Saturday Frontline Play at The Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='462366' first='Alivia' last='Bolinger'] (2026) of Fort Wayne's Concordia Lutheran H.S. and [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Grind E40 17U.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As "The Classic" continued on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, several Indiana players showed strong play and even improvements in their games. There were a number of prospects who really helped themselves with their recruitment and below is a look at a handful of forwards and posts who played well when I was able to see them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='462366' first='Alivia' last='Bolinger'], 2026, 6-1 F, Concordia Lutheran H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Grind 17U</strong><br>- Without question, Alivia has been the standout of the weekend of all the players I have seen. She is shooting the ball at such a high level from the perimeter, even gaining a reputation from opposing teams constantly scheming for her. She is knocking down about a half dozen 3-pointers per game, but she's also figuring out other ways to score when chased. She is back cutting well, posting smaller defenders, and adding rebound putbacks. She should see a rise in recruiting after this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928917' first='Jayonna' last='Flotow'], 2026, 6-1 C, Fort Wayne North Side H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Grind 17U</strong><br>- From last Spring to this Spring, Jayonna has seen a number of improvements. She has gotten a little stronger, more fluid, and all-around more explosive. She is finishing more consistently around the basket, but she has been especially effective at the defensive end of the floor. She does a nice job of rotating from "help" side to block shots, she is much more physical in terms of boxing out, plus she is pursuing rebounds outside of her area. As her offense continues to develop, watch out!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='761188' first='Rachel' last='Suttmann'], 2026, 6-0 F, Oldenburg Academy, IBC-Crowe 17U</strong><br>- Rachel has had as productive and successful of a Spring as any forward in the 2026 class. She is playing with a great sense of urgency, hustling nonstop at both ends of the floor. She has been physical around the basket, rebounding, defending, and scoring it through contact. At the same time, she has really nice touch around the perimeter, and she is all-around a lot more skilled than I think her opponents realize until it's too late. She should continue to see her college interest grow this Summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751034' first='Alanna' last='Anthony'], 2027, 5-10 F, Fishers H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='716173' first='Always' last='100'] Hustle 17U</strong><br>- This weekend has been my first opportunity to see Alanna play in a while. She is a nice, strong, physical forward with a lot of bounce and activity to her game. She is highly productive inside of 15-feet as a scorer, a defender, and a rebounder. She has been aggressive on the boards all weekend, and she has likely posted a couple of double-doubles, if not every game. Alanna also plays with defensive versatility. She is willing and able to defend bigger front-liners, but she can also sit down and defend the perimeter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137319' first='Layla' last='Gomez'], 2027, 5-11 F, Southmont H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='712570' first='Indiana's' last='Best'] 16U</strong><br>- Layla is a very interesting frontline prospect who I'm not sure many people outside of her region know much about. She is very physical, strong, and aggressive. She can battle inside and attack the boards, post to score, and defend with physicality. However, offensively she will deceive you and can produce from all levels. She has a nice enough handle to push it in transition, she has very good vision and can find open teammates, plus she has touch around the perimeter and can bury 3-pointers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->