Show Some Love

I got to continue to show some love to the 2026 class.Trust me, I will be wrapping it up here in a few, but like I have mentioned in previous articles, the quality and the depth of this class is rather astonishing. A coach and I had a discussion and we both kept bringing up the point that there are many young ladies who are from this class who played prominent roles at some big time schools.Back in the day, you used to not touch the floor until your junior or even senior years. Nowadays, you are getting girls in programs who have experience, they have been battle tested, and they are more polished to the fact they can come right in and contribute immediately. That right there blows my mind because the youth movement around our state is crazy good and the talent just keeps getting better and better.   I want to say this, as basketball heads, we are about to see a big upswing in our sport. You are starting to see it now, that no matter the age, if you can prove that you belong, you are going to get the opportunity. Look at Bradley Central and their youngsters. Look at McMinn Central, Webb Knox, Father Ryan, CPA, Braircrest, ect. It's the youngsters who are pulling their weight and elevating the ball clubs. There are other clubs around the state that I didn't mention,but I just feel that the talent level is starting to trickle down to where girls who are interested in the sport, are playing earlier and getting taught how to play the right way. Taking in a couple of middle school games in the area, I could see the confidence and the court awareness of some girls who just blew me away. They were making the right plays, sharing the rock, and just doing things with a sense of urgency. Wherever these particular girls land in high school, their program is going to get a significant boost.    Anyways, not to change the subject, I am going to harp on some young ladies from the 2026 class that need some love. They aren't overshadowed or anything, they just go about their business doing their work in the trenches. Solid players who don't care about the glory, just helping their basketball team win. Show some love to some kids who are deserving and will continue to get better as the years go on.   [player_tooltip player_id='636532' first='Kate' last='Fielding'] (5'8/G/ Father Ryan)- Quiet assassin who just competes. This kid gets after it and she does so with a smooth and quiet demeanor. She can dial it up from three or get down hill and finish at the rim. She competes on the defensive end, giving it her all to create havoc against an opponent. The little things she does may go unnoticed, but she is a solid piece to the Lady Irish attack. Great kid who will continue to get better and grow.   [player_tooltip player_id='513285' first='Reese' last='Shirley'] (5'9/G/ Columbia Academy)- Once she figures it out, she will become dangerous. At the moment, she basically can do all things. She can play inside with her back to the basket, attack from the perimeter, handle the rock, facilitate, ect. Though sometimes playing travel or school ball coaches may ask you to do different things, however, once it clicks for this young lady and she takes hold of her gifts, she's going to be special. She is a scoring threat who contributes not only by scoring, but rebounding, defending, and all that. Her game is on the upswing and once she gets going, she is going to be hard to stop.   [player_tooltip player_id='816656' first='Addi' last='Gamble'] (5'6/G/Clinton)- One of the best players on a solid Clinton team, Addi can fill it up. Has a nice release that enables the ball to find the bottom of the net at a consistent clip. She's very court savvy and picks her spots to exploit. A selfless ball player who can score it, but will give up her opportunity for a better one for her teammate. This kid will continue to grow and look for her to add more tools to her tool belt which will cause her to become even more lethal.   [player_tooltip player_id='636533' first='Harmony' last='Bell'] (5'6/G/Middleton)- Hardworking PG who is just a go getter. She creates havoc on both ends of the floor. She can score buckets by the boatload, but being a pest on the defensive end, she gets after it as well. Oftentimes she is overlooked, however, she is one the prime reasons the Middleton program has come up. She is a hustler who isn't afraid to get in there and mix it up. A solid kid who continues to be impressive every time she steps on the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='748461' first='Bailey' last='Blair'] (5'4/G/ Richland)- Don't let her size fool you, she is going to defy the odds. Bailey is a gym rat. A nice basketball player who has the handles to attack and finish as well as a nice jumper on her. She is a heady basketball player who competes everytime she laces up her shoes. Doesn't matter the opponent, she is going to go right at them. The way she processes the game is uncanny and she exploits a defense and uses their weakness to her advantage. Though she is not a finished product, look for her to continue to get better and help uplift the Richland program. She will be shooting up the charts sooner rather than later.

I got to continue to show some love to the 2026 class.Trust me, I will be wrapping it up here in a few, but like I have mentioned in previous articles, the quality and the depth of this class is rather astonishing. A coach and I had a discussion and we both kept bringing up the point that there are many young ladies who are from this class who played prominent roles at some big time schools.Back in the day, you used to not touch the floor until your junior or even senior years. Nowadays, you are getting girls in programs who have experience, they have been battle tested, and they are more polished to the fact they can come right in and contribute immediately. That right there blows my mind because the youth movement around our state is crazy good and the talent just keeps getting better and better.