The 5'11" combo guard with a silky smooth game - worthy of the 'Red Velvet' nickname that I personally have ran dry - has seen a return on investment with the work she has put in. After a solid July evaluation period, the list of Division I schools that have extended scholarship offers increased from 1 to 4 in a matter of two weeks. After Lafayette was the first to jump in April, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure followed suit in August. A gaudy list of Division I programs fall under the 'interested & actively recruiting' heading, and she's yet to start her sophomore year. She hasn't received this attention from eye-popping highlight plays, though. Besides noticeably impressive range on her perimeter jumper, she doesn't bring a guarantee of 'wow' plays. What she does bring, though, is a guarantee of overall 'wow' play with a rare mix of tangibles and intangibles, and that's also why she was an easy 2016 All-EST 1st team pick.
Heeps offers two things in abundance; fantasy points and leadership qualities. If there was a 'girls high school basketball' section of FanDuel, Grace should likely be one of the top picks. She fills up the stat line across the board, efficiently so, and her mix of skills and size make her a legitimate triple-double threat. She had one of those this past winter at Columbia - as a freshman. Don't expect her to give you 25-30 points, but you can nearly put her down in Sharpie for 10+. She doubles up as one of the league's best rebounding guards and one of the best at creating for others, so her rebound and assist numbers are consistently near the highest among guards. She has a high IQ and can anticipate the play, which aids her on the defensive end, where she can guard multiple positions. This summer, she averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. Only two other players in the league averaged 1 or more of all five main statistical categories. Even when she does score more, the totals in other statistical categories don't drop - her season high of 22 points came along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
What sticks out even more than Grace's box score capabilities and her overall versatility, though, is the intangibles. She's well-known as a great on-court communicator. Some call it loud; coaches say it with a smile on their face as they compliment it. Her basketball IQ is well beyond her years, which shows itself as she's able to direct traffic and run the show on the offensive end. Any team she's on, and especially so on a particularly young Next Level squad in EST, Heeps provides a steadying presence that makes her value unmistakable even in an off game.
In EST, the Next Level squad as a whole had bad luck. Between a steady string of injury, illness, and last-minute obligations, they never came into a week at 100% full strength. But they fought through it, shaking off a 2-4 start to finish .500 and come dangerously close to upsetting top seed Show Stoppers in the semifinals. That came as she was fighting through a sudden bout of illness herself. One thing rang true from front to back - you knew what #11 in the blue was giving you, and she was there every week to do it. What she gives is enough to have a couple dozen D1 schools on her trail, enough to help make Next Level competitive on their weeks with lowest numbers and a legit contender when they were closer to full strength, and it was certainly enough to garner the All-EST 1st team nod.
2016 All-EST 1st Team
Grace Heeps
5'11" G
High School: Columbia, Class of 2019
AAU: NY Havoc Blue
EST Team: Next Level
Well-rounded guard who can play the 1, 2, or 3 offensively. Heady guard with good handle that plays within herself, which makes her a low turnover risk. Exceptional range on her jumper, a legitimate threat to hit from 25'. College ready body already, which she uses very well to effectively get where she wants when she wants. Finishes well through contact, gets to the free throw line often and converts. Versatile defender that can guard in the backcourt, but has size & strength to battle opposing 4s. Rebounds exceptionally well for a guard and creates for others, willing to make the extra pass. Averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG this summer while leading EST in total points (143) and 3s made (19). Currently has scholarship offers on the table from Lafayette, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure.
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