From The Notebook: Hoops 4 Pink Holiday Tourney, Day-2

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='496016' first='Emma' last='Norton'] (2025) of South Bend's James Whitcomb Riley High School.   Saturday evening, I checked in on the annual Hoops 4 Pink Holiday Tournament hosted at Oliver P. Morton High School in Hammond, Indiana. The event has always been host to some talented, and under-the-radar, teams and prospects. Below is a look at four teams I saw during Day-2 of action at the event.   .   Bishop Noll (Hammond, IN) The Lady Warriors have had a tough year, with different players in and out of the lineup due to health reasons. They were again short-handed when I was able to see them, but it allowed me the opportunity to focus in on some new-to-me prospects as well. 5-9 Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1122705' first='Quinn' last='Fehr'] was one such prospect who stood out. She is an extremely long and wiry player who runs the floor well and has a fairly fluid athleticism to her game. When she is able to get set and find rhythm, she is a very good perimeter shooter with a quick release. She also has a solid handle and a good understanding of the game. 5-8 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1131978' first='Ecrin' last='Mart'] is new to Noll this year, and she originally comes from Türkiye, but she spent last season at Layton Christian Academy in Layton, Utah. She has good length and some strength to her frame, she plays with a good motor, and she is constantly on attack. She is just returning from injury, is what I was told, so I would like to see her again soon with several games under her belt for the Warriors. 5-6 Senior guard Mackenzie Hamer also stood out to me. She is a strong athlete with good North/South speed and a nice motor. She showed some patience and skill at times, then other times was just aggressive on attack. I also liked her willingness to defend and rebound at her size. If they can get everyone back, healthy, and on the same page by February, they could be a favorite in their Class 3A Sectional.   James Whitcomb Riley (South Bend, IN) At 8-6, Riley has already posted their most wins since the 2019-2020 season. 5-8 Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1122699' first='Serenity' last='Farmer'] is a nice-looking athlete who has made a major impact for the Wildcats this season. She has a long, athletic frame, she moves almost effortlessly around the court, and she has the ability to play at a steady pace or turn the boosters on and attack the basket. She has shown some touch from the perimeter as well, and she is an effortful rebounder/defender. And while she's playing well, she could be an even better college player with a little more skill work. 5-10 senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='496016' first='Emma' last='Norton'] is another intriguing player who has a lot of versatility to her game. She is very long, wiry-strong, and fairly fluid. She will need to be able to play through contact a little better, but she has some ball skill, she's a more than willing passer, and she can knock down the occasional 3-pointer or score it in the mid-post consistently. For the remainder of the roster, it's difficult to point to one or two kids who specifically stand out. They are all playing extremely hard, most of them run & jump well, and they like to slash to the rim or find rebounds to score around the basket. The Wildcats are in a tough Class 4A Sectional #3, though, with South Bend Washington and Penn, among others.   Oliver P. Morton (Hammond, IN) Morton is off to an impressive 13-2 start, which is already tied for the second most wins in a season in the 2000s. The Governors are led by a trio of double-digit scorers. 5-11 Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='834925' first='Kylah' last='Patterson'] was outstanding as a rookie last year, and she has continued that strong play this season. She is a powerful, physical athlete, and she is relentless in her attacks on the basket and while chasing down caroms off the backboard. She is also showing a better handle and a little more touch on her perimeter jumper this year. 5-5 Senior guard Chanteze Holland is long for her height, very quick, and feisty. She is good defensively and can defend the ball or provide steals/deflections from "help" side. She likes to get out in transition, where she can slice to the basket, she has a nice little pull-up jumper, plus when set, she is an accurate perimeter shooter. Also playing well this year is 5-8 Freshman wing De'Zyrra Willingham. She is a long, wiry-strong athlete who has the luxury of leaning on Patterson and Holland for leadership. She is able to get out and run in transition undetected at times, and she often finds herself open around the basket on cuts, or she can get there off the drive as well, and she's a good finisher at the basket. She's also effective defensively where she can take on multiple positions.   Thea Bowman (Gary, IN) The Eagles have a solid group of talented players, but unfortunately, they are in one of the toughest Class 1A Sectionals this year, along with Marquette Catholic, Westville, and other quality teams. Still, they could prove to be a real hazard for opponents come tournament time. 5-6 Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='570383' first='Kahlen' last='Robinson'] is one of the most talented players in the state very few people have heard of. She possesses elite speed & quickness, she's incredibly active, and she's one of the state's most impactful defenders. She is a blur in transition, she draws a ton of fouls each game, and she has improved her perimeter shooting. Once she learns to change speeds better, I think she could be that much bigger of a problem to contain. 5-7 Senior wings Kaila Hopkins and Janiyah Jackson were intriguing as well. They are both wiry-strong athletes with nice length, they play hard, and they have some versatility to their game. They can both handle it and drive it a little, and they can both defend multiple positions. I also thought 6-0 Junior post Laniece Smith did some nice things. She is a broad-shouldered, strong, powerful post prospect who just moves people in the paint. She has decent hands and keeps the ball high, but she isn't a major scorer as much as she comes up with offensive rebound put-backs. Defensively, she can be an intimidating presence to drive the lane against.

The featured image is of Emma Norton Emma Norton 5'10" | SF South Bend Riley | 2025 IN (2025) of South Bend's James Whitcomb Riley High School.