Tymberlin Crisswell and Kamari Portalis haven't changed off the court but.....

These two right here just keep me laughing. Tymberlin Criswell and Kamari Portalis fall into that "I've been watching ya'll before HS category and the thing that has remained constant is that they are still the same as when I met them, well mannered and just a joy to be around and there are many like them so when players like this continue to succeed, I'm truly happy for them

On the court, that's a different story as both have elevated their vertical and more importantly games and Criswell is featured in one story I dropped for Prep Girls Hoops Texas

2021 Texas Heavy Hitters stand out at Super 64

while Portalis is in another

2021 TX “game elevators” from Super 64

and remember this is premium content , use simmie20 for a discount

2019 Texas A&M Team Camp

So I walk into Reed Arena and the first thing I see are the bobble-heads of Danielle Adams and my daughter Sydney Colson and the memories from their magical run in 2011 just overtook me with emotion because that was very special in so many ways

Watching my daughter overcome so much fueled by so many petty adults and winning a National Championship was icing on the cake and playing in the WNBA I guess were the candles which she's still lighting

Alissa Knight (Cedar Park)

I caught several talented HS teams including Cedar Park who has a nucleus to make a big run but there were others that captured my attention over the two days I attended. I picked some standouts from the camp and Prep Girls Hoops Texas has launched, I'm the guy bringing the heat so please check out the site, it's pretty neatr and to save 20% use simmie20

PrepGirls HoopsTexas 

Super 64 with many Super 2022 players

Team Lex Gold has an abundance of talented players on their squad that they remind me of many teams from yesteryear. I think the first time I caught the squad, they were in the 5th or 6th grade and I knew that had some D1 players but they've progressed individually and as a whole and finishing runner up in the 2nd highest division at Premier Basketball's Super 64 without Michayla Gatewood, one of the state top PG's "any class" but she'll be back to join SaMyah Smith and the rest of her teammates including many from their Desoto HS that finished runner up in state, as freshmen in the highest division, I can't script this any better

I dropped an article on Prep Girls Hoop Texas featuring some of the 2020 standouts from the PBR event, that I personally saw, I'm huge on seeing for myself, especially with all of the nonsense that continues to grow on both social media and word of mouth but for me, "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" so the sleight of hand foolishness does absolutely nothing for me. I have Ashlon Jackson listed among the top players in her class, that's a given nationally as well so her and many others are HERE 

Also this a premium article, use simmie20 for a discount even though I'll be 60 in 67 days

2023 Area PG's shined playing up #AllEyezOnMe

Riley McCloskey caught my eye a couple of months ago, how much, well I actually asked what her name since I didn't have a roster. I knew she was young but she was handling her business, well giving incoming seniors the business as well so watching her at All Eyez On Me not really looking at the roster left me somewhat speechless when I figured out who she was. Very good BB-IQ, already understands how to run the one just makes her teammates better. She can score from outside, handles the ball pressure and sees the floor very well and trust me, I'll be watching Memorial HS quite a bit

Aniyah Sanford has been under my radar, I guess 3 or 4 years and the growth I've seen in her game tells me she's going to make noise at Langham Creek. Poised under pressure and she has an explosive first step are just a couple of the elements she has added to her. Her crossover and pull-up are there if needed but she too gets it as far as running a team and the thing about both is that "their hungry" and they both have "upside" which is  scary, for defenders, not me, I'm going to enjoy saying I told you so

Results from 2019 #TJShowcase

SA Lady Hoops won two divisions at #TJShowcase  as they keep getting better

Rock Nation 2022 Red wins Capital Division #TJShowcase

Always remember, ALWAYS, that the game starts at the one and in the Capital Division finals, Rock Nation 2022 Red's Jakayla Thompson went down with a shoulder injury as the talented squad was up on AD Elite 2023, a squad that I knew was going to make a run and make a run they did however down the stretch, '22 Alex Neimeth was ice in the clutch, big baskets, free throws and rebounds not to mention her defense which earns her a spot on the Tip Sheet coming soon. I've seen this squad multiple times this year and one thing I love is progression and they've shown exactly that. Lexi Alexander is mixing power and finesse, Thompson runs the squad well and can score

Dev Perera and Kam Weddington continue to bring "it" Mikah Johnson has also added fuel to the fire and Tinley Summer has been mixing it up on both ends. Jazz Cyphers is a new addition on this squad, watched her drop the long ball consistently on one of the other Rock Nation teams earlier, nothing has changed

SA Islanders #AllEyezOnMe Tip Sheet

I'll never forget the email I got from Jesse Torres, head coach and director for the San Antonio Islanders however I have forgotten what year it was but I'm thinking 2011/12 even though using the search bar only dates back to 2013 but that isn't correct, or is it. In the email he gave me a rundown of his team, I actually used to read the emails with evaluations back in the day and many made me stop when the nonsense started to snowball so was he correct, yes he was

FLASHBACK on SA ISLANDERS

That was a fun squad to watch especially when they knocked off teams with double digit D1 players pissing parents off from opposing teams, that's what used to keep me going because remember, it's not what you do, it's who you do it against and I'm always down for the underdog, for numerous reasons so this became a "must see" squad for me, multiple long ball shooters, very high BB-IQ, unselfishness on the court as well as just getting after it and playing the game

I caught the new look Islanders this past weekend at Austin Elite's Tyrone Johnson Showcase and they left a lasting impression but the impression started the night before for six of their players at the All Eyez On Me Individual Showcase so I'm giving them a page to themselves and no, this is not nepotism, this is SIMOTISM and it means whatever you want it to

