PGH Freshman Showcase: My Standouts

Saturday afternoon marked the annual Prep Girls Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase. For me, it was a great way to see many of the state's 2030s in one location, especially with them having traveled all over the Midwest/country during the Grassroots season. Below is a deeper look at a few young ladies who I felt stood out in their time I was able to see them. There were several good performances, but I wanted to narrow my list for this article to make it a little more exclusive.   .    Kyleah stood out Saturday because she was one of the most physical and intimidating interior players at the event. As I mentioned in her team's breakdown, she plays the role of "bully" and likes to enforce her will on her matchup. She has broad shoulders, a little length, and she's a solid all-around athlete, but it's her pure power and ability to create space inside that sets her apart from classmates at this age. Continuing to build her mid-post skill, and potentially developing her perimeter skill, will be the next step for this young frontline prospect.     Lola was someone I had not seen before, but I felt like she was one of the most intriguing prospects, because she already has good size, some physical talent, and she's developing her skillset. She played a lot inside the arc/paint, likely because there weren't many taller prospects on hand. She battled for boards, affected a couple of shots defensively, and had some creative scores around the block. At the same time, she showed the ability to break out from a rebound and push it a few dribbles in transition, so I feel like she'll be able to become a nice wing prospect long-term.     Briley was a late addition to the showcase, but she made her presence felt immediately. She has a strong/powerful frame, nice length, and she likes to play with physicality. She was constantly on attack, trying to get downhill off the dribble and get to the basket. She has solid ball skill, the ability to create, but she was a force at getting to the rim. Additionally, I was really impressed with her ability to always find the ball and be around the action at both ends of the floor. I would probably call her a point forward type right now, but I also didn't see her shoot many jumpers.     Emma is someone who I felt like stood out because of her potential. She checked a lot of boxes in terms of length, bounce, fluidity, and activity. She moved around the floor with ease, and she was constantly involved in the action when I saw her. Additionally, she showed the ability to put it on the floor a little, shoot it from outside, but she also has the potential to become a really nice on-ball defender, considering her length and ability. Due to graduation and transfer losses, she could very well step into the Bulldog lineup this year and make an immediate impact.     Several different one-word descriptions come to mind when thinking about the day Jada had..."mismatch", "unique", "problem", and "different" top the list. She has incredible length, height, and a wiry-strong frame that continues to get stronger. She has good hands and solid skill around the rim, showing that she has absorbed past coaching. At the same time, she showed her ability to productively put it on the floor, and she showed some touch in the mid-range game. As she continues to work on her skillset and agility, the "mismatch" description could become permanent.     Katelyn is one of the more skilled wings I have seen thus far in Indiana's 2030 class. She has really nice length, a wiry strength, fluid athleticism, and she understands when and how to play with more physicality. She has solid ball skill, some touch from outside, but she can also put it on the floor and slice to the rim. And this Winter could be good for her. With a mostly inexperienced roster, a new coach, and a tough schedule, she could learn the Varsity game on the fly, giving her an advantage over classmates who will cut their teeth on Junior Varsity or in a backup Varsity role.

Saturday afternoon marked the annual Prep Girls Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase. For me, it was a great way to see many of the state's 2030s in one location, especially with them having traveled all over the Midwest/country during the Grassroots season. Below is a deeper look at a few young ladies who I felt stood out in their time I was able to see them. There were several good performances, but I wanted to narrow my list for this article to make it a little more exclusive.