IU East commit Makaylee butts showed up on the box score, but the things that stood out most were the way she handled herself under pressure. Very patient with the ball, had a nice-looking floater, and even threw in a couple of euro layups. IU East has a true point guard on the way.

I felt like Makaylee got better and better as the Spring and Summer wore on. She did a nice job of managing her team, plus she showed more strength getting into the paint and finishing around the basket. I also felt like she did a good job of maturing her game and helping her grassroots team win in whatever role they needed her to fulfill, whether that be as a facilitator, a scorer, or even by changing games at the defensive end of the floor. She should be a nice small college addition somewhere.

Makaylee is an interesting point guard prospect, because she has shown the ability to act as either a facilitator or a scorer in the lead guard role. Saturday, she spent the early portion of the game I saw finding open teammates, collecting multiple assists. As the first half approached halftime, however, she had three really strong drives that ended with tough finishes, a couple through contact. I also think she adds good value as a defender, on or off the ball.

Makaylee put her best on display Sunday, and it started with a 15-point performance that helped Indiana Showcase Black secure a comeback win in the quarterfinals. She was a thief on defense, turning steals into transition layups. Makaylee trapped the ball, swiped it, and accelerated to finish the play with an and-one layup. She created another steal and dished out an assist in transition, then swiped the ball away again for another full-speed and-one layup. Makaylee created separation from defenders with lightning-quick behind-the-back, between-the-legs, and crossover dribble combinations. Her ability to anticipate defenders, see the floor, and deliver accurate passes moving full speed is an area of strength. Makaylee impressed me the most during their greatest adversity in the semifinals. During a mostly non-competitive game against the tournament champs, Makaylee scored a team-high eleven points. She showed no fear or signs of giving up. Makaylee used a sweet double-crossover dribble to get by her defender and delivered a perfect bounce pass for the assist. She drained a pull-up jumper in transition and buried two triples. Makaylee went back to the double-crossover again and used a high-pick-up eurostep to cause a foul. She stood out on both ends of the court all weekend at our Victory Region Finals and earned All-Tournament Second Team honors.