play and good size inside.
Nautica Washington Nautica Washington 5'9" | CG Battle | 2024 State MO : A 5’9″ 2024 guard who is equally effective at the point guard and shooting guard. She is a good slasher with excellent court vision and 3-point shooting ability.
Tayla Robinson Tayla Robinson 5'5" | PG Battle | 2025 State MO : A 5’4″ 2025 point guard who knows how to control an offense with her playmaking skills and overall understanding of the game. She can play the pass-first role very well, but she can also get buckets on penetrating drive sand 3-pointers.
Kumani Clark Kumani Clark 6'2" | C Battle | 2026 State MO : A 6’2″ 2026 post player who has a powerful presence inside as a scorer and rebounder. She has good moves and a soft touch inside on offense and she can also block shots on the defensive end. After missing last season with a knee injury, her return really lifts and already strong Battle team that won 20 games last season.
Boo Anderson Boo Anderson 5'6" | CG Battle | 2024 State MO : A 5’6″ 2024 guard who is a steady veteran guard who provides good ball handling and consistent perimeter shooting from 3-point range. The lefty is very solid with the ball and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.
Aleah Brookins: A 5’11” 2025 forward who is blue-collar worker around the basket with her excellent rebounding. She is a physical player who was very active and did a good job of getting out of her area.
Sway Jones: A talented 5’9″ 2027 guard who handles the ball well and can knock down the open 3-pointer. She does a good job of fitting in with her veteran teammates and finding her spots to make positive plays. She has good length and she gives the Spartans a very talented four-guard lineup.
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BENTON
The Lady Cardinals are coming off back-to-back Final Four appearances in the Class 4 state tournament. They look to have another strong team coming back.
Andrea Simmons Andrea Simmons 5'11" | SF Benton | 2025 State MO : The 5’10” 2025 player was present on the first day and she displayed versatile skill set. She is a very dependable scorer inside while also being able to handle the ball and be a playmaker on the perimeter.
Eliana Arumbula: The 5’8″ 2026 point guard was one of the top young floor generals that I watched during the weekend. She handled pressure well with excellent poise while passing her teammates open with her expert court vision. She was also hitting the open perimeter jumper.
Emma Loehnig: A 5’8″ 2025 forward who is a very good all-purpose player. She played with a high motor at both ends of the court. She battled taller players inside with his consistent hustle and activity. She can also help with the ball handling duties as she passed and moved the ball very well.
Katana Bigham: A 5’7″ 2027 guard who is one of a group of promising incoming freshman who got a taste of varsity action last weekend.
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CALIFORNIA
The Pintos won 22 games and played for a district championship last season. They are looking to have another strong season in 2024 with several of those key players back.
Hailey Rademan Hailey Rademan 5'9" | SG California | 2025 State MO : The talented 5’8″ 2025 guard seemed to own the Corner 3 during the two days. Every time I looked up, she was draining a 3-pointer from both corners. Her game is much more than her excellent shooting as she can also handle the ball and drive it at a high level.
Addison Carr Addison Carr 6'6" | C Hickman | 2026 State MO : The 6’5″ 2026 center was a big factor at both ends with her assertive play around the basket. You can go to her inside go get consistent buckets and she also had some impressive rim-runs to score in transition.
Kierstyn Lawson Kierstyn Lawson 5'4" | PG California | 2025 State MO : The 5’4″ 2025 point guard who kept the tempo going at a fast pace with her speed and quickness. She was an excellent performer in the open court with her passing.
Isabelle Rohrbach: The 5’8″ 2024 forward is a tough all-purpose player who fills many roles on the court. She can handle the ball, pass it and also go inside and rebound while also playing a physical game.
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CARDINAL RITTER
The Lions had a strong weekend as they went 4-0, and they did it without 6’1″ Division I prospect Hannah Wallace Hannah Wallace 6'0" | SF Cardinal Ritter | 2024 State MO , who was on a college visit.
Ai’Naya Williams Ai’Naya Williams 6'1" | C Cardinal Ritter | 2024 State MO : The 6’1″ 2024 was a dominant force at both ends of the court. Her low post game was diverse and very effective and she was also hitting the 15 footer. She was also rebounding and blocking shots inside.
Alanah Howard Alanah Howard 5'6" | PG Cardinal Ritter | 2026 State MO : The 5’6″ 2026 point guard did an excellent job of setting up her teammates with scoring opportunities throughout the weekend. She was delivering nice passes from different angles. She can also hit the open perimeter shot.
Daijah Jones Daijah Jones 5'5" | CG Cardinal Ritter College Prep | 2025 State MO : The 5’6″ 2025 point guard showed her excellent feel for the game at both ends. She used her quick hands to get steals on defense and she was an very good playmaker on offense. She penetrated the defense well which opened things up for her and her teammates.
Keira Williams: The 5’6″ 2026 guard showcased a nice shooting stroke from 3-point range. She moved well to the open spots and knocked down her high-arching shots from long distance.
Dathy Botuna Dathy Botuna 6'3" | PF Cardinal Ritter | 2024 State MO : A 6’3″ 2024 forward who made good use of his size in the post. She did a good job of keeping the ball high on rebounds and she finished off the glass.