City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff
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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Blue Star High School Invitational Showcase tipped off Sunday at Jefferson University, bringing together a strong field of girls basketball programs for a full day of competitive, high-level matchups. With teams from across the region sharing the floor, the event highlighted depth, balance, and standout individual performances in a showcase-style setting.

Here is the second of our recruiting notebooks from the event:

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Ashley Kreiger (2027 | Westtown School)

Ashley Kreiger spent Sunday’s game against Bethlehem Catholic making sure Westtown had plenty of extra chances.

It made no difference to the 6-foot-3 forward/center who took those shots. The Hawks were unable to find a way to keep her off the offensive glass.

“I’m just watching the ball as it comes off the rim and really just trying to get my teammates extra chances,” Kreiger said after grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the first half and nine total in the game.

Once she successfully tracked down errant shots, something she did three times on one second-quarter Westtown trip up the floor, Kreiger was just as likely to look to a teammate as put it back up. She finished with fewer shots than offensive rebounds while contributing seven points, 10 total rebounds, three steals and two assists – one after an offensive rebound, the other for a layup off one of her steals.

“I think that’s really important,” Kreiger said, “especially with having so many other offensive players. Just being able to get those second-chance points helps us get the (win).”

Westtown got many second – and sometimes even third and fourth – chances with 25 offensive rebounds while limiting Bethlehem Catholic to one until getting a second in the final minute. That translated into 56 shots to 31.

Kreiger’s approach and skillset have made her an attractive prospect. According to her social media posts, she already has offers from Penn State, St. Joseph’s, Richmond, Columbia, Princeton, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Yale, Harvard, Georgia Tech and Rutgers.

“I’m definitely going to take some official visits, coming up now that I can go on official visits,” Kreiger said. “I’m trying to keep my options open and I’m just feeling out all the different schools and seeing what system fits best for me.

“ … The school has to fit me and there has to be a good family/community and stuff like that.”

Sunday’s performance showed what Kreiger can do around the rim. She is working on being able to show recruiters what she can do away from the basket.

Kreiger says she feels like she might be asked to play more of a “stretch-4” kind of position in the future.

“I feel like that will kind of be what I transition into in college,” she said. “I’ve been working on my outside game, being able to shoot the three, my handle and stuff like that.” – Tom Robinson

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Ryan Carter (2027 | Friends Central)

Ryan Carter’s goal is to be “as versatile as possible.”

The 6-foot-1 guard lived up to that Sunday while helping Friends Central defeat Archbishop Wood, 65-38, in the Blue Star High School Invitational.

Carter handled the ball and looked comfortable off the ball as well. The same was true as she defended multiple positions, showing she could clamp down on potential scorers on the wing or hassle ball-handlers.

“I’ve never really been given a true position,” Carter said of her conversations with recruiters. “I’m pretty much positionless. I’m able to be versatile and do what they want me to do, like I do now.

“I don’t just have to be a point guard. I can post up. … Especially on defense, I want to guard the guards and being able to guard the post is important.”

Carter has clearly been accomplishing that as offers from Duke, Notre Dame and Texas Christian in recent months would indicate.

When she looks beyond basketball, Carter aspires to be a doctor, so she will seek out schools that can offer a path toward medical school.

“Also, the coaching staff, I feel like I want to be able to have a good enough relationship where a coach can talk to me and give me criticism and give me feedback,” Carter said. “I want to have that type of relationship and feel supported, not only by my coaches, but also my teammates. I want to have people I can turn to that can also give me feedback and criticism.

“That’s important to get that feedback.”

Carter went 7-for-11 from the floor, hit her only 3-point attempt and made all six free throws while scoring a team-high 21 points. She also grabbed five rebounds to go along with two assists and two steals while playing a major role in a defense that limited Archbishop Wood to 32.8 percent shooting (14-for-43). – Tom Robinson

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Jada Russell (2027 | McDonogh School, Md.)

McDonogh School, a traditional Baltimore-area powerhouse, did not have a chance on Sunday morning against PIAA state title contender Upper Dublin in the Blue Star Invitational at Jefferson.

The Cardinals jumped all over McDonogh, never giving the Maryland school a chance towards a highly impressive 50-31 victory. But McDonogh did have a few shining lights, one of which had Philly ties, McDonogh School’s Jada Russell, who was once a member of the Philly Rise AAU program, and a former teammate of Upper Dublin’s Tamia Clark on that team.

The 5-foot-8 Russell, who is getting attention from Yale, DePaul, Coppin State and George Washington, knew many of the Philadelphia area girls who played on Sunday.

“Tamia is not easy to go against, and I think our coach may have been mixed up a little, because he put a big on Tamia, and she is more of a guard,” said Russell, who carries a 3.8 GPA at McDonogh. “If we put a guard on her earlier, we may have had a better chance.”

The 31 points is a season low for McDonogh.

Russell averages 15 points a game, and is being viewed as a shooting guard at the college level. Coppin State is the only school that has given her an offer, which is a list that is sure to grow.

“So far the recruiting process is going pretty well right now,” Russell said. “Going into my junior year, it was kind of stressful, but I’m getting used to it now, that’s why it is getting better. As far as communication, I’ve found it important to stay in touch with coaches, make little conversation with them. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about basketball, they want to know you.” – Joseph Santoliquito

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Taylor Williams (2028 | Germantown Academy)

Taylor Williams is starting to feel like herself again.

