Primed For Power

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 power forwards & centers who stood out when I was able to see them in action.   .    I feel like Te'Asia is still one of the lesser-known talents in Indiana's 2027 class, so this will be a big Spring & Summer grassroots season for her. She is long, wiry-strong, and athletic in most directions, including having some bounce in her. She's definitely not a post prospect, but she can defend a little inside against undersized forwards, she's a pursuing rebounder, and she is solid scoring it from offensive rebounds or shooting/driving it from the mid-post. Additionally, she has touch to the 3-point line, and she has steadily improved her handle and perimeter defense as well.     Emily stands out almost immediately when you see her, because she is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and she can shoot the ball from the perimeter when she has any space and rhythm. She has been a steady Varsity performer throughout her career, and she does a nice job of finding shots in a structured offense. This Spring, it appears as though she's trying to do more off the dribble, which obviously expands her all-around offensive game. She has played in the mid-post before as well, and she does a nice job using her length defensively.     Lilly is another extremely long, tall, wiry perimeter '4' who should draw her share of top-tier small college attention because of her ability to shoot the basketball. She has grown up shooting it and handling it for Knightstown, so when she gets her feet set, and has rhythm and space, she can knock it down from outside. She has learned to be more physical throughout her high school career, and at the college level, rebounding is important for anyone over about 5-9 these days, especially small college ball. She's another one who uses her length well, and she affects/blocks a lot of shots.     Adah is a highly sought after prospect in Indiana's 2027 class, essentially because she possesses good size and strength, plus she is skilled and has a high basketball IQ. Last weekend, she looked a little more explosive, and she did a nice job of rim-running and catching-to-finish in transition. In the halfcourt, she can play with physicality and enforce her will on opponents, plus she has soft hands and can finish with a variety of moves. Additionally, she is a nice pick-and-pop '5' who can knock down the 3-pointer consistently, but she's also an accurate and underappreciated passer.     Amaya is one of the most intriguing frontline prospects in the 2028 class in Indiana, because she has grown rapidly, she is probably closer to 6-3 now, she is long, wiry-strong, and she's a fluid athlete with some bounce to her. She can put it on the floor and handle it in transition, she is good attacking slower defenders from the mid-post or the perimeter, and she is a pursuing rebounder who can reach caroms well-outside of her area. This could be a big Spring & Summer for her, playing against quality competition, and she looks a lot more active, playing with a greater sense of urgency.     I first saw Malia last June, and she showed a lot of promise for the Homestead Summer team she was with. Last weekend, she showcased a lot more versatility, and I was impressed with her skillful growth as much as anything. She has a strong, physical frame, she's willing to play with physicality, and she is an effective interior defender and rebounder. But last weekend, she was knocking down the 3-pointer consistently, and she was putting it on the floor two to three dribbles productively. If she continues this level of skill development, she could be a real problem as an inside-out '4'.

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 power forwards & centers who stood out when I was able to see them in action.