2016 TJ Showcase recap

Although I couldn’t personally make it to the Tyrone Johnson Showcase, as I always tell people “talent is everywhere” and with the exposure events approaching, remember “there are eyes everywhere” so treat your July experience like a job interview and be on your best behavior on and off the court because you never know who’s watching or what they’re looking for. Girlz Prep Report correspondents were on hand for the event and here’s what they saw

The 14th Annual TJ Showcase moved to the new multiple court Round Rock Sports Center, but had same deep pool of talent…..dun da dun, dun da dun.  And I must say, the home cooked food in the hospitality room alone is worth the trip to Central Texas.  Coach Fonzell Martin & Tommy Gregg of Austin Elite continues to raise the bar on this event.  Here’s a tip – there’s talent everywhere.  Best game of the tournament may have been the double OT sudden death thriller between Fort Worth Lady Hornets and Austin Elite RFW.

2017 P Jhyrah Cobb (Fort Worth Lady Hornets) – Best player throughout the event. Dominant on the block with back to basket but also showed face up game.  Finesse moves but holds position. Went beast mode in championship game with a coast to coast finish that brought the crowd off their feet. #REALDEAL

2017 PG – Emily Daniel (Austin Elite RFW) – Pull up game on point.  Versatile, long point guard that consistently made plays to stop the other team’s runs.  Has a 3 pt shoot to compliment her automatic pull up.  At 5’8 she rebounds well for a guard.

2017 P Ireneshia Johnson (Houston Hoops) – Showed strength but quickness around the basket and at times was an absolute load to deal with.  Loves to attack the rim off the dribble after a turn and face move. Quick on the rebounds.

2017 G Chantel Govan (UBAVE) – Who has #23 was a constant phrase being heard.  Answer was it didn’t matter as she got to rim at will and should good poise running UBAVE spread offense. Another kid who is better now than in March and that’s a scary thought.

2018 W Kansas Watts (Team Ichiban) – Does a great job of rebounding because she attacks the ball in the air.  Was very active blocking shots, disruptive and with help defense.   Once she gets a lil more consistent scoring the ball…..look out.

2017 PG Brooke Elliott (Fury Haney – Orange) – Showed great vision in open court and was able to get where ever she wanted to on the court. Complete SSP player, was smart, can shoot it and can pass with the best of them.

2018 PG Diamond Morrison (Austin Elite RFW) – Been keeping an eye on this one.  Nice quicks with college body.  Pull up game is probably he strength at the moment although she showed she could hit a three, attack the rim and play solid on defense.

2018 G Jessica Ray (DFW Elite Cannon) – Attacks very well, good handles with vision and played relentless on defense game in and game out.  More comfortable getting to the rim vs jumpers but her talent jumps off the court almost as high as she does.

2018 F – Sydney Brock (Austin Elite Black) – Had a great weekend showing ability to score inside and out.  Very patience on post moves.  Another up and coming player that has grown in confidence.  At 5’10,  if she gets her handles a little tighter, skies the limit.

2021 F Anaya Freeman (Rising Stars) – Long, slender athlete that can play 2-5.  Tremendous upside if she continues to hone her game.  Great instincts for the ball as it seems to always find her hands.

2021 5’11 Trinity Valentine (DFW Elite Houston Young Guns) – Very active on defense and ran the court very well.  Player  to watch.

2022 W Carleigh Wenzel (South Texas Hoyas Gray) – This playa is as aggressive as they come. Competes on both ends and plays with an edge. Further along offensively than defensively but has the chops to be all-state caliber in high school.

In memory of long time Austin Elite Coach Louis Monroe, the Monroe Division featured top varsity boys and saw Team Gregg crowned champs in a 3 pt win over  Centex Attack.  Monroe daughters Raven, Kayrin, Kaylin and Reann all suited up for Austin Lady Knights and Austin Elite over the many years.  Louis had a great smile that would light up the room and his presence and gifts will be missed but never forgotten.

How bout them Hoops #ShowcaseClassic16

I love watching Miya Crump play ball and when she made the Tip Sheet last month, I said she just did things effortlessly and she does. She has the tools to play every position in high school and quite a few depending on where she decides to attend college but the overused phrase "smooth as a silk" definitely applies to her. Deitra and Melodee Jackson don't need three more players with the same last name to make a record because this duo showed they could be a hit as they along with Lauryn Sells and Tiara Hartfield created problems in the paint

How about the heat from Lydia Cooper, Chaunta Thomas and Kirstien Beasley and even without catching Mirackle Sally at all this season, I know what she can do, DAMAGE and just a glimpse of Andria Foreman earlier this season, she along with Colandria Haynes sold me on what they could do last season. Haynes, who I'll forever refer to as  ICE just doesn't melt under pressure, especially at the line and when she told me "I hit em when they count" that was perfect. Elysia Chevalier, Ogechi Nwodo and Briana Cloud, check, double and triple check and since I started with Miya, I'll close with Ireneshia Johnson on the Tip Sheet and say CHECKMATE

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Lady Dominators cruising #ShowcaseClassic16

The Lady Dominators continue to be entertaining and exciting to watch and the talent just keeps coming at you. Kiana Hall can make a Tip Sheet anytime I see her in action, she's scoring however she wants in the flow. TaShawna Riggs athleticism and ability to get to the basket for buckets just keeps getting better and the numerous combinations of heat that are thrown out there, Armani Lenore, Leah Smither, Taraneisha Washington or Kaylan Hardeman, well they just keep coming at you

Alexa Lumpkin and Deja Montgomerey have put in work all season and the more I see Jada Russ, the more dominant she looks and once everything falls into place, she's going to be very, very hard to deal with. Kia Cobbs is hard to deal with since she's expanded her game from just a back to the basket player while sister Kayla Cobbs is just, well she made the Tip Sheet

