Tuesday, June 18, 2024

More Babies Are Coming #TJShowcase


 I saw quite a few "stars of the future" who have not played a game in high school from the #TJShowcase and I dropped a  few already on  Prep Girls Hoops. Well, there was even more, here ya go

Kamira Runnels-5'5 (Fort Worth Lady Hornets) 2028- is an athletic guard who applies heat on both ends. Her on-the-ball defense was solid, and she also did a good job attacking the basket off the dribble to score

Kathy Odokopira-5'1 (Fort Worth Lady Hornets) 2030- her upside is high and so is her BB-IQ as she showed she could control the temp and see the floor but she's a "long and athletic" guard which is also the base. She falls into that #sizedontmatter group and it doesn't because she dropped the jumper, including the "catch and shoot" from deep

Andrea McGriff-5'9 (Fort Worth Lady Hornets) 2028-is "long and athletic" Yep, the base but she's also strong and powerful, and seeing her elevate to score, see above picture, or go AFTA everything off the rim was refreshing but she also scored off the dribble, played solid defense and played the passing lane 


Ja'siah McIntyre-5'5 (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) 2029- handled the ball well under pressure and her showing the crossover both in the set as well as in transition was nice. She scored off the dribble and saw the floor

Tayza Peavy-5'8  (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) 2029- is "long and athletic" with some scary upside and seeing her rebound and go coast to coast to score or dish was nice. She scored around the basket, putbacks included, off the dribble and after contact plus she played the passing lane and played solid defense 

Heaven McDonald Lyles-5'9  (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) 2028- is also "long and athletic" and the heat she applied defensively, in the halfcourt, as well as baseline to baseline, was impressive but she also played the passing lane and handled the ball afterward. She's strong and attacked the basket off the dribble and finished after contact



Maya Clark-5'4  (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) 2030- is a "long and athletic" guard who sets the defender up nicely to attack the basket. Her FLOATA off the dribble was smooth, she also showed the pull-up jumper and saw the floor. Her defense was also solid and she played the passing lane

Kayleene Sanchez-5'6  (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) 2029- is an athletic guard who uses her athleticism on both ends starting with "on the ball" heat coupled with quick hands to help create turnovers. She also used a deceptive first step to attack the basket off the dribble

#11  (SA Lady Hoops Diamond) is also an athletic guard who did a good job creating her shot under pressure and dropping the midrange while being defended. She also played the passing lane


Thursday, June 6, 2024

Just Play Elite 15U

 



Talented players throughout the organization and the 15U squad has some up-and-coming ones. I missed the 15U Katy team but here ya go

Hollis McConn (St Agnes) 2027 does a good job defending on the ball and played the passing lane well  

Elizabeth Brantley (Episcopal) 2027 scored off the dribble and rebounded on both ends of the court

Mabry Reef (Tomball Memorial) 2027 set the defender up using a deceptive first step to attack the rim

Riley O'Connor (Stratford) 2027 used a slight HEZ to get the defender off balance to attack the basket and her court vision was nice

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Houston Lady Nets Babies #HoustonSummerSlam


 I hate I didn't get a chance to catch the Houston Lady Nets younger squad at the Houston Summer Slam however I do know they have several exciting players who are going to do some serious damage down the road. Zoe Whitaker (2032) and Arianne Petty (2033) are already showing signs but so are many others on this squad

Not sure if I'll be around but just remember #IToldYouSo but no one remembers lol

Just Play 14U #HoustonSummerSlam


 All I can say is WOW as I close out the 8th grade Division because there are definitely some heavy hitters coming up but just as important, countless players with next-level potential. In case you missed a loaded San Antonio Minez squad, you can read about them on Prep Girls Hoops but here ya go

Kate Earnest (2030) I was speaking with a parent before the game and he told me how well she could shoot the long ball. She dropped her first 2 and he just smiled at me. I don't know how many she hit but I know she will probably set some records she also scored off the dribble and saw the floor, her upside is very good

Ella Clark (2030) showed she could score around the basket multiple ways as well as off the dribble after contact but she saw the floor not only in the set but in transition too. Her defense was solid and she played  the passing lane

Reese Nguyen (2028) rebounded strongly on both ends but seeing her handle the ball afterward to start the break was nice. So was her seeing the floor or just keeping it to score by attacking the basket. She does a good job of creating her shot and drops it from mid to long-range

Maddie Bennett (2029) scored off the dribble from multiple angles using a deceptive first step but she also did a good job inside the paint by scoring around the basket or rebounding on both ends

