The Encore: Fantastic 16U Forwards

Teams flooded the gym from across the Midwest, and college coaches from the region showed out to recruit many talented prospects. I had a blast seeing the prospects from multiple states, and Australia put their best skills on display during the tournament. Here are seven 16U forwards who received recognition as Top Performers:    Kariya solidified the interior for [program_tooltip program_id='713158' first='5Star' last='Basketball'] 16U at The Encore. She pinned defenders deep with her body using strong seals and muscled through contact to score at the rim. Kariya powered her way into rebounding position and scored many putbacks off two feet. She knocked down a nice turnaround jumper in the lane over a contesting defender and provided consistency as a rebounder.     Jillian has skill, length, mobility, and versatility as a forward that stands out on the court. She stretched the floor for [program_tooltip program_id='1307580' first='Indy' last='One'] 16U McQueen, burying a smooth three from the slot after gathering her balance using a reverse pivot. She drained a deep wing three in rhythm off the hop from way downtown. Jillian swiped the ball away at half court and accelerated towards the rim for a speedy fast break finish. She secured rebounds aggressively and immediately looked to push the tempo in transition, pushing the ball comfortably using both hands in the open court. Her accuracy from three opened up opportunities to attack off the dribble. Jillian froze the defender with a show fake on the wing, then ripped by for a quick drive-by layup. She's a stretch four who can play the wing, and her performance at The Encore grabbed my attention.     Rachel was an athletic and mobile forward who made a great first impression during games with AUSA 16U Aidan. Rachel moved her feet well and controlled her body to send shots away in the paint without fouling. She stretched the floor and drained a deep straightaway three up top. Rachel caught a pass with good hands in traffic, made a quick transfer, and finished the contested layup. She sprinted back in transition to deflect a pass away during a fast break and tied up the ball to force a turnover.     Brooklyn has size, strength, and versatility that make her a tough matchup for opposing forwards. She stretches the floor with her outside range, makes smart reads off the ball, muscles her to the front of the rim to secure offensive rebounds, catches passes with strong hands, and finishes with a soft touch in traffic. Brooklyn scored multiple layups off basket cuts, went up strong to cause a foul, and buried both free throws with a confident stroke. She scored put backs and stepped out to the corner to swish a pair of threes. Brooklyn played a major role for [program_tooltip program_id='1307580' first='Indy' last='One'] 16U EYL at The Encore.     Aleah gave [program_tooltip program_id='1307580' first='Indy' last='One'] 16U Bays a physical edge at The Encore. She drove hard downhill, absorbed contact, and finished the drive with a layup. Aleah dropped in a soft floater and worked extremely hard to turn ball-handlers on the perimeter. She shuffled her feet laterally and kept guards from penetrating off the dribble. Aleah used the glass well to score a contested layup with her left hand off two feet and dished out a nice bounce pass for an assist after stealing the ball away on the perimeter. She pushed the ball using both hands in transition and drove with a full head of steam to the basket to cause a foul late in the game, then tied it up at the line. Aleah's physical rebounding on both ends was important to the team's success.     Chamarre has length, athleticism, and potential as a next-level prospect that catches your attention. She was very productive for FEBA Super Friends 16U at The Encore. Chamarre worked hard to get into position for rebounds and grabbed many on the offensive end. She scored putbacks, protected the basket as a shot blocker, and denied entry passes into the post. Chamarre can face up and drive or play with her back to the basket. She has that 6-foot length you like to have anchoring the paint, and she'll be a prospect to keep on your radar.     Riley separated herself as an elite prospect when I saw her for the first time at the Indiana Freshman Showcase a year ago, and that's exactly what she did again at The Encore with [program_tooltip program_id='1307580' first='Indy' last='One'] 16U EYBL. 6-foot-plus length, athleticism, polished footwork, mobility, good hands, skilled finishing touch from block to block, an accurate three-point shot, and get-by-you speed off the dribble from the perimeter are attributes that make you a high-level forward prospect. Sunday was her day. Riley attacked down the baseline for a smooth finish off two, used her body to protect the ball for finishes on face-up drives, moving defenders off their spot with a strong shoulder while keeping her balance for two-foot finishes. She buried a deep-wing three and swished another triple from the corner. A play that stood out was when Riley passed up a good shot for a great one, firing a pass on a rope to an open teammate down low for an assist. She put on a footwork clinic after sealing defenders around the basket and used every inch of the glass to convert shots efficiently.

Teams flooded the gym from across the Midwest, and college coaches from the region showed out to recruit many talented prospects. I had a blast seeing the prospects from multiple states, and Australia put their best skills on display during the tournament. Here are seven 16U forwards who received recognition as Top Performers: