Road to Live: Underclass Standouts

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='1855734' first='Harper' last='Scaringe'] (2030) from Center Grove High School.   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 this coming 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 2028s, 2029s, and 2030s who stood out when I was able to watch them play last Thursday.   .    I continue to be impressed with Riley's growth as a player, both physically and skillfully. She is such a long, fluidly athletic guard, she can play on or off the ball, but she is becoming one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the state because of her height, length, and quick release. She just doesn't give many defenders a chance to close out effectively. I would like to see her continue being more aggressive off the dribble and use the free throw line as a weapon, considering her shooting ability, but other than that, she has shown a complete game and continues to stand out, even playing "up".     Kendall had a really nice high school season, but she has had a great Spring & Summer. She is such a nice, balanced athlete, she plays with an outstanding motor, and while she plays hard (and fast at times), she's typically always under control and not at all sloppy. She put together a memorable performance at The Futures Games in early June, and she has started to draw a great deal of college attention from varying levels. In addition to being an effective athlete/scorer, she's a willing passer, she rebounds her position well, and she's an active and aggressive defender as well.     When you first see Zoie's team(s) play, you immediately notice her because she is so tall, long, fluid, and bouncy. She moves almost effortlessly around the floor, but she has also done a consistent job of developing her skillset. She has a nice shot from the perimeter that gets more efficient each year, she can put it on the floor and attack, but she can also initiate the offense and find open teammates. From a rebounding standpoint, she extends her long arms and outreaches many opponents, plus she does a nice job of using her length to cover ground/passing lanes defensively.     McKenzie is a big, powerful, physical post, and like many prospects her size, there are strengths and weaknesses to her game. Where she excels is, she has already learned (and almost mastered) seeking contact first and establishing herself on the low block. When she catches it, she can bully her way to a finish. She has soft hands, plus she has a nice array of finishing moves to where she can protect the ball and avoid taller, longer shot-blockers. Defensively, she likes to play behind, root out the offensive player, and she almost always stays in position to box out/rebound. She is a matchup problem.     This was my first time seeing Brooklyn, and she is an intriguing prospect. She has an athletic frame, strength, and she can get out and run the floor fairly well. In the fast-paced game that I saw, she was able to keep up in transition, attack the boards at both ends, plus she did a solid job of rotating from "help" side and altering shots. I didn't see her truly post up offensively much at all, so that is a part of her game I would still like to evaluate, but she looks coachable, and you could tell she was trying to apply a lot of the things she has been taught to this point.     Harper's play Thursday afternoon...let's just say, there were several Division-II and NAIA schools ready to offer her a scholarship, thinking she was a 2027. Her poise, feel, and change of pace throughout the day playing at the 17U level was fun to watch. She is strong for her age, she protects the ball and understands how to get defenders off-balance and keep them honest, but she's also an outstanding perimeter shooter with a beautiful stroke from outside. Harper plays with a quiet toughness, she doesn't mind physicality, and she's a lefty, making her a unique match-up.     At this point in time, I feel comfortable saying that whenever we finally rank kids in 2030, whether that's in December or March, Quinn will be competing for that top spot. She is long, wiry-strong, and athletic in all directions. She has tremendous skill for her age/height, as she can play a point forward role, she can play on the wing, and she's willing to play inside. Playing 17U on Thursday was good for her and to evaluate her, because the physicality will help her adjust to the Varsity season coming up. What's scary is, she's only going to get stronger, maybe taller, and better.

The featured image is of Harper Scaringe Harper Scaringe 5'5" | PG Center Grove | 2030 IN (2030) from Center Grove High School.