Hardy gave me a lot to absorb at the PGH Sophomore ID Camp; see evaluation here, and one of the most impressive takeaways was her versatility at her size. She scored in multiple ways, handled the ball in transition after rebounding, saw the floor in transition, yet her defense, both in and outside the paint, was equally impressive. I’ll get a chance to catch back up with her Saturday at the RCS Kickoff

Hardy has a lightning-quick first step, allowing her to get to the rim before defenders can react. She beat her defender, executed a perfect give-and-go for an easy bucket, and proved she can score from anywhere on the floor. Hardy comfortably knocked down both a mid-range jumper and a deep three-pointer. Defensively, she disrupted passing lanes for a couple of steals and made the right pass to teammates for the score. She also secured several strong defensive rebounds for her team. It was an exceptionally well-rounded performance.

Hardy is the street I used to terrorize back in the day, and when you factor in that she’s “long and athletic” and stands above “the magic number,” her intangibles can do the same to her defenders. Peep this: she scored off the dribble, sometimes acrobatically after contact; her mid- to long-range jumper looked good, and she saw the floor. On the flip side, she defended on the ball, picked some pockets, and played the passing lane, plus she rebounded and blocked shots