Waco Lady Panthers 17U win WNBA Division #IBC

The Waco Lady Panthers are one of the oldest and most decorated club programs in the state and when you check your history, the players that have come through the program reads like a Who's Who of some of the best of the best not only from their area but across Texas. One of those players, Cokie Reed, is coaching with the club as she gives back and if you don't know who she is, well she was a Top 5 HS player that was both McDonald's and WBCA All American and later starred at Texas.

This seasons squad has several players that are going to play ball in college including Insider Basketball Classic All Tournament selections '17 Barbara and '16 Marie Benson, Both players are among the top in their respective classes in the state in fact Barbara is a legitimate Top 100 in the nation but there are plenty others. Elise Tate has hit some clutch shots over the past three seasons, nothing changed a she brings it on both ends but she and Chalendria Williams can definitely open things up

Shekenia Green is so athletic on both ends, she plays the passing lanes and attacks the basket so strong that you better be ready because that first step is off the chain. Breaundria Brown also loves taking defenders off  the dribble, she handles ball well under pressure and her strong body enables her to finish with contact well. Adrienne Rauls is explosive, she jumps out of the gym and her midrange is deadly but the more I saw Ana Joy Burgess, the more she showed me. At 6'1, she's fluid, great skills underneath however as the tournament progressed I saw the midrange game as well as the long ball but when she hit a step back three in the championship game.......

Acadiana Stars shine bright winning #IBC Varsity Division

Okay I'm checking out the roster and the picture and it appears someone missed the photo-shoot however that's about all the Acadiana Stars missed as they came to Houston and definitely put a smile on my face because the only thing I love more than watching new talent is watching young new talent and trust me, this team is loaded with college prospects.prospects. Janaziha Cormier is the lobe 2019 on this talented 2018 squad and with her size, she's around that magic number of 6'0, strength and physicality, she'll have have more than her share of colleges interested because this young lady has some stuff for you in the paint

Cormier has some help in the paint with Jeanie Champ and Amari Collins. Champ has the right last name because she backs down from no one, she too can be physical on both ends and defend and with that being said, Collins has the right initials because whatever heat you bring to AC, she's ready to cool you off. She's smooth on the inside, she can go hard or use finesse but her body control and midrange game certainly impressed me

The guards are just full of energy and when you have an abundance of players that can bring it so you that have much of a let down, that's a huge plus. Jakatlyn Matthews and Ava Jones are almost the same type of players, they press, play the passing lanes and see the floor extremely well but with their speed, you better be able to have your own AC cause that pressure is smothering. I haven't seen many back-courts that brought type of energy as well as acrobatics and athleticism as good as this one, keep in mind they're only freshmen and both have upside

When you talk about the glue, Chrissy Brown just keeps things together because she can score outside or off the dribble and she can defend but whenever I was around and a big play was needed, she came through either offensively or defensively and speaking of defense whether it was Bethany Lazard or Ashley Prejean filling in someone's spot or Isha Rasheed or Brittney Smith, they simply got the job done as a team

2015 #IBC All Tournament team

SARAH PETTIFORD 

CYPRESS, Texas- I always try and come up with innovative things so this year’s Insiders Basketball Classic has an All Star team primarily of players from Varisty, NCAA and WNBA divisions with the lone exception being Jessica Soders from the GOLD, she’s only an 8th grader yet I’m telling you right now she’s going to be a BCS player, no doubt whatsoever. I’ll be dropping Tip Sheets from these same divisions with a GOLD and SILVER combo so be patient and always remember when you come to a GPR Certified event, you will be covered top to bottom 

JESSICA SODERS

Marie Benson (Waco Lady Panthers 17U)

Barbara Benson (Waco Lady Panthers 17U)

Haley Howard (Waco Lady Panthers 16U)

Julia Schwake (Houston Dream Elite)

Tamera Gulley (Houston Dream Elite)

Miranda Stephens (Houston Dream Elite Blue)

Eryka Sidney (Houston Insiders)

Toraya Bass (Houston Insiders)
Taylor Hunter (Runnin Rebels)

Taylor Alexander (Lady Dominators)

Shannon Jones (Lady Dominators)

Cydney Varner (Hybrid Hoops)

D’Asia Collins (Hybrid Hoops)

Bethany Petsch (Houston Premier Blue)

Ava Jones (Acadiana Stars)

Jakaylyn Matthews (Acadiana Stars)

Halle Jones (DFW Elite Houston 15U)

Alexis Wycoff (365)

Kelsey Scibek (365)

Sarah Pettiford (Lady Houston Phenoms)

Martina Stavinoh (Fury)

Melissa Rodriguez (Runnin Rebels)

Hannah Froeschl (Bay Area Blaze)

Amanda Ferry (Skyrise Blue Star)

Jessica Soders (Skyrise Hamilton)

