BlueStar 30 - 2026

BlueStar 30 2026: 11th annual edition.

Quality BIGS dominate!

August 18, 2026

Held August 7-9, 2026, at The Beal Center (named for NBA player Bradley Beal) in Chesterfield, Missouri (just west of St. Louis), the 11th Annual BlueStar 30 saw 40 players (mostly class of 2030 and a few from the classes of 2031 and 2032) train, be instructed and compete over the three days.  All but a few are likely to receive major division 1 offers. Attendance was strictly by invitation but included four campers ‘graduated’ from the much larger BlueStar All American Camp (approximately 125 players) which was running concurrently. While this article will concentrate on BlueStar 30, do note that several of the very young BlueStar All American campers could easily be invited to BlueStar 30 in future years.

Future BlueStar 30 and BlueStar All American Camp sites

 Held annually in August, in 2027 this camp duo will return to Westfield Indiana, before a two-year stint in the suburbs south of Chicago.

 Why attend BlueStar 30?

 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 get 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 become mostly lost.

Much work to find the players and this year finding so much quality size!

I must salute Event Director Chris Mennig and his assistant Travis Ponton for finding the high quality of middle school players year after year. While some players may rush at them, so many of the future invitees have to be found by attending events on the various club circuits. Given it is mostly a new group each year and as a number of very talented middle schoolers decline, it is truly an accomplishment the event has maintained its high-quality year after year. This year’s event was marked the number of high-quality ‘bigs.’  It seemed odd to look out on to the court and see players just over 6-foot-tall appear to look small!

BlueStar 30 2026 3x3 champions (left to right): #8 Taiyanna Samuels, #29 Kimora Wynn, #24 Jordyn Avila, #56 Kennedi Harris.

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 on Friday, two sessions on Saturday and two sessions on Sunday wrapping up around 2:30pm.

All below are listed alphabetically within class with listed height (at this age sometimes it is more ‘projected’ height) and position. Club team and state of residence are in parenthesis. The vast majority of the players below will get Power 4 offers or close to it (going forward, standards for Power 4 offers will be higher with players having five years of college eligibility, not releasing the scholarship after four years as was more customary in the past).  

2030

Jordyn Avila, 5-10, guard (AEBL EYBL; Georgia)

Versatile, multi-level scorer; member of camp-winning 3x3 team.

Serwah Banahene, 6-7, center (New Heights NYC; New York)

Mobile with good hands and superior height; skills still developing.

Flo Borchardt, 6-1, wing (FBC West Coast NXT; Oregon)

Multi-level scorer moving well without the ball to get open; plays hard on defense.

Heavenly Craig, 5-9, guard (Carolina Hornets EYCL; North Carolina)

Well above average athlete who can change pace attacking the rim; must learn when to force the action and when not to.

Ayla Cromedy, 5-7, point guard, (Philly Rise EYBL; Pennsylvania)

Pushes ball well in transition; scores via attacking basket; ranges still developing.

Samira Faruk, 6-3, center (FBC United GUAA; North Carolina)

Strong and mobile with game in lower paint; can use either hand to finish at rim.

Aryelle Franklin, 6-2, forward (Cy Fair Elite EYBL; Texas)

Above average athlete with ability to score in and outside paint; sometimes settles for the three too easily.

Kennedi Harris, 6-4, power forward (FBC United GUAA; Georgia)

Superior athlete who can score in and outside the paint; above average shot blocker; member of camp-winning 3x3 team.

Raygen Leigh, 5-11, small forward (Cap City Ballerz, Virginia)

Athlete with good ‘ups’; can hit the three but more drive-oriented; decent shot blocker for size.

Rianne Minor, 5-8, guard (FBC United We Trust; North Carolina)

Versatile scorer with above average ‘ups’.

Tiffany Moore, 6-5, center (CP3 EYBL; North Carolina)

Strong, mobile, low post presence with good hands.

Caleigh Nix, 5-7, point guard (Mississippi All In LP32; Mississippi)

Quick point guard with handles; opponents had trouble staying in front of her; can shoot the three but not first scoring option.

Nkenna Nwokoro, 6-3, power forward (AEBL EYBL; Georgia)  

Athlete; active at both ends willing to deal with physical play; offensive skills still developing.

Paige Palmer, 6-4, power forward (Philly Rise EYBL; New Jersey)

Very mobile with good ball skills for her size; needs to improve dealing with physicality in paint; stroke looks good but range still developing.

Naomi Roland, 6-1, forward, Elevate Elite 3SSB; North Carolina)

High level athlete with good motor and driving ability; needs to work on developing shooting range.

Taiyanna Samuels, 5-9, guard (HoopCode LP32; Arizona)

Fine shooter off the catch; member of camp-winning 3x3 team.

Lauren Smith, 6-3, power forward (ProSkills EYBL; Texas)

Athlete with advanced skills in key with handles and touch; won camp 1x1 championship.

Quinn Sowder, 6-2, power forward (IGB GUAA; Indiana)

Above average athlete with good handles for size; embraces physical play; needs to work on improving shooting range.

Kimora Wynn, 5-11, guard (KY Premier EYBL; Georgia)

Three-level scorer; plays hard on defense; member of camp-winning 3x3 team.

Jazleen Young, 5-10, guard (Riverside Hawks EYCL; New York)

Above average athlete who attacks the rim; needs to extend range.

2031

Jayda Nobles, 5-10, guard, (All Iowa Attack EYBL; Minnesota)

Capable of playing either guard slot with good size; can hit the three-ball; very advanced for class.

Alexis Parker, 6-3, power forward (ProSkills EYBL; Texas)

Mobile athlete with good skills in paint; got hurt on first day of camp but already showed herself very advanced for class.

2032

Armani McFadden, 6-2, center (Florida Nation LP32; Florida)

Was a ‘bring over’ for Sunday from All American camp; mobile with advanced skills in paint for just entering 7th grade.