Battle For #1- Does It Matter?

Cy Falls was one of if not the best teams in the city last season however in the playoffs, especially when you make it to the Elite 8, anything can happen. This season they have placed third in one major, the Texas Invitational and are coming off a victory in another, the Katy Nike Invitational along with winning the Spring Branch ISD Tournament.

Dekaney has also won a major, the Fort Bend ISD while coming off another victory over the weekend in the Terry Tournament however their biggest victory of the season came last Tuesday when they beat my preseason #1 team Clear Springs 69-64. Tonight they face off at Dekaney and the winner will be the areas #1 team, it doesn't take a GURU to figure that one out however the most important thing is who #1 is at the end. Both teams have the ability and artillery to get to Austin so this could "possibly" be a State Championship preview.

Sanders Fuels College Park Comeback

College Park and Cy Creek are a couple of teams that have a lot in common. Both have one of the top 2013 area players on their squad, both lost their leading scorers from last season, both have lot's of energy and both don't know how to quit. Both will also probably make the playoffs and if last nights game was any indication, that shouldn't be an issue . My first look at both teams was in the Conroe Tournament and College Park amazed me with their athleticism against A&M Consolidated and even though they loss, I saw the hunger. Creek won a blowout, but showed signs that they had the ability to pull off some surprises this season. Dani Fielder got the Cougars rolling early but the Cavaliers came roaring back however when Armarni Asberry came down wrong on her ankle after attacking the basket to put CP up 12-9, things started to change.

One big thing that changed was Jasmin Cruz, who provided so much energy off the bench and helped ignite an 11-0 Creek run but CP fought back as the opening quarter closed with them down 20-18. Sanders is one of the best athletes in the city that can also play and her back to back baskets helped College Park cut the lead back, 32-28, then an Asberry bucket tied it up with under 20 seconds left. This was a game of runs along with back and forth action and Cruz continued to have a hot hand throughout the evening and her bucket with 10 seconds left gave Creek the lead at halftime 34-32

Sanders opens up the half with a vengeance and ignites a charge to give CP their first lead since early in the first quarter 38-36 however this was a tough yet physical game and Cruz continued with her hot hand as Creek went on a 10-2 run this time and finished the quarter up 55-50. In the fourth quarter CP outscored Creek 18-8, much of that had to do with Cami Shafer, yes that's Megan's younger sister and Sanders. Shafer's 3 consecutive points gave CP a 62-59 lead and she also grabbed a big rebound with 33 seconds as they were up 62-61. Brianna Sweet tied game up at 63 however a Shafer free throw gave CP the lead for good as the won 68-63

Sanders led all scorers with 23 points followed by Andrea Velez with 10. Cruz was high scorer for Creek with 19 points and she was followed by Ikpeaku Iwobi, above left, who had 12 along with Fielder and Haley Deakins 10 each. Great effort by both squads and if they keep it up, you just never know who might get caught slipping.

Fielder Ready For Anything!

After helping lead Cy Creek to the D2 Silver Championship in the Texas Invitational, Dani Fielder was named to the all tournament team as she has played her way into basketball shape after volleyball season. Cy Creek hosts College Park tonight and what you have are two teams that will compete for playoff spots in their respective districts. Fielder and College Park's Alexia Sanders are two of the areas top juniors in the area so this should be a barn burner, plus it's close and it's COLD!

District Play Begins

Well, at least for some however the big match-up tonight has North Shore traveling to Hightower to take on #canenation! Both teams are in the hunt for that trip up 290 or I-10 in March, both have had more than their share of injuries this season, both have players ranked in my top five and both are coming off disappointing showings in the Katy Nike Tournament. None of this preseason stuff matters, it's sort of like mixing a cake all day but remember it won't cook until you bake it in the oven. Well district is the oven because it get's you ready for the playoffs and I believe both of these teams could be factors

CHRONICLE SCHEDULE

Need A Three-Call KC

I'm not talking about the guy with the Sunshine Band however this young lady, 2013 Kendra Cooper who also plays for Cooper, knows how to heat up the nets from long distance. I heard she made double digit threes in a number of fall league games and I had a chance to witness her shooting exhibition myself. Over the weekend, she really exploded, scoring 43 points in one game including 10 three pointers, yes I said 10. She has had 10 in two games this season, another game she had 9 and in the 8 games played so far this season, she has an astounding 54, that's an average of over 6 1/2 per game, no paper nor pencil needed. I'll keep giving you the "Scoop on Coop"

