Prime Time Performers
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The featured image is of Monique Mitchell Monique Mitchell 5'11" | SF South Bend Washington | 2025 State IN (2025) of South Bend’s Washington High School and Mac Irvin Fire P24 17U. This past weekend marked the annual Prime Event…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Monique Mitchell Monique Mitchell 5'11" | SF South Bend Washington | 2025 State IN (2025) of South Bend’s Washington High School and Mac Irvin Fire P24 17U.
This past weekend marked the annual Prime Event Midwest put on by Select Events at the Pacers Athletic Center. It has become one of the premier non-live Spring events in the Midwest over the past few years. My availability allowed me just a few hours on Sunday afternoon, but in my time in Westfield, I was able to see several players perform well. I was also hunting some teams I haven’t seen or seen much of thus far this Spring. Below is a look at who stood out most in the games I was able to see.
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I’m not much of a “stat” person when it comes to evaluating prospects, because I feel like it’s pretty easy to tell when someone can really shoot/score it and the competition they’re up against. However, Sunday, Lily was dialed in, and it was hard not to pay attention. During one game, she likely had nearly 40 points comfortably, while hitting around six or seven 3-pointers. She has always possessed that type of sniper ability from outside, plus she has the versatility to play on the ball or rebound inside. She recently gave a commitment to the University of Southern Indiana.
Highlights
I don’t usually write about non-Indiana kids, unless they really stand out to me, but I felt like Nikki was absolutely worth a mention based on her play Sunday Morning. It’s not so much that she is overly talented or anything like that; she uses her mind and her high skill level to beat opponents. It seems like she is playing chess out there, while everyone else is playing checkers. She sees the floor, anticipates two passes ahead, and she makes highlight plays without trying to be flashy…it’s just the correct play in the moment. Her ball-handling and passing are fun to watch.
Highlights
I’ve talked about Monique a few times on this platform, but what I released on Sunday was this…she almost needs to be more demanding of the ball. There are games where she floats around, lets the action come to her, and she’s solid. Then there are games where she gets hot, takes over, and looks like a high-major Division-I prospect. She has the length, athleticism, size, and perimeter shot to be a mid to high Division-I kid, and I think when she is consistently aggressive, she is absolutely that kid. Just her transformation from a middle school post to a high school wing has been impressive.
Meredith is another kid I mention a lot. Why? Well, as opposed to 20 years ago, playing with a motor has become a much more obscure recruiting trait instead of an expectation, and she always plays with as much energy, effort, and toughness as anyone in Indiana’s 2025 class. What makes it better is, Meredith is also a talented athlete with length, North/South speed, and bounce. She can make shots at all three levels, she absorbs contact and finishes inside, plus she can step over and handle the ball a little and run offense when needed. I also love her defensive versatility.
I was as impressed with “Keke” during the second half of her team’s game Sunday as I ever have with her. She was dynamic off the bounce in the half-court, constantly getting into the paint, and scoring on a variety of layups, runners, floaters, and pull-ups. She has nice length, a wiry strength to her frame, and she can stop and start quickly. If anything, she almost plays a little too long with the ball, and as she tightens her handle in traffic, look for her to be even more effective as a scorer. Defensively, she can sit down and defend smaller PGs or use her length/strength against bigger wings.
Highlights
I saw Katie’s team earlier this Spring, but she wasn’t with them, so it was good to finally see her in action since I last saw her in the Fall. She continues to grow and get stronger, she’s moving much more explosively, and her skill continues to improve. She has such nice touch, especially in the mid-range game, but she can extend it to the 3-point line now as well. She still plays a little tall and will need to work on attacking and changing directions with the dribble, if she wants to play more exclusively around the perimeter, otherwise, she is a true mismatch with her inside-out ability.
Payton is another young “big” who just continues to move closer to becoming a monster. A year ago, even just six to eight months, I would have said she used her height and length to play above her peers. What I’ve noticed recently is, she’s starting to use her frame and some physicality to body defenders and finish through contact, even initiating the contact herself. She has a soft touch to about 15-feet, and that goes for her one-handed finishes, like her half-hooks, etc. As she continues to get stronger and she finishes growing, look for her consistency to improve and schools to take notice.