Youngster Shines For DSC Entrant Indiana Top Recruit



The Indiana Top Recruit program is built around the concept of developing fundamentals and gradually building quality basketball players. While that approach is still the foundation of the program, one young player is on a more accelerated path.

Keya Patton is a 5-6 point guard from the Class of 2018 who is already turning heads. Patton is entering the 2015 travel season rated as the No. 27 prospect nationally in her class by the All Star Girls Report.

“Keya was one of the top point guards in the state this year as a freshman. At times, she does things that Whitney Jennings did for us when she was a senior,” said Coach Doug Alexander, who was recalling a former a Top Recruit standout who started at point guard as a freshman for Iowa in 2014-15. “Keya is a scoring point guard who can take anyone off the dribble. She is extremely good at handling the ball in the open court, she sees the floor, and she has a beautiful shot that extends to the three-point line.”

“Patton is a quick, talented point guard with an impressive skill set,” added ASGR analyst Bret McCormick. “Patton knows the game, she can handle the ball and pass it well, and she is a threat at the arc.”

Patton and her teammates will be competing in the 2015 Deep South Classic, which will be played in Raleigh, NC on April 24-26. The Deep South Classic annually features the nation’s top travel programs, and the event will once again have the entire tournament in one facility — the tremendous Raleigh Convention Center.

Alexander and the other coaches at Indiana Top Recruit have been producing quality players for over a decade by following a simple approach.
“We want to play at a high level while helping girls develop into better basketball players,” Alexander said. “We focus on detailed fundamentals so that we can teach them how the game is supposed to be played. We spend a lot of time working on the details, in both individual fundamentals and team concepts.”
While Patton may be the new star at Top Recruit, several veteran players will also be getting attention from the college coaches at the Deep South Classic. The list of prospects includes Kali Wilburn (2015, 5-11, F), Rashay Turentine (2016, 5-10, F), Jalise Beck (2016, 5-7, SG) and Emoni Redmon (2016, 5-5, CG).
“Kali and Rashay are very, very similar players,” Alexander said. “They both play very well around the basket. They are great leapers who rebound well and block shots. Jalise has tremendous speed in the open court. She is one of the fastest players I’ve coached from baseline to baseline, and she is a very good shooter out to 18 feet. Emoni is a great penetrator who can really handle the ball. This is her first year with our program, and I have been surprised at how well she plays. She can draw contact and finish in the lane, and she has a nice three-point shot.
“Those are some of our top older players, and we also have some great younger kids in addition to Keya.”
McCormick also provided his insight on the Indiana Top Recruit veterans.
“Wilburn is an athletic, blue collar type player who rebounds and scores inside,” McCormick said. “Turentine is another athletic player who can be productive in the paint. Beck is a quick, attacking guard. She can get to the rim, and she has a nice pull up jumper. Redmon is a combo guard with good quickness and the ability to finish in traffic.”