'23 Viviana Moreno was one of the standouts during Session 1 READ MORE and here is a breakdown on the Islanders who were in Session 2

Gianna Gonzales-guard- made it look easy as she got to the rim with ease but her athleticism definitely created problems as she mixed up attacking basket or just showing range, mid to long consistently

Gabby Contreras-guard- there were an abundance of players that showed me they could shoot the midrange, Contreras does that, quite well. She also creates her shot under pressure and has a knack for being at the right place at the right time

Ali Meyer-guard- lone returnee from last years squad as everyone has graduated from that team so watching her leadership at the ONE, where the game starts wasn't new. She understands how to run a team, she has range, form is nice and she gets "it"

Jordan Lefler-guard-creates off the dribble and can get her shot off under pressure, it's accurate, good form plus she attacks well from the wing. She also brought heat on defense and played passing lane which I always love to see.

Presley Young-does many things well and just brought it at the event. Shooting the midrange is something I love to see, I say it over and over because it's a lost art, college coaches love it. She had one of the highest percentages at the Showcase plus she attacks well and uses her athleticism to her advantage on both ends

Guess what #ThrowbackThursday

I've had a chance to see some fantastic players come from the Houston area and I remember the first time I saw Nina Norman and Lindsey Harding play together in the back-court in an AAU game, when it really was AAU not what everybody calls it now because AAU is a NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, nm, anyway I knew girls' basketball had changed from when  I was in school and it was definitely an eye opener. Along that time, I ran into a couple of guys who would be pivotal in passing down knowledge on what to expect, Greg Cook, played at LSU, went to the Final 4 and just kept it  real, his daughter Aubrey was one of the top posts in the nation , played for Cy Fair and the University of Texas and their daughters graduated in 2005, the DEEPEST class ever from the area I personally witnessed

The other gentleman was Vernon Starks whose daughter is pictured above with my daughter, I think this was during the playoff preview Starks' senior year but both dads, who have passed truly were amazing and honest about the BS that goes with all of this that has not surprisingly gotten deeper. The first time I saw Takia Starks, she was in the 7th grade playing as a guest player on a team and dropped 44 on a loaded 11th grade team with 9 or 10 D1 players, she was in the 7th grade and this is one of the reasons why I stress the "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" that goes completely over many folks heads that constantly send me stuff on what other people say or have said

Starks went on the break the scoring record, at the time, at Texas A&M and helped lead the squad to multiple NCAA tournaments including an Elite 8 showing . Basketball has changed, and like always, I don't care if anyone agrees with me because if you weren't there, or were and have the knowledge to evaluate, many can't evaluate their  own players let alone eras of players, but the Chronicle used to be on top of it, that has totally changed when BCS players are left off , you didn't have to vote multiple times on websites for Players of the Year, especially when you don't all of the players, but what hasn't changed is the people who actually claimed to make players, that falls into the "gotten deeper" category but this is over 280 characters so let me close lol

Lake City Pride 2020 #HeartOfTexas

Hard to believe many of Lake City Pride's players caught my eye right before they started their middle school careers and now some are preparing for their final high school careers. Kristen Broxton is strong and athletic, gets the job done at the point while Anaiya Turner has a lot of tools in her 5'10 body including attacking from the wings and creating her shot.

Macie Montie is a solid combo guard that can knock shots down and watching Raegan Ojora rebound and go coast to coast with ease is something to see because at 5'10, she handles the ball under pressure and ignites the break plus she defends and rebounds on both ends while Aaliyah Jordan falls into the #sizedontmatter when you can play category because she's strong, powerful, athletic and shoots the midrange efficiently

Aasia Sam left me speechless at times because of her #throwback mentality of "going after everything" and that includes diving on the floor or playing the passing lanes but that ain't all because she has a nice pull-up as well as the ability to take defenders off  the dribble and finish any way you want it. Ariyon Artis  also showed a lot of athletic ability, finished strong after contact and so did Aryana Grays that just seemed to be, well everywhere and definitely can score in the flow and fill up the stat sheet. Deonna Brister, also 5'10, is long and very athletic plus she does a good job of setting defenders up because that first step creates some problems. Drop of the Day went to Deja Tanks as she finishes poweefully and knows how to use her body

Royal Players Basketball Academy 2020 #HearftOfTexas

I love catching startups and I had already caught multiple RPBA squads a few weeks earlier but the Heart of Texas gave me an even better view of the 2020 squad. Janiya Maxie plays bigger than her listed 5'9. she's physical and finishes strong plus she rebounds on both ends. Shed also stepped out and showed she could hit the midrange and she and Kayla Alford make a formidable duo on the inside. Alford's physicality and desire is old school as she battles for everything. Upside from the 21's playing on this squad, Kelly Weckesser, who is just under 6'0, Taelyn Johnson and Hailey Sinclair are some of their players I'll be keeping an eye on

Taylor Charity is heady at the one, really enjoyed watching her decision making as well as her midrange and she had the "save of the day"in the opening game on opening day for a no look assist that had the crowd going. Taylor (Lake Creek) and Sinclair (Grand Oaks) are the lone players that don't attend Oak Ridge who should make some noise with several pieces ready to be filled, Gabrieanna Williams and Isabella Tyson are among those who are getting ready

Madison Pigman showed me a whole lot, very good BB-IQ is always a plus but I just love players that play within themselves and can't get theirs in the flow. Nice mid to long range, well multiple long range shots and diving on the floor after loose ball didn't hurt. Alysssa Castro is a prototype PG, she distributes well and can take defenders off the dribble nicley