16U Prospects Flexing at The Smoke

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grassroots held “The Smoke” live period tournament at Grand Valley State University and other nearby high schools from May 16th to 18th. The tournament featured a variety of clubs and college coaches from multiple states in attendance. Here are a few 2027 prospects who showed their potential with strong performances last weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["893432"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1249304,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad479b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Emily competed hard and showed excellent shooting technique at The Smoke with Mystics Gillett 2027. She drained many triples from a balanced stance and rhythmic follow-through. Emily worked hard to secure rebounds and converted multiple free throws at the line. She hit two clutch free throws late to help her team seal a victory during the game I watched. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1249266"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1249302,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad4807"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Zoe's athleticism, aggressiveness, and impactful presence grabbed my attention at Mystics Gillett 2027 at The Smoke. She used quick crossovers to beat full-court pressure and accelerated past defenders in a second gear off the dribble. Zoe drove hard to score layups, knocked down free throws, and showed her perimeter range with a smooth wing three. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":[1122267],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1249298,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad485f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kayleanna is a 2029 prospect who played up and looked fantastic with the 2027 [program_tooltip program_id='713193' first='Michigan' last='Goonies'] at The Smoke. She's a long guard/wing combo who showed her outside range by draining triples from the wing and the corner. I wrote down that Kayleanna is "long and athletic" and she showed it with a quick crossover to beat her defender for a left-handed layup. She scored with soft touch off the glass and converted another speedy layup using a crossover move. Kayleana is going to be a talented prospect in the 2029 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["903535"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1249300,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad48ba"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lily had athleticism that literally jumped out of the gym at The Smoke. She elevated to score an acrobatic reverse layup and went way up to deflect an inbounds pass. Lily sealed her defender with a strong base in the paint to catch an entry pass, leaped into a 180-degree spin in midair, and scored the contested floater. She applied relentless on-ball pressure, fired passes to teammates on a rope, snatched strong rebounds, and finished multiple layups off two feet. Lily has the tangibles and intangibles that will make her a valuable next-level prospect to watch with [program_tooltip program_id='713450' first='REAL' last=''] 16U. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1161453"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad48fb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ava was an impactful playmaker at The Smoke for [program_tooltip program_id='713193' first='Michigan' last='Goonies'] 2027. Ava motored down the lane with a determined dribble drive to score an emphatic and-one off two feet--sank her free throw. She used a quick crossover to fly by her defender and made a nice transfer with a high-pick up move to cause a foul. Ava scored another speedy layup off two feet and looked to be in peak form on Saturday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1055742"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1249306,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682e526ad4945"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Madeline was a difference maker on the boards for Mystics Gillett 2027 at The Smoke. She worked hard inside to secure several rebounds, which included an offensive rebound high-rip move to score a soft finish off the glass. Madeline used her long arms to disrupt passing lanes and snagged steals on defense. She looks like a promising forward prospect with the length and mobility to play next-level basketball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->