Under Armour Monday: 16U/15U Standouts

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='834925' first='Kylah' last='Patterson'] (2027) of Hammond's Oliver P. Morton H.S. and Example Sports 16U GUAA.   Monday morning, I made my way to Westfield, Indiana, for the GUAA and UA Rise Session at the Pacers Athletic Center. In just six hours, I was able to see full halves of 10 different teams with Indiana prospects onboard. Below is a look at seven ladies who stood out to me when watching the 16U & 15U divisions of each tournament.   .    I always enjoy watching Rylee play because she combines size, a little strength, and physicality with nice skill, shooting touch, and a good basketball IQ. She's also a solid all-around athlete at her size with really nice length. She committed to Butler University almost a year ago and became the first 2027 prospect to make a decision. The next step for Rylee is to simply be consistently dominant. She has the tools to be a double-double machine each time out.     Kylah is one of the most talented prospects most people statewide don't know much about. She is strong, long, and athletic in most directions. As a Freshman, she was probably best described as controlled chaos on the floor, but this year she is playing with a bit more patience, a better all-around feel, and much more efficiency in her game. She can create off the dribble, knock down a rhythm jumper, or use her size & physicality productively inside the arc.     Over the years, Jordyn has always been stronger than most of her peers, but she is such a good/pure lefty shooter that you found her primarily around the wings. This Spring & Summer she has been much more aggressive off the dribble and battled for caroms inside the arc with a different intensity. While she is still a very good shooter, I like this versatility to her offensive game. At the defensive end, she has done a better job of taking on both wings and forwards.     When you first see Zion, she has good size & strength, but she's also long and fairly athletic. Obviously, she stands out in that regard, but she has also been a kid "figuring it out." I felt like throughout June with Lawrence North, and Monday with her WVT team, she has become much more aggressive and confident. She is more immediate offensively with the ball, scoring it better, plus her defensive rotations are improved, and she's blocking everything.     Bella is another prospect who has shown nice growth in her game over the past three to six months. She has gotten a little stronger, but I think it's more of a mental approach for her. She has the reputation of being a good perimeter shooter, but now she is much better with the basketball in her hands, running offense at times and creating for open teammates. She's also being more aggressive in attacking the rim and becoming a complete scorer.     Harper is a tough-nosed, feisty, strong-for-her-size lead guard who plays with a lot of energy and a veteran savvy. It's difficult to tell if she's entering 8th Grade or her Junior year of high school sometimes. When the ball finds her, she pushes it immediately in transition and is typically decisive with her focus and passing. She doesn't waste a lot of time messing around, gets the ball where it needs to go, and she will knock down open shots when left alone.     I don't like evaluating middle schoolers too often because of the statement I'm about to make, but if Quinn isn't one of the top 2030s in the state, then that class is going to be unbelievably talented across the board. She has nice height, tremendous length, and already a wiry strength to her frame. She is a fairly fluid athlete, and while she does play a lot in the mid-post and the paint, she already has the ball skill, the touch, and the know-how to be a wing.

The featured image is of Kylah Patterson Kylah Patterson 6'0" | SF Example Academy | 2027 State IN (2027) of Hammond's Oliver P. Morton H.S. and Example Sports 16U GUAA.