Championship Saturday at Roses Classic

After playing three to four games over Thursday and Friday at the Run 4 The Roses Classic tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, Saturday provided bracket championships, whether you were in 1st Place in your pool or not. Below is a quick look at a handful of ladies who stood out when I was able to see them during Saturday's action at the Run 4 The Roses Classic. We will have additional coverage from the Run 4 The Roses Championship tournament, which kicks off this morning and runs through Tuesday, July 14th.   .    Ahlai isn't a flashy point guard who is going to go out and get you 20 points, but she is steady, disciplined, aware, and she is a pass-first kid willing to get her team into their offense. She is strong for her size and a nice all-around athlete. She plays hard, defends with effort, and she has good speed & quickness. When she is in transition, she has her head up scanning the floor, looking for open teammates to pass to. For those small colleges who are in need of someone to come in and bring poise to the point guard position, I think she could certainly help in that way.     On a travel team with little size, Madison brings some physicality and toughness to the group. She has a solid/strong frame, she's willing to play inside despite being more of a wing, and she seems to enjoy contact and mixing it up inside. She boxes out strong, she defends with intensity, but she also flashes a solid all-around skillset. She can grab a rebound and start the break, she looks to attack the basket on most catches, and she has a really nice mid-range jumper. She is a high-level softball prospect as well, but if she chooses to play basketball in college, she'll have options.     Mya has been a fun prospect to watch over the years, because she has gotten steadily better from year to year, plus she has grown probably three to four inches since she entered high school. She has always had tremendous length and a wiry frame, but she looks a little stronger and she is seeking contact a lot more often. She has good speed & quickness, and she explodes to the basket at times off the bounce. She also possesses some touch outside, and she can be a very good defender when she's locked in. She was very good yesterday and really stepped up.     I have always been a fan of Jayla's, and she was definitely locked in during their evening game yesterday. She has a nice shot from the perimeter, and she made a handful of clutch 3-pointers for her team. But she is also handling it quite a bit, initiating the offense, and even trying to break down defenders to create for her teammates, which is good to see. I also felt like she was very aware defensively, and she created a few steals/turnovers. She has nice length, she's a fluid athlete in most directions, and she seems to enjoy playing and plays with a nice motor.     Marissa is one of the most competitive players in the state. Not only does she play with an outstanding motor, but she plays with a great sense of urgency and treats every possession like it's a 1-point game. She is a nice North/South athlete, she is aggressive to the rim, and she can finish through contact but also uses the free throw line well. Additionally, Marissa is a capable 3-point shooter when set and in rhythm. Defensively, she is tough-nosed, physical, and feisty. I think she is skilled enough to play point guard, but she is an effective scorer, so I would probably play her off the ball.     Ellie might not be the "headliner" for this Mavericks team, but she stood out in the first half because she made three of four 3-pointers during a stretch where they extended their lead from 10 to about 25 almost instantly. She has a solid to strong frame for her size, she does a nice job of quickly getting her feet set, and if she's able to, she'll pull it and penalize you for not fully denying her the ball. I didn't see her play on the ball at all, but within her role, she was very good at finding space, plus she was feisty defensively. She could be a nice zone-buster for North this coming season.     This was my first opportunity to see Avery in-person, and she was everything I was told and more. She is strong, athletic, physical, and quietly tough-nosed. She never stops moving and does a nice job of basket cutting to the block, flash cutting to the elbows, and occasionally posting a defender, going to some sort of half hook, etc. At the same time, she knocked down a couple of 3-pointers and looked comfortable doing so, plus she'll put it on the floor a few dribbles and attack the basket. Pairing with [player_tooltip player_id='756247' first='Paige' last='Schnaus'] (2027), they will be an incredibly tough matchup in 2026-2027.

After playing three to four games over Thursday and Friday at the Run 4 The Roses Classic tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, Saturday provided bracket championships, whether you were in 1st Place in your pool or not. Below is a quick look at a handful of ladies who stood out when I was able to see them during Saturday's action at the Run 4 The Roses Classic. We will have additional coverage from the Run 4 The Roses Championship tournament, which kicks off this morning and runs through Tuesday, July 14th.