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LBI Event Recap: Weekend In Indy; Nike TOC & Hoosier Heat Part II (Indianapolis, IN)

By LBI Staff @LBIPremierBB @LBInsider, 07/14/20, 4:00PM EDT

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Indianapolis, IN: Lady Baller Insider hits the road to be amongst Evaluators at a highly talented Hoosier Heat & Nike Tournament of Champions tournament this past weekend!

Mari Bickley (2023) | Sports City U
If there was a prospect that I felt had the biggest impact on the weekend or was one of the most exciting to watch it had to be, Mari Bickley. A big guard, youngest on the team and being able to showcase her talent on a roster that is loaded from top to bottom says something. From the tip, she showed she could do it all. What stood out was the fact she could score at the basket through contact against bigger competition, she controls the game with poise and gets her teammates involved and putting them in the right spots. She always made it tough on opponents with her on-ball pressure. 

Kaia Woods (2022) | 1 Nation Elite 
Reclassifying to the 2022 class made Kaia Woods an even more intriguing prospect. In her first travel action of the summer, she had a pretty good showing. A fireball of energy on the court, she brings an electrifying type of demeanor you can see in her style of play. She’s small but she doesn’t let stature stop her, frequently she was able to burst in the lane and take bumps to get to the line, finish and draw defenders to put teammates in position to score. At times, it got out of control but if you’re a coach you can take the gamble when you know you have somebody that’s going to play as hard as she does. To add icing on the cake, her jump shot is improving a ton. 

Darianna Alexander (2025) | West Virginia Thunder 
At her age, it’s hard to predict what the next few years will be like. If her performance on Saturday afternoon was a glimpse of the future, she’s going to be a nightmare for opponents. A true point forward, she has both maturity and intelligence in her skill set. She never forced shots or tried to over do anything. As a coach you would appreciate how she did the little things like run lanes correctly, play without the basketball, make the extra pass, and making the best play. She was dominant, she knew it and didn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary to prove it. Alexander has long arms and they helped her on the defensive end, she can get the ball off the rim and push with a head of steam, in a nutshell, she was an impact all over the floor and led her team to an undefeated weekend. 

Nicole Melious (2023) | Hoopers NY
Another 2023 prospect playing a few grades, Melious had one of, if not the best scoring weekend in all of Indianapolis. This kid can scorch the nets from distance and it makes her that much to guard because if you sag off of her it will likely cost you, it’s pick your poison because if you double team (which most do) she knows how to find others in their spots. 

Lanae Riley (2022) | Sports City U
A bruiser style, traditional post prospect, Lanae Riley isn’t afraid to get dirty. She currently holds MAC offers but after the weekend she had her stock is sure to rise. She is equipped with soft hands, she loves to use the swim through technique and show and keeps her hands ready, she has no problems reposting and make the game easier for herself and those she plays with. She has nice touch around the basket to go with really good footwork and frame. 

Rachel Presley (2022) | East TN Air
Although her team suffered a tough defeat at the hands of Sports City U, Rachel Presley played with a different amount of toughness and grit. A wide-body post with mobility, she likes to rim run and could likely dominate in the post if she were playing her age group. She battled inside against more athletic bigs and didn’t rush her shots. She used her frame to not only initiate and absorb contact on the offensive end but it made it tough for defenders to finish over her because she really can’t be moved. 

Brianna Wooldridge (2022) | Example Sports 
Wooldridge is an intriguing prospect to keep a close eye on because she is versatile and has the ability to affect the game in multiple ways. A true tweener forward as she has no problems banging inside and scoring around the basket, but she does a really good job stretching the floor, making bigs check her on the perimeter, where she showed she has some touch from the outside, she can also attack defenders by taking the bump. 

Grace Van Slooten (2022) | Sports City U
This team is loaded and you can see as they have multiple standouts. Grace Van Slooten is no stranger to anybody who follows high school hoops but she really impressed me with her ability to push the basketball off a defensive rebound with both fluent control and speed, her length gave her an advantage attacking the lane as she often finished at the rim. A sure-fire high-level prospect who could be approaching the top 10 range. 

Wesleigh Ferguson (2024) | Woods Elite
Ferguson is a lanky wing who really thrives in transition. She slithers in the lane and gets creative to score. She does a good job at getting defenders off their feet with counters with emphasis on pump fakes and spin moves, she has deceptive speed and does a good job defending at all levels on that side of the floor. 

Kaili Doctor (2023) | West PA Bruins
Doctor is one of the more athletic young prospects that I’ve seen all weekend, she got some blocks that looked like volleyball spikes when defending in the post, she can stretch the floor from distance. Plus, she’s a really strong passer in stride and loves to get out and run to finish on the break. She’s good at a lot of things as a freshman, she’s a sure-fire D1 prospect who is definitely a stock riser following her play this weekend. 

Jasmine Timmerson (2023) | WPA Bruins
Timmerson got everyone involved and led her team to some big wins.  Jasmine also showcased her ability to score in transition as she got to the basket and knocked down open shots from the perimeter.  

Mary Meng (2023) | Mac Basketball
Meng is a dominant rim protector.  This was obvious during the tournament as she altered and blocked shot after shot.  She ran the floor well and cashed in on several offensive putbacks in transition.  Already an exceptional rebounder on both ends, as she will become more of a force as she continues to progress and get stronger.

Kynidi Striverson (2022) | Louisville Legends
Her aggressive style put pressure on the defense.  She attacked the lane in transition and made some incredible finishes at the rim.  Kynidi also had her mid-range game working and even hit a couple from deep.  On defense she was her usual self, pressuring the ball and playing with a high motor.  

Kennedy Lee (2022) | Louisville Legends
Lee a was a strong force in the paint. She has nice footwork and was quicker than most of the post players she faced. She did a great job of creating space for herself and was a solid defender. Kennedy is not afraid to face-up and shoot the mid-range shot, primarily because she can knock it down.