Class of 2025 Spring Guard Standouts
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The featured image is of Rielyn Goodwin Rielyn Goodwin 5'5" | PG Northridge | 2025 State IN (2025) of Northridge High School and OPS-Krebs 17U. As crazy as it might sound, we are already a month and a half into…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Rielyn Goodwin Rielyn Goodwin 5'5" | PG Northridge | 2025 State IN (2025) of Northridge High School and OPS-Krebs 17U.
As crazy as it might sound, we are already a month and a half into the 2024 grassroots season, with the first “live” period already having come and gone. As April wraps up, I wanted to highlight seven guards in the Class of 2025 who have really stood out to me thus far during the Spring tournaments I have been able to attend. This isn’t everyone who has played well, but I seem to take notes on each of the below prospects every time I see them in action.
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Over the years, I’ve been impressed with Madi’s continual growth as a player. As a Freshman, I felt like she was a solid forward, she did a lot in the mid-post, and she was a dominant-hand attacker from the perimeter. Last year, she did a nice job of making her handle and playmaking much more dynamic. This year, however, she looks like a complete guard. She is athletic, she can still get to the basket, she can create for others, and she can score it at all three levels consistently, plus she defends. By the end of the Summer, I think Madi could have a great deal of elite small college offers/interest.
It’s not often you see physical growth late in a prospect’s career, let alone a smaller guard. But that’s what has really helped Rielyn in the last year. She has grown 2 to 3 inches, added noticeable strength, and with that has come confidence, aggressiveness, and explosion. She was always a water-bug, but now she’s able to absorb contact and get through defenders and into the paint. She has touch outside, creativity off the bounce, and she’s a more than willing passer. Additionally, she can still be a nice on-ball defender, but she’s using a little more physicality than just quickness and length.
Jacklynn had a tremendous statistical year for Alexandria-Monroe, but this Spring she has performed against much stiffer competition. She has a quiet toughness about her, she always plays with a great motor, and she utilizes her length and quickness well, especially at the defensive end of the floor, constantly getting deflections/steals. She has been better and more creative off the bounce, so I think she can go into college as a combo guard. If she can elevate her 3-point percentage and really become a threat outside, I think it will help her become a problem as a multilevel scorer.
Highlights
Mariah is absolutely an “intangibles” kid who you are going to have to watch for all of the “little things” she does and not just calculate statistics. She is an absolute blur in transition, and she can run by most kids, even with the ball in her hands. Defensively, she is a legitimate baseline-to-baseline on-ball defender, and she can really disrupt opposing backcourts. She gave quite a defensive boost to the Lady Bears this Winter. As she continues to work on her perimeter shot, it will only benefit her because of her speed, and when she mixes up her gears, she’s difficult to contain.
Highlights
Each time I have seen Joslyn so far this Spring, she has been all over the place constantly creating offense, whether for herself or teammates. She has length, speed, and she plays with a competitive fire. Her pull-up game has improved quite a bit, and she has really worked to make herself quicker and more explosive. I really like some of the things she’s doing as a scorer. If she can mix in a little more creativity and facilitate a bit more, I think she could be a nice combo guard for the next level. She also has the talent that, when she shows the urgency, she can defend rather effectively.
Avah comes from a very athletic family, and she has really stepped it up so far this Spring. She has length, she’s more so quick and shifty than fast, and she has a great feel for the game as a scorer. She can knock down the 3-pointer consistently, and her mid-range pull-up is really nice. She gets through the paint and draws contact, plus she has been active defensively. I think she can really help someone at the next level, and being located down in Southwest Indiana, she is a little hidden and could end up being quite the “sleeper”. Hopefully people have paid attention this Spring.
They say the best ability is availability, and seeing Isabelle on the court and fully healthy is the best part of it. She is a hard-working, tough, skillful combo guard who can really cause problems for opponents. She has ball skill, speed, and quickness, and she can run offense and facilitate if needed. On this Indiana Elite team, however, she has other ball-handlers around her, and she is such a dangerous 3-point shooter, that she is able to find open areas and consistently bury rhythm 3-pointers. She has to really appreciate playing with 6-6 Avery Gordon when Isabelle’s defender doubles down.