Another hooper that knows how to put together a tough game-plan is Morgyn Bender of Mid-Prairie. Bender, the 5’11 SF, is more of a CG. She can attack from the outside off the bounce, she can screen and set up shots from the midrange, she can finish over weaker defenders, and she can go get an O-board while finishing the play with a put-back. She is VERY comfortable switching it up, keeping the defense guessing. As soon as she see’s that you are going to fall for one of her fakes one direction, she is gone the other way but she is also smart enough to keep it simple whenever she can. That’s why she isn’t afraid to shoot if you back off. I’m looking for a big season again for Bender for her Senior year. She led their group in most positive statistical categories as a Junior and I could see the same thing happening this season as well.

Everyone is going to be a little sad after this season comes to a close at Mid-Prairie because of the loss of their Senior Class. This Senior Class has been around, doing their thing for their entire high school careers and winning a lot of games because of it. Someone specifically from this group, that is going to put up major numbers for her Senior season this Winter is SF – Morgan Bender. Bender is a 6’0 Forward, that controls and deals with everything happening in the middle of the lane on both ends. She has muscle mass to pair along with her height and that lets her dominate individual matchups a majority of the time. If others can come in and work around her as she deals out of the middle, they should win some convincing contests before the season comes to a close.

If you are evaluating the mixture of height, three level ability, and smarts that Morgyn Bender Morgyn Bender 5'11" | SF Mid-Prairie | 2027 IA brings to the floor, you see that she has a bright future when it comes to this game. Bender has a lightning quick trigger from deep on the catch, her length does help her beat her defender to the bucket off the dribble if she is over-played, and she understands where her spots are – where she is most comfortable letting it go offensively. This is a prospect that has the ability to switch onto different players defensively because of her athleticism and reach advantage compared to most. MP will return a few noteworthy recruits next Winter once again and this is one of them to know.

Morgyn Bender Morgyn Bender 5'11" | SF Mid-Prairie | 2027 IA of Mid-Prairie High School is a prospect with an interesting mixture of size and ability. At 5’11, Bender has demonstrated the ability to handle her matchup inside the painted area or she can step out to shoot the 3 ball at a higher rate than most her age. When you look back at this season, Bender isn’t one of the top scorers for her team on a consistent basis but I think a performance like she had last night is something that could be more common in the near future. In their victory, Bender ended the contest with a game high of 21 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. This outburst may seem random right now but with steady progression, this is someone we could hear more and more about over the next couple of seasons. Especially if her team continues to win at the rate that they currently are and she continues to put up impressive stat lines.