There were 50 2016 girls prospects at Ron Coleman’s Southwest Showcase Discovery Camp at Deer Valley High School on Saturday, September 15th. Parents learned about recruiting and academics for their young girls.
Here are the top 25 girls from the event based on how well they performed. I conclude with Part II of my recap …
Class of 2016 Top Prospects:
Isabelle Spruitt SG 5’8” Mesquite HS – Isabelle is the best pure SG at the event. She has amazing form on her shot and hit four three-pointers in 2 games. She almost has a set-shot that looks good every time she releases the ball. Her IQ is also very high, as she knows where to go without the ball. Most people struggle playing off of the ball, but she has no problems with it. She also knows the strengths and weaknesses of her opponents, as it seems she is a student of the game - which will accelerate her progress. Every team will want to have a floor-spacer like Isabelle on their team.
Tatum Brimley PG Desert Vista HS – Tatum is another pure, pass-first PG. She knows how to make girls around her better. She hit many girls in stride with perfect passes on the run. Besides her amazing vision, she can go by her defender and finish with either hand. She also knows how to perform a shot fake and blow by with ease. She will have to improve her range on her jumper to increase her overall game. This great passer will be a great floor general at Desert Vista.
Makayla Filiere SF 5’8” 130 Hamilton HS – Makayla has an unusual stroke to her shot, yet she is 1 of the best shooters in the gym. She won the 3-Point Contest and hit many outside shots along the way. In her 2nd game, she hit 4-mid-range shots in a row. She’s not just a spot-up shooter though, she also showed the ability to defend down low with a few blocks and some solid rebounds with her long arms. As she grows older, she will need to improve her handles to make her game even more dangerous, and she could also use that to drive to the hole more. She will be another true, floor-spacer with potential to be more.
Kailee Nafziger PF 5’8” 180 Xavier Prep – Kailee is your classic stretch-4. She lives in the mid-range game. She was a very efficient 7-out of-10 from outside the paint. Mostly straight on, but also mixed in a couple fade-away turn-around shots. She also is very solid on the glass and, with her touch, she is a very good offensive weapon to have. She will have to move her feet quicker to defend the more athletic PF’s in the future, and it will help her to develop more ball skills. This dead-eye shooter will be a bonus to any team.
Alexis Springfield PG 5’4” 101 Mesquite HS – Alexis is a defensive PG. She also loves to drive to the hole on almost every play. She attacks the defender, as she is usually faster then most. Her best skill though is definitely her ability to create turnovers. She has long arms and is very fast. She bothers other ball-handlers all the way down the court. She is very good finishing off her lay-ups, especially on the fast break. She will need to improve her right hand and confidence with her outside shot to keep the defense honest. She didn’t attempt an outside shot in 2 games and never goes right. This fast lefty thief is an intriguing prospect.
Adriana Zelaya 5’11” PF Millenium HS - Adriana passes the eye-test with her long arms, lean body and height. She is a very good rebounder on the offensive and defensive glass. She also will block some shots with her amazing arms. She will put back lay-ups off of other players misses to get the 2 points. She will have to improve her skill level to go from potential to production. She needs better use of her handles, and also needs to know, when the level is high, how to adjust her game to always be productive. Adriana has one of the highest upsides at the event, and only time will tell if she will reach that potential.
Payton Whitmore PG 5’6” 105 Hamilton HS - Payton is an extremely fast, pass-first PG. She has a good first step to blow by her defender, and usually make a play for someone else. She finishes lay-ups well, but has to improve on her outside shot. She also must cut down on the turnovers to help her team out. Since she is small, she will have to be more creative scoring the ball, if she isn’t going to rely on her outside shot. Adding a floater to her game will really help. She will need to improve her shooting to go along with her already amazing speed and unselfish play on the court.
Reazsha Benjamin SF 5’7” 120 Sahuaro HS - This lefty was the most athletic girl at the event for her age. She flies around everywhere on defense and offense. She can grab rebounds that she shouldn’t due to sheer jumping ability. In the open court she is special. She goes by girls at will and, interesting enough, she is an excellent passer. She had about 5 assists in 2 games and easily 10 rebounds. She also can defend anyone in the gym due to her speed, quickness and anticipation. She will need to work on shooting from the outside and using her right hand. This athletic lefty has big upside.
Deja Dagons PG Desert Vista HS - Deja is a quick, defensive minded, pass-first PG. She is not very big, but plays big on the court due to her speed and mind. She made many great passes in the 2 games along with many steals. She probably had 6 assists and 4 steals. She will have to work on her outside shooting and finishing off lay-ups. If she finds a mid-range shot or a floater, it will help her immediately. This quick-handed, high IQ girl will be a prospect to watch.
Celeste Lira PG Alhambra HS - Celeste is a very strong, pass-first PG. She has her head up the whole game - looking to make a play for her teammates. She uses her strong body to shield the defender and then makes the pass. She also knows how to use the pick-and-roll to her advantage. She will have to cut down on the turnovers, and extend her range on her shot to go to another level of play. This strong girl, with great vision has potential.
Jordenn Reibel SG 5’7” 125 Millennium HS - Jordenn uses her shooting and mind on the court. She plays an old school kind of game - truly reading the defender and deciding where to go on the court and how to get open. Her shot is nice, but since she isn’t ultra athletic, she has to be creative getting from point A to point B, which she showed on Saturday. She has that ability because she can handle the ball well and make plays for herself or others. She is a high IQ shooter with potential for more.
Leah Goodman PG Horizon HS - Leah is a scoring PG with a very streaky 3-point shot. She can miss 2 in a row, then start heating up and hit 3 in a row. She has great range on her jumper with an easy release. Once she hits the 3-point shot, it opens up the rest of her game. Since she isn’t super fast and her handle needs to be a little tighter, she gives a shot fake to freeze the defense, so she can dribble by them and make a pass or finish off a lay-up. She also is fearless on the court, as she was on the floor at least 3 times in 2 games hustling for loose balls or trying to steal the ball. This good shooter will help out Horizon immediately.
Class of 2017 Top Prospects:
Kiara Edwards PF 5’9” 165 Middle School - Kiara’s post moves were the best at the event in 8th or 9th grade. Truly surprising how well she performed down low, and how comfortable she was in the post. She knew how to create space with her elbow to shield off the defender to get in better position to make the lay-up or turn-around 5-foot shot. She is so strong and has such good power moves to the middle, it is hard to defend. She already can compete against seniors in HS down low in the trenches. She will have to increase her stamina and shooting range moving forward to become a high-major get. I can’t imagine any better 8th graders in the state down low.
Tyra Euell-Long CG 5’4” 140 Middle School - Tyra was the strongest girl, pound-per-pound at the event. She is a fierce competitor and doesn’t fear anything. Her team lost some players since they had to leave the last quarter, so she asked the coach if she can guard the toughest girls down low, which she did. She was everywhere. She came from the weak-side to block some shots, and held her ground against her post opponents. She truly is an animal on defense with no equal. Her offensive game is solid also. She has deep 3-point range and can control the ball well like a PG, but is usually looking to score. She is extremely confident and believes she is the best player on the court at all times. She also has a great personality off the court and is very amusing. This jack-of-all-trades will be on every coach’s radar once she gets into HS.
Lauryn Satterwhite SF Middle School - Lauryn is a super-athletic wing player who just glides to the hole. She has great speed and long strides to get anywhere she wants. She can handle the ball well, which really helps her game. She also is a very good defender on the ball with her length and speed. She will have to develop an outside shot, or mid-range game to compliment her. She also will be a great get for any HS and has huge upside.