Monday Wrap-Up

The last NCAA "live" period of 2024 has come to a close, and for the 2025 class, it was the last grassroots tournament most of these ladies will play in their careers. Indiana prospects traveled to Rockhill, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky, for tournaments, while I followed a large group to Hamilton, Ohio, for "The Finale". They hosted a regular tournament, the Under Armour Finals, and the UA Rise Finals. Monday was just a half day for me, as bracket play was ending, and teams were heading home for another week or two before they start the Fall semester. Below is one final look at eight ladies who stood out in what I was able to see during Monday's action.   .    I mentioned Sophie earlier in the weekend, and her play continued to shine throughout Monday's action. With fellow Batesville and [program_tooltip program_id='712550' first='IGB' last=''] teammate [player_tooltip player_id='570377' first='Alyson' last='Peters'] injured, Sophie was much more aggressive and really sought out offense for her team. She scored the ball from the perimeter and off the dribble, plus she posted up a handful of times, and she was active on the glass. She is a strong, athletic forward who has proven she can play on the wing and in the mid-post. She should have several nice small college opportunities ahead of her.     First and foremost, Mariah is one of the fastest, most athletic guards in the state, regardless of graduating class. She is a talented on-ball defender who can lock up 84-feet, plus she can turn on the jets and dribble by defenders in transition. Monday, she was very aggressive offensively. She knocked down shots from outside, was steady at the free throw line, plus she was very good at seeing passes in advance and leading teammates to easy scores. She gives Lawrence Central a unique presence in the backcourt.     Ella has always been a nice athlete, she has an athletic frame, and she runs & jumps well for her position. Throughout the weekend and into Monday, she displayed nice skill balance, as she knocked down shots from the perimeter and in the mid-post, plus she showed off an improved handle and the ability to change directions in traffic. In a class with several really nice forward prospects, she stands out because of her athleticism, and she can use that to defend multiple positions.     Mia is another long, wiry-strong, athletic wing/guard for the Lady Hawks. She plays with a competitive motor and is seemingly always on attack. She likes to drive it to the rim, she can finish athletically, plus she has a solid mid-range pull-up. Defensively, she has the athleticism to be impactful and versatile. She will still need to tighten her skillset a little offensively and make her outside jumper a bit more consistent, but she has noticeable athletic talent, and she seems to work at her game.     Carley has worked hard to become one of the better point guard prospects in Indiana's 2026 class. She has length, wiry strength, speed, and quickness. She can handle the ball, she can knock down open shots, plus she can attack the basket and finish athletically over taller defenders. I really enjoy watching her run offense, but her ability to score offers her versatility offensively. I think defensively, she could become a problem with the combination of her length and athleticism. She should have a nice 2024-2025 season.     Alexis is a really nice, hidden talent in Northern Indiana. With the combination of talented guards on both her high school and grassroots teams, she can get lost in the fold at times, but Alexis has talent and skill of her own. She is a nice athlete in all directions, she has some strength, plus she gets out and runs hard in transition. She can handle the ball, create offense for herself or others, plus she has learned how to absorb contact attacking the basket. I also like her competitive motor defensively.     Hannah is a nice, long, wiry-strong forward with inside-out versatility. She can use her height and length around the rim, she even has some bounce to allow her to finish over taller defenders. In the mid-post, she can shoot or drive it from 15-feet. But she also has nice touch around the perimeter and can knock down a rhythm 3-pointer. Additionally, she shows versatility defensively, being able to guard wings or forwards. Hannah has transferred from West Vigo to North Central (Farmersburg).     I had seen Macy a few times briefly in the past, so it was a great opportunity to watch her at length Monday. She has a strong, wiry, athletic frame. She has really worked on her handle and could be considered a point forward in that regard. She has touch from the perimeter, she's able to put it on the floor and attack the basket North/South, and she's strong enough now she's finishing through contact much more consistently. As she improves her urgency defensively, her well-roundedness should be attractive to college programs.

The last NCAA "live" period of 2024 has come to a close, and for the 2025 class, it was the last grassroots tournament most of these ladies will play in their careers. Indiana prospects traveled to Rockhill, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky, for tournaments, while I followed a large group to Hamilton, Ohio, for "The Finale". They hosted a regular tournament, the Under Armour Finals, and the UA Rise Finals. Monday was just a half day for me, as bracket play was ending, and teams were heading home for another week or two before they start the Fall semester. Below is one final look at eight ladies who stood out in what I was able to see during Monday's action.