Human Erasers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the regular season having concluded, and the postseason getting underway this week, I wanted to circle back and make note of players who excelled during the 2023-2024 season in several different statistical categories. These statistics have been pulled from MaxPreps, so if you feel like someone has been omitted, it's likely because their school/coach didn't update their statistics online, or they don't have enough games entered yet to qualify. Below is a look at the top five shot-blockers from this season, regardless of school classification or graduation year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">5.8 bpg - [player_tooltip player_id='295770' first='Kira' last='Reynolds'], 2025, South Bend Washington H.S.</font></strong><br>- Kira has blocked 383 shots and still has a season-plus left to play. If it wasn't for her older sister <strong>Mila</strong> "stealing" some of her opportunities as a Freshman, she might already be over 400. Kira is a matchup problem defensively, because she has height, tremendous length, wiry strength, plus the explosiveness that at a moment's notice, she can stop, change directions, and explode laterally or vertically (<em>or both simultaneously</em>). Having a rim-protector makes it much easier on guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">4.2 bpg - [player_tooltip player_id='825973' first='Layla' last='Macon'], 2024, Hammond Morton H.S.</font></strong><br>- Layla has had a breakout Senior season, and she has proven, if anything, that she is a great help-side defender in the half-court. She has a solid to strong frame, tremendous length, but it's her patience and discipline to not leave her feet that's even more impressive. She rotates over, "walls up", and allows her length to affect shots without jumping or fouling most of the time. There is a real skill to that, and she has figured it out. At the same time, she also rebounds well from there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">3.3 bpg - [player_tooltip player_id='751115' first='Payton' last='DuVall'], 2027, Franklin Central H.S.</font></strong><br>- Payton is one of the top prospects in Indiana's 2027 class, and she utilizes her tremendous length at the defensive end of the floor. She is still growing, and I feel like once she adds more strength, she'll be even more explosive. But for now, she has great timing, plus she understands how to move on the back end and rotate to help teammates. The next step for her will be to cut down on fouls a little, but to also learn how to go from a blocked shot to an immediate box-out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">3.3 bpg - [player_tooltip player_id='832654' first='Jillian' last='Barr'], 2026, Delta H.S.</font></strong><br>- On this list, Jillian is a bit undersized, but she is a really nice athlete who plays with a lot of energy and effort. At Delta, she is responsible for defending a combination of guards, wings, and forwards, and the smaller players she takes on struggle at times to get shots away because of her athleticism and length. Jillian has really stepped up in her second season for the Eagles and become a nice leader, and as she continues to learn the game and develop her skill, watch out!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">3.3 bpg - Mackenzie Feeney, 2026, University H.S.</font></strong><br>- I am not terribly familiar with Mackenzie, but the 5-10 front-liner has had a nice year stepping into a key role for the Trailblazers. She has nice length, wiry strength, and she looks to be more of a defender/rebounder right now. She doesn't score it at a high level, but she does pursue rebounds and she blocks a lot of shots in the minutes she plays. As she continues to build her skill and overall understanding of the game, she could develop into a really nice prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->