Midwest Summer Showcase: 15U/14U Review

July 20-22, Westfield was once again the scene for a USJN event, however this time it was their 7th Annual Midwest Summer Showcase. With the tournament running throughout the week, it was a smaller field, but there were still several quality teams/programs from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and West Virginia. At this point in the Summer, I am seeking out teams I haven’t seen at all yet, teams I don’t feel like I have seen enough, or I’m simply watching teams because they are the only or the best game during a specific timeslot. Below is a look at seven Indiana prospects in the 15U and 14U divisions who impressed me throughout the 3-day tournament.   Preslee Michael Preslee Michael 5'7" | CG Terre Haute North Vigo | 2023 State IN , 2023, 5-7 CG, Terre Haute North Vigo H.S. The combination of Preslee, older sister  Anslee Michael Anslee Michael 5'4" | CG Terre Haute North Vigo | 2021 IN (2021), and rising star  Zoe Stewart Zoe Stewart 5'8" | CG Terre Haute North Vigo | 2022 State IN (2022) should form quite a dynamic backcourt for the Patriots this coming season. What I like about Preslee is that she might be the most versatile of the three. She is strong for her size, she has good length, and she has nice end-to-end speed. She has all of the skillful tools to be a traditional point guard, and that’s likely what she’ll play in college, but she is also a good shooter from the perimeter, plus she can get downhill in a hurry and finish through contact around the basket. I also really like her grit and competitive fire at both ends of the floor.0 Aniyah Bishop Aniyah Bishop 5'10" | SF Lake Central | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-9 W, (Hammond, IN) Aniyah looked so much more aggressive last week than she did in late-June. She had the ball in her hands a lot more, she made a number of plays in transition, and by getting out on the move, you could see a great deal of physical talent in her game. I’m still not sure what position she will settle into long-term, and there’s still plenty of time for that to be decided, but right now she plays sort of a slashing, driving, point forward type of role for her Gym Rats team. She has great length, she looks like she still might grow another inch or two, plus she can run and jump. Keep an eye out for her to continue to develop her game. Kennadie Burks, 2024, 5-0 PG, Merrillville H.S. This was my second time seeing Kennadie play, and she is quite enjoyable to watch. She is very long for her height, extremely quick/fast, and she plays with a somewhat unassuming feistiness. She has a quick handle, she is very skilled with the ball, and she does a nice job of finding open teammates for easy baskets. She is a scrappy little water-bug defensively as well, and she can lock up 84-feet or turn people over in the half-court. I’m not sure what impact she’ll have at Merrillville as a Freshman, especially at her size, but she is certainly a talented, skillful prospect who could earn some early minutes. Allison Caldwell Allison Caldwell 5'11" | SG Zionsville | 2024 State IN , 2024, 5-9 SG, Zionsville Community H.S. Allie had missed much of the early portion of the Summer with an injury, but she was back last week and played fairly well. She still looked a little slowed at times, but she is very intriguing and should compete for Varsity minutes at Zionsville. She is long, wiry strong, and very fluid/smooth athletically. She isn’t overly fast, but she moves effortlessly around the floor. She has good touch with range well beyond the arc, but she is also a very aware ball-handler and passer who just has a sixth sense for the game. I really like her versatility, and I think as she gets stronger and adds muscle to her frame, she’ll be a tough-to-stop playmaker. Madelyn Dalton, 2024, 6-1 C, Washington H.S. Madelyn’s name was a new one for me, and she showed a great deal of potential that I’m sure Washington fans will get excited about, especially with her joining their talented 2022 group. Madelyn is extremely long, likely still-growing, and she has a wiry frame. She is a back-to-the-basket post, and she tries to play the right way and be physical; she just needs time to finish growing and gain strength. She runs the floor well, she has a little bounce to her also, and she has an understanding of what to do with the ball once she gets it...again, strength will really help her complete more plays. I think she has the chance to really develop her game. Anika Davis, 2024, 5-5 CG, Fort Wayne South Side H.S. I have seen Anika a few times now, and the more and more I watch her, the more excited I get about her upside/potential. First, she is one of the more athletic guards I’ve seen in Indiana’s 2024 class. She is end-to-end fast, she has good lateral quickness, plus she’s bouncy and very active. She has really good length, a wiry strong frame that should only get stronger, and she can make plays off the bounce. I really like her ability to catch, rip, and get downhill to the basket in a hurry. She shoots it okay outside, but I think as that becomes more consistent and she tightens her handle a bit, she could become a nice 2024 point guard prospect. Taelyn Russell, 2024, 5-0 PG, Westfield H.S. With a couple of girls missing last week, Taelyn saw extended minutes and really played well. She is very quick/fast, incredibly feisty, and she is all over the place at both ends of the floor. She is an energetic, passionate, competitive player who teammates feed off of. At one end, she’s getting into the opposing ball-handler, making it difficult on them to change directions and run offense, then at the other end, she’s on attack, finding open teammates in positions to score. Watching her again last week, I really enjoyed her more aggressive approach, and I think with the added playing time, she was much more consistent.