The Finale, Day-2: Additional Guard Standouts

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='1044922' first='Zhaeyana' last='Cooper'] (2026) of Evansville's North High School and [program_tooltip program_id='1002297' first='IGB' last='']-Johnson.   As the Summer winds down, many of the grassroots teams from Indiana are away at any number of locations for the final "live" period of the season where they can be evaluated once again by schools of all levels, including NCAA Division I. I am in Hamilton, Ohio, at the annual "The Finale" tourney held by Select Events at Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill. Below is a look at some of the top performers I was able to see during Saturday's action.   .    This was my first opportunity to watch Zhaeyana in person, and she is a really nice athlete who does a little of everything. She has a solid to strong frame, some length, nice North/South speed, plus a good motor. I was most impressed with her effort in switching ends of the floor, whether she was going on the offensive or retreating to defend. Additionally, I thought she did a solid job of defending the ball off the bounce, plus she used her frame nicely to help direct ball-handlers. She could end up being a really nice small college prospect.     While Shay did not put in much time playing grassroots basketball in past years, this Spring & Summer have been huge for her recruitment, as she has drawn a great deal of interest from Midwestern Division II and NAIA schools. She is a strong, physical, but athletic and balanced guard who will shoot the lights out. If she gets any rhythm whatsoever, she doesn't need much space to score. Shay has also worked on her handle and her handle against pressure, and I know some colleges are considering her more of a point guard.     A.J. has always been a highly competitive, hard-working guard. She is best known for her ability to make shots, but she does so many other things well. She can handle the ball against pressure, she has good vision and is an excellent passer, plus she seems to think the game well, also. Defensively, she does a nice job of anticipating and taking angles, so she doesn't get beaten off the bounce. Oh yeah, and she can still shoot the ball at a high level. All in all, I feel like she's someone who makes winning plays and tries to help the team.     I have seen Emma many times over the years, but Saturday was a great day for her. She was completely locked in, at times the most effective player on her team, and she was performing in all facets of the game. She is another talented shooter, and she was burying any shot where she had the slightest bit of rhythm. At the same time, she has greatly improved her ability to absorb contact and finish drives. She was scrappy and aggressive defensively, and she was on the floor making hustle plays. I was extremely impressed with her sense of urgency.     I've always enjoyed watching Reese play, because she is a tough-nosed, hard-working, and versatile wing. She can put it on the floor and attack the basket, which she enjoys doing, she can knock down an open rhythm jumper, plus she is a willing passer and can find open teammates. I like her grit and energy defensively as well, and she can defend bigger guards, wings, and even some undersized forwards. Reese will also pursue rebounds outside of her area. I just like her "ballplayer" approach and the fact teams can use her in a variety of ways.     Due to an injury and low roster numbers, Ava is filling in for the [program_tooltip program_id='999574' first='Indiana' last='Basketball Club'] S40 team in 16U this weekend. In the two halves I've seen of them the last couple of days, she has done so smoothly and is playing very well. She has tremendous length at her height, she is a fluid athlete, but she also possesses some speed. She can bury shots when she has her feet set, plus she can handle the ball, push it in transition, initiate the offense, and even create off the dribble for herself or teammates. She has also defended with effort.     Lila is a very intriguing young guard who saw some opportunity as a rookie, averaging 5.5 points in 28 games. That should increase considerably in year-2, as the Wolves suffered significant graduation losses. Lila is a long, wiry-strong, quick, fast, and somewhat bouncy prospect who can play a variety of roles. She does a nice job of scoring it at all three levels, and if she gets the corner, she's probably getting to the basket. She has a solid handle and can run offense, plus she can make a rhythm jumper. Lila can also be a talented on-ball defender.

The featured image is of Zhaeyana Cooper Zhaeyana Cooper 5'6" | SG Evansville North | 2026 IN (2026) of Evansville's North High School and IGB -Johnson.