BlueStar 30 2024: Another Outstanding Field
The comprehensive camp photo from the 2024 Blue Star 30.
Blue Star 30 Players
August 9-11, 2024 | Indianapolis, IN
Held August 9-11, 2024, at Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana, the 9th Annual BlueStar 30 saw 35 players (mostly class of 2028 and a few younger) train, be instructed and compete over the three days. All but a few are likely to receive major division 1 offers. Attendance is strictly by invitation but did have a couple of campers (see below) ‘graduate’ from the much larger BlueStar All-American Camp which was running concurrently. While this article will concentrate on BlueStar30, the feeling of scouts and media in the facility was that the All-American camp was stronger in talent than last year.
Why attend BlueStar 30?
As a player, you will learn something, make some new friends, and measure yourself versus the best of your peers (here primarily the class of 2028). So many of the top players in middle school (particularly rising freshmen and rising eighth graders) are already ‘under contract’ and are expecting everything they do in club ball to be paid for. BlueStar 30 has no admission fee to its invited campers but lodging and transport to and from the camp are not covered. With over forty years of involvement in girls’ basketball, I would say this is one of the camps more than worth the expenses of travel and lodging. If you are invited and uncertain about attending, reach out to those who attended in the past before saying ‘no’. I have never heard of a player who was sorry that they attended. However, if you do decide not to come, please respond to the invitation so another player can take the slot. Sadly, in today’s world, such an automatic courtesy of the past has been lost.
What goes on…
Over the three days, there are drills/skill work, 1x1 competition, 3x3 games, lectures/discussions and of course 5x5 play. The camp started with one session from 4:30pm-7:30pm on Friday, two sessions on Saturday and two sessions on Sunday wrapping up at 2:30pm.
Promotions from the All-American Camp
Two players who started in the All-American camp were impressive enough to ‘graduate’ to BlueStar 30 and they are noted here. As with players below, all will be listed alphabetically with class, listed height (at this age sometimes it is more ‘projected’ height), position, class, club team of this summer and anticipated high school and state in parenthesis.
Leah DeWitt, 5-8, guard, 2028, AEBL 3SSB (Marrietta High School, Georgia)
DeWitt is a shooter with three-point range and good basketball IQ. She is already considered one of the top 2028’s in Georgia.
Claire Stoops, 5-9, guard, 2030, Indiana Elite (expected to attend Zionsville High School in 9th grade, Indiana)
Stoops is a lefty with a nice pull-up jumper. In basketball-crazy Indiana, she already has rep as one of the top 2030’s (that’s rising seventh graders!) in the state. Her comment after playing with the BlueStar 30 group after coming over from the All-American camp was “the players are bigger and faster [in BlueStar 30].” Well said!
The following 14 players stood out from the rest in BlueStar 30 be it not always by a great amount. All are class of 2028 with one exception noted below.
Makynli Bacon, 6-0, forward, Tennessee Flight NIKE EYBL (Webb School, Tennessee)
With muscular build, Bacon thrives on contact when attacking the rim but can also step out to shoot at mid-range.
Hailey Benbow, 5-9, shooting guard, Jersey Gemz NIKK EYBL (Rutgers Prep, New Jersey)
Strongly built, Benbow repeatedly displayed power in attacking the rim.
DaKhari Blankumsee, 5-11, guard/forward, United Family 3SSB (Winton Woods High School, Ohio)
With an athletic medium-solid build, Blankumsee showed power in attacking the basket but also can step out to hit the three.
JaKaila Gaskin, 6-3, center/power forward, Team Curry GUAA (Cannon School, North Carolina)
Muscular in build, Gaskin showed some ability to put the ball on the floor to attack the basket and a bit of face-up stroke. She hit the boards hard and in sum was probably the most advanced of the post players in camp.
Belle Hill, 6-1, shooting guard, Southern Starz NIKE EYBL (Mars Hill Bible School, Alabama)
Since seen last summer, Hill has filled out some to a medium-solid build. She can score inside and outside the paint at all three levels and rebounds well as a perimeter player. She led her high school team to an Alabama 2A title in seventh grade and lost in the final this year. Note: seventh and eighth graders can play on varsity in Alabama.
Chloe Johnson, 5-11, guard, All Iowa Attack NIKE EYBL (Duluth Marshall High School, Minnesota)
If the camp had an MVP award, Johnson would have gotten it. While some were standouts in one or two sessions, Johnson stood out making good decisions, perimeter shots, successful drives through tight spaces, and passes session after session.
Lauryn Loritts, 5-10, shooting guard, Boo Williams NIKE EYBL (Catholic High School, Virginia)
Loritts is a highly athletic lefty who rarely goes right. The problem for most opponents is that as yet, they have not caught up to her left. She can score at all three levels
(L-R) Easton McCullough, DaKhari Blankumsee, JaKaila Gaskin, Loriel Murray, Chloe Johnson and Morghan Reckley (PC/ Bob Corwin)
Easton McCollough, 5-9, shooting guard, AAO Flight Puma (Farmington High School, Arkansas)
McCollough was the best knockdown three-point shooter in games (also won the three-point shooting contest). A nice bonus is she can come off the bounce some at mid-range generally taking appropriate shots.
Loriel Murray, 6-3, center/power forward, AEBL 3SSB (Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Georgia)
Murray (along with Gaskin discussed above) was one of the two most productive players in the lower key. Call her a tireless rebounder!
Khloe Nicholson, 6-1, guard/forward, Phenom NIKE EYBL (Quincy High School, Illinois)
Nicholson is a tall perimeter player who moves well and shoots effectively inside and behind the arc.
Alana Pinnock, 5-11, shooting guard, Essence NIKE EYBL (Somerset Canyon High School, Florida)
Strongly built, Pinnock looked smooth in successfully attacking the basket. On defense, she had a knack for blocking shots.
Morghan Reckley, 5-7, point guard, AEBL 3SSB (Sandy Creek High School, Georgia)
Reckley may have been the best pure point guard at the camp. She is athletic, productive on defense thanks to her quickness. Offensively, she can run the offense with best quarter court scoring option the drive.
Erin Thomas, 6-1, guard/forward, Sports City Angels NIKE EYBL (Princeton High School, Ohio)
Thomas seemed to get better as the camp progressed through the weekend. With good size and mobility, she showed she can score on the perimeter.
Kristen Winston, 5-10, guard, 2029, Southern Starz NIKE EYBL (Hoover High School, Alabama)
Of the few 2029 player in BlueStar30, Winston appeared the most advance and scouts present feel she has a chance to settle into the upper tier of 2029 ranked players. For such a young player, she thinks the game well, defends, handles well able to play either guard slot and has driving ability and perimeter stroke. She is already a varsity player (allowed in Alabama) in high school.