WESTFIELD, IN— The USJN Hoops in the Heartland kicked off the first NCAA spring evaluation period this past weekend. Players, spectators, and coaches flocked to the brand new state of the art eight hardwood court Jonathan Byrd Fieldhouse at Grand Park just outside of Indianapolis. USJN events are scheduled for this impressive facility four more times this year.  The setting allowed nearly 100 college coaches to watch student-athletes from Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio showcase their talent.

For a list of all the college programs in attendance, pool All-Stars, a list of participating teams and more, follow the link below to the USJN post event page.

http://www.usjn.com/xtm_post_event_new.php?which=401

Below are a few teams and individuals that caught our eye in Westfield as well as some quickhitters

IA Kingdom Hoops Elite- Ryan Carpenter’s team is fundamental and plays very well together. Agaitha Beier is a skilled, composed point guard that has good court vision and does a great job putting her teammates in position to score. Haley Vesey is a 5-8 shooting guard that is capable of getting hot from three point range but can also attack off the dribble. Their inside game is solid as well; Mia Rosener is a 6-2 mobile post that runs the floor extremely hard for layups in transition, rebounds well, and can block shots. Sienna Durr is a strong forward to keep an eye on- physical, rebounds well, and uses her strength to score in the paint.

Kentucky Premier Parmley EYBL – The Kentucky Derby ran three weeks ahead of schedule. This team is stacked! Not only are they fast, they are very skilled and can move defensively. Jaelynn Penn is an athletic guard that has great handles and is able to get to the rim, hit midrange jumpers, and knock down big threes. Mykasa Robinson is a skilled point guard that can get in the paint whenever she wants and creates easy shots for teammates. Every single guard can handle the ball; Coach Jarrad Parmley has the luxury of picking which guard he would like to attack one on one. Grace Berger is no exception. She’s a 6-0 guard that has great handles and is able to take defenders off the dribble for jumpers and layups. Not to be outdone, their forwards and posts were also impressive. Blair Green is a 6-1 guard / forward that plays hard, runs the floor well, and can knock down open jumpers. Molly Lockhart is a 6-3 post presence that has great hands and quick finishes around the basket.

Blue Star St. Louis Lovette – A team absolutely loaded with talent, Dan Rolfes’s squad is fun to watch. Rickie Woltman is a 6-3 post player that can score in the paint, knock down midrange jumpers, and attack off the dribble. Kate Martin is a skilled, big guard that has a great shot, good footwork, and quick trigger. Marisa Warren is a 5-8 guard that played very well offensively. She has good handles and knocked down several threes and midrange jumpers. Rachel Pranger was impressive in their full court press. She’s a strong guard / forward that had several steals and good finishes in transition.

Amy Dilk- 2018 – 5-10 – Point Guard – (Carmel, IN – IN Flight 17 Thunder) – Dilk is the engine that makes a talented IN Flight Thunder team run. She’s a skilled 5-10 point guard that has great court vision and makes good decisions. She knows her teammates’ strengths and puts them in the best position to score. Whether it’s to penetrate and pitch, kick back, or dribble for a better passing angle for post entry, Dilk’s high IQ is evident. Fundamental, she can also finish around the basket and knock down open shots.

Bre Lloyd- 2017 – 5-9 – Point Guard – (Fishers, IN – IN Lady Truth 17 KB) – Lloyd was impressive all weekend. With a great skillset and strong frame, she was able to attack the basket in transition and in the halfcourt. She has great court vision and knows how to make defenders pay (threes, midrange, and layups). Fun to watch in transition, she has a lovely spin move that leaves defenders behind. She also does the little things that matter. Up double digits with a few minutes remaining and the game was put away, she gladly took a charge.

Mackenzie Silvey – 2017 – 5-11 – Guard – (Edwardsville, IL – MO Blue Star St. Louis 17 Silvey) Silvey is a very skilled shooter that has great court awareness and is a solid passer. Her game is very fluid with a nice shot, quick trigger and good in transition. She reads the defense very well and can score in a variety of ways. She can knock down threes, attack off the dribble for jumpers, and score off cuts. Very fluid offensive player that is fun to watch.

