R4R Wrap-Up, Part-1

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='875459' first='Danica' last='Barnes'] (2025) of Elkhart High School and [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Red 17U.   As we reach the midpoint of the first July "live" weekend, the annual Run 4 Roses Classic tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, has come to an end. Below is a quick look at a half dozen prospects who stood out on Day-3 when I was able to see them in action.   .    Danica is a long, wiry, extremely fast and bouncy guard. She is outstanding in transition, she can get to the basket just about any time she wants in the half-court, and she is starting to play with more control and understanding of situations. She can initiate the offense, and you aren't taking the ball from her, plus her jumper is starting to look more comfortable for her from the perimeter. I also like how she hounds the ball at the defensive end of the floor.     Abby is very much under the radar, because she plays on an absolutely loaded high school team. But she is a tough-nosed, hard-working wing who has shown the ability to knock down perimeter shots when set and in rhythm. She is a solid straight-line driver, and she is strong enough to absorb contact on the way to the basket. I also like her effort and intensity at the defensive end of the floor.     Marissa recently gave a verbal commitment to Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and she was very active and assertive for her grassroots team on Saturday. She has an athletic, long frame, she is strong enough to battle '4s' defensively or play in the mid-post herself and attack the basket. But she is also skilled around the perimeter, she can put it on the floor and make plays, plus she can knock down open rhythm jumpers consistently. When she plays like every possession is the last, she is highly productive.     I saw Zyann's final game of the event on Saturday, and she was able to show off the different parts of her game. She was strong and athletic attacking the basket, she was aggressive on the boards, she showed a nice versatility at the defensive end of the floor, plus she even found time to bury about a 27-footer to win the game with a second left. She is one of several reasons I think Snider will be much better than people expect, following some significant 2024 graduation losses.     Coming into the Spring, I was under the impression that Brooklyn was more of a combo guard, a very good perimeter shooter, but more of a scorer than anything. What she has done is prove that she is a patient and posed point guard prospect who sees pressure/traps early and typically finds the right open teammate, plus she has quickness and burst, and she does a really nice job of changing speeds. She can still shoot it, and she is extremely feisty defensively.     I had seen Abbie briefly in the Fall, she had a solid rookie season for DeKalb, and I saw her again briefly in March, but Saturday was the first time I was able to see her at great length. She is solid to strong for her age and size, she has nice speed & quickness, and she plays with a competitive motor. She handles the ball with poise, tends to always have her head up searching for teammates, but she can also knock down an open jumper or turn the corner and get to the basket.

The featured image is of Danica Barnes Danica Barnes 5'6" | CG Elkhart | 2025 State IN (2025) of Elkhart High School and Always 100 Red 17U.