COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This past Saturday, over 40 young ladies from Central Ohio and surrounding areas pulled up to Central Crossing High School to participate in 270 Hoops second ever Girls Prospect Camp. Different leagues across the area were represented with the OCC, Columbus City League and Licking County all having players that came to participate on Saturday afternoon. Every young lady was coached hard, given confidence and seemed to get better. All the athletes have the potential of a bright future, but below are the 11 that stood out the most during the drill session and the live 5-on-5 game play as well. 

Kennedy Houston ( 5’7 Point Guard / Centennial / 2027): After helping lead her team to the City League title game last season, Houston emerged as the next star that will come from an inner-city school. Her potential is limitless and she showed why on Saturday, she was vocal the entire afternoon, being one of the loudest during drills and it bled over to the live gameplay where she never stopped talking to her teammates on the defensive end. Her energy was unmatched and she was a quick learner whenever coaches introduced something to her on the fly. The younger Houston sister displayed a really high basketball IQ with her ability to read a defense and know where to take advantage of it. The sophomore was a reliable scorer as well, getting to the rim off the dribble with relative ease and being an excellent finisher. Houston showed up on defense too, getting key blocks on key possessions to be a main reason her team ended up in the championship game. Kennedy will be a major player in Central Ohio over the next three seasons, and looks to make Centennial a team to be reckoned with in her time at the school.  

Naliyah Knight ( 5’3 PG / Reynoldsburg / 2027): One of the smallest players in the building, but she had some of the biggest impact of any player that stepped on the court. Knight was not only a capable scorer from all over the court, but she was masterful at creating space for herself to get her shot off over taller players. She showed speed in the open court, flying by defenders on fast breaks, getting to the bucket and finishing at the rim while also being able to play with good pace in half court situations to create the space she needed. The sophomore was also tough on the defensive end of the court as well, getting into the jersey of the opposing ball handler and making them uncomfortable many times during the afternoon. This Reynoldsburg product looks to carry this type of momentum into their regular season. 

Leila Carter ( 5’7 Combo Guard / Columbus International / 2026): As a 1,000-point scorer already, before her junior year, Carter has already shown to be one of, if not the best, bucket getters in the area, but this past weekend she showcased her ability to do a little bit of everything as she put her passing and rebounding skills on display, while still doing her thing by scoring the ball as well. The junior hit the glass hard on both sides of the ball, scoring many of her points off of offensive rebounds and being able to dish the ball out because of her defensive rebounding. She walked a fine line of getting the talent around her the ball and knowing when to be aggressive and take shots herself, hitting mid-range jumpers with ease. Carter was very impressive on Saturday afternoon.   

Kaliyah Barron (5’7 Power Forward / Columbus East / 2025): As the final buzzer echoed through the gymnasium, signaling the end of the tournament in which Team 3 aka the self proclaimed “270 Goats” won the championship, the spotlight often fell on the flashy plays and high-scoring moments. Yet, it was the quiet yet unyielding presence of Kaliyah Barron that truly defined the team’s success. A senior forward known for her relentless work ethic and exceptional rebounding skills, Barron has epitomized what it means to be a role player who makes a monumental impact. Standing at five feet-seven inches, Barron’s stature alone doesn’t demand a ton of attention, but it’s her game-changing attributes that have set her apart. Her ability to dominate the boards, both offensively and defensively, made her an invaluable asset to her team. She did the dirty work all event long and was one of a few seniors that received an offer from Clark State Community College following the event.

Wynter Ransom ( 5’10 Point Guard / Gahanna Lincoln / 2029): The future star was one of three eighth graders that participated in the camp, and she did not look out of place at all, in fact, she took it right to girls that were years older than her and never looked out of place amongst the older girls she played with and against. Ransom was physical and tough-minded, seemingly never making the same mistake twice, being a quick learner and someone that could do a little bit of everything on the court. Her size and skillset made her a match-up nightmare, being able to handle the ball in the open court, set up offense on the perimeter in the half court and made plays inside the paint as well. She was a key contributor to a team that made it to the finals, using her abilities on both ends of the court to propel her team. Wynter will be a major key to the future success of the Gahanna Lincoln program, she has superstar potential written all over her.

