Pass Tha Ball #Select40 Houston 2026-28 Tip Sheet

 

HOUSTON, Texas-I'll never forget that first Pass Tha Ball event I covered back in 2013, the HoopAHolics and the countless players that graduated  and went on to play at the next level, some MDAA and some will play professionally just makes my head spin, you can use the search bar to verify anything I tell you because I'm not into "tall tales" which is popular nowadays on social media and having daughter playing at the highest of levels for many years takes me back to when I was first out here with her over 20 years ago, so I've seen some talent and I know where the bar has been set so here's what I saw from those in the 5th-7th grade who all are showing next level potential 

2026

Kyndal Graham-5'0 G (Keithsville) Cy Fair Hunt

Graham is poised beyond her years, she handles the ball as well as the pressure with ease and her first step already creates problems for defenders yet she has a crossover, a step back and can create her shot with ease but that mid to long-range is going to be hard to handle

Sophia Rodriguez-5'4 W (Laporte) Houston United

Rodriguez just keeps showing me something big is coming, including a growth spurt yet her skillset and mindset took me away when I first saw her and her creating  her shot while being tightly guarded has just exceeded my early expectations but she also rebounds and defends 

Whitney Smith-5'5 G

Smith is one of those "fast with the ball" type players and her blazing speed coupled with her ability to hit teammates on the money will definitely be something that won't be contained especially since she can finish with contact, that's an option, or hit the stop and pop jumper 

Victoria Gonzalez-5'4 PG (Pearland Jr High) League City Sharks

Gonzalez gave me an even better look at her creating her shot under pressure and hitting the shot but she's athletic, takes defenders off the dribble nicely and her battling for loose balls on the floor or off the glass definitely stood out

Summer Williams -5'7 P (Huffman MS) Lake Houston Angels

Williams made my Tip Sheet when she was 8 I guess because I saw something coming and she made sure I knew I was right as she is so athletic and smooth at this stage, her upside is scary, especially as she plays the passing lane but she can shoot it, well catch and shoot it nicely 

2027

Kamdyn Flora-5'6 G (Hamilton MS) Houston United

Flora is one of those players that I use that #D1Lock hashtag on early because she will grow, even more, she's athletic and she thinks the game but she can score off the dribble, she attacks the rim, and handles the ball under pressure well enough to see the floor 

2028 

Isabella Rodriguez-5'0 G (Laporte) Houston United 

Rodriguez did one thing instinctively that sold me at #AllEyezOnMe and it was a crossover against 8th graders heading to the 9th but her BB-IQ is among the best I've seen at this age, she can handle the ball and create her shot right now and she will get taller, stronger and even better becoming a "nightmare to defend" 

2024 and 2025 show up and out #713Showcase

 

GWENDLYN MCGREW

It's all about "seizing the opportunity" and that sort of worked both ways this past weekend as several new faces had a chance to put themselves in front of a REAL EVALUATOR while I also had a chance to get a jump on what's coming up in the not so distant future but the #713Showcase was well put together and ran like clockwork and here's a group of some of that next wave of talent that many will be household names, I already see that however I also saw some players with plenty of upside and the main thing I'll be looking for is the progression from all of the players and here are some of the standouts from the 2024 and 2025 classes

2024

Gwendlyn McGrew-5'11(Reps Up) one of the countries top prospects in her class, she has D1 offers on the table and her ability to score multiple ways will make her an impact player immediately in high school, yes I said IMMEDIATELY 

Laniah Thornton-5'8 (Reps Up)keeps getting better every time I catch her play, her power combined with her body makes her hard to handle as she can score from midrange as well as off the dribble and is an "and one" waiting to happen 

Allie Sebert-5'0 (Houston Its On-Showtyme) first sighting but caught my eye almost immediately by her consistency showing she plays within herself and won't back down, good upside and she showed "sizedontmatter 

Shunteria Davis-5'9 (D1 Dragons) strong and polished on the attack, mindset of "you won't stop me" is ahead of her years but was one of the best at finishing with contact, also showed mid to long-range as well as poise beyond her years

Hailyn Obregon- 5'7 (Cy Fair Premier) solid in skills session translated over nicely to games as she showed she could create off the dribble as well as attack the rim, under control and confident and plays within herself and finishes after contact

