Road to Live: Senior Standouts

Thursday, July 2nd, [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] teamed up with USJN and New Balance for a new event called "Road to Live", serving as a warm-up before these teams take off to 'live' events around the country next weekend. There were a dozen or so teams in each of the three high school divisions, and there were some quality prospects on hand. Approximately 30 different small colleges took in the event, from NCAA Divisions II & III, to NAIA, to NJCAA, and it served as a great opportunity for several girls to be evaluated before the crowded bigger tournaments begin in a few days. Below is a look at a handful of 2027s who stood out when I was able to watch them play yesterday.   .    It was great finally getting to see Ally in this environment. She has only really participated in grassroots ball when it's local to Northeast Indiana, but she has a lot of real talent and intrigue about her that colleges are interested in seeing. She is extremely long, tall, and she can get up and down the floor. She still needs to get stronger for the next level and understand leverage a little better, but she has skill and the ability to score over defenders if she is able to get the ball in a good spot. Defensively, she is a rangy shot-blocker who can cover ground quickly, plus she's willing to get on the floor.     Davianna is a fast, athletic, explosive talent on the wing who just loves to get out and run. When she's able to play in transition, it's difficult to slow her down and keep her from getting to the rim. She has solid ball skill, and she can step out and defend multiple positions. When she's in the halfcourt offensively, though, she's almost better playing an undersized '4', flashing to the mid-post, and attacking from there. But her athletic talent definitely pops when you watch her, and there were a handful of schools asking about her background because of her play yesterday.     The [program_tooltip program_id='1002297' first='IGB' last=''] 17U team showed up with a few of their 2027s mixed with some of their top youngsters, but Claire was in attendance and I felt like she was maybe their most consistent 2027 on the day. She has gotten noticeably stronger, much more comfortable handling the ball, and she's shooting it more consistently from the perimeter as well. She is a well-rounded athlete, she plays with a nice motor, and she is willing to be physical inside. Her all-around versatility is tough to match. I feel like she could step into a very good Ball State program next year and play immediately.     Taylor was all over the floor yesterday, trying to do as much as she could each possession. She is a nice, long, wiry-strong athlete, she has some bounce to her, plus she is versatile. When I saw her a couple of years ago, she looked like more of a face-up '4' who was stretching her game to the perimeter. Now, she's a full-fledged wing prospect who can go on runs herself shooting it, plus she is good attacking the basket will people over-pursue. She's also an effortful defender who can sit down and defend bigger guards and wings, or she can battle inside against undersized forwards.     I don't know that Courtney has ever been a "wow factor" type of kid, and she wasn't yesterday either. But what she did was keep her team in a tough game by making big plays, whether it was saving a possession with an offensive rebound, or making a tough, contested shot, she was involved and efficient. Courtney plays with a quiet toughness, and she is a high IQ ballplayer. She rarely makes the same mistakes, but she can create offense, make open shots, and she's an outstanding defender. I think she'll be able to give minutes as a college Freshman because of her defense.     When her [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] team squared off against the top [program_tooltip program_id='1002297' first='IGB' last=''] group, it seemed like Hallie was on a mission. She was very aggressive to the basket, she looked a lot stronger, and she was absorbing contact better, but she also buried a couple of perimeter jumpers with a hand in her face. She is such a well-rounded, skillful, high IQ ballplayer, and she showed all of that yesterday. She also showed quick feet and hands at the defensive end. I feel like she certainly played up to her ranking, and she is an absolute steal at this point for a very good St. Francis program.     Satyra is a really nice athlete, almost like a running back on the basketball court. She has a strong frame, nice length, and she plays with speed, quickness, and even some bounce at her size. When she can get out in the open floor, she runs by opponents, with or without the ball. She can knock down a rhythm jumper, plus she defends with a great deal of urgency. She can pressure the ball out on the floor, but she will also get inside and rebound at her size. As she continues to learn how to change gears, she could become a real headache to defend, if she isn't already.

Thursday, July 2nd, Always 100 teamed up with USJN and New Balance for a new event called "Road to Live", serving as a warm-up before these teams take off to 'live' events around the country next weekend. There were a dozen or so teams in each of the three high school divisions, and there were some quality prospects on hand. Approximately 30 different small colleges took in the event, from NCAA Divisions II & III, to NAIA, to NJCAA, and it served as a great opportunity for several girls to be evaluated before the crowded bigger tournaments begin in a few days. Below is a look at a handful of 2027s who stood out when I was able to watch them play yesterday.