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Tuesday, July 28, 2020
2021 Valerie Panuco helps lead DC Queens Centex to #NBC20 National Championship
Valerie Panuco deserves the "color pop" photo because the first time I saw this young lady play, her game just popped right at me. She understood so much at an early age that I knew she would be solid at Whitney High School but one of the first things that kept me thinking was her defense, she loves to play it and plays it the right way but the small things that don't make a scoresheet or stat sheet are here intangibles like understanding how and when to switch or trap which leads to steals and turnovers she may not get credit for
What she will get credit for is playing a huge role in her DC Queens Centex (Lady Wolfpack) squad winning Prime Time Nationals 11th/12th grade Division because she was the glue on both ends of the court. She scores in the flow as well as in the clutch and that's from outside or attacking the basket but her basketball comprehension and unselfishness has always added to what she brings to the table and now that the table has been set, she's ready for that next level spot
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Check out her highlights
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Monday, July 13, 2020
Player Spotlight- 2022 Makenna Walker
I'm always searching for "that new face" that's abundant throughout girl's basketball because one of the reasons I started doing what I do in Texas over 15 years ago because the national media didn't know or didn't know what they were looking at and I used the phrase "talent is everywhere" if you know what you're looking at so I'm checking out multiple teams on multiple courts at She's Ballin Extravaganza and I'm watching from afar as I see the ball going up and hearing cheer after cheer so I move to that court and low and behold, Makenna Walker was the young lady on fire
Walker was more than a pleasant surprise as she brought heat on both ends of the court but her jumper was very impressive and watching her create her shot under pressure was equally exciting especially when she not only attacked and finished with contact but she also did it acrobatically showing her athleticism, which also stood out on the defensive end as she played the passing lane and car up with numerous steals. This was her first season at 5A Princeton HS after moving up from a 3A school where she started and was named All-District Honorable mention, she earned that award again at Princeton, and to show me I wasn't seeing a mirage a few weeks ago she has continued to impress me with Cy Fair Elite 16U National Dallas, check out her highlight film
Walker was more than a pleasant surprise as she brought heat on both ends of the court but her jumper was very impressive and watching her create her shot under pressure was equally exciting especially when she not only attacked and finished with contact but she also did it acrobatically showing her athleticism, which also stood out on the defensive end as she played the passing lane and car up with numerous steals. This was her first season at 5A Princeton HS after moving up from a 3A school where she started and was named All-District Honorable mention, she earned that award again at Princeton, and to show me I wasn't seeing a mirage a few weeks ago she has continued to impress me with Cy Fair Elite 16U National Dallas, check out her highlight film
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Team Tulsa Purple brings it home #Super64
Team Tulsa came to the PBR Super 64 and that mission wasn't impossible because this squad has a history of winning the big ones, add the Connecticut Division to there accomplishments, and all of that is fine and dandy but I always look for "those girls" who can play at the next level, I've caught several of these young ladies in the past and to say I was impressed with their progression would be an understatement and the mix of 2024 and 2025 young stars were just something to see. JaShay Devers and Brianna Gist are 2024 players, Tay'Butler and Lilee Sanders are in the 2025 class, I'll get a better look at them down the road but the ones I caught a lot of as I was moving on various courts were these young ladies
2024
Sakauri Wilson (THA) two of the many things I love seeing in young players is the ability to create their shot and an explosive first step, she does both yet she also sees the court as if she was looking through a microscope, passes are crisp and on the money but her pull-up is solid and she does something else I love to see plays the passing lane
KiAryn Taylor (Kipp) she also plays the passing lane and plays it well plus she's long and athletic, that's the base and remember that so watching her attack the basket strings was as funds watching her keep the ball high after rebounding, she does that on both ends of the floor and plays defense
Aire'l Vazquez (Will Rogers) I love her upside for many reasons including she goes hard and rebounds with authority and that in itself sends messages but a couple of other things were priceless to me and that was watching her pass off the dribble and show a consistent drop step, aka a lost art that actually works
Taiona Morris (Union) Morris also does a great job creating her shot and an exceptional job at getting it off, under pressure yet watching her drop the long ball, multiple times, was pretty cool and what was even cooler is that she can catch and shoot, that too is valuable at this stage because, well just because I said so
2025
Kennadi Jackson (Goddard) I don't know what I like the most, her explosive first step, yep she has it too, her ability to attack against whomever, under control or maybe it was her threading the needle in traffic but playing that passing lane is something many on this squad can do and her upside is nice as well
Tierra Owens (THA) I love flair and excitement and this young lady is going to be labeled a "highlight waiting to happen" in the open court before it's all said and done. She already has the razzle-dazzle down, she understands how to attack the basket and finish after contact but that energy just keeps applying heat
Hope Bump (Claremore) that three-inch growth spurt had me scratching my head wondering which one she was but she's added so much more including her poise and ability to show she has the potential to take over games. She finishes with power, she understands how to set defenders up off the dribble, the stop and pop from midrange is smooth and her positioning, another lost art, enables her to rebound against taller players
2024
Sakauri Wilson (THA) two of the many things I love seeing in young players is the ability to create their shot and an explosive first step, she does both yet she also sees the court as if she was looking through a microscope, passes are crisp and on the money but her pull-up is solid and she does something else I love to see plays the passing lane
KiAryn Taylor (Kipp) she also plays the passing lane and plays it well plus she's long and athletic, that's the base and remember that so watching her attack the basket strings was as funds watching her keep the ball high after rebounding, she does that on both ends of the floor and plays defense
Aire'l Vazquez (Will Rogers) I love her upside for many reasons including she goes hard and rebounds with authority and that in itself sends messages but a couple of other things were priceless to me and that was watching her pass off the dribble and show a consistent drop step, aka a lost art that actually works
Taiona Morris (Union) Morris also does a great job creating her shot and an exceptional job at getting it off, under pressure yet watching her drop the long ball, multiple times, was pretty cool and what was even cooler is that she can catch and shoot, that too is valuable at this stage because, well just because I said so
2025
Kennadi Jackson (Goddard) I don't know what I like the most, her explosive first step, yep she has it too, her ability to attack against whomever, under control or maybe it was her threading the needle in traffic but playing that passing lane is something many on this squad can do and her upside is nice as well
Tierra Owens (THA) I love flair and excitement and this young lady is going to be labeled a "highlight waiting to happen" in the open court before it's all said and done. She already has the razzle-dazzle down, she understands how to attack the basket and finish after contact but that energy just keeps applying heat
Hope Bump (Claremore) that three-inch growth spurt had me scratching my head wondering which one she was but she's added so much more including her poise and ability to show she has the potential to take over games. She finishes with power, she understands how to set defenders up off the dribble, the stop and pop from midrange is smooth and her positioning, another lost art, enables her to rebound against taller players