Benson sisters among many out of town stars heading in town #IBC

Oh how time has flown is probably one of the catch phrases I use however when you start watching these kids play as young as I do and then manage to live long enough to see them graduate, well the cycle continues and the first time I saw Marie Benson overpowering older players, I knew she would among the top 2016 players on my list from Texas. A couple of seasons later, I caught younger sister Barbara and let me tell you something, I knew these two were no spin-off from Soap and would definitely be playing On Broadway, aka the next level, however the more I watched them, the higher that level would be and trust me, Barbara is also among the tops in her class, 2017 as both have become hits

Their Waco Lady Panthers program are bringing multiple teams to the Insiders Basketball Classic this weekend and I'll get a chance to see many of their stars in action. Also Livingston Ladies and Acadiana Stars are invading Houston from Louisiana as I get a look at even more talent and since I've followed both programs for years, I know I'm in for some treats

SCHEDULE

A Unique situation as Finley commits

I remember this like it was yesterday, I'm in one gym and over in the other I kept hearing great shot a or rebound or whatever Unique and when I strolled over to see who this young lady was, to say that this middle school player was getting it done against high school players is a mild understatement. She brought some much energy and desire on the floor that it just trickled over to her teammates as she banged in the paint, rebounded, defended and scored and over the years the mid and long range simply evolved right before my eyes and you can use the search bar to look at her videos and see exactly what I'm talking about

That alone sold me on the fact that she could definitely play at the next level and even though she battled injuries most of her high school career, she simply worked hard and came back stronger each time to help Hightower make several runs in the playoffs. The Under The Radar star had several offers on the table however after visiting Texas Wesleyan and talking to their head coach Bill Franey, she decided this was definitely the right fit. I asked what sold her and she replied "they had my major and I just hit it off with Coach Franey and the players and everything just felt right"

I truly understand where she was coming from and she also thanked me for my help but I'll use this from Ray Romano's recent stint on David Letterman where he thanked Dave for putting him in the position to make it big with his sitcom and Dave responded "you did all the work" so Unique, I was only the messenger, you got the job done and I can't wait to see you as a Lady Ram

'16 Rachel Tapps commits to UTEP

I'm a firm believer in the "great things happen to great people" and the majority of the time it actually I think it truly does and watching Rachel Tapps over the years is a prime example of that. Tapps simply blew me away with her athleticism the first time I actually saw her play but it wasn't the first time I saw her, that initial time had her sitting on the bench in her freshman season nursing a minor injury.

When I did see her play, let me phrase her as "a highlight waiting to happen" as she simply defies gravity hanging in the air for baskets or blocks but each of her years at Cy Ranch she has dealt with some type of injury yet she always fights back. Talking to her over the years has been as much of a pleasure as watching her play because this young lady is so positive and that comes from an outstanding foundation from her family because in order to overcome what this young lady has had to do, you know that support system is definitely strong.

Rachel never complained or had this "why me" attitude, yet she was always there to support her teammates and believe me, it was genuine. I asked Tapps what made her choose UTEP and she said "because they had the faith in me even before seeing me play after my ACL and meniscus injuries which went a long way in this recruiting process" she also added  "the relationship of the team and the coaches and the way they took me in as if I was already a UTEP Miner plus the team cohesiveness."

This young lady is going to do big things at UTEP, I can truly feel it and keep in mind her high school team was ranked as one of the areas top by me the past few seasons so don'r be surprised when she closes out her career as a Mustang with a bang and although I had her listed as an Under The Radar player I knew this talented young lady would be okay and she has certainly been a joy to watch on the court and talk with off, did I mention she could sing, no she can sang !!!!!!

Prime Time HS Tip Sheet coming up later today

Texas Inferno and TMF Lady Dreamers closed out this past weekend in Auto Awesome fashion and I'll be dropping the HS Tip Sheet later today. If you're not following me on Twitter, you may miss something but always remember no one covers an event from top to bottom like I do and in case you missed the earlier Tip Sheets. here are the links

5th/6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

2015 May Houston 8th Grade Tip Sheet #PrimeTime

MCKENNA WORRELL (PEARLAND HAWKS)

With the exception of two players from Houston Skyrise, the players listed below will enter high school next season and as the game speeds up, they will have to make adjustments. That's no biggie, it happens at every level and some will do it a little quicker than others but no matter where you are, you have got to keep working because I can't tell you how many middle school superstars I've seen that finish their high school careers as just that. This is where jumps are made over and over so stay focused and keep working whether you made this particular Tip Sheet or not and trust me, you'll get there. I saw McKenna Worrell, pictured above, at the Insiders Hoopfest walking and based on her length and athleticism, along with her mannerisms, I took a picture because even without seeing her play, I sort of had a hunch. This is not the picture however it sort of gives you the picture on what's coming

DIANA HERNANDEZ ( FRANCHIZE)

2019

McKenna Worrell-wing (Pearland Hawks) the finished product isn't there yet and when it is, the acronym smh will apply. In the open court, she's simply exciting and one play I've seen few at her age make, attacking from the wing, she changed hands in mid-air and rolled the ball while appearing to be around the basket

