The Classic is a basketball tournament hosted by Ohio Basketball that was held at the Kentucky Expo Center on May 17-19, 2024. It brought in teams from all over the US and beyond. Throughout the 3-day event, I walked around to various courts watching games from a variety of age groups and divisions. As I was watching, I took notes on players that stood out to me. Rather than putting these into paragraph form, I wanted to type the actual notes I wrote as I was watching each game. Below you can read about the 2027 players that stood out to me throughout The Classic (listed alphabetically by last name).Â
Please note:Â There are a few write-ups below that were already featured on X (@riseupsports1) during the tournament, but the majority are new player write-ups. Also please take into account that I typically only caught one game per team, 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.
Love the quick release from 3. Can catch on the move, square up quickly, and knock them down. Very capable of catching fire and knocking down multiple triples in every game. However, not just a shooter and can score at all 3 levels. She made good shot fakes and could get to the rim or knock down the pull-up jumper. Active defensively as well.
Did a great job facilitating the offense. Good recognition of when she should take it versus when to kick it to teammates. Handled the ball very well. Stayed calm and composed when trapped or pressured heavily. She was breaking apart the opposing team’s press by simply dribbling out of traps or breaking through gaps and getting the ball down the floor for easy buckets. Showed the ability to score at all 3 levels. Slid feet well defensively and kept her head on a swivel so she was always ready to step over and help. High energy.
Really strong on the boards. About as versatile as any player you’re going to find with the ability to play and defend every single position on the court. Good handles, smart passes, and very solid play on both ends of the court.
Only got to catch a small stretch of her game, but still saw a lot of good stuff in that time. Defensively, slid feet to stay in front well while applying a lot of pressure. On the offensive end, made smart decisions and created well for teammates by drawing help on drives and kicking it out.
Multiple strong takes to the basket where she used her body to create separation from the defense. Showed a variety of tough post moves. Also showed versatility with her ability to play multiple positions, inside and outside of the perimeter. Strong rebounder and love the work she constantly put in on the boards. Made some great passes and found the open shooters on the perimeter.
Very active and high energy player. Facilitated the offense well and showed an ability to score inside or out. Really got after it defensively, not making anything easy for the opposing team. A true stat stuffer. Will legitimately contribute in every statistical category. Love the way she creates for teammates and how unselfish she plays. Definitely recognizes when it’s her time to score too though.
Multiple crafty finishes at the rim. Scoring at all 3 levels. Good range on outside shot. Beyond disruptive defensively. Both of the times I watched her team play, she came up with blocks, steals, and deflections. Rebounded the ball well. Really just kept proving to be a match-up problem for opposing teams. Impossible to not notice her impact when you watch her play.
Lefty made some tough drives to the rim and when help D collapsed, made great kicks to open teammates. Very tough to defend because she can finish even with a defender on her hip. Did a good job using both sides of the rim. A lot of smart plays and good recognition all-around.
Such a tough competitor. Opposing team was trying to face guard her and deny her the ball, but she just kept finding ways to get open and make good stuff happen. Can score in a variety of ways at all 3 levels. Has a lot of versatility in her game. Did a good job of handling the ball and any pressure that was thrown at her. Set up the offense very well, creating for herself and teammates. Can really fill up a stat sheet.
True 3 level scoring threat. Very versatile with the ability to play and defend multiple positions. Great job taking care of the ball and reading the defense. Made some really tough moves. Can create so well. Truly can do it all and has a very strong all-around game.
Recognized driving lanes and attacked gaps well. Great hustle on the boards and came up with multiple rebounds. Can play multiple positions. Scored in a variety of ways including through contact.
