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 2028 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
Loved what I saw from Adler. Great movement without the ball and defensively. Did a great job working the middle in half-court offense. Smart decisions with and without the ball. Showed good strength. Finished some nice baskets, including finishing through contact.
Definitely showing high potential. Impressed by the range she has on her outside shot, able to knock them down well beyond the arc. Catches ready to fire and if you don’t get a hand up in her face, she’ll make you pay. Solid ball handler and passer as well.
Good length and height for a guard, with great speed and athletic ability. Capable of handling the ball against any defender without turning it over. Does a great job using her speed, moves, and IQ to get to the rim and finish through traffic. Excellent passer with tremendous court vision. Rebounds the ball well on both ends. Plays with an excellent motor on both ends, getting up and down in transition both offensively and defensively. Can score from anywhere on the floor, using her crafty finishing ability and pure jump shot. Excellent feel for the game. Versatile defender capable of guarding 1 through 4.
-KEVIN CLANCY
Courtney is definitely a 2028 player who should be on everyone’s radar. Really solid floor general who can score at all 3 levels. Did a good job of recognizing the openings on the court and made great decisions in transition. Didn’t need much space to knock down shots and was able to finish in crafty ways around the basket. Very active defensively and consistently made good reads to come up with deflections and steals.
Frohnapfel is a high IQ player who makes a big impact on the court. She was confident and poised with the ball in her hands. Made some really nice decisions with and without the ball, finding open teammates and creating good looks for herself. Showed an ability to consistently score inside and out.
You don’t typically see players this young who are able to make the kind of impact Headspeth does in the post. Just an excellent physical presence down low on both ends of the court. Showed good strength and consistently went hard on the boards. Grabbed rebounds and made great outlet passes. Took and handled contact well, finishing some tough shots around the rim. Great job finishing on both sides of the basket.
Plays with the confidence and poise of an upperclassman. Great job facilitating her team’s offense. Showed the ability to play on and off the ball effectively. Creates well for herself and for teammates. Crafty finishes.
Should have a really big season for Great Crossing. Love the way she impacts the game on both ends of the court. Good job handling pressure. Showed great court vision and ability to deliver passes through traffic. Good outside shot with a quick release. Great movement without the ball. Tenacious crashing the boards and jumping into passing lanes.
Good ball handler with nice height and great strength for a young guard. Capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor. Dangerous three point shooter who can get hot in a hurry. Active hands and feet defensively. Good passer who sees the floor well. Rebounds at a high level for a guard. Will be a key piece for the Scott Eagles each of the next four seasons. Underrated player in Kentucky’s 10th Region.
-KEVIN CLANCY
The thing that stood out most to me is she missed a string of shots but never stopped shooting and got better as the day went on. Nice shot from deep and strung numerous 3-pointers together.
-TONIA WITT (Individual Showcase)