Ahnoe Campbell (2028) showed me some progression since I first saw her a year ago and her interior defense has gotten better but so has her lateral movement to guard her man outside the paint. She scored inside the paint, rebounded strongly on both ends, and even battled for loose balls on the floor 

Houston Lady Roadrunners 2029 #HoustonSummerSlam


 I get tickled watching these young ladies grow up right before my eyes so Tasharion Robinson reminded me that her younger sister Tia was playing. I'll never forget watching big sister for the first time in the 5th grade and knew big things were waiting, she starred at Clear Sprigs and then SFA but guess what, the BABY IS COMING as well

Tia Robinson (2029) is a "long and athletic" guard who left me speechless showing her pull-up jumper from very deep. She's going to be hard to handle because she's explosive off the dribble, has nice body control on her finishes, and has good court vision. Her defense was also solid plus she played the passing lane

Rhianna Washington (2029) uses her athleticism well on both ends and her pressure defense helped to create turnovers while her scoring off the dribble after contact was also nice, but so was her playing the passing lane yet with her being "long and athletic" with a jumper, oh my

Alexis Mars (2029) gave me a little bit of everything quickly as she showed she could do damage in the paint, on both ends starting with rebounding. She also scored around the basket, putbacks included, and gave me a nice turnaround jumper. She even stepped outside and dropped it

Abigail Flores (2030) proved #sizedontmatter when you can play and first of all, she's heady and stays under control but she also applied pressure defensively as well as attacked strongly off the dribble. Another big thing was her being able to drop the jumper from deep

Lady Thunder Blue #HoustonSummerSlam


 Lady Thunder Blue rhymes with I SEE YOU and that has nothing to do with one of my favorite NPR shows yet the NPR acronym means something special, NEW PLAYERS RISING and I can always count on my dear friend for putting players I probably would never see in front of me and here are some of them 

Kynnedi Heslip (2028) Kynnedi rhymes with energy and she brings plenty of that on both ends of the court. She does a good job applying pressure on the defensive end, she attacks the basket and finishes strongly but her court vision is nice, oh yeah, she plays the passing lane

Aaliyah Childress (2030) not sure if she can sing but I heard several tunes from this #sizedontmatter guard because she can play. I guess her being "feisty" and creating havoc around the ball grabbed my attention first but she also brought "on the ball" heat. She attacked the basket fiercely and scored after contact

Brooke Hopkins and Kate Hopkins (2028) are twins and one of two sets of sisters but these 2 are a couple of inches shy of the magic number, which is 6'0. Their games mirror each other, they're both "long and athletic" which will ALWAYS be the base, they score from the wing, as well as around the basket and they rebound on both ends. Here's the kicker, the midrange looks better each time I see them and since they both play the passing lane, their upside is scary

Victoria Fobbs (2029) and Destiny Fobbs (2030) are the other set of sisters, Victoria showed she could score off the dribble and finish after contact, nice body control played a part in that but both understand positioning and did a good job rebounding as well as playing solid interior defense. They were both playing up meaning they have good upside 

Adriana Liscano (2028) understands how to create her shot under pressure and get it off while being defended. Her deceptive first step gives her options to attack, which she does and scores but it also gets the defender off balance for her to knock down the mid to long-range jumper


Houston United 2028 #HoustonSummerSlam


 Several players stood out on the Houston United 2028 squad however just as importantly, many showed me potential and it this stage, you never know where you'll land so here ya go

Autumn Randle is one of two players on this squad that I watched both her mom and aunt star on their teams and made noise in the area and she too is on her way because she's "long and athletic", scores off the dribble and plays the passing lane. Her "on the ball defense" is tough baseline to baseline, nice upside

Jayda Hart was barely walking when I was watching her sister go through the city with abang yet Hart is on the verge of breaking out in a big way. She is also "log and athletic" and scores off the dribble but her energy is second to nonce and it shows after watching her go AFTA everything off the rim or even on the floor. She scores off the dribble and plays the passing lane

Makaila Nard is an athletic guard that not only scored off the dribble, she also showed good court vision 



Mikaela Wilson has plenty of potential, she's athletic, made good decisions and did a good job defending. I coached her mom who was one of the top long ball shooters in her class while her aunt was one of the top point guards in  hers so I see Wilson has picked up things from both, good upsdie

Addison Little creates her shot and handles the ball under pressure, she also creates separation to get her shot off and the pull-up jumper looks nice, so did her court visionb