Weekend Review: 2-Guards
This past weekend I attended the USJN Mid-America Qualifier in Westfield, Indiana. I was able to see more than 30 teams in the field and evaluate more than 300 prospects at the event. Below is a look at eight 2-guard…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend I attended the USJN Mid-America Qualifier in Westfield, Indiana. I was able to see more than 30 teams in the field and evaluate more than 300 prospects at the event. Below is a look at eight 2-guard prospects who caught my eye. They aren’t necessarily the eight most talented or the eight who put up the best statistics, but they did stand out to me for one reason or another.
Alexys Carlstrom, 2020, 5-8 2G, Harrison H.S. (MI), Team Blaze Select
Not only was Team Blaze a new entry to the circuit who I hadn’t seen yet, but Alexys was a nice talent I was unfamiliar with. She is a strong, athletic scoring guard with some length. She plays with a good motor, is always on attack off the bounce, but she also hit a couple of shots from the perimeter fairly smoothly. She had sort of a quiet toughness to her, and she didn’t force action, but she also didn’t shy away from anything. I think she could be a really nice small college guard who can shoot, score, defend, and possibly even slide over and run offense from time to time.
Sarah O’Day, 2020, 5-9 2G, Plainfield H.S., Indiana Flight Silver/Attack
Sarah has been on my radar for some time now, and she’s one of those players who is difficult to define by position. She is incredibly long, and she’s fluid and smooth. She can handle and pass it almost like a point guard, she can hit shots from the perimeter when in rhythm, and she’s a good mid-range shooter. She also is capable of defending multiple types of off-guards and wing forwards, and her length really helps her in trapping situations. She will still need to get stronger and a little more physical, but she definitely has the talent and skill to draw a lot of interest this grassroots season.
Eryn Turner, 2020, 5-7 2G, Shortridge H.S., The Family
When Broad Ripple High School closed its doors permanently at the end of the 2017-2018 school year, Eryn had to find other options, and she ended up enrolling at Shortridge High School. She is a long, fluid, and athletic wing guard who plays with very good speed and quickness. She is a long-strider whose first step can put defenders in recovery quickly. This weekend I liked the fact that even though she’s slender, she was aggressive to the basket and finished through contact. Much of her game is off the bounce, and I didn’t really see her shoot too many jumpers, but she did slide over and play a little point guard at times.
Ainsley Urbanski, 2020, 5-8 2G, Bloomington H.S. North, Team Blaze Select
I’ve heard a lot about Ainsley, and she put up good numbers for Bloomington North this season, but this weekend was my first time actually getting to see her. Ainsley is a long, wiry, fluid wing guard with a little bounce. She plays extremely hard, is always in attack mode, but she can also knock down open jumpers from the perimeter with consistency. Because of her length and reasonable quickness, I think she can be a nice, versatile defender who can possibly defend some point guards at times. After watching her Saturday, I think she is one of the more under-recruited kids to this point in the 2020 class.
Vanessa Wilson, 2020, 5-5 2G, Decatur Central H.S., TBC Belles
Vanessa is a little undersized for how she plays, but there is just something to love about her game. She’s strong, tough-nosed, and she plays with a great motor. She is a physical guard, she rebounds her position well, and she has a really good all-around feel for the game. She can handle it a little, hit shots from the perimeter, or get to the basket and finish against bigger defenders. She is feisty defensively herself, and she just does so many things the “right way” and contributes a lot of intangible qualities to a team/lineup. I think she can be that blue-collared “glue” kid who completes a successful roster.
Katie Burton, 2021, 5-8 2G, Fishers H.S., Indiana Flight UAA-Wright
I continue to really like Katie’s style of play. I think she’s a tough kid, a nice athlete in all directions, and she plays with a great energy offensively. I think she can be a very good defender as well, and she shows glimpses and spurts of it, especially in a tight game down the stretch. But I think if she takes that same approach from the tip, even against lesser teams, she can create more transition opportunities for herself and her team. I still contend that she’s one of the best guard finishers in the state, and it’s just fun to watch her with the ball in and around the paint, because you never know how it’s going to go in, you just know it will.
Karly Kirkpatrick, 2021, 5-7 2G/PG, East Noble H.S., Indiana Flight Blue-Duke
I had never seen Karly play, and she didn’t put up eye-popping numbers this season for East Noble, but she did have good balance in her stats so I was curious to see her. Well, she is a really nice basketball player with good upside for the next level. She is long, fluid, and smooth athletically. She can handle the ball and run offense from time to time, she’s capable of knocking down open perimeter jumpers when set and in rhythm, and she can get to the basket and finish. She also plays with a really good motor, she’s a willing and capable defender, and she just seems like one of those prospects whose game will really take off after a Summer on the travel circuit.
Pa’Shence Walker, 2021, 5-8 2G, Martinsville H.S., Team Blaze Select
Team Blaze is built on their guard depth, and there are obviously some good ones on this team. Pa’Shence is one of three younger sisters of Purdue Freshman Kayana Traylor. Pa’Shence is a long, explosive athlete who seemingly glides around the floor with ease. She always plays hard, but she has had moments in the past where she always goes 100 MPH and forces the action at times. Now she’s starting to pick her spots much better and learning how to change speeds and change directions. She is just so athletic off the bounce, that once her perimeter jumper becomes consistently dangerous, she could be a potent offensive threat.