The 6-foot GA forward first noticed something was off in June while she was playing with the Philly Rise, but she opted to play through it. Once the AAU season ended, Williams finally took an extended recovery in August that ended just before high school preseason started in November.

That, coupled with a challenging nonleague slate for GA, meant Williams didn’t get off to the kind of start she wanted, but she’s seeing progress personally and from a team aspect recently.

“These tough games have shown us how tough we can really be too,” Williams said. “We’ve had some hardships but I also think we’ve had a lot of bright spots and I feel like once we go into league play, it will show and we can show how strong of a team we can be.”

Williams said she’s had a few calls and college programs have shown interest but she noted that with taking time off to heal up, things have been quiet on that front. It’s not discouraging, the forward understands she wasn’t out playing, and it’s really just motivation.

“It’s always a goal for me to be at the higher level, so I’m going to make sure I keep exposing myself to that,” Williams said. “I’m always open to taking advice on how I can get better because you’re never at your peak. Hearing coaches say what they want from me is very helpful because it shows me what I can do better but also what they see in me.”

Even as a freshman, Williams was a frequent focus of opposing scouting reports and still draws a lot of double or even triple teams when she gets a touch in the post. While she’s not undersized at 6-foot, Williams said she doesn’t have the same height as some other post players so she’s been working on her shooting and ball-handling as a way to pull defenders out of the paint.

“I know I have to stretch the floor more,” Williams said. “I feel like I’m a big threat on the floor and teams scout me so I may have two or three people running at me at once so I think me being calm and not letting them speed me up, I tell myself I have to play my game, trust my teammates and make the extra pass.” -- Andrew Robinson

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Jezelle “GG” Banks (2027 | The St. James, Va.)

The more things change, the more they stay the same with GG Banks.

While she’s a little further from home this season, the electrifying point guard playing this season at The St. James Academy in Springfield, VA, she’s still one of the top prospects in the country in her class. She’s also got a list of offers that includes just about every major program in all the power conferences vying to have her come in as their next point guard.

Banks did her thing Sunday, attacking the basket, dishing the rock and creating plenty of steals as she helped St. James to a 60-30 over the Hoosac School (NY).

“The schedule, playing a prep schedule and those teams that are top-ranked and having a chance to be ranked is a blessing,” Banks said. “I’ve never been on a team high-school wise that was ranked, so playing those teams across the country and having that awesome schedule I think is separating me as a player.”

Banks is starting to close in on the last stages of the recruiting process, the five-star guard and ESPN’s No. 6 prospect in the Class of 2027, looking to start narrowing down her list and schedule some official visits over the next year. The point guard, who hails from Delaware and played at Ursuline Academy last year, added she’s aiming to commit next fall during her senior year.

“I think some coaches are buying in more and I’m taking that into consideration,” Banks said. “Some coaches have been buying in since Day One and that’s another aspect of my recruitment I’m paying attention to, those relationships and bonds, so just being aware of that.”

Playing for St. James this year has allowed Banks some additional time as teammates with Jordyn Jackson, the No. 8 recruit in the 2026 class who is committed to Maryland. Jackson and Banks were teammates this past summer with Team Durant  and they were a pretty dynamic combo in Sunday’s comfortable win.

“I love playing with J,” Banks said. “Especially being a point guard, having a player like her that you have a close bond with, it’s so much easier. Plus, she can get a bucket whenever so I trust her a lot.”

Banks also credited St. James Academy coach Tamika Dudley, who she had previously played for in AAU, for helping her game continue to evolve.

“She’s an amazing coach, she helped me elevate my game so much, not only on the basketball side but off the court with my maturity,” Banks said. “The same stuff applies, just staying disciplined, she’s very intentional on the defensive end. I feel like I’m still working on off the ball defense but she’s helping me develop that in so many ways.”

Banks, who said LSU, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Texas have been some of the most active programs in terms of contact, said she’s enjoyed her recruiting process overall. She’s been a highly touted prospect even going back to middle school and it’s the bonds she’s built with the coaches that stand out the most.

“I feel like all these coaches bring something different to the table,” Banks said. “All those differences, it’ll eventually come to a point where I have to pick one school so I feel like that’s where it will come into play and hopefully the decision I make is the best one I can.” -- Andrew Robinson

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Zya Small (2027 | Friends Central)

After earning first-team, all-state recognition from Pennsylvania Sports Writers as both a freshman and sophomore, Zya Small continues to draw more attention.

In November, Small revealed that she had received offers from Duke and Syracuse.

The offers first began rolling in before Small entered high school, beginning with Boston College and Penn State.

After earning Class 5A all-state recognition at Scranton High School, Small made the non-PIAA, all-state team last season, the 6-foot-2 wing’s first with Friends Central.

The list of schools making offers includes Maryland, West Virginia, Rutgers, Colorado, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Arizona State, Southern Methodist, East Carolina, George Mason, Virginia Tech, Howard and Fordham.  

After contributing 11 points (4/6 FG, 1/2 3PT, 2/4 FT), five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots to a 65-38 romp over Archbishop Wood, Small said she is still trying to add to her game while enjoying how well her team is playing.

“I’m trying to get better with my shot, my mid-range, and also my ball-handling,” Small said. “Things are going well as a team. I like how fast we play and we score in transition.” – Tom Robinson