Kirby Ritter-forward (Houston Premier) I've had a chance to see this young lady multiple times and the more I see her, the more I'm sold that she is going to do plenty of damage in high school. She's strong and physical however she can go finesse with her soft touch around the basket

Diana Hernandez-guard (Franchize) Hernandez does a good job at creating for herself and teammates running the one. Good ball-handler that can attack and score from outside but she gets her teammates involved

Sierra Gamble-guard (TNBA) one word after initial sighting of Gamble is my head, explosive, and that's because she is powerful going to the basket and also when she elevates on her jumper which looks pretty good

Madison Gissendanner-post ( Pearland Hawks) size and strength are always a plus and she will do nothing but get better because her work ethic shows on the court. She's physical in the paint and can finish as well as rebound and run the floor

Emily Cole-guard (Houston Premier) the first time I saw Cole I was impressed with her range but after seeing her more and more, she has a few things you just can't teach. her knack for being around the ball and playing the passing lane was shown over and over but she can also shoot it

AMANDA TURPIN (HOUSTON SKYRISE)

2020

Jade McAllister-post (Houston Skyrise) McAllister's upside is scary and I say that because she simply gets after it against older players. She gets better every time I see her play, she loves to rebound and she does a good job of doing that on both ends but she simply won't quit going after it and that is a trait that will take her a long way

Amanda Turpin-guard (Houston Skyrise) Turpin sort of has that silent assassin stuff working because she does a lot of things the naked eye misses. She has size and can shoot it pretty good and that will get even better but I'm thinking her upside will have her in a nice position when it's all said and done

2015 May Houston 7th Grade Tip Sheet #PrimeTime

JERIAH WARREN (LADY CHAOS)

Nothing like talented players rolling in the city I hadn't a chance to see which is perfect because if you follow me, you know I love going back on my blog and reading what I initially wrote a few years ago. The Lady Chaos brought several teams in multiple divisions from Louisiana and I stepped out of my box to find some that blew me away including the young lady pictured above. Here are some of the top performers in the 7th grade group

AMELIA THEDINGER (HOUSTON PREMIER)

2020

Jaslyn Craddick-guard ( Houston Skyrise) when you're a young small guard, it's always important to think the game and Craddick does just that. Well she sort of sees the floor and defends well but her upside and energy tells me I'll be writing about her for years

Kemoni Irvin-guard ( Pearland Hawks) the more I watch Irvin the more I see little things that have her on course to do big things. She's strong and athletic but more importantly she falls into that "never takes a play off" category, Good defender and can score

Kiersten Rich-forward (Houston Premier) Rich simply gets the job done and when you have an athletic player that loves playing the passing lane, that in itself is something I enjoy watching but when they can steal it and go C2C and finish with contact, well......

Ja' Nyale Bennett- wing (Houston Skyrise) Bennett is strong, I mean strong and when you have the ability to attack as hard as she does, with either hand and from various angles on the floor, that's a huge start. She can also take a hit and finish

Payton Dindot-guard (TWELVE) Dindot gets better every time I see her and with one of their key players out, she was among many others that took their games up a notch. Her length gives her an advantage on both defense and getting her shot off but she take her man off the dribble with ease

Daniela Perdomo-wing (Pearland Hawks) she locked herself on the Tip Sheet on day one, love players that anticipate the passes and when you throw in the fact that she can shoot it, mid to long range as well as take defenders off the dribble, that's a lot at a young age

Amelia Thedinger-guard (Houston Premier) not only does she create her shot, she also knows how to set her teammates up at a young age, these are both huge plusses but her length and athleticism creates issues on both ends, especially since she's attacking off the dribble quite well

ALICIA BLANTON (KATY REBELS POTH)

2021

Alicia Blanton-guard (Katy Rebels) I just looked at my June 2013 eval of Blanton and it's amazing how right I am about this stuff. This young lady is going to be one of the top players in her class in Texas, she overpowers players and gets it done in the flow


Jeriah Warren-guard (Lady Chaos) Warren is going to be something special, she's long and athletic and fun to watch in the open court. She showed me a little of this and a little of that but the package is almost complete and when it is, there's no ceiling

Sissy Thompson-guard (TWELVE) Thompson is showing signs of a player that will be able to simply take over a game, right now she gets it done in the flow but her energy and enthusiasm trickles over to her teammates. She can score and defend plus she's smart

Ally Batenhurst-post (Katy Rebels) Battenhurst is a shade under the magic number yet her wingspan probably has her close to 6'2. My last sighting was almost 2 years ago however she's facing the basket scoring with ease and is also becoming more of a force in the paint

Asia Sam-guard ( Lady Chaos) Sam is powerful and simply gets it done. She loves contact and can finish while taking it plus she can shoot that midrange pretty good. Sam also loves to battle on the boards and plays that passing lane quite well

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