Prime Time Wings

After the pandemic of 2020, the landscape of girls' grassroots tournaments in the Midwest changed significantly. One of the new events over the last few years has been the Prime Event-Midwest, annually held at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana. This year, most of the top prospects from Indiana were in attendance, as well as some high-profile grassroots programs from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in addition to other states. Below is a look at six small forwards who stood out when I was able to see them in action.   .    Claire was outstanding last weekend in the portions I was able to see. She looks about 6-feet tall now, and she appeared to be a little leaner, quicker, and more explosive. She handled the ball quite a bit and initiated the offense often. She was a nice option for her team in that capacity, considering the opponent was trapping quite a bit. She probably played just a hair too upright, but overall, she played well. She can get to the basket, absorb contact, and finish, she can find open teammates, and she's capable perimeter shooter as well. Defensively, she can bounce between wing and forward,pursuing rebounds aggressively.     We've talked about "K.P." quite a bit throughout her career, and it's crazy to think she has just one season left. She is one of the best athletes in the state, regardless of class or position. She made a change in grassroots programs this Spring, and she is still looking like herself...chasing down rebounds outside of her area, pushing the ball 100 mph in transition, creating for teammates off the dribble, and scoring the ball from all three levels. Because of her nonstop motor and all-out mentality, she will likely "fit" certain programs better than others, and I'm curious to see who steps up with offers.     Jailen dealt with some injury issues earlier in her high school career, and last Summer I felt like she was still getting back to her old self. This Spring, she looks much more explosive, more active, and she is changing directions a lot better. She is able to use her incredible length and understanding of the game to trap effectively and create turnovers defensively, plus she can defend multiple positions. Offensively, she has always been solid with the ball in her hands, like a point forward, she glides to the basket fairly easily, but she can also knock down a rhythm 3-pointer consistently.     Keilah is the younger sister of 6-5 Kaelyse Mitchell, who graduated in 2025. Keilah has grown a couple of inches since last year, but I'm doubtful she'll get that tall, as Kaelyse was well over 6-0 when she entered high school. It doesn't matter, though, as Keilah is a really nice wing prospect. She is strong, physical, and has an athletic frame, plus she can get out and run in transition well. She can handle it like a point forward at times, she likes to get downhill off the dribble offensively, and she isn't afraid to get inside and draw contact. Her power wing approach is highly productive.     Harvest is a very intriguing young wing who put together a solid rookie campaign at Bishop Luers this year, averaging 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for the Lady Knights. She has a strong, athletic frame, she likes to get out and go in transition, and she plays with a lot of energy at both ends of the floor. The ball always seems to find her. She is versatile offensively, as she can play a point forward role and create for teammates, she can use her physicality to get to the basket against her peers, plus she's an excellent defender who can turn opponents over and create offense that way.     Eastern Hancock has always been a solid program, but the last few years it has risen to the forefront because of an influx of talent. Rylee should be able to add to their offensive power next season. She has height and length for a wing, and she looks to still be growing. She has a nice, natural feel for the game, touch from the perimeter, but also the ability to initiate the offense and find open teammates. Like any young prospect, as she finishes growing and gaining strength, her game will become even more consistent, but she can already be highly effective at a young age for the Lady Royals.

After the pandemic of 2020, the landscape of girls' grassroots tournaments in the Midwest changed significantly. One of the new events over the last few years has been the Prime Event-Midwest, annually held at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana. This year, most of the top prospects from Indiana were in attendance, as well as some high-profile grassroots programs from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in addition to other states. Below is a look at six small forwards who stood out when I was able to see them in action.