WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio—Black Friday may be the start of the holiday shopping season for dedicated and somewhat deranged shoppers but for those courtside in a gym it signals the tip-off of a frenzy of basketball tournaments that will continue over the next month until the dawn of the new year.

The landscape surrounding Thanksgiving has recently become a wide-open time frame with the decline of a previously high profile event and the rise of a new, high powered single state tournament attracting a line-up that would make any operator envious.  The second annual Ohio Girls Basketball Report “Journey to the Tourney” provided a cast of prospects and commitments hard to find anywhere else this past weekend.

As one of the premier states in terms of collegiate recruiting, Ohio flexed it muscle with 21 of the 22 teams on hand.  Consider that three of four pre-season top ranked teams were on hand.  Or the fact that three of four defending Buckeye state champions were in attendance.  Going a step further, there were commits from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin as well as a bevy of mid-majors and more.  If that’s not enough to wet your appetite, how about five athletes who have previously competed as members of USA Basketball squads joining in all the fun as well.  As long as we’re being patriotic we also saw an athlete destined for the Naval Academy and another bound for West Point.

Oh, and that “non” Ohio team?  How about Hamilton Heights out of Chattanooga, Tennessee?  If you have to ask about them you’re not paying close enough attention to the national scholastic scene.

As always, our goal is to share some of the athletes who caught our eye when we were in the gym and offer a few thoughts on what we saw.  Sometimes it’s productivity and performance that’s worth noting, other times it’s about the possibilities that might lie down the road scholastically or at the next level.  As in all our coverage, they’re listed alphabetically and reflect no ranking or status beyond this article.

Elizabeth Balogun – 2018 – 6-1 – Guard – Hamilton Heights – Georgia Tech signee…College ready…Size and strength makes skills all the more effective…Picks her spots…Physically challenging for opposing guards to contain…Smooth, fluid attack…Sweeps it on her face-up and attacks with explosive first step…Elevates in the paint and around the rim…Multifaceted defender…Can be effective in any trapping situation or scheme…Gets up on the boards…Can compete with anyone in the class

Madison Bartley – 2020 – 6-3 – Forward / Post – Kettering Fairmont – Nice size with good length…Potential is there to grow more…Runs the floor well…Understands angles down low…Makes herself an option posting and off the cut…Can finish around the rim…Got on the boards at times…Young with lots of promise

Kamilla Cardoso – 2020 – 6-7 – Post – Hamilton Heights – High profile interior prospect…Rare mix of physical and basketball assets…Has the frame to add strength that will challenge any defender…Runs the floor better than most posts much smaller in size…Keeps it high on the catch and can finish around the rim…Understands her role but can contribute way more…Efficient passing skills go with an acute awareness…Will battle on the boards…Keeps her head with unwarranted physical play that comes her direction…Could develop at a whole new level

Zia Cooke – 2019 – 5-9 – Point Guard – Toledo Rogers – Among the elite in the class…Continues to refine her role and make those around her better…Can look for her own shots while improving the possibilities for her teammates…Acceleration off her moves leaves defenders standing…Elevates on both shots and passes for clean looks…Normally pushes from makes, misses and turnovers but more controlled this time out…Change of speed is exceptional…Can control the tempo of the game…Active defender who takes chances at times

Madison Greene – 2019 – 5-8 – Point Guard – Pickerington Central – Well known point guard continues to add to her game…In command of the floor…Pushes the ball but willing to pull it back at times…Navigates traffic in pressure situations…Change of speed and direction are mixed up well…Floater is there off the drive…Nice touch serves her from mid-range out to three point distance…Assertive on ball defender…Must loosen up on the weakside and see the ball to be more effective as help 

Presley Griffitts – 2019 – 5-10 – Guard – Tecumseh – Verbal Bowling Green – Combines length with sharp perimeter skills…Mixes up speed and direction effectively…Crossover serves her well…Stepback creates separation…Quick release…Sharp vision and awareness…Good passing off penetration…Strength will have to evolve

