Spring Bling Review – Part 3

Saturday I attended the Always 100 Spring Bling at the SportONE Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It is hosted by both the Always 100 program and the SMAC program out of Ohio.  Since I only had the one day available to attend, I sought out specific teams and players to see, therefore I wasn’t able to see everyone in attendance, and I did miss seeing several talented individuals.  However, several of the Indiana teams either have non-Indiana residents on their rosters, or they played teams from out of state.  Below is a look at eight of those girls not from Indiana who I thought made an impression. &nbsp; <strong>Kiarah Carney, 2020, 5-7 G, Louisville Ballard H.S. (KY), Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan</strong> This was my second time seeing Kiarah in as many tournaments, but because she was new to me entering this Spring, I also saw new things from her this weekend.  She is long, quick/fast, and athletic, but this weekend she showed the ability to affect the game even when she wasn't scoring it well.  She showed a solid feel for the game, distributed the ball well, and even had a drive where a big slid over to stop her, so she threw a 2-handed no-look over her head to someone behind her.  She'll need to tighten up her entire skillset, as most kids do, but she has real talent and potential, and I'm surprised very few people have heard of her.  I can definitely see her interesting some Division-I schools and the best small colleges. &nbsp; <strong>Makira Cook, 2020, 5-6 PG, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame H.S. (OH), Sports City U</strong> I'll tell you what, when Sports City U takes the floor for warmups, they just look like a ball club.  Every one of them is tall, long, and athletic...except Makira, who is the only one under about 5'11.  However, in one of the games I saw, she took it over in stretches and was the best player on the floor.  She is strong, extremely quick/fast, and as tough as they come.  Not only is she quick enough to defend the ball well with zero contact, but when officials allow even a little physicality, you aren't going by her.  She hit jumpers at all levels and has a quick release, and she did a great job of breaking down the defense and finding open teammates on time/on target.  Simply put, she is electric.  She committed to Miami of Ohio back in the Fall. &nbsp; <strong>Cameron Grant, 2020, 6-0 F, Dakota H.S. (MI), Indiana Elite Thunder</strong> Cameron is a solid looking forward prospect who is new to the Thunder team this year and still working her way into the fold.  She has a nice, strong frame, some length, and she's a good athlete in all directions.  She is gritty and tough, and she plays with a very good motor at both ends of the floor.  She is probably most effective in the mid-post because she can hit that 15-footer or drive it to the rim.  But she has the strength and physicality to take smaller defenders to the block, and she looks like she's comfortable around the 3-point line as well.  I'm not terribly familiar with her, being from Michigan, but with her size, athleticism, and skill, I can definitely see her picking up Division-I interest all Spring &amp; Summer. &nbsp; <strong>Mya Johanson, 2020, 6-1 F, Herscher H.S. (IL), Example Sports Wolfpack</strong> There are so many prospects in Chicago and it's outlying areas, that several kids go under-recruited on a yearly basis.  Mya is one of those prospects.  If she were in Indiana, for example, she would likely be a Top-20 player in our 2020 class, but in Illinois she's a small town kid Southwest of Chicago, not far from Kankakee, who hasn't drawn much interest at all.  She has a lean, wiry strong frame, good length, she's a solid athlete in all directions, and she has a good all-around skillset and a nice feel for the game.  This weekend I thought she knocked down the mid-range jumper fairly well, she was a great high-post passer, and she was effective at the defensive end, blocking shots and sitting in a stance and guarding hard.  She has Division-I potential, and I can see the better Midwestern small colleges loving her game as well. &nbsp; <strong>Makira Webster, 2020, 5-7 G, Kettering Fairmont H.S. (OH), Nike Lady Gym Rats Tan</strong> Makira, like her grassroots teammate <strong>Kiarah Carney</strong> (above), is a long, athletic, and effortful combo guard who plays with a good motor.  Makira wasn't in attendance at the Shamrock Classic, so this was my first time seeing her, and she definitely has an "it" factor.  Carney might actually be a bit more explosive, but Webster is all-around smoother and does a good job of changing speeds and finding the right moments to show burst.  She has a soft touch and can hit shots at all levels, and she can also hound opposing ball-handlers with her combination of quickness and length.  I need to see more of her, but for my first time seeing her, I think she has a lot of upside for the next level. &nbsp; <strong>Madeline Westbeld, 2020, 6-2 F, Kettering Fairmont H.S. (OH), Sports City U</strong> If the last name "Westbeld" rings a bell, Madeline is the younger sister of former Notre Dame front-liner <strong>Kathryn Westbeld</strong>.  Madeline is the #1 prospect in Ohio's 2020 class, according to our Ohio contributors, and she's considered a National Top-50 prospect by several external recruiting services.  She has a strong frame, she's powerful and plays with physicality, but she's also a nice athlete who plays with balance, skill, and a good feel for the game.  She is likely a face-up '4' at the next level, but she can handle it on occasion in transition, she can knock down the 3-pointer when set and in rhythm, and she's a knockdown shooter in the mid-post.  She's also big enough and strong enough to dominate smaller defenders on the block.  For those of you familiar with <strong>Jorie Allen</strong> (2019 Indiana commit), she has a lot of similarities, only Madeline is an inch or two taller. &nbsp; <strong>Katelyn Young, 2020, 6-1 F/C, Oakwood H.S. (IL), Indiana Elite Thunder</strong> The more and more I watch Katelyn play, the more I grow to really like her game.  She is a broad-shouldered, strong, physical, tough-nosed, high-motor front-liner who just plays basketball the "right way".  She loves to seek out contact, she can carve out space and score against taller, longer kids, but over the last year she has also started to put together a really nice face-up game.  She is really good in the mid-post, and she's a nice passer from there, but she's starting to look more comfortable around the perimeter as well, and I think she can become an effective pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop 'big' at the next level, and having that versatility to offer a future college program should really help her recruiting. &nbsp; <strong>Grace Hall, 2021, 6-1 F/C, Homewood-Flossmoor H.S. (IL), Example Sports Wolfpack</strong> Grace is more of a talented athlete than a pure basketball player right now, but she has tremendous potential because of her athleticism.  She is very long, wiry strong, and extremely bouncy.  She plays with a really good motor, attacks the rim with great energy, and can finish over most defenders.  She needs a little more control and situational understanding, but she does seem very coachable and tries to play the right way.  As she continues to work and develop, if she can add a consistent face-up jumper, I think that would really help her stand out.  But, I feel like she's a Division-I talent, and she's another one like Johanson (above) who is just South of Chicago and not very well known at this time.