Western Kansas Prospects With Magical Skills

PGH Kansas features Western Kansas talent.

Jeremy Deckard

March 23, 2025 @ 05:18 PM

The [program_tooltip program_id='715500' first='Magic' last='Basketball'] Club conducted tryouts on March 23.   I was cordially invited to scout the tryout and was impressed by the talent I saw.  More than 20 athletes representing multiple Western Kansas high schools participated in the event.   My goal this club season is to focus on athletes in the classes of 2028 and 2029. There were athletes from the classes of 2027-2031 in attendance.   Here is a report on six prospects who stood out in Lakin.   [player_tooltip player_id='895441' first='Kendall' last='Baalman'], 5'11”, PF, Hoxie, ‘27   Baalman can run the floor like a deer. I saw her play last club season at a tournament in Topeka. She is the real deal. She can handle the ball and has the flexibility to play multiple positions. The Hoxie prospect has a solid presence on the court and younger players were watching and learning from her. She is ranked No. 131 in the Kansas Class of 2027, but she will move up the rankings when they are updated in April.   [player_tooltip player_id='779228' first='Katie' last='Weathers'], 5'8”, PF, Scott City, ‘27   Weathers is another athlete I remember seeing play last club season. She is more physical than I remember her being. She has a sweet jump shot and can stop and pop while in transition. She is a solid defender and worked against Baalman multiple times in the afternoon workout. The two of them complement each other well. Weathers is ranked No. 111 overall by Prep Girls Hoops.   [player_tooltip player_id='1220670' first='Katia' last='Kramer Vazquez'], 5'7”, PF, Cheylin, ‘27   The most physical athlete on the court was the older of two sisters from Cheylin. Katia moves well for a big and is a plus ball handler. I was impressed with her ability to dribble drive to her left. There was not a lot of half-court work during the tryout, but she has the frame and skills to be a future paint monster.   [player_tooltip player_id='1220674' first='Valeria' last='Kramer Vazquez'], 5'8”, PF, Cheylin, ‘28   Valeria is not as physical as her older sister, but she might be more athletic. She is long and raw but finishes well under the glass. I was impressed with her ball skills. She can improve her stock by slowing the game down and playing with more composure. She was rushing herself some in the individual drills. I liked the way she ran the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='1220809' first='Tatum' last='Odell'], 6'0”, PF/C, Colby, ‘28   The Colby Freshman has excellent size. She is young and talented and will improve with gained experience. She is the type of player who will benefit from playing club basketball. She has a nice touch around the rim. My suggestion to her is to work on improving her upper-body strength and her one-on-one moves in the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='1220655' first='Kate' last='Miller'], 5'7”, SF, Lakin, ‘29   Miller was one of two of the younger players who stood out. She was not intimidated by mixing it up with the older high school athletes. The Magic coaches combined their junior high and high school workouts so I could see more athletes. I liked the way Miller played defense and her shooting ability.

The Magic Basketball Club conducted tryouts on March 23.