The Bluegrass Cardinal Classic gave high school teams and players the opportunity to play in front of college coaches in a much different way than what you typically see. Normally, college coaches chance to view players comes with their AAU teams at live events. The Bluegrass Cardinal Classic allows players to take advantage of a live period in June with their high school team rather than their AAU team. Below you can read about the 2025 players that stood out to us throughout The Bluegrass Cardinal Classic Team Event and Individual Showcase (listed alphabetically by last name).
Please note: There are a few write-ups below that were already featured on X (@riseupsports1) during the event. Also please take into account that each of us only caught one game per team for the most part, so these notes were based on performance in that specific game. Please let us know if any of the information below is incorrect and we will get it fixed as soon as possible.
Baker’s basketball IQ always stands out when you really watch the way she plays. She makes very smart decisions with and without the ball and her impact goes well beyond what shows up on the stat sheet. Baker also has very good form on her shot and can knock them down quickly.
What instantly jumped out to me about Baker was how hard she goes defensively and on the boards. She is not afraid to be aggressive and handles physicality well. Baker made some great drives to the rim and recognized when to kick it.
Bale was absolutely lighting it up at GRC. The lefty is one of the best shooters in the state and beyond. She has such a smooth game and that definitely applies to her outside shot as well. Bale does a great job getting into the paint and knocking down jumpers or floaters, along with being able to take it all the way. She was doing a great job creating for teammates as well. Expect a big senior season from Bale!
Becker’s stats may not always overwhelm you, but she’s a very valuable piece for the Jaguars. She looked controlled and was doing all of the little things on both ends of the court. Defended well and did a good job recognizing where to kick it on the offensive end.
Beehn is a tough player to defend because she is an inside-out scoring threat. She made some great moves around the basket and held off the defense well. However, she also consistently stepped outside of the perimeter and looked comfortable there, knocking down some shots as well. Showed good strength as well.
Burden is very solid overall. She doesn’t try to do too much and consistently makes good reads. Can knock down outside shots with good range and utilizes shot fakes well.
I think Madison Central was a team that really proved why they deserve to be ranked going into the season at this event and Campbell played a big role in their success. She really contributed in every way imaginable from passing to scoring to defending and so on. Court vision was excellent. Read the passing lanes well. Showed off deep range on her outside shot. Really strong showing all-around.
Doesn’t make ANYTHING easy on the offense. Tenacious, tough defender. On the other end of the court, Carter showed off her playmaking abilities while also showing she can score the ball at all 3 levels. So quick with and without the ball. Truly fearless on the court.
I was so impressed by Collins decision making and with her game as a whole. Her strength makes it hard for opponents to keep up with her. She had some really tough finishes around the basket and had a great feel for where she was even with her back to the basket. Also got good elevation on her jumper. Could clearly feel her impact on both sides of the court and loved hearing the vocal leadership she displayed.
Crowe stays ready to get into the passing lanes to come up with steals and she does a great job recognizing when to go after those steals. Good, quick hands defensively. Made a lot of unselfish plays with the ball and knew where open teammates were, especially on fast breaks.
Duck is one of the quickest players you’re going to find. Her crossover is especially quick and very effective at helping her get a step or two on her defender. She elevates well on her jump shot which allows her to finish over the defense. She also can finish in crafty ways around the basket and made some great passes. Very tough defender as well.
Frazee is one of the top post players in the state. She has excellent strength and can handle a lot of physicality. Great hands and touch around the basket. Seals off defense very well when she posts up. Fights on the boards. Makes some really nice passes out of the post. Stays straight up and makes things tough defensively.
Gearlds was very solid overall. She showed off some really good moves inside. Gearlds also had some nice aggressive drives to the basket, showing she’s a threat around the basket and off the bounce. Loved the way she crashed the boards hard on nearly every possession.
Elite quickness and hands defensively. Legitimate three level scorer. Excellent shooter. Very shifty with the ball in her hands. Does a nice job of changing speeds. Excellent ball handler. High IQ. Plays with a high motor, yet under control.
-KEVIN CLANCY
Nice height, great strength, and excellent length for a Power 5 post player. Excellent finisher at the rim. Excellent offensive rebounder. Elite shot blocker. Good post-to-post passer, has nice floor vision for a big. High IQ. Smart player who sees the game at a mature level.
-KEVIN CLANCY
Emerson caught the ball ready to score or make a move to create space. She knocked down some outside shots and looked to score off the bounce. Made some good passes and handled the ball well. Loved the high energy she was displaying.
Knockdown shooter. Really proved why she should be looked at as a top shooter in the state. Quick release and good range. Contributes much more than simply shooting though – handles the ball well, moves well without the ball, makes good passes, can beat defenders off the bounce, applies good pressure defensively, and can get into passing lanes for steals.
Jackson was making things so tough defensively. Felt like she came up with multiple steals and deflections from start to finish. Really was doing a little bit of everything. She scored inside and out, made good passes, and handled the ball well.
Jackson is poised to have a huge senior season. She looks really tough and is doing a great job scoring in a variety of ways. Did a little bit of everything beyond scoring as well. Made some impressive moves throughout the game. Jackson is really shining this summer and will definitely be a player that gets a lot more attention this season.
Koralia showed off her sharpshooting abilities. She caught ready to fire and had a quick release on her outside shot. Also showed deep range.
