R4R Championship Wrap-Up (1)

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='496008' first='Divine' last='Woods'] (2025) of Michigan City High School and City Elite Prime 17U.   The Run 4 Roses Classic tournament has been a staple of the first July "live" period for years, but with the changes in the NCAA calendar over the past couple of seasons, it has split into two separate tournaments...the Classic and the Championship. The Classic wrapped up Saturday and the Championship began Sunday, with some new teams arriving from other locations. Below is a look at a few prospects who stood out when I was able to see them during Day-2 action.   .    When classes come in as Freshmen, you'll often see me suggest patience, a class is young, and it will remain fluid, especially early on. Madison is a great example of that. She has been a hot topic all Spring & Summer among some of the better Midwestern small colleges because she spent the first three years of high school growing, gaining strength, and developing her skillset. Now as a versatile 6-0 inside-out forward, she is a matchup problem because of her ability to attack smaller defenders in the paint or utilize her jump-shot and ball skill against bigger defenders around the perimeter. She was what I like to call a "wait-and-see" prospect when she was younger, and now we're seeing what can happen with some patience and a lot of work.     Divine is a kid who plays with an outstanding amount of energy. She is a long, fast, wiry athlete who flies up and down the floor in all directions. She has improved her skillset and understanding of the game throughout high school, but it's the combination of her effort and her athleticism that helps her make plays. She is more of a driver offensively, and she can slice to the basket quickly, plus she seems to enjoy getting after it defensively and causing problems for opposing players. She has been a key player for Michigan City the last couple of seasons.     Typically, you see prospects work tirelessly on their skill so they can move away from the basket, but Grace's development over her first two years of high school has sort of worked in reverse. Not that she hasn't worked on her skill, but she has gotten so much stronger and more physical, she has gone from a point forward/wing type of prospect to someone who can now play more consistently in the mid-post and battle/defend inside. Assuming she continues to play around the perimeter like she has in the past, her inside-out versatility could make her a priority forward for some of the better Midwestern small colleges this Fall and next Spring.     Allie is still somewhat under the radar, but she is someone who seems to stand out each time I see her. She was good the first time I saw her in the Fall, she continued that with a nice rookie season at Monrovia (9.0p, 2.4r, 2.0a, 2.0s), and the couple of times I've seen her this Spring & Summer, she looks more like a poised veteran. She has length, a wiry-strong frame that should continue to get stronger, and she's a fairly smooth and fluid athlete. She can make shots outside, get into the paint and finish, or create and find open teammates. She's someone who a couple of years from now could be a small college priority recruit, if she continues building her game.     Haley seems like a tough-nosed, hard-working point guard prospect who is rarely going to allow anyone to outplay her. She has a strong-for-her-age frame, broad shoulders, and some length, but she plays compact and takes care of the basketball. She is able to find small creases in the defense and power through them, finding open teammates for scores. She can also stick an outside rhythm jumper, and she gives great effort defensively. If she can become a little more dynamic as a scorer, especially off the bounce, I think it would help open up new opportunities for her.

The featured image is of Divine Woods Divine Woods 5'7" | SF Michigan City | 2025 IN (2025) of Michigan City High School and City Elite Prime 17U.