Ashlynn Shade Transferring from Noblesville HS to La Lumiere, Prep School In La Porte, Indiana

[Dillon77]

Ashlynn Shade — UConn recruit and Miss Basketball lock — leaves Noblesville for prep school

Noblesville senior guard Ashlynn Shade, a UConn commit, confirmed Tuesday she is transferring to La Lumiere, a prep school in La Porte.

www.indystar.com

 

[Dillon77]

Noblesville, if Shade had stayed, would've been returning all five starters. La Lumiere, a prep school, has a good women's team, but is very well known for high visibility transfers on the men's team.

(Tip of the hat to IndyDave, for bringing this up on The Bench. )

 

[Bama fan]

La Lumiere? Wonder if their alma mater is "Be Our Guest"?

 

[BobbyJ]

Ashlynn Shade — UConn recruit and Miss Basketball lock — leaves Noblesville for prep school

Noblesville senior guard Ashlynn Shade, a UConn commit, confirmed Tuesday she is transferring to La Lumiere, a prep school in La Porte.

www.indystar.com

Smart move if the competition level is higher. She needs to learn to play at a faster pace particularly on individual defense. The pace with Noblesville's schedule was too slow to prepare her for UConn.

 

[Carnac]

Smart move if the competition level is higher. She needs to learn to play at a faster pace particularly on individual defense. The pace with Noblesville's schedule was too slow to prepare her for UConn.

Exactly!!!! You didn't have to read the article to figure out the reason for the transfer, it's obvious.
If you remember, it was a challenge for Natalie Butler and Evelyn Adebayo who transferred from other programs programs to transition to the level UConn plays at. They both were starters and stars on their previous teams, but had difficulty adjusting to the faster pace of play at the "elite" level UConn plays at.

Adebayo graduated from UConn. Butler transferred to George Mason for her final year of eligibility and lead the country in rebounding. She achieved the stardom and success at George Mason that eluded her at UConn. In fairness to Butler, it must be acknowledged that she was injured a good deal of the time at UConn.

 

[BobbyJ]

Exactly!!!! You didn't have to read the article to figure out the reason for the transfer, it is obvious.

Yes, I realize that the hometown comfort and pull is real but if a kid is serious about playing at a top 10 level school, the best competition available is very important for their development and preparation. As much as I like Patterson's potential, she should have done the same.

 

[CocoHusky]

I find it odd that the Miss basketball for the state of Indiana cannot be from a private high school school. Thankfully here in PA we don't have this same restriction. Would be curious to hear from some BY in other states-Is Indiana unique in this regard?

 

[Carnac]

I find it odd that the Miss basketball for the state of Indiana cannot be from a private high school school. Thankfully here in PA we don't have this same restriction. Would be curious to hear from some BY in other states-Is Indiana unique in this regard?

Good question Coco. Out here on the left coast, It's not that way. We have some very highly ranked players coming from public high schools, BUT the majority of the best players do come from private/parochial schools, i.e., Matre Dei, (Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis & Katie Lou Samuelson), La Jolla Country Day (Isuneh Brady), Winward (Jordin Canada UCLA/Sparks), Sierra Canyon (Judea Watkins #2 on HoopGurlz 2023) etc.

Needless to say, ALL of the elite players here play club ball year round except of course during November to March. Keep in mind that these private schools DO recruit the best players in their area, and sometimes make them a "Godfather" offer to come and play for their school at no cost. Those private schools do like to win. The head coaches for the boys and girls teams at these schools are plugged in to the local AAU leagues and know most of the coaches and league administrators. Most of the best teams in California are private schools, but not all.

 

[BobbyJ]

I find it odd that the Miss basketball for the state of Indiana cannot be from a private high school school. Thankfully here in PA we don't have this same restriction. Would be curious to hear from some BY in other states-Is Indiana unique in this regard?

Probably because it's not a member of the Indiana HS association. La Lumiere is a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. It's a prep school that draws students from all over the US and abroad. Interesting that Montverde Academy and IMG Academy in FL are members of the FHSSA so their players are eligible but have been ignored for POYs because some of their kids are considered outsiders.

 

[BobbyJ]

Good question Coco. Out here on the left coast, It's not that way. We have some very highly ranked players coming from public high schools, BUT the majority of the best players do come from private/parochial schools, i.e., Matre Dei, (Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis & Katie Lou Samuelson), La Jolla Country Day (Isuneh Brady), Winward (Jordin Canada UCLA/Sparks), etc.

Brady is from Cathedral Catholic HS in San Diego.

 

[Bone Dog]

Does this mean KK should transfer to a prep school too?

 

[Carnac]

Does this mean KK should transfer to a prep school too?

NO, not if that school is providing her with the coaching and competition she needs to mature, grow her game and prepare to play at UConn. Only she and her parents can really answer that question.

 

[Carnac]

Brady is from Cathedral Catholic HS in San Diego.

Ooops. That was a test BobbyJ, you passed. Cathedral Catholic is also a private school, that was my point. I was the victim of having a senior moment. Thank you for the correction.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It would be easy for Ash to have a comfortable senior year, but she chose a tougher path. Shows her dedication to be the best she can be as she prepares for the challenge of her young life, the Huskies.

 

[victor64]

Shade more than held her own against high level AAU competition. Has anybody that has watched her on YouTube had doubts about playing against advance, skilled high school players? I am sure there was lots of discussion and factors considered before making this decision but from a fan standpoint, I wish she would have stayed.