Atascocita- Duo Holding Down The Fort Until Knox Returns

The Taz has always had a special place in my heart, even before Chrishauna Parker (UTEP) and Rachel Mitchell (Texas A&M) transferred over last season. I had been watching Curtyce "Fort" Knox (Texas A&M) play for a while, saw her at many Aggie games when my daughter was there and I knew she could go and would be a Top 100 player before it was all said and done. My first glimpse of Rachel Arthur came when she and Knox were sophomores and along with Lauren Price, they put on an unreal playoff performance that showed me these three were all next level players. Arthur was shooting the lights out, Price was simply dominating on the inside and Knox was running the team and past others, so I knew that they were a squad to be reckoned with before it was all said and done.

Last season, the addition of two big name players sort of pushed Arthur and Price back a little as they didn't have to do as much as they did in that sophomore season. This season saw another blow, Knox was injured at the A&M Camp and although she has been released to play, she is nowhere near 100%, so Atascocita has been forced to grow up a lot on their own. Arthur has moved to the point, something many thought she couldn't do but has proved them wrong and the stroke is still there. Price has battled nagging injuries throughout the early season but her mentality is to outwork you and making contact is no problem. They are two of the top area kids that are still unsigned, for now!

I'll get a chance to see them in the Sandra Meadows Classic, more to come soon!

Peggy Whitley Classic-Final Major Set For This Week

Several of the area top teams are set to play this weekend in the Peggy Whitley Classic. I'm ready to see the talent, action and adventure because there always is!


PEGGY WHITLEY CLASSIC

Thomas Gives Cinco Boost

I've met some tough kids throughout my years however pound for pound, inch for inch, Sydney Thomas has fought through so many obstacles and continues to improve and in the process has also given Cinco Ranch another offensive threat. Thomas has filled in nicely at point guard for the injured Shayne Ortiz and has put up double digits in several early season games along with showing she can run a team. This kid is a fighter and whatever has been said she couldn't do, she has improved on and with a mindset like that, to go along with one of the best work ethics I've ever seen, the next level won't be that far away.

Veja Hamilton Continues To Amaze

Forget the fact that she scores at will, doesn't complain or even the fact that she should be in Class of 2014, what I like about Veja more than anything else is that she keeps it real. I spoke her prior to the championship game against Cy Falls and reminded her I was at the opening day game. Her response was "I didn't shoot ball well, but watch me tonight". To some that may sound cocky, well it's not, trust me on that. This is the type of player you want to go to battle with. She recognized what was wrong the first time and she regrouped, in a big way. I talk to college coaches all of the time and I love picking their brains and the thing most of them have told me about the changing of the game is the mid-rang shooters are not as abundant as they once were. Veja has that lost art down pat, along with the ability to get to the free throw line and make them, she knocked 5 in overtime victory against Mansfield Timberview. This young lady is a scorer, simple as that and has not only showed it against local competition, she has done it on center stage in several huge summer tournaments. My bet is not to bet against her doing it as a Horned Frog with TCU!

Tyler Gilbert Has Elevated Her Game To Beast Status

We've had some big  time sister acts perform together on center stage in the Houston area over the past few seasons, the Ogwumike's and Glibreath's are names you should know if you've been paying attention. Add the Gilbert sisters, twins at that to the list. The downside is Taylor being injured, with her Hightower had a legitimate chance of returning to Austin however without her they are still a threat and if they can stay healthy, anything is still possible. They have made it to the F-4 in two of our MAJORS, the FBISD Tournament and this past weekend they did the same in the Katy Nike Invitational

The sister act will continue at U of H and it will be fun to continue watching these young ladies do their thing and if you missed the performances by Elonu and Gilbert, you can watch it again right here in living color.
Coast to coast, up and under, hitting the mid-range jumper or taking completely over in the paint, Tyler has arrived and be ready for the return of Taylor!

ELSIK vs HIGHTOWER