Rian Forestier
Bella Fontleroy of Springfield, Missouri, is one of the most heavily recruiting players undecided in 2022. *Photo by Anthony Lugardo.
BUFORD, Georgia – With numerous Power 5 head coaches on hand inside cozy two-court venue to end the July evaluation period, the Brandon Clay Elite 32 was arguably the premier independent event in the country to be seen. The coaches in attendance included Adia Barnes Arizona staff sitting four coaches deep on the very last game of the weekend. Here’s a look at some of the standouts from the action:
Bella Fontleroy – Springfield, Missouri - Banshees 17 3SSB – 2022
Fully healed from an injury that caused her to miss significant time over the past two summers, Fontleroy put everyone here on notice that she is more than capable of making a splash with her versatility at the college level. The first of two sequences over the weekend that jumped out to me during her play was a six-minute stretch in which the 6-foot-2 forward hit five 3-pointers. The second was Fontleroy following that performance up by drawing multiple charges on opposing offensive drivers in the middle of the lane. It was no wonder why Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors spent the entire weekend watching the Elite 60 prospect perform.
Rian Forestier – Helotes, Texas - Player First – 2024
Forestier came into the second week as a well known prospect to our staff from our Training Academy Series but still not a priority for most of the Power 5 and elite mid major schools around the country. That all changed with her play here. She went toe-to-toe with some of the best the nation has to offer emerging as a winner with offers from the likes of Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and SMU in the process.
Amani Hamilton – Savannah, Georgia - AOT 17 – 2022
Hamilton’s physicality was exactly the shot in the arm that her club team needed after missing her presence early in the week. She plays with a consistent motor and seems to be around every loose ball or rebound that is in her area. Hamilton’s skill in that area makes her a seemingly no brainer addition to the 2022 recruiting board of any school still in need of an interior presence who can also face up and hit an open jumper.
Jaiden Thomas – Conway, Arkansas - Banshees Marsh – 2022
Already committed to Louisiana Tech, Thomas has the type of athleticism and size that colleges covet. Brooke Stoehr and her staff made a good decision to get ahead of the pack on Thomas securing a commitment at the beginning of the year. She has all the tools to be a productive college level guard.
Janiyah Williams – Stillwater, Oklahoma - Banshees 15 3SSB – 2025
Simply put, Williams could be a primary perimeter scorer for almost any team in the country the next three summers. Williams in a good place with her game right now showing the skill set needed to garner the type of national recruiting attention that is already coming her way with Kansas State, Oklahoma, Penn State and TCU offers already rolling in.
Meghan Yarnevich – Ellicott City, Maryland - Powermove 17 3SSB – 2025
Yarnevich has made a name for herself over the years by being a fierce competitor on the inside not afraid of anyone. She lived up to that reputation here going against the aforementioned Fontleroy in front of some of the nation’s elite programs over the past two decades including Baylor. In that regard, Yarnevich has established herself as a high level option in the class already for schools nationwide.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
