LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The sixth annual Raatz Fence / O’Shea’s Classic offered up the same kind of thing that the Kentucky Derby does every May in Louisville…premier athletes competing against each other. This year’s line-up brought together 13 teams from four different states and better yet, three participants receiving national recognition in the various prep polls around the country.
Marion County out of Kentucky, Incarnate Word from Missouri and Science Hill all posted wins on Friday night. Saturday saw Marion County win their high profile match up with Science Hill while Incarnate Word got their second win against host and always challenging Mercy Academy. Complete Saturday results are as follows.
Bullitt East 61 Ryle 36
Sacred Heart 55 Withrow 43
Hathaway Brown 58 DuPont Manuel 53
Marion County 61 Science Hill 58
Incarnate Word 71 Mercy Academy 37
Butler 71 Paul Laurence Dunbar 52
Some of the top performances Saturday came from seniors but there were some outstanding underclassmen on hand as well. Here are a few of players that stepped up in Louisville last weekend.
Marion County (Lebanon, Ky.) point guard and University of Kentucky signee Makayla Epps is one of those players you feel like you’ve been watching forever. When you consider that this happens to be her sixth season of varsity ball that kind of statement isn’t really that much of a stretch. What this future Wildcat has done is save her very best for last. She’s in the best shape she’s been in years, had some minor knee maintenance addressed and is utilizing the experience that comes with having more games under your belt than most college seniors. Attacking off the dribble is almost a guarantee of getting into the paint for the 5-10 Epps and she’s finishing with the kind of efficiency that helps coaches sleep at night. Add to that the fact that she’s creating a lot of her scoring opportunities with her efforts on the defensive end of the floor and you can see why the folks in Lexington see her as a great fit in a blue uniform. The pull up is sound but the perimeter consistency will still need to be there down the road to keep defenders closing out and facilitate her penetration. One last aspect that comes with the depth of her experience and maturity is the level emotional approach that she brings to the floor. Great play or bad play, there’s very little change in her demeanor and her focus stays zeroed in on what’s next.
Easily the elite among the underclassmen on hand was Napheesa Collier of Incarnate Word (St. Louis, Mo.). Well-established on the national stage, this 6-1 forward has the tools that have already piqued the interest of recruiters on the top tier of the women’s colligate game. Playing with a combination of length, athleticism and mobility, Collier is challenge for most opposing defenses. The ability is there to get out and run the floor in transition, attack from the perimeter or set up inside and exploit a size mismatch. She can create her own looks, finish effectively in traffic and around the rim which was evidenced by her impressive 13 for 19 performance from the floor. Just for good measure she added 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in Saturday’s win over host Mercy Academy. While showing a stronger build and more physical approach she’ll still need to add a more assertive approach to her defensive game over the next couple of seasons before moving on to the next level. In the meantime she should be causing some sleepless nights for Red Knight opponents.
If there’s any doubt about the Ivy League and Princeton being among intelligent elite in America just consider their addition of Hathaway Brown (Shaker Heights, Ohio) senior Vanessa Smith. The 6-1 forward is the epitome of versatility and consistency. Both qualities are hallmarks of successful play at any level and Smith has proven she’s more than ready to make the move to the Tigers and the college game next season. Her quick attack from the high post or off the cut in the paint is the kind of thing that forces defenses to match up small in an attempt to contain her. On the catch she reads defenders effectively and slides her lean body through narrow gaps to create looks in rotating traffic. Despite a lack of bulk and inches she’s productive both in the scoring and rebounding departments. Throw in the ability and willingness to get out on the break and there will be some defenders looking to their bench for a sub. The stroke and touch are there to connect from 15 and she’s more than adept at delivering the ball high – low or to a cutting teammate. In a recruiting world where “fit” is a critical component to an athlete’s success; Smith may have made one of the best decisions in the 2013 class.
Xavier may have snagged one of the more underrated players available back in November when they signed DuPont Manuel (Louisville, Ky.) senior Kayla Styles. Notice I didn’t say unknown. Solidly on the recruiting radar since her freshman year, Styles has always shown flashes of the potential and possibilities recruiters scour the landscape for. For a litany of reasons she has never found the consistency in either performance or playing time to remotely approach the lofty expectations that have been with her from the start. This 6-1 swing player has the holy trinity of size, athleticism and skills. She can play the point through the small forward spot and do so effectively. Home for her most likely will be on the wing where she can use a lengthy first step and aggressive drive to create both shots and passes. Her height and physical build are right off the recruiting menu and the speed and explosiveness are on par with the top of the 2013 class. Her play Saturday was eye catching. Her interaction with teammates and response to tough game situations…not so much. The tools are there for her to be successful on both ends of the floor to whatever degree she’s willing to make the effort.
