Homestead Youth Tourney - 7th Grade Division Standouts

Homestead High School's Girls Basketball Program hosted their annual youth tournament on Saturday, February 28th. The event had over 50 3rd-8th Grade teams, representing 20 High School Youth Programs across Northeast Indiana. Year after year, this event provides an early glimpse into the next wave of talent in the area. With so many programs competing, it allowed for a clear look at which players are trending upward heading into high school. Here are some 7th Grade Division standouts who separated themselves throughout the day.   *** Players listed in alphabetical order by last name    Bady is a smooth lefty point guard with a strong handle and natural command of the offense. Her Carroll team relied heavily on her to manage primary ball-handling duties, and she consistently delivered. She does a nice job of keeping her eyes up as the lead guard to scan and survey the floor. She plays with impressive poise and patience, setting the tone for her teammates. It was clear that her team was most confident when the ball was in her hands. She has a very nice change of speed and plays the game with great pace. In Pick n Roll and 2-Man game situations, she continuously made the simple play and correct read. Defensively, she applied consistent ball pressure with her active feet and quick hands, making opposing ball handlers uncomfortable throughout the game.     Carnes is an extremely versatile wing/forward on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she showed the ability to play multiple positions while scoring in a variety of ways. She attacked the basket against bigger, taller defenders while not shying away from the contact. She knocked down catch & shoot 3s with confidence. She crashed the offensive glass for easy put backs. She earned trips to the free-throw line and converted those opportunities into points. Defensively, she embraced a tough assignment, often guarding the opposing team's center due to being the tallest player on her team. She did not back down from the challenge and competed, especially on the glass. After securing defensive rebounds, she often made on-time, on-target baseball outlet passes that ignited transition opportunities and led to easy baskets for her teammates. In her team's semifinal game, she fueled a big comeback victory not only through her play, but also through her vocal leadership, consistently rallying her teammates.     Jones is a very tall, wiry and athletic forward. She possesses physical tools and gifts that you simply can't teach. She arguably had the most potential and upside from players I saw on Saturday. She is very disruptive on defense. She gets so many blocks and deflections simply because of her wingspan and timing. Even her presence around the rim altered shots, forcing opponents to rush or rethink their attempts in the paint. Offensively, she got to the free throw line constantly due to aggressiveness attacking the basket and crashing the offensive glass, even stringing along a couple And-1 opportunities. Overall, Jones has a very high ceiling and is a player who could make a significant jump over the next six months as her skill set continues to catch up to her physical tools.     Moore is a tall, strong interior presence who controlled the paint on both ends of the floor. She rebounded at a high level, particularly on the offensive glass, where her activity created easy put-backs and additional possessions for her team. Beyond her inside production, Moore also showed intriguing perimeter versatility. She handled the ball in transition and even initiated offense on certain possessions, demonstrating comfort operating outside the paint. She also stepped out and knocked down perimeter shots, adding another dimension to her offensive game. One of the more noticeable aspects of Moore's performance was the positive energy she brought to the floor. She served as a vocal leader, consistently encouraging teammates and communicating on the defensive end.     Morris is a long, athletic two-way guard/wing who can score at all three levels in a variety of ways. She plays in constant attack mode, which consistently separates her from her competition. Her mentality and assertiveness on both ends of the floor allow her to take over games, which was on full display in Homestead's championship game. Her ability to get downhill and collapse the defense makes her extremely difficult to keep out of the paint. When defenders sag off to take away her drive, she confidently makes them pay from beyond the arc. She has a quick, compact release with deep range and does not require much time or space to get her shot off. In addition to her offensive production, she impacts the game at an elite level defensively. She fills the stat sheet with steals, deflections, and blocks, often turning those plays into easy transition opportunities for herself and her teammates.     Taylor has great size, height and strength for a guard/wing. This allows her to impact the game in multiple ways. She excelled in transition, consistently pushing the pace off steals and defensive rebounds. After securing the ball, she immediately had her head up to advance it to a streaking teammate or to attack in the open court herself. She has a very solid feel and IQ for the game, particularly in her understanding of floor spacing. When her teammates drove and kicked the ball out to her, she made quick and decisive decisions: knocked down the 3 ball, got downhill l and attacked the basket, or made an unselfish, 1-more pass to a shooter. On top of her offensive production, she made key hustle, second effort, winning plays for her team. Plays that don't always show up in the box score: diving on the floor, saving balls on their way out of bounds and running down long rebounds.       Turner is an extremely quick guard who consistently puts pressure on opposing defenses with her elite level scoring ability. Her skill set is very advanced for her age, particularly in the way she attacks the basket. She is relentless getting downhill and uses crafty footwork (euro steps, stride stops, and jump stops) to finish creatively at the rim. She shows touch and control finishing with either hand on her layups and floaters. She is also a strong ball handler with a tight handle. This allows her to play either on or off the ball as a point or shooting guard. She got really warm from the 3-point line which forced defenders to respect her range. The defensive attention she commands creates great floor spacing and open opportunities for her teammates. Defensively, her quickness and anticipation allows her to get many deflections and steals, which lead to easy transition scoring opportunities.

Homestead High School's Girls Basketball Program hosted their annual youth tournament on Saturday, February 28th. The event had over 50 3rd-8th Grade teams, representing 20 High School Youth Programs across Northeast Indiana. Year after year, this event provides an early glimpse into the next wave of talent in the area. With so many programs competing, it allowed for a clear look at which players are trending upward heading into high school. Here are some 7th Grade Division standouts who separated themselves throughout the day.