Lewis picking up scholarship offers

If you aren’t familiar with the name Jenica Lewis, it is a name that you may want to remember over the next few years. The soon to be freshman at Johnston has already gathered 20 D1 scholarship offers, including one from Lisa Bluder and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa State, Ohio State, Michigan, Maryland, Louisville, Oklahoma, Creighton, North Carolina, Kentucky and Miami Fl are among the other top programs to offer Lewis. Top Spot Basketball rates her as the #1 player in the country for the class of 2026.

For some players, the attention could be difficult to handle at such a young age, however it does not phase Jenica.

“The attention doesn’t bother me. I just play my game and have fun,” she said. “I just focus on the game. It is exciting knowing coaches are there watching me, and my team play the game we love.”

Iowa State and Iowa were the first two teams to offer Jenica. She says it is nice that the in-state programs recognized her talent early in the process, but she is weighing every offer she gets equally, and the Cyclones and Hawkeyes get no extra advantage as home state schools.

This past week Jenica and her Pure Prep AAU team were in action at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines for the Battle of the Best tournament. Here are some highlights from their Wednesday opener against Nebraska Supreme. She showed her ability to strike from deep in that match-up.

I was able to see her play later in the day against North Tartan 17u and her ability to finish through contact around the hoop stood out to me. Multiple times she was able to convert baskets while getting fouled. She also has very good court vision and even though she forces some passes at times, she always has her eyes up surveying the floor. As she matures as a player, the ability to decipher a great pass from a risky pass will come along.

Next week Jenica will be in Chicago for the NIKE Tournament of Champions, while she will be headed to Minneapolis and back to Des Moines to wrap up the rest of this summer’s AAU tournaments.

Looking specifically at Iowa, Lewis was in Iowa City for the Iowa Elite Camp last June, which is when she was offered a scholarship. Jenica returned for an unofficial visit in September.

“I have a really good relationship with her (Coach Bluder). I love her and the staff,” said Lewis. That is something that she is looking for as she begins the process of selecting a school to attend. “The relationship is very important (to me). Also, how the staff treats their players on and off the court.”

She has taken other visits to Iowa State, Florida, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Michigan State and Michigan. Jenica says she does not have any visits on the books for the rest of the summer or this fall, but is working on it.