Mighty Mites Are Back; Class of 2027

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='991171' first='Kihanna' last='Mellanson'] (2027) from Heritage Christian High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of my favorite articles I've done repeatedly over the years is my "Mighty Mites" article. In this article, I like to highlight a handful of ladies whose listed height is that of 5-feet-4-inches or shorter. I want people to understand that, despite their height, these girls can play!! In this specific article, I have focused on a few from the 2027 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["743640"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acded52"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">When Hailey entered high school, she already had a reputation of being a very good perimeter shooter. However, I think it really took away from a lot of the other things she does on the floor. She has good vision, a solid handle, and she does a nice job of setting up teammates in positions to score. She's feisty defensively, she anticipates passing lanes well, but she also contains ballhandlers solidly. But sure, if you want to talk about her shooting, look away for just five minutes, and she's capable of knocking down three or four 3-pointers during that time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["751035"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdeda3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Alexis always seems to be a fun watch, and she's one of those traditional point guards who doesn't need to score to impact the game. Take, for example, the season she had for Charlestown. Alexis averaged just 6.8 points per game, but she handed out 7.5 assist per game, and she collected 6.8 caroms per game as well at her size. She has greatly improved her strength, she rarely gets bumped off her line, and she plays with good energy, speed, and quickness. She also shoots it well enough from the perimeter to keep defenses honest (<em>34 made 3-pointers in 24 games in 2025-2026</em>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["751072"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdedcb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To be a key starter/contributor at Warren Central, I don't care how tall you are; you have to have some ability. Jada can definitely be a handful for opponents. She is very strong, quick, and quick with the ball. She does a nice job of getting defenders off-balance so she can get downhill, and she absorbs contact well and can finish inside among the trees. She has some touch outside, but her key trait is breaking down defenses to score or find teammates. She's also an effortful defender who plays with a lot of physicality at that end of the floor. She'll even get inside to scoop up rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["991171"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdedf0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kihanna is a transplant from Texas, and she has done a great job of fitting in here in Indiana. She had a solid Winter with her Heritage Christian team, but she has had several really nice moments with her [program_tooltip program_id='1002297' first='IGB' last=''] team as well. She is quick and quick with the ball...has it on a string. She also understands tone and tempo, and she typically chooses the correct pace needed for the moment. She plays with her head up, scanning the floor, and she feeds the hot hand well. Plus, she is a problem defensively and really gets into/under opposing ballhandlers and makes them work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["751088"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdee4b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Everyone likes comparisons these days, and despite not being exactly alike, Korinne gives me some <strong>Raven Johnson</strong> vibes. Korinne is an absolute dawg defensively. She is tough, strong, long, quick, and aggressive. She's one of those kids who will dive face first into a scrum to grab a ball. She can get under opposing ballhandlers, use her strength and quickness, and almost frustrate them into a catatonic state. Offensively, she is great at getting gaps and breaking down defenses, and she seems like a good teammate who likes to see her friends succeed as much as herself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["751090"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdee7f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Laila has put together a nice Spring thus far for her West Virginia Thunder team. She looks very aggressive and confident defensively, and I think it's because she trusts her forwards/posts to have her back protecting the paint. Laila is very quick, she changes ends of the floor quickly with her speed, and she can contribute as a lockdown defender on the ball or a creator at the offensive end of the floor. She has really improved her ball security, her timing, and she is finding open teammates much more consistently. She has also improved her shot selection over the years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1818909"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a19c6acdeeae"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I say this playfully, but Bryleigh might lead grassroots basketball in quarterback sacks this Spring. She is very strong at her size, very fast North/South, and once she gets going, she's hard to stop. She likes to play with a ton of energy, she'll make hustle plays constantly, but I also feel that she's programmed like a post and enjoys seeking contact at times. Playing aside both <strong>Berkeley Williams</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751064' first='Hannah' last='Menser']</strong> this past season, she often played a '3' role at her size. But she can shoot it, she can create for herself or teammates off the dribble, and she is a tough-nosed defender who will get inside and rebound as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->