I have said it time and time again leading up to this event – if you are going to attend, the best situation is that you look at the players around you and understand where you stack up so that you know what to work on moving into the Winter season. Cleo Jenkins out of Forest City High School is going to have that opportunity. Jenkins will only be the second 2032 invited to this event so it’s all about seeing if she can hold her own and who she is going to make fall over. Don’t be mistaken – she might be a 2032 but she has been playing up against high schoolers during AAU season for years now on the road. She is used to that type of pressure and gameplay, so she is going to fit in just fine as things get moving.

Usually at this point in a young players career we would still be a few years away from mentioning them in general but it’s noteworthy what Cleo Jenkins of the Forest City area is doing right now. She is a 6th grader, playing up on an 8th grade team and she is helping lead this group on both ends of the floor. She is someone that is scoring in the double digits each contest so far this Spring on the road and she hasn’t been a slouch on defense. It’s not always the, be all – end all, when you can score the rock at a steady rate but it definitely helps. At this rate this is someone that is going to be years ahead of her 2032 Class if she continues to challenge herself with older competition. We have seen historically if the prospect is good enough to handle all of that pressure from a young age, they usually turn into a killer by the time they hit high school but we will just have to wait and see how things play out for the skilled PG.

When you have an individual playing up a grade-level and competing with supreme confidence, it’s noteworthy. Especially when it happens at the middle school level because kids are still trying to, “come out of their shells”, in some ways as human beings. Someone who played up and stood out at this event was Cleo Jenkins Cleo Jenkins 5'3" | PG Forest City | 2032 IA . Jenkins came onto the floor and did her thing for her 12U Iowa Ice crew. Jenkins demonstrated she can handle at a very high rate, she is a willing and able facilitator, and she can handle business herself while going to the rim if need be. The most important ability a player can have in this game is situational awareness and adaptability. I think Jenkins has a high level of both of those for her age level. Now it’s all about stacking those days.