Jasmine Hale – 2018 – 5-10 – Guard – West Clermont – Wisconsin sign – Attacking guard…Looks to create her own options off the dribble…Plenty of speed with the ball in her hands…Change of direction is sharp…Has acceleration off her moves…Pull up is there…Sound stroke…Scraps…Quick hands defensively

Bree Hall – 2021 – 5-11 – Guard – Huber Heights Wayne – Promising, known, young guard…Impressive size…Lean build but deceptively strong…Individual skills allow her to create and improve her looks and opportunities…Effective crossover to pull up…Elevates on jumper…Has some range but motion becomes slightly forward further out…Runs the floor…Works hard to be an option…No secret to anyone

Nyla Hampton – 2020 – 5-7 – Point Guard – Huber Heights Wayne – Young, athletic point…Pushes the ball at opportunity…Mixes speed and direction…Quick first step…Strong interior passing…Form is there but base is narrow…Uses speed on defense…Lots of tools 

Alea Harris – 2018 – 5-8 – Guard – Summit Country Day – Wofford bound…Solid build in the backcourt…Aggressive…Lots of effort…Decent form on her shot…Narrow base…Made some plays

Naz Hillmon – 2018 – 6-2 – Forward – Gilmour Academy – Michigan Signee…Fit and strong as ever…Continues to play with focused effort…Works hard for position on the block…Passes well out of the post…Should look for it back more often…Baby hook is in place…Took it to the rim from the high post effectively…Always a presence on the glass…Impressive lateral speed on defense for size

Athena Hocevar – 2021 – 5-10 – Wing – Gilmour Academy – Lean with some length…Active…Decent base set of skills…Should evolve

Jordan Horston – 2019 – 6-1 – Guard – Africentric –Length and skills set her apart from the crowd…Speed, quickness and acceleration give her separation and looks at both shots and passes…Struggled to knock it down at times…Always looking to improves teammates options…Overpasses at times…Reach defensively makes an impact on ball and in pressing scenarios…Created offense from defensive stops…Gets her hands on both passes and shots…Dynamic on both ends

Mya Jackson – 2019 – 5-6 – Point Guard – Wilmington – Athletic and quick…Ballskills allow her to change and improve looks…Decent jumper is there…Some range is in place…Lots of speed with and without the ball…Plays lateral at times…Aggressive on the ball defensively

Anyssa Jones – 2020 – 5-10 – Guard – Westerville South – Lefty sophomore guard…Physically strong for age…Cuts hard without the ball…Speed and quickness are there…Has tools…Needs refinement but bright future

Gabby Marshall – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – Mount Notre Dame – Iowa signee – Ballhandling is sharper and smoother…Choices are more efficient but still had a moment or two…Form and stroke are fluid…Range is there…Playing with confidence and maturity

Jazmine Massengill – 2018 – 6-0 – Guard – Hamilton Heights – Tennessee signee…Elite offensive threat…Develops her own looks off the dribble…Has the physical strength to handle any defensive attack…Elevates on her pull up…Spot up shot with time is lethal…Interior passing is sharp off penetration…Anticipates defensively…Quick hands and feet on ball

Valencia Myers – 2018 – 6-3 – Forward / Post – Solon – Florida State signee – Still demonstrating all the physical tools needed at the top tier of the next level…Size and strength set her apart…Has her mind made up at times prior to the catch…Active without the ball and off the cut…Quick and lengthy first step serves her well…High post drive is a challenge for defenders…Consistency is still a work in progress

Alexa Pennington – 2019 – 6-0 – Forward – Eastern Brown – Eastern Kentucky verbal…Some size with a solid frame…Deceiving skills for size…Overuses her dribble at times…Solid passing and awareness…Decent post moves…Had moments

Maliya Perry – 2019 – 6-0 – Wing / Guard – Pickerington Central – Auburn verbal commit…Some size and length on the wing…Fluid and active both with and without the ball…Gets out in transition and makes herself an option…Can take it to the rim…Form and stroke are there along with a nice touch…Came up with some offensive boards…Will continue to advance her game

Laila Phelia – 2021 – 5-10 – Guard – Mount Notre Dame – Established young prospect with elite upside…Speed and quickness are there with and without the ball…Learning to play in a framework…Choices are evolving…Penetration and pull up are already there…Has the potential to be an impact defender as well…Thoughts need to become reactions

