PGH Indiana Showcase: Top Guards
Tuesday, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana, in a partnership with Scouting Indiana and Marian University, hosted the PGH Indiana Uncommitted Showcase. It was a huge success, as more than 70 prospects and a host of colleges from throughout the Midwest were…
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Continue ReadingTuesday, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana, in a partnership with Scouting Indiana and Marian University, hosted the PGH Indiana Uncommitted Showcase. It was a huge success, as more than 70 prospects and a host of colleges from throughout the Midwest were in attendance. Over the next couple of days I will be recapping the event, beginning with this article.
First, though, I want to preface this by saying that as the event host/coordinator, it was nearly impossible for me to watch each team, each girl, and each game enough to offer a fair evaluation of all 70+ prospects in attendance, as I was running around nonstop making sure the day flowed smoothly. With that said, below are eight guard prospects who stood out when I was able to watch them, or they are someone who had college coaches buzzing throughout the day because of their quality of play.
Kyrstin Bond, 2020, 5-7 G, South Dearborn H.S.
Kyrstin has been a known commodity for some time now, and her combination of skill and basketball IQ make her one of the better combination guards in the 2020 class. She is a good ball-handler, she can create shots for herself or others, and she is capable of playing point guard full-time. She is also a very good perimeter shooter who you must respect, so she can play off the ball and run off of screens and be a threat as well. She is fairly physical as a guard, she’s tough, and she plays with a good motor.
Erin Lillis, 2020, 5-7 G, Bloomington H.S. North
I have seen Erin a few times before Tuesday, but to me she stood out in the skill stations Tuesday. She is a wiry strong, reasonably athletic guard, but I guess I didn’t realize how good she was handling it and running offense. She plays with a great motor, she’s fairly tough, and she just does a lot of little things to help her team(s) win games. I don’t know that I would necessarily call her a true point guard, because she would have to defend the position full-time, but she can handle the ball and run offense competently.
Ariyana Rhodes, 2020, 5-8 W, Mercer County H.S. (KY)
After a severe knee injury kept her from competing this past Winter for her high school team, Ariyana is starting to round into form now, and I anticipate there is even more to come athletically, given more time. She is a long, fluidly athletic wing with some quickness. She was very aggressive off the bounce Tuesday, and she was constantly attacking for scores. She has a solid handle, she can knock down the occasional jumper, but it’s her ability to just glide to the basket that makes her tough to stop. She’s also effective defensively because of her length and quickness.
Rylie Stephens, 2020, 5-11 W, Triton Central H.S.
Rylie isn’t exactly a guard, but she does play sort of a point forward position. Her game has really come full-circle over the last few months. Last Summer, she was more of an athletic slasher who just attacked the basket. Now, she is shooting it much better from the perimeter, and she has become a real threat outside. Her ability to score it at all levels, combined with her athleticism, make her a very intriguing offensive weapon for colleges to recruit. The next step for her will be working to become an elite defender.
Kalea Fleming, 2021, 5-5 PG, Loogootee H.S.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Kalea play yet, and I’m guessing because of her location you haven’t, she put together a really nice Spring grassroots season, and she added to that with her performance Tuesday. The best part of these events, is seeing similar types of players from different parts of the state go head to head. Kalea more than held her own…she stood out. She is a strong and very athletic guard who can run and jump with the best of the them. She can play point guard and make good decisions, but she’s also a mismatch at times off the bounce, depending on who is defending her.
Chloe McKnight, 2021, 5-8 W, Bedford North Lawrence H.S.
Chloe has been fun to watch this Spring and Summer. I remember seeing her as an 8th Grader, and she could always shoot it, but I was concerned about other things. Then she unfortunately suffered a severe knee injury during the state tournament in 2018 and missed the Spring and Summer that year. Well, she has bounced back, she looks leaner and more explosive, and she is as confident as ever. She is still an elite shooter, but now she’s doing more things offensively and even rebounding a little defensively. If she can continue to become a well-rounded scorer and not just a shooter, she can be extremely dangerous.
Talia Pellegrini, 2021, 5-7 G, Saint Charles North H.S. (IL)
This was my first time ever seeing Talia play, and she did not disappoint. She is one of those kids who always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. She grabbed loose balls and rebounds, found open space and knocked down shots, and she was good around the rim, finishing through contact and around bigger players. She plays with a very good motor, competes on every possession, and she just has a natural feel and understanding of the game. Plus, she’s a solid, wiry strong athlete. She is fun to watch.
Hallie Rogers, 2021, 5-8 W, Hagerstown H.S.
I first saw Hallie between her 8th Grade and Freshman year, and she definitely had the potential at that time to become a really nice player/prospect. Fast forward two years, and she has grown a couple of inches, improved her strength, and she plays much harder and more efficiently. She is a wiry strong athlete, she can slash to the basket or knock down the occasional jumper, and she can score it at all levels and is tough to defend, especially for Hagerstown opponents. She handles it reasonably well, but I also think she’s athletic enough to become a really good defensive player.