July 5th-12th Recap: Class of 2021
As we take a little time to relax between the two July “live” periods, I wanted to reflect upon a few prospects I saw July 5th through July 12th. While my focus is primarily Indiana, I saw several talented ladies…
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Continue ReadingAs we take a little time to relax between the two July “live” periods, I wanted to reflect upon a few prospects I saw July 5th through July 12th. While my focus is primarily Indiana, I saw several talented ladies from Ohio as well, as I attended the Run 4 Roses Classic, the USJN Premier Showcase, the Adidas Gauntlet Finale, and Under Armour’s Session II. Below is a look at members of the Class of 2021 who I thought stood out when I was able to see them.
Azariah Binford, 5-3 PG, Northland H.S., All-Ohio Lavender EYBL
Azariah plays for a very nice 16U All-Ohio team that is littered with some really good wings and forwards, so at times she might go a little overlooked. But I was as impressed with her as any guard on their team. She is little, yes, but she’s extremely quick/fast, she’s very feisty, and she is just the consummate water-bug type of point guard who flies around the floor in every direction, whether it’s on offense or defense. She did a really nice job offensively of getting inside the defense and making plays for others, but she also finished with a variety of floaters and layups. I also think she has the physical tools to be an elite defender who can match up 94-feet from the basket.
Makayla Elmore, 6-3 F, Hopewell-Loudon H.S., Sports City U 17U
I’ve been very intrigued by Makayla each time I’ve seen her, and I think she could be a budding star in Ohio. She is even considered by some as a National Top-50 prospect. Makayla has a great frame, good strength, and she’s a nice athlete who runs rim to rim very well. For this Sports City U team, she primarily acts as a rebounder/defender type, but she grabs a lot of rebounds in her minutes, and she has noticeable skill and will occasionally push the ball up the floor in transition. I’d anticipate for her high school team she is a primary option, because she has good hands and is a matchup problem around the block at 6-3. She strikes me as an ideal Big Ten power forward.
Aubryanna “Bree” Hall, 6-0 G, Huber Heights Wayne H.S., Sports City U 17U
Bree Hall has quickly become one of my favorite prospects to watch. Her combination of talent and skill are nearly unmatched in Ohio’s 2021 class, and I haven’t seen many/any girls like her throughout the Midwest in 2021. Bree has great length, wiry strength, and while she’s a very fluid and gliding prospect, she is also very explosive in all directions. It would be one thing if you could just take away her drive, but she is an accurate perimeter shooter, and she has such great balance and body control that she is one of the best shooters I have seen off the bounce. In one game last week, she went the length of the floor with it and pulled up from about 18-feet in transition like it was easy. I also like how versatile she is defensively, and she can defend some point guards, all 2-guards, and even some bigger wings.
Jordan Hobbs, 6-0 W, Springboro H.S., Angels Basketball Club Platinum 17U
For as talented and deep as this Angels team is, Jordan actually had her share of Division-I onlookers there to watch her. She is a long, wiry strong, fluid, and somewhat smooth wing forward. She has a really nice frame for the college game, and I think she can handle good muscle weight as she ages. Really, strength is her biggest issue, because she’s still learning how to absorb and finish through contact. But she tries to play physical, she moves well in all directions, and she can put it on the floor some or knock down the perimeter jumper consistently. I think she’s already a talented prospect, but as she gains more strength, her game could get to another level.
Marissa Jenike, 5-9 G, West Clermont H.S., Cincy Nation-Baltimore 17U
I somewhat stumbled onto Marissa, as I was there to watch her team play against an Indiana squad, and based on what I saw, I think she could end up with some Division-I offers/interest as a combo guard. She is somewhat slender, but she plays much more physical than her frame suggests, and she’s a tough-nosed kid. She has really good length, she’s fluidly athletic, and she showed the ability to make plays off the dribble. While I wasn’t necessarily there to see her, I didn’t notice her shoot many jump-shots, so I would like to see that part of her game in another viewing. But I did like her ability to defend multiple types of guards. I think she’s another kid where strength could really help her turn a corner.
Kilyn McGuff, 5-10 F, Bishop Watterson H.S., All-Ohio Lavender EYBL
While watching this All-Ohio team, Kilyn struck me as one of those kids whose best basketball is still way ahead of her…she could essentially be much more effective in college than in high school. She is a somewhat slender wing forward right now, but she has really good length, she’s fluid in all directions, and she plays with a tremendous motor at both ends of the floor. She tries to play the “right way” and be physical, but strength will definitely enhance her game down the road. She is also fairly skilled and can play around the perimeter comfortably, but she’s probably best right now in the mid-post. I think she’s a kid with tremendous upside as a prospect, and she’ll just continue to get better and better. Kilyn is the daughter of Ohio State Head Coach Kevin McGuff.
Kylee Sheppard, 5-9 PG, Roger Bacon H.S., Angels Basketball Club Platinum 17U
Kylee is an outstanding young guard for this talented Angels team, and I feel like the team functions much more efficiently when she is their primary ball-handler. She is a really nice athlete, she has some wiry strength, and she plays with a good motor at both ends of the floor. She is a highly skilled point guard who has a natural feel for the position, and she seems to understand how to change speeds and sense tone in a game. She shot the ball well from the perimeter when she got looks, and she battles at the defensive end of the floor, though I could see quick little water-bugs giving her trouble from time to time. I really like her complete package as a basketball player, and I can see why colleges are high on her.
Ivy Wolf, 5-7 G, Minster H.S., Dayton Lady Hoopstars Premier 17U
Ivy has only played two years of high school basketball, but she has already made quite the name for herself, helping to lead Minster to back-to-back Division IV State Titles. Ivy is a strong, physical combo guard who plays with good all-around skill and a nice basketball IQ. She has a solid handle and can play point guard, often delivering the ball on-time/on-target to open teammates. However, she is also a very good shooter/scorer, and she does a nice job of using her strength to create space or get through the defense to the basket and finish through contact. She also plays with a good motor and toughness.
Feature image is of Jordan Hobbs of Springboro High School. Image is courtesy of her own Twitter account.