I picked Hightower as the preseason #2 team behind Clear Springs this season for one specific reason, well three and it goes with that old saying in basketball, " you can't teach height". I have a saying as well, you can't teach height and you will do well if they can also play. Hightower had three D1 players over 6'0 ready to play this season before a knee injury to Taylor Gilbert last week. This is a blow to the Hurricanes but they shouldn't be written off because the "Terrific Threesome" has become another "Dynamic Duo" with Tyler Gilbert and Jasmine Prophet holding down the fort on the inside. I know losing Brittany Matthew and Raven Lane in the back court from last season hurts and I'm a firm believer in this, you win with good guard play. Weren't they were supposed to be done when Jasmine Brewer and Azaela Hall graduated?
The Gilbert sisters have already committed to the University of Houston and watching them develop over the years to get to where they are has been refreshing, especially in this day and age. I'm sure they wanted to make a return trip to Austin for one of their graduation presents, they lost to Cy Fair in the championship game season before last, so the question will be is do they have enough to do that without Taylor. One big key will be how well/soon Alaina Heard adjusts to being "The Guard" and if you've kept up with Houston GBB over the years, you know once you hit the playoffs, anything can happen. As far as the ACL injury, I noticed Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Purdue have lost key players this season. Candace Parker is one of the best players in the world, she tore her ACL twice. My daughter's was torn in June of her sophomore year in college, had surgery in July and was starting by the second game of the season in November so the magic of medicine, well actually progression and hard work, enables players to return better than ever, Curtyce Knox doesn't even have a limp and is probably itching to return right now.
