Victory Region Kick Off: 16U Sunday Notebook
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Today was Day 3 of the Victory Region Kick Off in Romeoville, IL. Throughout the day I saw several interesting prospects play their hearts out and leave it all on the hardwood. While this was happening I was taking some…
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Continue ReadingToday was Day 3 of the Victory Region Kick Off in Romeoville, IL. Throughout the day I saw several interesting prospects play their hearts out and leave it all on the hardwood. While this was happening I was taking some quick notes about what I was seeing, live-in-action. Below I highlight seven individuals and briefly describe what I saw out on the floor in their specific contests.
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#X – Greta Thompson Greta Thompson 5'11" | CG Fremd | 2026 State IL – 2026 – 5’11 – Guard – Midwest Elite Meanstreets 2026 EYBL (IL)
“Thompson comes onto the floor with some confidence and it’s fairly easy to see. She makes great moves going to the hole, while being aggressive at attacking her opponent. She can use either hand once she gets into the teeth of the defense and she doesn’t ever seem to shy away from contact. She understands she is a solid free throw shooter so either way, she is going to get a chance to score some points offensively.”
#2 – Leigha Wardlow Leigha Wardlow 5'7" | PG St Thomas More | 2027 WI – 2027 – 5’7 – Point Guard – Wisconsin Playground Elite 2026 – Polk (WI)
“One of the most impressive 2027’s I’ve seen playing up all weekend. Wardlow is FAST. I mean, really fast in the full court. When you see her move down the floor with the basketball, it all happens so quickly that you think, “Wait, what?” She has demonstrated the ability to blow past any opponent in the open court, while being a handful to deal with in 1v1 situations. Not to mention, she has fantastic touch and spin on the basketball as she can score in a number of different ways.”
#5 – Kaylea Lacey Kaylea Lacey 5'8" | SG Alton | 2026 State IL – 2026 – 5’9 – Combo Guard – Legends United 2026 – United (IL)
“When you watch Kaylea Lacey Kaylea Lacey 5'8" | SG Alton | 2026 State IL compete, only one thing pops into your head and that is, “DAWG!” Lacey is an extremely athletic Guard, who can move around the perimeter to almost any position. She is definitely at her best off the dribble and attacking offensively though. Defensively, just as impressive. She uses her long arms and quick feet to eat up a lot of space in hurry between her and her matchup. All in all, she leaves it all on the floor every time she laces up her kicks and that is something everyone has to respect.”
#14 – Kylee Sias-Chaney Kylee Sias-Chaney 5'3" | PG Wisconsin Lutheran | 2027 WI – 2027 – 5’4 – Shooting Guard – Wisconsin Lady Shooters 2026 (WI)
“This may be one of the smaller guards to take the floor this weekend at the 16U level but I understand why she is playing up on this team. Sias-Chaney is fantastic to passing the ball to a cutting teammate or open post player, while being very good at cutting to the hoop herself. She is someone that you have to always “tag” if you are playing against her because of how often she moves. If you don’t, she will have 10 points on layups in the first 2 minutes of whatever game she is competing in. There aren’t too many 2027’s that stood out for their 16U squads this weekend but this was definitely one of them.”
#11 – Magdalene Mikroulis Magdalene Mikroulis 5'9" | SG Lemont | 2026 IL – 2026 – 5’9 – Point Guard – Greater Purpose Athletics 2026 (IL)
“The GPA program is filled with fundamental Guards, who display balance, great footwork, and poise at any given moment throughout a ball-game. One of the best at combining all of those together is their PG, Mikroulis. She understands what her teammates do best, she can speed the game up or slow it down, and she can knock down open shots on rotation. Over the past three days, she has been fantastic in almost every facet of the game. She was a constant yesterday and again this morning. Definitely has some promise in this game if she sticks with it and works on the correct things moving forward.”
#22 – Lauryn Jackson Lauryn Jackson 5'9" | CG TFNorth | 2026 IL – 2026 – 5’11 – Forward – Chicago Hoops Express 2026 (IL)
“The raw ability of Jackson is something to take note in. She is the Forward for this Chicago Hoops program, who can do a number of different things to help her team win. Offensively, she can post with her back to the basket, catch at the elbow and square up for a rim attack or jumper from 15FT, or she can pop out to the perimeter and work her way in. Her best and maybe most underrated ability is passing. She has nice size at 5’11-6’0 and she can pass the rock better than most Guards I’ve seen this weekend. She may be raw in her skill-set now but if she stays on this pace and continues to progress, she could be a problem for a lot of opposing programs in the future.”
#5 – Kazaria Smith Kazaria Smith 5'6" | PG Romeoville | 2026 IL – 2026 – 5’7 – Combo Guard – AR Elite 2026 (IL)
“Smith has shown out the past two days and it is by no mistake. She is an elite scoring guard with the ball in her hands. On almost every other offensively possession, it seems like Smith is getting all the way to the hoop for a clean look at the basket. She understands that once she beats her initial defender, things are going to open up more, so all she has to do is keep it simple once she gets there. I’ve seen her blow by her matchup more times than not, ending the possession with a strong take at the rim. She also seems to loves contact. She loves to get hit and finish the take for an AND1 opportunity or just free throws in general. Defensively, she doesn’t take plays off and works just as hard, really showing her love of the game and love for competing.