Calhoun provided valuable minutes for a Loyola program that reached the 4A State Championship last season. This summer, she was in full go mode, playing heavy minutes while serving as a focal point for her AAU team. A majority of her game is predicated on her strength and the force she plays with, but over the past couple of months she’s shown flashes of being able to slow the game down and allow her skill and footwork to create easier angles to score. As she gets older, placing more of an emphasis on protecting herself will be key, especially with Loyola retooling and likely relying on her at a much higher usage rate.

Sophia’s athleticism, brute strength, physicality, and relentless style captured my attention during her games with Over the Edge 16U at The Encore. She rotated from the help side to swat shots away viciously in the paint and closed out quickly with a high hand to block shots on the perimeter. Sophia handled the ball comfortably with both hands and powered up off two feet in traffic to score many layups. One of her highlights happened as she raced up the court 94 feet, attacked downhill through bodies, and muscled through arms to score a layup. Defenders had to bear hug Sophia to keep her from getting to the basket. She secured many offensive rebounds, scored putbacks, earned frequent trips to the line, and knocked them down. Sophia fired a one-handed pass like a quarterback from halfcourt to an open teammate rim-front for an assist. She side-stepped defenders in the lane with long, powerful strides, shot the ball confidently from three, and got the basket at will off the dribble.

…Would win the award for Class of 2029 player to watch. Once again, Calhoun showed why she’s one of the most exciting young players to watch in Illinois. Calhoun shoots, distributes the ball, and defends fluidly and with ease. What impressed me most in the All Women’s Showcase was her ability to hold her own against bigger and older players. Calhoun never looked intimidated or outmatched and even pulled the ball out of her opponents’ hands for scrappy jump ball plays near the end of the game. Calhoun is one of the smoothest, “born to play basketball” players to watch in Illinois and we’re lucky we get three more years of her high school play.

Sophia Calhoun Sophia Calhoun 5'11" | CG Loyola Academy | 2029 State IL was an outstanding player to watch throughout the weekend. She showed a mature and well-rounded skill-set for her age – from driving to the hoop and popping passes to players beyond the arc, to her comfort scoring in the paint, to a mechanically sound jump-shot. At one point, Calhoun ripped the ball out of another, older top prospect’s hands, essentially saying, “I’m here now.” A scrappy, determined competitor, Calhoun exuded toughness and leadership, displaying the type of unselfish approach and team-first mentality that elevates those around her. A Power Forward with “court general” vision and potential, there’s almost nothing on the basketball court that Calhoun can’t do. The fact that she has 3 more years of high school ball left should be terrifying to her competitors – she’s already that good.

Calhoun remains one of the top players in her class, and she’s still sharpening her skill set. As of now, her aggression, power, and guard skills have made her a focal point in her program and one of the first names opponents need to scout for. She can finish around the rim with or without contact, and she shows the confidence to create and knock down her own shot from beyond the arc. The potential for Sophia is HIGH, and if she continues on this path, she’ll remain one of the more talked about players in the class.

You want to talk about a dominant force on the hardwood? Look no further than Sophia Calhoun of OTE Hoops 16U. Calhoun is a 5’11 CG with a natural feel for the game. She is as talented as they come as a 5’11 Guard. We saw her do it all on both ends at this event. She got to her spots offensively and finished both wide open attempts and contested ones. She hit shots off the catch from all distances. She killed her opponent with ease near the bucket if she had a height advantage and she wasn’t afraid to stay aggressive all weekend long. The only thing that Calhoun can’t do at this point in my mind is defend a true post over 6’3 and even in those situations, this is a TOUGH individual so she would give that type of situation a great attempt. All in all, this is a hooper to keep an eye on. She is ranked Top Five in the state for a reason and we saw that first hand this weekend.

Lightning in a bottle. Level-headed. A next level prospect. These are a few of the terms and phrases use to describe Sophia Calhoun Sophia Calhoun 5'11" | CG Loyola Academy | 2029 State IL of Loyola Academy and OTE Hoops 16U. Calhoun, the #4 rated 2029 in Illinois, is a fire starter when she competes. She is a three level scoring threat as a CG and she is the type to make you jump out of your seat during a possession or two with an electric play. Offensively, she can handle and manipulate the defense in several different ways as she attacks her matchup, leading to buckets in the middle of the defense or to a crispy assist to an open teammate. Defensively, she stays active. She beats her individual matchup to the spot most of the time and she is very good at recovering if she is ever behind. Like I said above, this OTE 16U group is loaded from the looks of it and I can’t wait to see how they perform throughout.

Moves well and is extremely agile for her size, especially impressive as she is a year younger than most of her competition. A strong one-on-one player with a quick first step, powerful build, and the ability to handle low in tough situations, she can operate like a guard despite playing up as a post. A strong outlet passer, she uses spin moves to create space and get to her patented left-hand jump hook. With solid shooting mechanics and defensive awareness, she can stay in front of quicker guards or taller posts while making an impact on both ends of the floor. She will need to manage her physicality to avoid foul trouble while continuing to assert herself inside.

In the games Calhoun played, you were able to see her impact in most possessions she was involved in. In the games where she had a larger role, it really showed the potential Calhoun has over the next couple of years. The scoring component is there, and it’s strong, and on the defensive end, she can deal with bigger guards or wings because of her frame. A player to definitely keep up with when AAU kicks off.

So smooth, so patient, yet aggressive. Calhoun has had quite the year so far, and in most games, the consistent piece has been her awareness of how to be effective without doing too much. She can be ball dominant for five straight possessions, then play off the ball for three to four, and the energy level doesn’t decline. The skill set is still sharpening as she continues to play high level competition, but her trajectory is high. A player to truly keep your eye on in this state.