Penn’s continued quest to become Ivy League contenders will be bolstered next year by two new players.
Brooklyn Juday, of Tipton High School in Indiana, and Keiera Ray, of national powerhouse Bolingbrook High School in the suburbs of Chicago, will be joining the Quakers in the fall.
Juday will add a dimension of competitiveness and can help a Penn team that has struggled offensively recently.
“Every person is there for a reason,” the guard said. “It’s not just for fun anymore. Everybody wants to play to win.”
She is closing in on the all-time Tipton High School scoring record and has already amassed over 1,000 career points.
Juday, who is listed at 5-foot-10 on MaxPreps, began her varsity career as a point guard, but now plays more naturally on the wing at the two or three spot.
“She’s really grown her game over the last three years,” her coach Nick Comer said. “She can play anywhere on the floor.
“She’s the most versatile player I’ve ever coached.”
Juday led Tipton to its first sectional title in nine years and has her team poised to make another run this year.
According to Comer, Juday’s biggest asset is her basketball IQ.
“She knows exactly what’s going to happen long before it actually happens,” he said.
Comer said that Juday will continue to work on her overall quickness and foot speed. He believes Juday needs to become quicker to effectively guard perimeter players at the college level.
He added that Juday has also worked to improve her shooting and offense off the dribble.
“[Juday] is just a kid that understands just where she’s at. She’s got to work her absolute hardest. She’s the most driven kid I’ve ever been around.”
Ray has also displayed her versatility on the court through her high school career and has helped her team reach national prominence.
She was originally a small forward at Waubonsie Valley High School before transferring to Bolingbrook. This year, she made the transition to point guard.
Ray’s former teammate Ariel Massengale, now at Tennessee, told the TribLocal last December, “[Ray’s] athletic and she’s strong. She can get to the basket. She can shoot. She’s a Bolingbrook High School player, and she understands the philosophy of what we’re trying to do.”
Ray averaged 7.2 points and 1.4 assists last season.
Bolingbrook is seeking its fourth consecutive state title and is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation by ESPN.com.
