Ames, IA: There is an excellent beauty in basketball. You’ve seen it. When the backdoor play works. When the lob play works against the 3-2. When the hesitation with the head fake gets the defender up in the air and when the defender lands, they try to recover, but the ball handler goes to the stepback…swish! I saw those great plays and more in probably the most beautiful basketball event setting I’ve ever personally been a part of at The Fieldhouse in Ames, IA. The Fieldhouse features an old-time feel with wood and brick everywhere. Wood seats, wood floors, and bricks walls! I almost expected to look up and peach baskets for the girls to warm up on. Nevertheless, the Battle of the Best would prove to be an incredible event full of great plays and players.
2020 6’0” Caitlin Clark PG All Iowa Attack EYBL (IA)
Caitlin Clark is the kind of girl a coach is going to love to have at the next level. At the point guard spot, she has excellent size and game-changing passing ability. She gets the ball off of the outlet almost like a quarterback gets a snap from his center and can hit receivers in stride through the air or on the bounce pass from anywhere and at any time on the court. Add to that; she is ultra competitive and highly skilled, I can see why many would say she’s one of the best regardless of class that the U.S. has to offer. Caitlyn was the difference (taking nothing away from a very talented All Iowa Attack EYBL team) in an undefeated run to the Battle of the Best 17U top division championship.
2020 6’4” Dalayah Daniels SG Tree of Hope EYBL (WA)
Holy big-time potential Batman! Seeing Dalayah Daniels move and operate on the court the way she does at 6’4” was breath-taking. It was trying to concentrate on the game I was watching, but my feet seemingly had a mind of there own as I found myself wondering over to court 4 after my eyes witnessed Dalayah rip thru baseline so quick and hard on a defender that she fell just trying to get her footwork together to stay in front of her. Later on, Dalayah went coast to coast off of a defensive rebound, finishing the play with a sweet dish to her teammate for an AND 1. Keeping this short because there are not enough superlatives to describe her, let’s say, Dalayah Daniels has a unique combination of elite size, skill, and athleticism I haven’t seen in all my travels around the country. The sky is the limit.
Holy big-time potential Batman! Seeing Dalayah Daniels move and operate on the court the way she does at 6’4” was breath-taking. It was trying to concentrate on the game I was watching, but my feet seemingly had a mind of there own as I found myself wondering over to court 4 after my eyes witnessed Dalayah rip thru baseline so quick and hard on a defender that she fell just trying to get her footwork together to stay in front of her. Later on, Dalayah went coast to coast off of a defensive rebound, finishing the play with a sweet dish to her teammate for an AND 1. Keeping this short because there are not enough superlatives to describe her, let’s say, Dalayah Daniels has a unique combination of elite size, skill, and athleticism I haven’t seen in all my travels around the country. The sky is the limit.
2021 6’0” Morasha Wiggins SF Michigan Crossover (MI)
Morasha Wiggins, coming off a lower-body injury early in the summer, has been fantastic for a young and very talented Michigan Crossover 16U team. At the Battle of the Best, Wiggins attacked the rim relentlessly in transition and the half-court setting. Also, the rim is where the magic happens. Wiggins should have had to obtain a commercial pilots license she spent so much time in the air finishing with the left or right with a soft touch. What makes her even more dangerous on the offensive end is her ability to knock down the catch and shoot 3. She’s even more versatile on the defensive end as she can keep smaller guards in front of her and compete defending bigger players as well. Look for Wiggins to be a top 50 talent in the country in the 2021 class as she continues to develop.
Morasha Wiggins, coming off a lower-body injury early in the summer, has been fantastic for a young and very talented Michigan Crossover 16U team. At the Battle of the Best, Wiggins attacked the rim relentlessly in transition and the half-court setting. Also, the rim is where the magic happens. Wiggins should have had to obtain a commercial pilots license she spent so much time in the air finishing with the left or right with a soft touch. What makes her even more dangerous on the offensive end is her ability to knock down the catch and shoot 3. She’s even more versatile on the defensive end as she can keep smaller guards in front of her and compete defending bigger players as well. Look for Wiggins to be a top 50 talent in the country in the 2021 class as she continues to develop.
2021 6’0” Lexi Unruh SG South Dakota Attack (SD)
I know the state of South Dakota has a track record of being able to keep their girls in the state, but ’21 Lexi Unruh is a talent the country needs to know about. She has great length and athleticism. She’s efficient scoring from all three levels. She can handle the ball in transition, and in the half court setting. I was impressed with her composure down the stretch in some very competitive games as she was able to help her team vs. pressure and make some key plays and baskets to get the wins. Watching Lexi play was one of the things I looked forward to an hour to hour as she seemed to pull back the layers to her game every time out. I'm sure the college coaches in attendance felt the same way too.
I know the state of South Dakota has a track record of being able to keep their girls in the state, but ’21 Lexi Unruh is a talent the country needs to know about. She has great length and athleticism. She’s efficient scoring from all three levels. She can handle the ball in transition, and in the half court setting. I was impressed with her composure down the stretch in some very competitive games as she was able to help her team vs. pressure and make some key plays and baskets to get the wins. Watching Lexi play was one of the things I looked forward to an hour to hour as she seemed to pull back the layers to her game every time out. I'm sure the college coaches in attendance felt the same way too.
2022 5’10” Ruby Whitehorn SG Michigan Crossover (MI)
Ruby Whitehorn is the avalanche of girls basketball in the class of 2022; once she gets going downhill, there is nothing you can do to stop her. Whitehorn features explosiveness off of her spin move or crossover that allows her to beat her defender and cause havoc. She’s adept at beating the help whether going over the top or around. She has a soft feathery touch on her floater and push shot. She can shoot the midrange jumper and the 3. Whitehorn is phenomenal in transition as well. She covers much ground in the open court and is rangy on defense in pressing situations. She has the weapons in her offensive arsenal that allows her to score in bunches which is indeed a benefit for her and her team. The attributes above that she has honed and many others that she has the potential to develop are why Ruby should be considered one of the top 2022 guards in the country.
Ruby Whitehorn is the avalanche of girls basketball in the class of 2022; once she gets going downhill, there is nothing you can do to stop her. Whitehorn features explosiveness off of her spin move or crossover that allows her to beat her defender and cause havoc. She’s adept at beating the help whether going over the top or around. She has a soft feathery touch on her floater and push shot. She can shoot the midrange jumper and the 3. Whitehorn is phenomenal in transition as well. She covers much ground in the open court and is rangy on defense in pressing situations. She has the weapons in her offensive arsenal that allows her to score in bunches which is indeed a benefit for her and her team. The attributes above that she has honed and many others that she has the potential to develop are why Ruby should be considered one of the top 2022 guards in the country.
