Karis provided plenty of highlight-worthy plays at REAL Train and Play. She separated herself from start to finish, showing exactly why she’s a top 20 prospect in the 27′ class. Karis has body control, high-jumping abilities, and a natural scoring talent in contested spaces that few can match. She imposed her will in the game and earned the label of “pure scorer” in my notes. Karis showed her outside range by sinking threes from the corner and the slot. Many should get this pop culture NBA reference, and it’s the image that popped into my head in the moment. Karis glided to the basket on a drive, faked a pass to freeze the defender for a split second, then showed off her athleticism by leaving the floor to score a Julius-Irving-like reverse layup around a 6-foot defender contesting the shot. Karis added an acrobatic inside-hand finish against a shot-blocker, absorbed contact to finish a strong and-one on a drive, and split the gap for a drive-by and-one bucket with her off hand. Karis impacted games on the defensive end, taking a steal coast-to-coast for two points, jumping up to swat a shot from the trail position, and earning a trip to the free-throw line after another swipe. She finished effectively in the paint, knocked down a mid-range turnaround jumper after getting past the first level of the defense, and secured an offensive rebound to score a two-foot finish off a smooth pivot. Karis has excellent footwork and landed under control with a good stride-stop, then created the space needed to finish with a forward pivot. Grand Valley State is getting a playmaker, and Karis will make Sacred Heart one of the toughest D4 teams to play against this winter.

Karis of Real Basketball earned First Team 17U All-Tournament honors after an impressive weekend at the PGH MI State Tournament. The Grand Valley State University commit consistently put pressure on defenses with her speed, toughness, and ability to attack the paint. She was relentless getting downhill and absorbed contact extremely well, fighting through defenders and still finding ways to reach the rim and earn trips to the free throw line. Karis also balanced scoring with playmaking, creating opportunities for teammates while remaining a constant threat as a slasher. Defensively, she was active and disruptive, collecting steals and even adding blocked shots with her quickness and athleticism. Her ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor made her one of the top performers in the 17U division.

Karis started the day off strong for REAL 17U and continued to stand out throughout day one of the PGH MI College Tour. She used an effective pivot to create space and converted a tough, acrobatic floater. Karis scored a crafty finish in the lane, knocked down a wing jumper off the dribble, and converted a contested layup off a shifty crossover move. Karis baited the guards and jumped in front of multiple perimeter passes for steals that turned into quick transition layups. She uses her length very well to stretch out and finish contested shots. Karis swiped the ball away to score a bucket with an inside hand finish and turned in an impactful two-way effort.

Karis only plays at one speed. Pedal to the metal. Her maximum effort and high-flying acrobatics on both ends are exciting to watch. Karis scores at all three levels, is a determined defender, and one of the best rebounding guards in the state. She’s a pure scorer with outstanding footwork and body control. Karis uses every inch of the glass and is a phenomenal addition to GVSU’s recruiting class.

Karis was flat-out dominant in game one for Sacred Heart, leading all scorers with 32 points (21 in the 2nd half). Her spirited effort kept the Irish within striking distance throughout the game. Karis converted tough floaters and contested jumpers throughout the game. Her body control, soft touch, and footwork were impressive. Karis secured a defensive board, pushed it the length of the court. used a double-crossover move, elevated off two feet, hung in mid-air, and scored the contested layup with her left off the glass. She dropped in a pull-up floater over a 6-footer near the elbow and buried a fadeaway jumper off a pivot. Karis swiped the ball away, switched hands in transition, and converted the contested layup with outstanding body control. Karis blocked a baseline drive, relentlessly chased down rebounds, and drove hard to the rack for a strong and-one layup with her left–plus the free throw. Her comprehensive impact on both stood out. Karis showed exactly why she’s a great addition to the GVSU 2026 recruiting class.

“Junior #13 Karis Terwilliger Karis Terwilliger 5'7" | CG Sacred Heart Academy | 2027 State MI , G – Karis is aggressive on both ends of the court, ready to attack to score, and up-tempo on Defense, challenging whoever she guards.” – Coach Doerr

Karis had an incredible sophomore campaign, earning First Team All-State honors while establishing herself as one of the top underclassmen in the state. The Grand Valley State commit was dominant on both ends of the floor, averaging 20 points, six rebounds, five steals, and three assists per game while guiding Sacred Heart to an impressive 21-1 record. Already closing in on 1,000 career points, Karis has proven to be a dynamic scorer and playmaker who thrives under pressure. With her talent and drive, she’s poised for a monster junior season.

Karis is a prospect whose athleticism, all-encompassing impact, and relentless style not only earned her a high ranking, but an offer from the D2 national champs. After a stout travel season for REAL , she continued to separate herself at elite camps and team camps during the summer. Karis is one of the best rebounding guards in this class. She has acrobatic finishing abilities and jumps out of the gym. Karis wreaks havoc on the defensive end, which shows up in steals and blocks. She makes the hustle plays and contributes in every statistical category. It became evident in August that Karis had clear potential as a D2 guard and I was excited to see her GVSU offer. She’s a great pick-up for the Lakers and will be a game wrecker for Sacred Heart again this winter.

Read More About Karis

Karis vaulted up our rankings in the latest update. She consistently performed at a high level in front of our scouts at many tournaments while playing up with REAL 17U. Her athletic attributes, relentless motor, acrobatic finishing, passing prowess, and defensive impact have been separators in her game. Karis has stretches where she doesn’t miss from three-point distance, and she sets the standard for how a guard should pursue rebounds. Karis put all of these qualities on display again for Sacred Heart at Northwood Team Camp. She buried an elbow jumper and a three-pointer at the top of the key. Karis chased down a ball-handler from behind and poked it out for the steal. She closed out hard to block a shot attempt and drove hard to score a layup with her left hand. Karis pushed the ball with breakneck speed in transition to score layups and earned trips to the free throw line. One of her most impressive plays happened as she beat full-court pressure with a series of quick crossover dribbles and dished a dime to a teammate for the assist.

Karis was an excellent facilitator for REAL 17U on Saturday at our PGH Michigan State Tournament. She created space with quick inside-out crossover dribbles and made high-IQ decisions with the ball, setting teammates up to score with great passes. Karis kept her eyes peeled in transition and drove hard downhill to force fouls–she knocked down free throws with confidence.