Daya Phillips is another highly rated 2027 prospect out of Iowa that we will get a chance to take a look at this weekend. Phillips understands what good basketball is and what bad basketball is. She might not be as dominant on the ball as her sister but she holds her own in every sense of the word. This 16U Battlers S40 team is playing in the top bracket this weekend and I’m excited to see how they do. They have been killing most of their competition on the Select 40 Circuit these past few months but they are going to be seeing some new faces in this one. If they take care of business per usual, they will be just fine but I am hoping some other team gives them a battle worth watching.

Daya Phillips Daya Phillips 5'10" | CG Johnston | 2027 State IA , twin sister of Ari Phillips Ari Phillips 5'10" | CG/PG Johnston | 2027 State IA , is someone that is also very talented on the basketball court in a number of ways. Daya had the same situation unfold this past high school season. She saw the floor sparingly to start the season but by the end of the year, she was seeing some solid time on a team that basically competed with five college level prospects. I have a feeling that everyone around the country is going to figure out that the Phillip sisters are legit these next 6 months, if they don’t already. Daya’s ability to make others around her better, while displaying skill of her own is impressive. As long as they continue to lock in and keep things simple as they get older, they are going to receive a lot of interest from the next level. There is no doubt about that.

We have seen Daya Phillips Daya Phillips 5'10" | CG Johnston | 2027 State IA is smaller doses this season for the Johnston Dragons but she has been productive every time she touched the floor, demonstrating that she is going to be ready to take over next season, when this group loses a few key Seniors due to graduation. From what I’ve seen as of late, Daya thrives as more of an off-guard compared to anything else which isn’t a bad thing. It means that she is good at producing without the ball in her hands and basketball is a game where you play without the ball 90% of the time. If you can adapt to situations and make yourself useful without scoring at a high rate or needing to be ball dominate, the more programs you can fit into in the long run so there is nothing wrong with that. As it pertains to her actual skill, it’s there and it’s superior to most other players her age out of this 2027 Class. She has dominant size at the Guard spot and she knows how to use it. She can knock down shots or finish through contact near the paint if given the opportunity. Over the next few years, this is going to be a prospect that gets better with experience and I can’t wait until everyone else notices how good she could truly be.

Coming in at our #3 spot is Daya Phillips Daya Phillips 5'10" | CG Johnston | 2027 State IA . Phillips is the twin sister and counter-part to Ari Phillips Ari Phillips 5'10" | CG/PG Johnston | 2027 State IA , another player that we will see in these Top 5 Rankings. I would say that Daya has a similar game to her sister but works in different ways. From everything I have seen, Daya is much better at producing off of the ball. Whether it’s knocking down a shot, cutting to the rim, or finishing through contact after a post move. If you give her any light to the basket while she attacks downhill, it’s either going to end in a successful finish or free throws. I had a chance to see Phillip and her Johnston Dragons team compete recently. All I can say is, they looked in top shape. Their roster is primed for a big post season run because of their upperclassman and team play. With a versatile player like Phillips, she can be thrown into any situation successfully and that has kinda of been the case this high school season. Whatever the coach needs from her, she delivers. I’m excited to see how this group ends their year and how Phillips transitions back to the Travel game. She killed it on the road this past Spring and I expect the same in 2024.

Someone who may of not seen the floor a whole lot in this event, but is still regarded as a top player in her 2027 Class throughout the state of Iowa is Daya Phillips Daya Phillips 5'10" | CG Johnston | 2027 State IA . Phillips is a strong and dedicated player. She possesses superior size, speed, and skill compared to most her age and she is slowly seeing the court more and more as the season goes on with her Johnston Dragons team. With how good this team’s roster is, it makes sense as to why the Freshman aren’t stealing a majority of the varsity minutes from others. The way they have things set up, they are slowly placing Freshman on the floor with four other veteran players at a time. I think this gives everyone some quality experience and helps them prepare for the future. As for Phillips specifically, she has a lot of promise and talent. She has the ceiling of a Division-1 player at the end of the day, she just needs to continue to go out there and kill it.