 

[BobbyJ]

NO, not if that school is providing her with the coaching and competition she needs to mature, grow her game and prepare to play at UConn. Only she and her parents can really answer that question.

I agree. Because her HS competition is also fairly weak, it wouldn't hurt her to get some work on her defense also. Not concerned about her offensively, she already plays at close to a UConn pace there. That adjustment shouldn't be too difficult for her. But a year of tougher defense against her could only help.

 

[CocoHusky]

Shade more than held her own against high level AAU competition. Has anybody that has watched her on YouTube had doubts about playing against advance, skilled high school players? I am sure there was lots of discussion and factors considered before making this decision but from a fan standpoint, I wish she would have stayed.

Why? As a fan shouldn't you want Ashlynn to do what Ashlynn thinks is best for Ashlynn and her family?

 

[eebmg]

Diamond DeShield's younger sister Denim went there and was very happy with the experience.

Denim DeShields’ unconventional path to her college basketball dream - Just Women's Sports

Denim DeShields was begrudgingly headed to Indiana State when sister Diamond gave her a call, opening up new basketball possibilities.

justwomenssports.com

 

[Bald Husky]

Kudos to Ashlynn for wanting to play better competition. She has already committed, so she doesn't have to worry about impressing other coaches anymore. She knows where she is going, she knows what is expected, and she knows that playing with and against better players is what she will be getting into upon making it to Storrs. I think it is a great move and proves how serious she is about making an impact when she gets here. BTW, watching the video makes me think that she plays like Caroline. Shooting 3's, driving to the basket through traffic, an able to handle the ball. We will love her, I predict.

 

[stamfordhusky]

I find it odd that the Miss basketball for the state of Indiana cannot be from a private high school school. Thankfully here in PA we don't have this same restriction. Would be curious to hear from some BY in other states-Is Indiana unique in this regard?

Indiana has had several winners who played at Catholic or other Christian schools. I am pretty sure that anyone playing at a school in the Indiana association (IHSAA) is eligible. However those at certain private schools, such as ones that have postgrad players, are not eligible.

 

[Alydar]

Noblesville, if Shade had stayed, would've been returning all five starters. La Lumiere, a prep school, has a good women's team, but is very well known for high visibility transfers on the men's team.

(Tip of the hat to IndyDave, for bringing this up on The Bench. )

UConn men have often come to Storrs after a year at a NE prep league school. Those schools probably have great training facilities so hopefully she can get some advanced coaching. The academics are also top notch which helps the transition to college.

 

[Carnac]

It would be easy for Ash to have a comfortable senior year, but she chose a tougher path. Shows her dedication to be the best she can be as she prepares for the challenge of her young life, the Huskies.

I'm sure this decision will pay dividends for her once the season begins next year.

 

[Carnac]

Kudos to Ashlynn for wanting to play better competition. She has already committed, so she doesn't have to worry about impressing other coaches anymore. She knows where she is going, she knows what is expected, and she knows that playing with and against better players is what she will be getting into upon making it to Storrs. I think it is a great move and proves how serious she is about making an impact when she gets here. BTW, watching the video makes me think that she plays like Caroline. Shooting 3's, driving to the basket through traffic, an able to handle the ball. We will love her, I predict.

IRON SHARPENS IRON!! If you want to be the best, you MUST run and play with the best on a consistent basis.
She and her family know what's best for her. No doubt this decision was reached after care thought and consideration. UConn Nation (as usual) will expect big things from her. She knows that and is putting herself in position to perform as expected.

 

[Longtime fan]

Ashlynn Shade — UConn recruit and Miss Basketball lock — leaves Noblesville for prep school

Noblesville senior guard Ashlynn Shade, a UConn commit, confirmed Tuesday she is transferring to La Lumiere, a prep school in La Porte.

www.indystar.com

None of the articles explain this other than in the most general of terms. How does this move better prepare her for the move to UCONN next year? Better coaches? Better players ( better than the Indiana state HS championship team )? More competitive? Does anyone know the answer here? I saw her play ( tv coverage ) in the Noblesville Championship game and all looked terrific ( including the competition). So what is the true story here?

 

[Zarathustra]

Diamond DeShield's younger sister Denim went there and was very happy with the experience.

Denim DeShields’ unconventional path to her college basketball dream - Just Women's Sports

Denim DeShields was begrudgingly headed to Indiana State when sister Diamond gave her a call, opening up new basketball possibilities.

justwomenssports.com

NICE article about Diamond DeShields sister, Denim, 5'5" at La Lumiere. She repeats senior year at
La Lumiere and then
gets a chance to play at UAB WBB. She led the LaLumiere Lakers to a 19 - 5 record. Go Lakers!
Go Ashlynn.
By the way, La Lumiere has about 250 student in grades 2 - 12. They play in the South
Shore Baskeball Conference. The school is Co-ed and is about 10 minutes from Lake Michigan.
Maybe Ashlynn will connect with some AAU or other team in the Chicago area to get the extra
baskeball explosure beyond that at the Lakers?? I saw the highlights of one La Lumiere game and
they were not , to my eye, very strong last year ( I did not final a team record ). There appears to be
only 5 schools in the conference. John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States is an Alumnus
The school has a beautiful gym: Marsch Gym. a " pipeline" design. Check it out.