Science Hill has had a run over the past two seasons that programs from coast to coast would be enviable of. A 38 and 1 record last season plus a 21 and 3 mark so far this season are pretty impressive. Oh, and those three losses this year…all are to consensus top 10 teams nationally. One of the most deceiving elements in the Hilltoppers success is Middle Tennessee signee, senior Shy Copney. At 5-9 she’s not playing with Griner-esque size but is effective around the rim and throughout the paint. Her solid build misleads defenders who get too tight only to find out that her first step more than effective. The bigger price to pay comes to the match-up who fails to close out on her behind the arch and pays as she drops the three consistently. In fact given time, the wing/forward will light up the scoreboard from deep game after game with uncanny touch and range. She’s willing to play physical on the defensive end but will have to prove she has the footspeed to match up with the ultra-quicks at the next level. By the way, the one loss Science Hill suffered last season…Copney didn’t play as a result of an ACL injury in the previous game.
You don’t have the success that Science Hill has had behind just one player. Junior point guard Tianna Tarter is quick and dynamic both on the break and in the halfcourt. The real consistency for the folks from Johnson City comes in form of another 2014, Gabby Lyon. The solid, 6-0 forward is the picture of textbook basketball and consistency. With a solid build and good mobility, she’s a constant threat and an ideal balance to the game and attack of both Copney and Tarter. There’s nothing flashy about what Lyon does on the catch unless you consider finishing and getting to the line time and again to be flashy. She has the ability to get out on the break and can be a factor from the elbow as well as down on the block. Plenty of perimeter skills are in place as well to make her a small forward prospect for the next level. The effort is there on the boards at both ends of the floor keying the break or providing a critical second look. In two games in Louisville she produced 18 and 14 points respectively.
One of the things you’ve got to love (or not) about the state of Kentucky is their willingness to allow varsity participation for athletes younger than the freshman class. Several years back we saw Marion County’s Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers at the Raatz Fence Classic as eight graders and this year we got to see another promising young talent in Lindsey Duvall from Bullitt East High School (Mt. Washington, Ky.). A member of the 2017 class, Duvall is a 5-7 guard with some individual skills and instincts that should have her on a path to a solid future on the hardwood. The ballhandling is sharp for her age and she’s comfortable taking it in traffic both against the press or penetrating to the rim. The stroke is there and her shot selection was sound for someone her age. Without the ball she’s active and cuts hard with or without screens. Lots of tools and lots of time…Keep watching.
Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) has one of those players you have to keep an eye on to see where she ultimately takes her game. Dai Jia Ruffin is a 5-9 guard for the Valkyries that offers up some play that may well translate to the next level in a very positive way. Solidly built and physically strong, the junior attacks with some good quickness and uses some impressive body control against defensive pressure. Defenders will pick up on her preference of going right but Ruffin will also go left to a small degree. She didn’t take many from the perimeter but the stroke appears to be there and will be a necessity to keep opponents honest and allow her to attack. Her willingness to play physical and aggressive is something hard to find at times and an absolute requirement for her style of attack. She did tire down the stretch and it was evident on several defensive possessions against a young and athletic Withrow squad.
When a team has the luxury of bringing a post player the caliber of McKenna Treece of the bench you know they’ve got something good going. This 6-2 junior has the size, build and tools that the college folks are desperately looking for day in and day out. There are plenty of text book skills on the block and from the elbow but what may set Treece apart is her active and aggressive play all over the floor. On the cut she’s looking to create and reads defenders well. She created off the drive a couple of times both getting to the rim and with a pull up from the five foot range. Her outlet may start the break but her mobility will have her contribute at the other end on the same play as well. Don’t get too far ahead of me, there’s still plenty of refinement needed to help her take advantage of her potential. She finishes well from the floor (7.8 ppg at just under 60% for the season) but produces less than five boards per game. The advantage of playing with a standout like Napheesa Collier is the ability to work against defenses without being their focus of attack. Treece is in a position to write her own ticket if she makes the most of her opportunities.
Having seen Withrow (Cincinnati, Ohio) on multiple occasions already this season it was hard not to take notice of an improved performance from sophomore guard Jaliyah Moses. A very explosive athlete, the 5-8 guard has some individual skills that allow her to create her own opportunities at times. She called on an impressive step back from deep on the perimeter one time but also utilized a crossover that had an opponent lunging. The attacking mentality is in place and the left hander is looking for her options. While the ability to develop her own is emerging she’ll need to be more mindful of her shot selection and the need to create looks for her teammates as well as herself. First year Withrow Coach Kim Corbitt continues to teach from the bench and Moses should be in good hands to advance her game.