Abby Prohaska – 2018 – 5-10 – Guard – Lakota West – Notre Dame signee…Sets the standard for competitive effort…Makes herself a factor on virtually every play…Mixing up her game more and more…Reads on the catch…Not hesitant about taking it into traffic…Understands options as defenders rotate…Consistency makes her perimeter threat something defenders have to respect…Can handle defensive match ups with with more size or quickness 

Sammie Puisis – 2019 – 6-2 – Wing – Mason – Florida State verbal…Established long range threat…Size and skill combination makes her a difficult match-up…Adding more and more depth to her attack…Looking to do more off the dribble…Handling contact much more effectively…Shot fake needs some sharpening against lengthier defenders…Got on the boards…Understands her gaps on defense

Kennedy Schlabach – 2018 – 5-5 – Point Guard – Berlin Hiland – Attacking more and more…Always a legitimate threat from deep…Reading the floor off penetration…Navigates in traffic vs press or in halfcourt sets…Threads her passes

Katie Shumate – 2019 – 5-10 – Guard / Wing – Newark – Long and lean on the perimeter…Penetrates…Crossover is effective…Change of direction gets defenders leaning…Creates her own…Quick release…Knows how to get open…Cuts hard…Could well add some size down the road

Alexia Smith – 2020 – 5-8 – Guard – Africentric – Cut, athletic guard…Lots of speed and quickness…Active with and without the ball…Looking to attack…Can deliver passes off the drive…Sees the floor…Assertive on ball defender…Anticipates

Alexis Starks – 2018 – 6-0 – Forward – West Clermont – Gardner Webb bound – Strong, solid presence…Active away from the post…Decent touch is in place…Stepback had its moments…Got on the offensive glass…Physical defensively but footspeed has to increase at the next level

Kierra Thornton – 2020 – 5-7 – Point Guard – Kettering Fairmont – Quick, strong and athletic…Aggressive on both ends of the floor…Ability is there to make plays…Consistency will come with maturity…Part of a young, talented team…Watch

Nyam Thornton – 2020 – 5-7 – Point guard – Africentric – Young, strong point guard…Plays with confidence for age…Ball handling is there…Attacks and Penetrates

Sade Tucker – 2019 – 5-4 – Point Guard – Mason – Quick point guard…Handles the ball and makes moves at full speed…Reads defenders…Penetrates and sets up passes…Size is limited but active defensively on the ball

Amy Velasco – 2021 – 5-6 – Point Guard – Centerville – Young point guard…Pushes the ball…Kicks it ahead at opportunity…Slight build but takes it into traffic…Decent form is there on her shot…Has possibilities

Hailey Weaver – 2021 – 5-11 – Guard – Solon – Long, wiry guard…Nice size on the perimeter…Fluid and active both with and without the ball…Some individual skills in place already…Low release on the shot at this point

Tiffany Weaver – 2019 – 6-2 – Forward / Post – Berlin Hiland – Continues to evolve…Lots of versatility…Has added lower body strength…Active both in the halfcourt and transition…Can slash from high post or off the wing on the break…Plays with a nice awareness…Executes

Madeline Westbeld – 2020 – 6-2 – Swing – Kettering Fairmont – Top tier prospect…Well established…Size and perimeter skills already at an exceptional level…Has the versatility to contribute in multiple ways…Ball skills create both shots and passes…Attacks and excels on the left side as a right hander…Handles contact on penetration…Sees the floor and can distribute as defense rotates…Form and touch make her a threat both off the pull up or from deeper on the perimeter…Upright at times on the dribble but protects the ball efficiently…Agility on defense makes her an asset at multiple spots…Limits are those she sets

Kyla Whitehead – 2018 – 6-1 – Forward – Pickerington Central – Dayton signee…Athletic and active…Cuts hard to make herself available…Can put it on the floor to a degree but needs to get lower at times…Aggressive on the drive…Length serves her well defensively…Anticipates on the weakside…Inserts herself in the middle of the action…Makes plays