Jacoria Taylor-5'9 (Houston Its On Showtyme) when I mark "ath" numerous times that speaks volumes but so did her showing as she attacks and defends, plays the passing lane and has scary upside because she already has very good  body control

Kaia Carter-5'9 (Houston Its On Showtyme) she's long and athletic, that's the base but when you add she also takes defenders off the dribble and finishes after contact, she creates her shot and showed she could drop the long ball

Madison Bob-5'8 (Rytes Warriors) that long and athletic fits her as well but she continues to turn her game up with each event. Good timing of defense enables her to block, deflect, alter shots yet she elevates with ease on the jumper as well as to the basket

Mariyah Brown-5'9 (IJU Basketball) yet another long and athletic player but she simply grabbed my attention with her aggressiveness attacking the rim from various angles or right down the middle and on top of that, she also defends and rebounds

Nya Wold-5'10 (Rytes Warriors) plenty of offensive tools to work with to go with her size as she showed the mid to long, she attacks the basket strong and under control but she also creates her shot under pressure. Very good upside 

Jade Williams-5'8 (Cy Fair Elite Bush) all I can say is wow because she turned it up elevating over older players for rebounds and baskets as well as playing with poise and confidence. She made my Tip Sheet in the 5th or 6th grade, she's proving me right as her upside is untapped 

SHUNTERIA DAVIS

2025

Sarah Gregory-5'4 (Houston Its On Showtyme) she's on her way to following three older sisters to the next level, she understands how to run a team, control the tempo and is vocal but her BB-IQ is ahead of her years and so is her creating off the dribble to score multiple ways as she can take over when she wants

Alaysia Cook-5'5- Cook was smoking almost immediately and since I hadn't paid attention to the roster, I wasn't aware of how young she is. She already gets it, went right at the older girls, and showed she could score attacking or hitting the midrange. Upside is unreal 

Jasmine Timmons-6'0 (Houston Its On Showtyme) she's already at "the magic number" of 6'0 and understands two very important things at this stage, how to use her size and body and how to finish, well that's three things but she can also rebound and run the floor, remember her name 

Player Spotlight 2022 Xoe Rosalez

 

 I caught Xoe Rosalez (Seminole HS) last month at the Cy Fair Individual Showcase and I was so impressed with the young lady that I placed her on my Tip Sheet with Prep Girls Hoops Texas. Her ballhandling and keen eye definitely grabbed my attention almost immediately but what also stood out was her heady play as well as playing within herself

I love seeing players in different settings and in this particular setting Rosalez just showed an abundance of offensive skills like taking defenders off the dribble with ease and finishing with contact the same way but it didn't stop there as she did a great job at creating her shot, under pressure, and showed the mid to long-range

All of that sounds fine and dandy but remember I just said I love seeing players in different settings and watching her not only shoot with an even deeper range in high school, she also showed that ever so hopeful "catch and shoot" so this along with making passes that don't appear to be there for assists or playing hard defense, keep your eyes and ears open because more is definitely coming 

VIDEO

2020 TJ Showcase Day 2 Tip Sheet

 

BUDA, TEXAS- Day 2 of the 2020 Tyrone Johnson Showcase, #TJShowcase, was dedicated to the younger teams because always remember, #talentiseverywhere and over the years, I’ve had a chance to see countless players who showed they were going to not only play at the next level, but at the highest level of the next level. As an added bonus, I’m coming back and drop something on each team that I saw, thanks for providing me rosters, on my blog and let me also add that I dropped the ball and missed the 6^th graders, that’s on me and I apologize but I’ll catch you on the remix. Also, this is why I request having rosters emailed in case there is a discrepancy, like something as simple an incorrect number

2024

Iyanna Billups (Competitive Edge Elite Black)

Billups falls into that #sizedontmatter hashtag I see a lot because she can play. She’s fearless, she attacks the basket and she handles the ball well under pressure but she also does a good job of seeing the floor

Karvi  Madyastha (Competitive Edge White)

Madyashta does a good job at getting to the rim, under pressure and one way she does it is with a nice crossover but attacking is one thing, she also finishes strongly after contact and showed she could create her shot

 

2025

Kayla King (San Antonio Lady Hoops)

King is very athletic and attacks the basket relentlessly yet she also sees the floor and her first step sets up everything because she can also hit teammates going full speed either in the open court or from a half-court set

