The Finale, Day-3: Making the Rounds

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='999582' first='Kyra' last='Schuckman'] (2026) of Washington H.S. and DistinXion Champions Black E40.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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. Sunday, I turned my attention to teams I was less familiar with. Below is a look at some of the top performers I was able to see during morning games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1275573' first='Grace' last='Detweiler']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"South Knox","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"WV Thunder-Perry S40","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687e5af998353"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grace looks to be filling in this weekend on an otherwise short-handed WVT team. In what opportunity she had in the games I saw, she possesses really nice length, she has a wiry strength to her frame, and she has quick feet and some explosiveness in most directions. She definitely has some athletic and skillful tools that several small colleges would be interested in. Grace helped a very deep and talented South Knox team to a 28-2 record and a Class 2A State Championship back on March 1st. Look for a bigger role in 2025-2026 for Grace.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["999582"],"_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-687e514b9deaa"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kyra really stood out for DistinXion Sunday morning with her strong play. She was extremely aggressive each time she caught the ball, she was physical when attacking the basket, and she was ready to shoot when catching it around the perimeter. She made some tough shots throughout the contest, plus she was active and engaged at the defensive end of the floor. I think she could help a number of Midwestern small colleges as either a 2-guard, or a 3-guard in smaller lineups. She will add to a deep &amp; talented backcourt for the Lady Hatchets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1137311"],"_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-687e514b9df10"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Frankin Central has so many skillful and talented 2027 prospects, that Aniya sometimes gets overlooked. However, she has a very confident, smooth, and productive game all her own. She can handle the ball in transition, initiate the offense from time to time, plus she's an athletic attacker who can create scores for herself or teammates. She has an improving perimeter shot as well, but I also really like her effectiveness as a defender, whether she's on the ball or rotating from the "help" side of the floor. She also rebounds her position well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["729575"],"_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-687e514b9df5f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With Olivia being from Kentucky, this was my first time seeing her, but she was electric and brought a lot of intriguing qualities to the game. She has really nice length considering her height. She is quick, fast, and feisty, and she uses those tools at both ends of the floor. She can sit down and defend the ball, she creates steals/deflections, and she can help her team change ends of the floor quickly. Offensively, she buried a couple of rhythm jumpers, but it was her ability to dissect the defense and get through the lane consistently that stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["992363"],"_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-687e514b9dfb3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I saw Lauren a couple of times throughout the weekend, but due to a roster update, I just figured out who she was yesterday. She played each game with consistency and a nice motor. She has some length, a wiry strength, and she's a fairly smooth athlete. She showed the ability to score, rebound, and defend some inside, plus she knocked down open rhythm jumpers outside. I'm not sure how much she'll grow, but she plays with a nice inside-out versatility. Originally a Lake Central kid, she has recently transferred to nearby Illiana Christian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["966472"],"_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-687e514b9e010"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ryleigh is another non-Indiana prospect I was able to see for the first time, and she definitely has nice talent, skill, and the potential to be a top guard in Ohio throughout her career. What stood out first was her length and speed. She gets around the floor quickly and has nice stop/start ability. She was able to use that defensively well, plus she showed the skill to be a multilevel scorer. She looked comfortable knocking down rhythm jumpers outside, she slices to the basket quickly off the dribble, plus she does a solid job of moving without the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1263966"],"_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-687e514b9e06d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jordyn appears on our initial 2029 watch list, and after watching her again on Sunday, she showed why. She is a strong, somewhat physical wing, but she possesses really nice touch and buried two 3-pointers almost immediately upon entering the portion of the game I saw. She can handle it and push it up the floor in transition, plus she can get downhill North/South in the halfcourt. With a number of graduation and transfer losses, she could have a big role for the Lady Wildcats this Winter, as they go through a massive youth movement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->