Kaylee Bambule- 2017 – 5-8 – Guard – (Plainfield, IL – IL Lady Lightning 17 Platinum) – This tournament had many great shooters, but Bambule was one, if not the most, clutch shooter this past weekend. The talented Lady Lightning team played very well this weekend and needed some timely shots to force overtime. In a game against the Kentucky Premier EYBL squad, Bambule hit big three’s down the stretch to cut the lead and to send it to overtime. Although she is a great shooter, she doesn’t really force shots. The next day, they needed a big three and, when she was double-teamed coming off a screen, she made a pass for a game tying tripple. Bambule has a strong build and continues to improve. She has expanded her game and can also attack off the dribble and use shot fakes for jumpers.

QUICKHITTERS

Abby Brockmeyer – 2017 – 6-0 – Forward – (Raymond, IL – MO Blue Star St. Louis 17 Silvey) – Mobile forward that has nice build, finishes around the basket…Will post up…Comfortable with the dribble…Runs in transition…Boards well offensively and defensively…Nice And 1 finish

Darshana Nathan – 2017 – 5-5 – Guard – (Fort Wayne, IN – IN BGC Fire 17 Red) – Small guard that has good skillset…Can shift to the point…Loves to attack the rim…Has solid handles…Nice change of speed…Okay shot…Can make good passes

Emma Wesley – 2017 – 5-7 – Guard – (Louisville, KY – KY Premier 16 Epps) – Skilled guard…Plays hard…Decent shot…Rebounds well…Effective in transition…Aggressive defender…Moves well on D…Finishes with left

Mackenzie Blazek – 2018 – 6-2 – Center – (Franklin, IN – IN Flight 17 Thunder) – Fundamental post…Rebounds…Finishes well with left or right hand around the basket…Works hard for offensive rebounds and putbacks…Solid skillset…Blocks shots…Good touch around the basket…One of the more impressive posts

Danielle Dennis – 2018 – 5-10 – Guard/Forward – (Elmhurst, IL – IL Rockets Hotwagner) – Mobile guard/forward…Skilled…Good handles…Okay stroke…Solid passer…Plays hard…Key rebounds…Blocks shots

Sadie Hill – 2018 – 6-0 – Forward – (Indianapolis, IN – IN Flight 17 Strike) – Mobile forward…Attacks the basket off the dribble…Pushes it in transition…Decent shot…Strong passing skills…Solid pull up jumper…One to keep an eye on

Nakayla Jackson-Morris – 2018 – Guard/Forward – (Florissant, MO – MO Blue Star St. Louis 17 Lovette) – Powerful and athletic…Solid in transition game…Extremely quick…Aggressive on D…Disrupted in the press…Created steals

Mia Lakstigala – 2018 – 5-10 – Guard – (Naperville, IL – IL Rockets 17 Ondik) – Long…Athletic…Combo…Shoots the three…Creates off the dribble…Prefers jumpers…Moves her feet on D…Long wingspan

Allyson Niece – 2018 – 5-8 – Guard – (Independence, KY – KY Premier 16 Parmley EYBL) – Scrappy guard…Makes the unappreciated plays…Hustle player…Good skillset…Solid handles…Nice stroke

Kayla Caudle – 2019 – 6-1 – Forward – (Vernon Hills, IL- IL Elite 15 National) – Mobile forward – Strong frame…Good mobility…High post drive…Sees the floor…Strong passing out of the post…Rebounds well…Works for position…Nice shot fake to set up drive

EARLYBIRD EYBL MATCH-UP

Kentucky Premier Parmley EYBL vs. Indy Lady GymRats Silver EYBL

While we don’t usually highlight individual games this was one folks wanted to see.  The Premier raced out to an early lead by creating turnovers and attacking the basket for layups. While their speed and skill were evident, the most impressive facet of their game was their defense. These young ladies are aggressive and can get big defensive stops. It was 32-16 at half, but the game was far from over. The GymRats, led by Dana Evans, had a strong second half performance. Evans attacked the basket for layups and jumpers to cut into the Premier lead. The game was getting interesting late with the Gym Rats whittling the margin to six before the Premier buckled down and hit crucial free throws in the end to win 67-61.