The Best of the “Odds”

Brandon Bradley August 31, 2023 @ 03:00 PM

Sunday, August 27th, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana hosted its second annual Freshman Showcase. The event, which took place at Fishers High School, included more than 110 registered participants, all from the 2027 class. After going back and watching all 12 teams one more time, I wanted to take the time to highlight the best performers from the odd-numbered teams (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11). Let me be very clear...these are players who I felt stood out throughout this event in what I was able to see, not necessarily the best overall prospects in attendance. Additionally, there were 53 girls who participated on these six teams, while only 15 are highlighted below. More than 15 girls obviously played well, but these were who stood out the most in my mind.   .   ALL "ODDS" TEAM: Team-1: [player_tooltip player_id='743355' first='Isabelle' last='Eke'], 5-10 F, Bishop Dwenger H.S. - Isabelle is a tremendous athlete for this age, and she was all over the court in each game. She just plays at a different speed than most girls right now. She has an athletic frame, length, and some bounce to her as well. She is great in transition, solid off the bounce in the half-court, plus she'll pursue offensive rebounds. Defensively, she can create havoc as well.   Team-3: [player_tooltip player_id='751063' first='Grace' last='Scharlach'], 5-4 G, Fremont H.S. - Grace is another prospect who stood out because of her athleticism. She is more of a "track fast" kid with nice change-of-direction ability. She has a long frame, despite her height, and she should still grow another couple of inches. She has a solid handle, touch around the perimeter, and she can become an elite defender with a little more discipline.   Team-7: [player_tooltip player_id='750766' first='McKenzie' last='Koch'], 5-8 PG, Eastern Hancock H.S. - McKenzie has already played with the "big girls", participating in several 17U games this past July. She has a veteran calm and poise to her game, plus the skillset to match. She can handle, she plays with her head up scanning the floor, plus she has a nice-looking jump-shot that could be near-automatic in a couple of years with continued strength gain.   Team-7: [player_tooltip player_id='751114' first='Olivia' last='Pratcher'], 5-2 G, Daleville H.S. - I felt like Olivia kind of flew under the radar a bit Sunday. She is a really nice athlete, with speed, quickness, strength, and a nonstop motor. She has some shoulders on her, nice length, and a wiry-strong frame. While she tops out at about 5-2, her shoulder height and length are that of someone in the 5-5 to 5-6 range. She was also one of the better defenders I saw.   Team-11: [player_tooltip player_id='743641' first='Kaylin' last='Kathmann'], 5-7 G, Batesville H.S. - Kaylin stood out to me because she was incredibly active at both ends of the floor. Wherever the ball was, she was nearby ready to make a play. She has really nice length, broad shoulders, speed, quickness, and fluid athleticism. As she continues to grow and gain strength, her skillset should become that much more consistent. She is already a really nice athlete.   .   HONORABLE MENTION: Team-1: [player_tooltip player_id='747044' first='Reagan' last='Huss'], Northridge H.S. Team-1: [player_tooltip player_id='751116' first='Riley' last='Sims'], Columbus North H.S. Team-5: [player_tooltip player_id='751055' first='Ellie' last='Oliver'], Indian Creek H.S. Team-5: [player_tooltip player_id='751118' first='Saniya' last='Smith'], Pike H.S. Team-7: [player_tooltip player_id='751115' first='Payton' last='DuVall'], Franklin Central H.S. Team-9: [player_tooltip player_id='751073' first='Jailen' last='Bowling'], Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory Team-9: [player_tooltip player_id='751082' first='Kara' last='Olejnik'], Plainfield H.S. Team-9: [player_tooltip player_id='751103' first='Marley' last='Warren'], Trinity Lutheran H.S. Team-11: [player_tooltip player_id='751035' first='Alexis' last='Finchum'], Charlestown H.S. Team-11: [player_tooltip player_id='751086' first='Kaylie' last='Harmon'], Columbus North H.S.

Sunday, August 27th, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana hosted its second annual Freshman Showcase. The event, which took place at Fishers High School, included more than 110 registered participants, all from the 2027 class. After going back and watching all 12 teams one more time, I wanted to take the time to highlight the best performers from the odd-numbered teams (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11). Let me be very clear...these are players who I felt stood out throughout this event in what I was able to see, not necessarily the best overall prospects in attendance. Additionally, there were 53 girls who participated on these six teams, while only 15 are highlighted below. More than 15 girls obviously played well, but these were who stood out the most in my mind.