High School Basketball season is upon us in the Midwest, and what better way to begin the year than the rivalry that is Michigan vs. Ohio? Much like the Border Battle, the inaugural Glass City Scrimmage featured some of the top players in the country between the two states. A slew of who's who in the college recruiting ranks were on hand for an eventful day in Toledo. Here are a few of the day's standouts:
6'3” 2019 Rickea Jackson WF - DEPSA (MI)
Widely regarded as a top 10 player in the nation, and it shows as soon as soon as the ball is tipped. Very few have the impact on a game that Jackson does with her defensive prowess. She times opponent’s shots well, her length covers ground when playing help-side defense and defending on the perimeter. Offensively, she showed the ability to create off the dribble as she attacked the basket and made plays with the ball in her hands very often.
5'9” 2019 Jeanae Terry PG - Wayne Memorial (MI)
It's always a delight to watch Terry, as she looks like a magician handling the basketball. It's nearly impossible for opposing teams to press or trap her due to her crafty dribble combinations. She did a great job pushing the ball downhill in either setting of the game; she kept defenders honest as her jump shot was clicking and the way she set found her teammates. Coming off a big summer, I expect her recruitment to increase as the season goes on.
6'1” 2018 Lexi Lance PF - Wadsworth (OH) - Signed to Toledo.
Wadsworth picked up a huge win vs. Detroit Edison and it was due in large part to the play of Lance. The Toledo commit was a dominant paint presence as she used her strength to pursue rebounds on the offensive glass to finish through contact. Lance is very active around the key as she was able to seal, catch and find teammates cutting to the basket. With her college-ready body, and skill for her position, she should be able to contribute from day one in the MAC.
6'1” 2019 Jordan Horston CG - Columbus Africentric (OH)
Another heralded national prospect, who also backed up the claim, was Horston who may have been the best prospect in attendance all day. Horston stuffed the stat sheets as she was a nightmare in the open court pushing the ball with a head of steam finishing with either hand on the break or breaking down opponents and looking for teammates who also made her look good by finishing. She has some entertainment value to her game as she electrified the crowd with her dazzling and flashy play.
6'1” 2019 Sammie Puisis G/F - Mason (OH) - Verbal to Florida State
Puisis is yet another one of those national prospects who did nothing but back up that claim with her play throughout the day. She welcomes the physicality of the game on every possession, whether it be fighting through screens or positioning around the rim or diving for loose balls. Puisis didn't have a problem scoring the basketball at all, and she defends like a big on the inside.
5'10” 2018 Jaida Hampton SF - East Lansing (MI) - Signed with Wichita State
East Lansing didn't play its best basketball on the day, but the Wichita State-bound Hampton still did some things worthy of mention. She plays four positions on the floor fluently. She can run the team; her broad frame made it easy for her to stop the opposition inside on the interior and get in the lane to create opportunities for her to score.
5'7” 2021 Damiya Hageman PG - DEPSA (MI)
If you don't know Hageman by now, you should get used to seeing her name. A top 10 player in the country, maturity is the best way to describe her play. She defends with a passion, rarely gets beat, and can play both guard positions without a problem; doing a great job distributing and moving without the ball to affect the game. She is also skillful in finding teammates in stride with her strong passes on the break and is super crafty mixing it up to score the basketball.
5'6” 2020 Daija Tyson PG - DEPSA (MI)
Coming off an ACL injury that sidelined her for most of last season, Tyson appeared to be getting back in the groove of things at the helm of DEPSA's offense. Like her backcourt counterpart Hageman, Daija had no problem playing on or off the ball. She found herself in the right spot to hit open jumpers, and her speed with the ball made it hard for defenders to stay in front of her.
6'2” 2020 Kayla Gray PF - Wayne Memorial (MI)
Gray is a real old-school style post that will continue to improve and emerge on the scene as the season progresses. A workhorse on the box, she keeps her hands ready and active which makes her an easy target to find and it helps that she has a real feel for the games as she can adjust her shots based off what the defense gives her. The sky is the limit for her because of the effort which she plays; she shows no fear if she gets switched out on the perimeter and she takes up space on the defensive end and fills the lane correctly every time down the floor. Gray has BCS potential all over her.
5'7” 2021 Abrie Cabana PG - Grass Lake (MI)
A coach’s kid, and it shows out on the floor as she plays with a ton of poise and has a very primary display of her game. Her passes where always crisp and on point for teammates, she was outstanding off the catch and made some tough shots over defenders and rarely missed when open. She is one of the more intriguing prospects to watch moving forward.
5'7” 2018 Charley Hensley PG - Columbus Northland - (OH)
A faithful hound dog on the defensive end, she got many of her opportunities by keeping her hands in passing lanes to score in transition and was a pest turning and stripping opposing defenders.
5'9” 2018 Jena Weatherspoon SF - Columbus Northland (OH)
What stood out to me is that no matter the adversity or deficit she never quit until time expired. She played hard on both ends of the floor, and her speed in transition made it easy for her to get by defenders, and she drove to the basket like a running back attempting to get to the end zone. Her midrange is above average as she was able to stop on a dime and knock it down with no problems.
5'9” 2021 Madison Royal-Davis Wing - Toledo Rogers
A slim and lanky wing that used her length to her advantage by pushing the ball out in front of her instead of using a crossover. She was one of the few players that showed she could use the glass consistently to score as she hit multiple floaters off the square effortlessly. Her game will grow over the years, and she very well may be one of the top players in the area by the end of the season.
