Posts Who Made The Initial 2030 Launch

Just in time for Halloween, the inaugural 2030 watchlist just posted on Prep Girls Hoops Indiana. Typically, I like to have this completed sometime in mid to late June, and at the latest, sometime immediately after our PGH Freshman Showcase in September. But this year, I found it very difficult to put together as comprehensive and thorough of a list as I feel we've released today. Why? Well, when I looked through this class during the Spring and Summer, and I sat back this Fall and considered what I saw, it is talented and deep both, but there is a divide...at least for now. I always wanted to initially get 40 to 50 names out there, and 50 is what we landed on, but that in itself was a project. In my honest opinion, I felt like there were a dozen, maybe 15 "easy' selections based on their play, potential, and recruitment, so the class is strong at the top. In many years, there can be a major dropoff from player #5 to player #15. In this case, I didn't so much feel that way, as there are about 75 girls who were "competing" to fill about 35 to 38 spots within the watchlist. That "dropoff" I mentioned is much farther down the list. That's what made this so difficult. Did I miss someone? Oh, I'm sure I did. But we will continue to monitor the class as they start their high school careers next week and reissue an updated watchlist sometime shortly after Christmas Break. At that time, we will also expand and attempt to make the list even more valid, addressing those we might have omitted. In the meantime, please give the ladies who did make it the credit they deserve for all of their hard work.   .    C NOTES:    Jada has put together a reputation for a couple of years now because she just towers over everyone. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, and she is a fairly fluid athlete for as quickly and as much as she has grown in a short period of time. She does possess some bounce, she doesn't mind contact at all, and she does a good job of keeping the ball high and finishing over smaller defenders. As she continues to gain strength, look for her shooting and finishing moves to become more consistent, plus she will become an even more effective rim protector.     Leah was a new name to me this week, so I'm sure she's probably a new name to many of you in this class. She is an extremely long, tall, versatile front-liner. She has an athletic frame, some speed, and a lot of bounce. From what I understand, she moves around the floor more like a small forward and will almost always outrun her matchups rim to rim. Positionally, though, she is still developing her skillset and learning how to finish/score consistently. But she has flashed the potential athletically to maybe become a face-up '4' in the future.     Jaleeia is another name who just popped up on my radar within the last month. She is an intimidating presence with a tremendous frame, length, and the potential to really develop into an overwhelming power prospect while still maintaining her athleticism/explosiveness. She can get out and run the floor, and she doesn't mind "sitting down" in the post and creating contact. As she continues to build her finishing moves, look for her to get even stronger and become even more of a matchup problem. She has a very high ceiling at this point.

Just in time for Halloween, the inaugural 2030 watchlist just posted on Prep Girls Hoops Indiana. Typically, I like to have this completed sometime in mid to late June, and at the latest, sometime immediately after our PGH Freshman Showcase in September. But this year, I found it very difficult to put together as comprehensive and thorough of a list as I feel we've released today. Why? Well, when I looked through this class during the Spring and Summer, and I sat back this Fall and considered what I saw, it is talented and deep both, but there is a divide...at least for now. I always wanted to initially get 40 to 50 names out there, and 50 is what we landed on, but that in itself was a project. In my honest opinion, I felt like there were a dozen, maybe 15 "easy' selections based on their play, potential, and recruitment, so the class is strong at the top. In many years, there can be a major dropoff from player #5 to player #15. In this case, I didn't so much feel that way, as there are about 75 girls who were "competing" to fill about 35 to 38 spots within the watchlist. That "dropoff" I mentioned is much farther down the list. That's what made this so difficult. Did I miss someone? Oh, I'm sure I did. But we will continue to monitor the class as they start their high school careers next week and reissue an updated watchlist sometime shortly after Christmas Break. At that time, we will also expand and attempt to make the list even more valid, addressing those we might have omitted. In the meantime, please give the ladies who did make it the credit they deserve for all of their hard work.