R4R Championship Wrap-Up (2)

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 more prospects who stood out when I was able to see them during Day-2 action.   .    Shelby's seemingly sudden emergence and growth over the past year has offered college coaches another traditional post with good size, skill, and potential for the next level. She has grown a couple of inches later in high school, gained a lot more strength, and now she's consistently impactful at both ends of the floor. Despite seeing quality Varsity minutes as a Sophomore and Junior, it was her performance in the Class 1A State Finals in February that got people talking. Now, several small college programs in the Midwest are interested in her, as she can play physically inside, defend, rebound, and even score it a little, plus she plays with a nice motor.     Sophie is a long, wiry-strong, somewhat versatile face-up '5' type of prospect. She saw a little time as a Freshman, but she was still growing and developing strength. Starting her Sophomore year, however, she came out and has been much more impactful since. She is playing with a lot more confidence and aggression, and she has the ability to make the 15-foot jumper or put it on the floor from the mid-post and attack defenders. She is very active defensively as well, blocking/altering shots and pursuing rebounds outside of her area. She could still stand to add some strength, but she is immensely different from when I first saw her 16 months ago. Sophie is also a talented softball player.     The phrase "growing like a weed" might not be more applicable than when describing Lela's growth throughout high school. As a Freshman, I feel like she was about a 5-6 guard. Last Summer, leading into the 2023-2024 season, she was a 5-8 wing. Now, she looks every bit of 5-9 to 5-10 as a wing/forward. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, and fairly fluid as an athlete, despite her quick growth. She is primarily an attacker off the dribble, but she still has some ball skill and touch outside. Because of her rapid growth, she'll need a little more time to figure some things out, but the potential is there for her to become a nicely skilled, versatile wing/forward.     Allyson popped up this Spring and flashes a great deal of potential. She still hasn't played major minutes at the Varsity level, but that could be changing very soon. She is extremely long and wiry, fluidly athletic, and even somewhat bouncy. She plays with a nice motor and is able to run, jump, and change directions better than most prospects her height. She will need to continue adding strength to her frame, and as she keeps building her skillset, she could become a real matchup problem for opponents because of her mobility. I'm not sure how much more she will grow, but the potential is there for another inch or two. Keep an eye out for her this Winter.     Olivia is a strong-for-her-age prospect, with broad shoulders, some length, and solid North/South athleticism. She plays with a good motor and seems to love playing. She is very active, always around the action, and does what she can to help her team. She is a capable perimeter shooter when she gets set and has rhythm, plus she can get downhill and attack the basket. She also rebounds her position well. It would benefit her to become a little more dynamic off the dribble and to be able to defend, smaller, quicker, water-bug type of guards. But she is a really nice basketball player who should be impactful for Yorktown the next three years.

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 more prospects who stood out when I was able to see them during Day-2 action.