Sunday Round-Up at "The Finale" (Part-1)

The last NCAA "live" period of 2024 is upon us, and for the 2025 class, it's the last grassroots tournament most of these ladies will play in their careers. Indiana prospects have traveled to Rockhill, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky, for tournaments, while I've followed a large group to Hamilton, Ohio, for "The Finale". Here there is a regular tournament, the Under Armour Finals, and the UA Rise Finals. During Sunday's action, there were still some pools being determined, plus most teams began bracket play in either their first or second game of the day, dependent upon how they faired earlier in the weekend. Below is a look at a handful of prospects I felt played well when I was able to see them.   .    Gabrielle seemed to injure her ankle earlier in the weekend, but she stayed and played through it Sunday, and she was on her game at times. She has typically been an accurate perimeter shooter with range, and she showed that off for her team. She also has a good feel for the game, understands how to avoid traps, and finds open teammates in positions to score. She is more so quick than fast, but she's able to create separation off the dribble, plus she has quick hands at the defensive end of the floor.     I've always liked Abi's upside, and I feel like she's a bit under the radar because she is on a loaded high school team. Sunday, she was able to show a lot of her skill and ability in a Final Four game for the division her team was entered. She is strong, willing to be physical, but she also has good hands, touch facing the basket, and a great motor. She came up with several crucial plays in the second half, and she was great at the free throw line late, helping her squad advance to their championship game.     Emma has really played well all Spring & Summer, so it would have been easy to talk about her after most games. But Sunday she played with a different urgency, to me. She had a different gear, dove everywhere for loose balls and was incredibly active defensively, plus she was extremely assertive at the offensive end of the floor. The growth she's shown over the past two years, especially gaining strength, understanding how to change speeds, and playing with more physicality, has really helped her "level up".     Madison is a twin, and combined with her sister Allison, they have been a real pain for Edgewood opponents the last couple of Winters. Madison is a tough-nosed, high-motor, very active point guard prospect. She has some strength at her height, some length as well, plus nice quickness. She is a creator off the bounce, but she can also make shots and get to the basket. Defensively, she is constantly moving, and she can really pester opposing ball-handlers with her quick feet and hands.     Laila continues on an upward trajectory in terms of her growth and development. She is probably closer to 6-3 now, extremely long, wiry-strong, and she runs North/South well, plus she has some bounce to her. Since she is still growing and has grown quickly, she'll need to learn how to play lower and quicker laterally, but that should come in time. She is solid defensively, developing post skill offensively, and she can knock down the occasional 15-foot jumper. She has even drawn a handful of Division-I looks already.     This weekend was my first opportunity to really evaluate Rian in depth, and she is very intriguing. She is extremely wiry and has a lot of length, plus she's a fluid athlete and even has a little bounce to her. She has a nice-looking jump-shot, and while she already shoots a good ball, it should become even more consistent and add range as her strength develops. She plays with a nice motor, can attack the basket a little as well, plus she's an active defender who uses her length and athleticism well at that end of the floor.

The last NCAA "live" period of 2024 is upon us, and for the 2025 class, it's the last grassroots tournament most of these ladies will play in their careers. Indiana prospects have traveled to Rockhill, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky, for tournaments, while I've followed a large group to Hamilton, Ohio, for "The Finale". Here there is a regular tournament, the Under Armour Finals, and the UA Rise Finals. During Sunday's action, there were still some pools being determined, plus most teams began bracket play in either their first or second game of the day, dependent upon how they faired earlier in the weekend. Below is a look at a handful of prospects I felt played well when I was able to see them.