McKenzie Bernard (Journey 13U)

Bernard has size, she’s athletic and long, no matter how I word it, that’s the base but she can take defenders going baseline or finish strongly after contact. Wen you combine that with a nice pull-up jumper…

Sedelia Wilson (Hays Country Hornets)

Wilson is long and athletic, she’s over the magic number of 6’0 and has scary upside because of her age and how fluid she is as well as her agility. She finishes, rebounds runs the floor and defends plus she has good timing which enables her to block shots

Endia Stigall (Stats Elite)

Stigall has a very nice pull-up jumper in traffic, she’s athletic and attacks the basket strongly but she also understands how to run a team and control the tempo. She sees the floor and even showed the “floata”

Savannah Salinas (AD Elite)

Salinas put on a shooting exhibition from mid to long-range and she did it effortlessly. She’s one of the best young “catch and shoot” players I’ve caught this club season, she creates her shot and can handle the ball

Alaysia Guide (Waco United 2025)

Guide is an athletic point guard that can take defenders anytime she wants, she has a nice first step and can mix it up with a pull-up jumper or just attacking the rim where she also finishes after contact. She creates her shot and defends

Houston United 2026 #NBC20

I had a chance to catch up with Houston United 2026 squad, well I actually I had a chance to catch them in action at Prime Time Nationals and many again at the #AllEyezOnMe Individual Showcase, I'll drop that later on my website but this is what I saw at #NBC20

SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ

Sophia Rodriguez was overly impressive on the defensive end as she understood the importance of being around the ball and manning up. She also finished strong

Natalia Reyna comprehends the game so well, she makes good decisions and has great upside because she plays within herself

Ava Ford is so athletic and has an abundance of raw talent that is just overwhelming and I see her turning the corner in a big way soon

Amber Mead sees the floor well and attacks the basket strongly, she can apply heat full court on the defensive end

KAMDEN FLORA

Kamden Flora is athletic and has several tools already that definitely will help her be in the mix. Good size, BB-IQ, and a nice first step, plus she finishes with contact 

Devyn Turner was a guest player and boy did she play because she too applied a lot of heat on defense and attacked strong and physical 

Kaly Randle falls into that #sizedontmatter because she brought it and she also delivered and when you have a solid first step at this stage...

Isabelle Rodriguez is playing a grade and from what I'm seeing she'll be up, up and away in the future because she too falls into the #sizedontmatter but peep this, she creates her shot, she can shoot it and she attacks off the dribble 

Player Spotlight 2021 Ashlyn Ryall

I remember the first time I caught Ashlyn Ryall before she was even attending Friendswood HS, I said, "this kid has some definite tools" but even beyond the skill set, I was overly impressed with her knowledge of the game because one more time, "if you comprehend the simple things at a young age, you're way ahead of the game" and the game is one she loves to play and after being named to the All-District squad multiple times, Chronicle Player Of The week as well as Galveston County All-County HM in high school

After leading her Friendswood team in points, three-pointers as well as assists, she has helped her BDA club team compete against some of the states elite tournaments including Big State Flava Jam but what's even more impressive about the 5'9 guard with NBA range is that she can play the one and a two and while we're dancing and a three and a four but the dance is only beginning as she even did some damage playing the five this past weekend, this ties into my opening statement "if you comprehend the simple things at a young age, you're way ahead of the game" because she THINKS the game, understands positioning when to switch and always important, she's vocal and a leader on the court

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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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

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

Early look at 2025 group around Texas

I love this picture, I've explained numerous times that I'm a VISUAL person and although I respect other people and their opinions, ranging from politics to evaluating talent, that has nothing to do with what I think and for 60 years it's worked for me, says the man who has been married 9 times. Maybe that doesn't register but what does register is what you do on the court and I've had a chance to see many young players in middle school numerous times and here are TEN of the TOP 2025 players, in no particular order, that I have personally seen in the past few months and have shown me, it's not what you do, it's who you do it against so please don't send me what someone said or any irrelevant nonsense like stats or efficiency ratings

LA Sneed
Aniyah Foy
Aaliyah Chavez
Katelynn Evans
Hillary Dawson
Andrea Sturdivant
Aniah Holmes
Chandler Caver
Kenna McKenzie
Alaysia Gude