Plymouth, IN: Lady Baller Insider was in the house for Larry Copeland’s Grassroots Hoops Summit. Considering the new procedures for COVID-19, the event went off without a hitch. There was a great basketball to evaluate and a very good buzz in the gym as everyone seemed excited to get going again. Here are several standout performers I want to highlight as well as a lightning round of LBI Roundup.
2022 Avery Zeinstra 5'7" PG West Michigan Drive
Avery Zeinstra continues to improve every summer. At the Grassroots Hoops Summit, she remained consistent in her effort and ability to score off the dribble. She’s almost a shoe in to knock down the open three and do it with range. Avery looks a bit stronger and even more confident as she was able to lead her team to be competitive in both games I saw her in. Avery has been consistently good and coaches won’t want to miss out on this gem.
2023 Julia Econonmu 5’10” SF MBA Select
Julia is a bit of a jack of all trades type of player on both ends of the court. This morning, she looked comfortable guarding perimeter players and mixing it up in the post. She was able to get tough rebounds and put backs. In a span of a few seconds, she was able to knock down an early three and cause havoc on defense, which led to another opportunity for her in transition. There’s no doubt Julia was committed to doing whatever she needed to do to win the game.
2022 Alyna Lewis PG 5’5” Michigan Premier
Upon first glance, you might not believe that Alyna Lewis is a tiger, but she is just that. She has relentless energy about her. Very skilled, she was able to create opportunities to score in transition and in the pick & roll for herself and others. She is the quintessential Michigan Premier type of point guard As they are usually tough, skilled with both hands, and able to score when the team needs it most.
2021 Joslynn Spears 5’6” PG MBA Select
Some kids are just different than others. From the swag they have on the walk in the gym to the way they warm-up, you can tell when a kid is going to bring a little extra to the table. And Joslynn Spears seem to do just that. She’s cat-quick on defense and cheetah fast on offense. Time and time again she was able to break down the defense with her blinding speed. She was extremely hard to contain for the opposing team. She was also able to create havoc on the defensive end with that speed and hand activity. Her play made me feel like she was playing with a chip on her shoulder and those are the kind of kids you want to have when you’re battling this summer.
2024 Destini Craig 5’11 SF Always100
Destini Craig has a business-like approach to her game. She has a great frame for her position and age that she was able to use to get downhill to the basket at will. The 1-2 punch of Craig and uber-talented point guard Jordyn Poole was just too much for The Factory. Craig seems to be always in control when she had the ball, fully aware that the combination of her size strength and athleticism would be too much for the factory or defense designed to stop her. I believe Craig is the perfect complement to Jordyn Poole in a way that thunder is to lightning.
2021 Kathleen Ahner 5’6” PG Dayton Metro (Taylor University)
As the night begin to fade and I was headed home, Kathleen Ahner caught my eye. The Dayton Metro team was down big to a very tough Michigan Premier team, but they just kept fighting. Leading the way was The never say die style of play of Ahner. She left it all on the floor even at one point making three triples in the span of about three minutes. The Taylor University commit scored on all levels and from all angles as she put her team on her back at different instances throughout the game. Ahner is tough as nails!
2023 McKenna Macon 5'7" PG Macon Basketball Academy
Macon saw the floor and ran her team's offense very well. She showed great change of speed in the open court. Macon knows her position and does it very well. Always looking to make the extra pass for easy scoring opportunities for her teammates.
2022 Adi Douglas 6'4" Post Macon Basketball Academy
Douglas rebounded the ball strong, scored a lot around the basket. She is a solid college prospect who was also active on both ends of the court that competes and will continue to improve.
2023 Taylor Double 5'9" SG Time To Ball
Have all the qualities. Double shot the ball well from both the mid-range and deep. She was able to use her body to shield away smaller quicker guards. Taylor never looked rushed or timid even under constant aggressive pressure.
LBI Round-Up
2022 Olivia Smith (Always 100) does not have enough D1 offers...2023 Ali Stephens can light it up from 3...Check us out on @LBI_TV_ cause my man @CreatedbyKwalla is about to kill it...2023 Ashlynn Brooke is for real. Top 3 in her class in Indiana...2022 Lexus Bargesser (Michigan Premier) has been playing up for what seems like forever and still is but she’s going to breakout this year...Lastly, don’t forget to follow the @LBInsider staff next week for more girls basketball coverage.