J’Khlya Foster ( 5’2 Point Guard / Walnut Ridge / 2027): A natural leader, one of the most vocal players that stepped inside Central Crossing High School on Saturday afternoon, Foster’s leadership and play helped lead her team, the “270 GOATS,” to winning the finals of the 5-on-5 game play period. Foster could handle the ball very well and played with great pace the entire afternoon, getting to spots where she could either get her own shot off or create for a teammate of hers. The sophomore made smart choices with the ball and played through physical play despite her small stature, it never deterred her from getting in the lane and it never threw off her handle of the ball. Her energy was contagious for her team, no matter if her team was down or up in any given moment, she was encouraging her teammates, talking on defense and hyping up any good play that happened on the floor. A dynamic guard who’s best playing years are still ahead of her, the lady Scots have a good one!

Pierce Cephas ( 5’6 Point Guard / Canal Winchester / 2025): She showed her blazing speed in warm-ups when the coaches challenged the young ladies to see who would finish first for laps. Cephas used that speed on defense where she was a hound as an on-ball defender when she was locked in and like a defensive back the way she covered ground when the ball was in the air. Her long arms on the perimeter made it tough for ball handlers to get around her on offense and allowed Pierce to pick the pocket of a couple young ladies in the process. The senior was a key piece on a team that made it to the finals of the 5-on-5 period too, knocking a key three-pointer and followed that up with a big time assist to help her team get over the hump in the semi-final game. 

Cameron Sparks ( 6’0 Forward / Bishop Watterson / 2025): One of the best rebounders in the building on Saturday, Sparks was a handful on the glass, consistently getting good positioning under the rim and having good timing when going up for the board. Sparks seemed to get better as the event went on, getting more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball while still being able to control the glass too. Her soft touch around the basket was impressive, as was her ability to get her shot off in different types of ways. She posted up defenders, played out of the mid-post area, took defenders off the dribble and scored off of offensive rebounds as well. The senior used her size defensively to disrupt opposing drivers of the ball, making them think twice or forcing them into bad shots over her length. The lady Eagle was really good on both ends of the court on Saturday afternoon and should have a great impact for her team this season. 

Oliviah Wilkerson ( 6’0 Post / Worthington Kilbourne / 2026): Another rebounding merchant, Wilkerson made a living grabbing rebounds on both ends of the floor. Her physicality stood out the most, not being afraid to move others out of her way when getting position for boards. The junior standout also made a name for herself with the way she took on the challenge of defending both in the post and on the perimeter when the time called for her to do so. She put her offensive game on light display with her offensive rebounding putbacks and how she scored around the basket and even knocked in a three-pointer that showed she could stretch the floor at times if asked to do it. Wilkerson has a high ceiling, with her height and ability to play in the post, once her perimeter offense catches up, she will truly be a nightmare matchup for other players. 

Tate Dudley ( 5’10 Forward / Hilliard Bradley / 2027): A relentless competitor the entire event, Dudley’s passion and energy stood out the most on Saturday afternoon. The effort she put forth on both sides of the court was something to see, she took charges, got on the floor for loose basketballs and played tenacious defense. She also made the most of her scoring opportunities, putting the ball in the basket when she had the chance, displaying a capable jump shot and the ability to get to the rim of the dribble. At many camps it is hard to stand out by playing tough defense and showing effort on both ends. Dudley showed that playing hard and playing your role can get you recognized at camps like this one. 

Nyajah Harris ( 5’7 Combo Guard / Africentric / 2026): Not only did she hit the biggest shot of the entire day, a three-pointer from the wing with time running down in overtime to force another overtime, before her team ultimately won in the semi-final game, but she was also the best shooter in the building throughout the entire camp. With her uncle, and current Westland boys head coach Joel Jackson, coaching her, she showed extreme confidence throughout each game that she played in. She was almost automatic in catch-and-shoot situations, but also showed potential in being a shooter off the bounce and got to the rim a few times as well, finishing around the rim consistently when she got there. Harris had a solid handle of the basketball and made pretty good decisions with the ball in her hands. With the loss of so much talent at Africentric, the junior should see herself on the court a lot for coach Anderson and the lady Nubian basketball team.

Kylie Mast ( 5’10 Wing / Dublin Coffman / 2026): Another excellent shooter, Mast was able to hit shots off the dribble, with screens and off the catch as well, knocking them in from deep and from the mid-range as well with an effortless release. She also used screens to get her teammates open shots as well, being patient with her screener and waiting for them to get open off the roll and putting the ball in the perfect place where they could score. Her confidence grew game-by-game because of the success that she was having against such tough competition. Mast hit the glass too and showed that she could do some of the dirty work and grab some tough rebounds in traffic. The junior got out on the break off of defensive rebounds and made good decisions with the ball in her hands. Overall, Mast started a little slow but was one of the best players in the building as time progressed on Saturday.