Calista moved into the top ten and solidified herself as Michigan’s top small forward in the class, capable of playing 3, 4, and 5 at the higher levels of college ball. It looks like Calista will be getting a ton of ball touches as a guard this season at Stoney Creek, which will also polish her perimeter game. Calista has progressed every year and is beginning to move closer to her high potential. Physically and fundamentally, she offers rare skill and athletic abilities that you don’t see at her height. With excellent touch and footwork in traffic, she can slash downhill, side-step defenders in the lane, and score or power through the contact off two feet. Calista swarms offensive players with her length. She swats shots away inside, closes passing lanes, covers ground well laterally to stop drives, and cleans up the glass on both ends. A Top Performer on the PGH Circuit, strong showings at BCAM Reaching Higher and Oakland Team Camp, and then add in more recognition from PGH scout BJ Batson at Select Events, Calista has been on a tear the past few months. She has offers from Grand Valley State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, and Oakland.

Calista is a unique prospect who has really only been playing the game seriously for a couple of years. She has a sister who plays at Northern Michigan and Ivezaj already has multiple offers to play on the next level herself. Calista, who I was told plays the majority of the time on the perimeter in high school, looked like he had been playing the position for a long time going up against some of the best post players from across the country. Her guard skills were very evident though when she was able to step out away from the basket. Over the course of three games I watched her make several shots from 12-15 feet. Some were in catch and shoot scenarios, but others Calista showed her playmaking ability by creating space off the dribble to create the separation needed to get her shot off. Her form and follow through looked very good and she did a nice job squaring her shoulders up to the basket on each take and make. Again, she did not look out of place playing the “5” or “Center” for the Mystics. Quite the contrary, she showed good effort and ability banging in the painted are on defense and rebound the basketball on both ends of the court. She is a player whose best basketball is in front of her and I really liked what I saw in Sessions 2 and 3 after seeing her play well in Session One at Select Events.

Calista was already expanding her game last season and with key players graduating from the backcourt, she’ll have the opportunity to handle the ball on the perimeter even more for Stoney Creek this winter. At BCAM Reaching Higher, Calista proved she deserves a single digit next to her name in the rankings. Towering over defenders with 6 foot plus length already makes her a force in the paint, but her handles, ability to shoot the three, and effectiveness as a slasher put her in a higher category altogether. Calista scored a strong and-one layup with her left, buried a smooth three from the slot, and pushed the tempo in the open court with both hands. She was one of the top prospects in the gym again at Oakland Team Camp. Calista owned the offensive glass, scored put backs, finished strong through contact for multiple and ones, dropped in floaters with a soft touch, changed hands comfortably, evaded defenders with long side-steps in traffic, and closed driving lanes.

Calista might be the most versatile 6-foot prospect at the Northwood PGH MI College Tour, and she is coming off a monster Junior campaign with Stoney Creek. A POTW and POTY Finalist, she put up the stats and has shown the fundamental development/physical tools to excel on the wing, as a face-up slasher, and in the post. Calista will be a must-see prospect for Mystics 17U P24 this weekend.

Calista had a magnificent junior campaign for Stoney Creek, guiding the Cougars to an 18-4 record (8-2 conference) and a Co-OAA Red League Championship (first in program history). She contributed in every statistical category, averaging 15.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.2 assists, and one block per game. Calista won PGH x Foster Swift Sports Player of the Week for Feb. 8th-14th, scoring 66 points, amassing 51 rebounds, and leading Stoney Creek to a 3-0 record. Calista set a school record with 24 rebounds during a 63-50 win at Detroit Country Day and set another single-game record during a 33-point performance (15 field goals) in a 61-32 win at Oxford.

Calista is having a memorable junior season, and she had a special week for the Cougars. Calista started with 16 points and 11 rebounds to help Stoney Creek secure a statement win against Clarkston, placing them atop the OAA Red. She followed with 33 points and 16 rebounds in a 61-32 win at Oxford, setting a new single-game record with 15 field goals. Calista scored 17 points and grabbed a school record 24 rebounds in a 63-50 win at Detroit Country Day to end the week. She finished with a staggering 66 points and 51 rebounds, guiding the Cougars to a 3-0 record. Calista is the PGH x Foster Swift Sports Player of the Week for Feb. 8th-14th.

At Oxford High, Calista scored 33 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and set a new school record for most field goals made in a single game with 15. She followed that up at Detroit Country Day with 17 points and an incredible 24 rebounds, breaking the previous single-game rebound record of 17. Her dominant performances helped lead the team to a perfect 3-0 week and a 15-2 overall record, securing first place in the D-1 OAA Red league.

Calista secured the number one ranking at small forward over the summer, and that shoe fits better and better every day. She’s filled out her long frame and continues to demonstrate a calm, confident, and collected demeanor on the court. Her skills, physical attributes, and abilities are fit to be a high-level wing-forward at the college level. Calista shouldered a lion’s share of the load against West Bloomfield and was determined to keep the Cougars undefeated conference record intact. She earned many trips to the free-throw line by making smart backdoor cuts and driving to the rim with a full head of steam. Calista dished out a quick touch pass for an assist inside and made a great kick-out pass to the perimeter for another assist. She attacked the glass, secured offensive rebounds, and finished put-backs in traffic off two feet. Calista pinned her defender down low, caught the entry pass with soft hands, and scored the bunny. She scanned the floor with her eyes up while pushing the ball in transition, anticipated a pass to snag a steal, and walled up to block a shot. She scored nine of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter and shot an efficient 11 of 14 from the charity stripe. Calista grabbed 16 rebounds to complete the double-double and added four steals in the win.

Calista moved into the #1 small forward spot in the 2027 class during our last update and recently secured an offer from D2 national champions Grand Valley State. With her height and versatility as an interior/perimeter player, this offer feels right on the money. Calista keeps growing, filling out her frame, and demonstrating progress in her game. She’s poised for a huge Junior season at Stoney Creek and hasn’t hit her ceiling yet.

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Calista climbed our rankings to the number one small forward spot and into the top 25 overall. When you’re a 6-3 prospect with the versatility to play inside and on the perimeter, it’s simple arithmetic. Calista’s defining moment during the evaluation cycle came at the Compound Summer League. She demonstrated progress in key areas that I was hoping to see. Calista created space to drive using a variety of dribbles, finished difficult layups going full speed on her drives, and shot the ball confidently from three-point distance. Her length and aggressiveness were disruptive on the defensive end. Calista continued to shine with Mystics 2027-P24 at the Select Super Showcase, cutting backdoor and scoring layups efficiently after smooth ball transfers. She’s in store for a huge Junior season at Stoney Creek and hasn’t reached her ceiling yet.

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