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2016 HBU Camp had many stars of the future

MICAYLA WEBER

The names were somewhat overwhelming as talent from various classes invaded Sharp Gym for the annual HBU Elite Camp. I knew the vast majority of players like Rory Harmon, a young lady I said was a can't miss four years ago, she's a 2020 or how about Mikayla Hutchinson who I knew had a shot at being a D1 player when she was 10. Then you had Jada Malone, a talented 2021 who is already over the magic number of six feet and speaking of 2021, Ashton and Addison Poth both caught my eye three years ago and a growth spurt later, they're on the verge of doing big things. With so much talent, I wish I could've made both days but here are some of the standouts I caught on day two

2018

Madison Miller-never takes a play off, high BB-IQ, scored and defended well

Micayla Weber-relentless scorer and defender sort of sums her game up, she can go

JAEDYN DUNN & CASSIDY HOWARD

2019

Oni Bodoo- powerful in the paint, rebounded well on both ends, finishes strong

Madison Griffon-does a number of things well but loved watching her create and score multiple ways

Jordan McClenton-explosive jumper, strong finisher, runs floor and rebounds well

Brittany Schnaebel- scores multiple ways, sees the floor well and handles ball under pressure

Christina Adeniran-defends baseline to baseline, nice midrange jumper and can score off the dribble

DANI DAVALOS

Danielle Davalos- as close to automatic as they come from long range and I mean catch and shoot

Savannah May-first step is a killer, nice stop and pop in traffic

Cassidy Howard-plays one way, hard and can either finish with contact or drain long and mid shot

Brielle Hampton-talk about a long ball shooting exhibition, in game situation at that. She's long, knows how to get shot off and can drain it from, well anywhere

2020

Gracen Williams-so much poise at this age is sort of scary, well for defenders. Can flat out shoot

Jaedyn Dunn-so far ahead of the game it's scary, loves being in pressure situations and delivers

Samantha Simmons-nice pull-up and continues to hit acrobatic shots from any angle

2016 Showcase Classic WNBA Tip Sheet

I always say "don't turn your back on anyone", I also say "talent is everywhere" but even more importantly and please archive this in your memory bank "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" but even more importantly than any of this is "you never know who's watching" well that really applies if I'm in the building because I definitely cover a lot of ground and players


This is the FIRST of TWO Tip Sheets from the 2016 Showcase Classic and it covers the WNBA Division. Part TWO will cover the other divisions however if you have access to Instagram and Twitter, I'll be dropping some pics and tidbits along the way but first, click on the link below and check out the players


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Hitchcock Select #ShowcaseClassic16

When you can shoot like multiple players on Hitchcock Select can, I'm going to definitely look and be impressed but when you can score from your knees like Irish Winn, you're going to make a GPR Tip Sheet. Okay I'm embellishing the story just a tad but who knows, she scored every way imaginable and usually even when I'm wrong, I'm right

TIP SHEET

Tierra McDaniel and Breonna Scott both have strokes from waaaaaaaay out, McDaniel does a good job mixing it up from long, mid and off the dribble and Scott can launch it from everywhere and when you can drop a step back three consistently, all I can say is wow. I had heard so much about this team, I hear  a lot about a lot of teams and I was glad I finally had a chance to see this squad get after it

Taylor Kendrick attacks at will and can score with contact, Krystal Oliver's length is definitely an asset , Taivionna Daniel, D'Aveon Bell and Sierra Evans, check, double and triple check because no matter what combinations you see on the floor, they simply play hard. play smart and do it going baseline to baseline

TraCoreia Ward also used her athleticism well on both ends, numerous steals led to easy baskets and that first step is hard to deal with but that can be said for many of these young ladies who just use a variety of weapons to get it done which is what I can say about DeAjia Williams, she has a variety of weapons to just get it done

Katy Rebels Tolbert #ShowcaseClassic16

I've been watching GPR UNder The Radar Tia Tolbert for quite some time, let's see, she a 2018 and I've been seeing her since before middle school, well I think I may need to use some of that common core to get the exact date but then again it doesn't matter because I've seen progression every time I watched her play and whatever I thought was lacking, she has worked on it and one of those thing was being aggressive on both ends, well she's in July form and we'll revisit her on the Tip Sheet

Her backcourt mate Kierra Flowers has always been fun to watch, this kid has played after breaking her finger and most recently getting cut on a play but she just smiles and drops numbers. Overly impressed with the work ethic Alana Ervin and Mariel Wade, who simply loves to bang in the paint and can shoot it, while Ervin can stretch the defense with the long range, same can be said for Alana Ervin

BIG S/O to Under The Radar Sydney West, she definitely is showing me she has the tools to play at the next level because one of the things you need is a great work ethic, the second, be coachable and comprehend what you are hear is in there as well but with you combine that with her skill set, I've been watching her for three years and I know she's been working, she's going to get this done, trust me. Kristin Pottter  did some big things on both ends, love players that find ways to score and she did just that as well as she wouldn't back down

Runnin Rebels close out #ShowcaseClassic16

I hadn't seen GPR Under The Radar Amanda Figuroa all season so I definitely had to catch up on the multi talented 2017 guard for the Runnin Rebels. Her BB-IQ and ability to score has always been something I loved about her game but her maturity and physicality on both ends has blossomed. When you play smart, defend and can stop and pop, colleges definitely take notice at various levels and this young lady is about to be blown up

Veronica Behr continues to elevate her game and with her size and wingspan, she's definitely creating some problems on both ends of the floor but what I like even more is that she's facing the basket scoring as well. Lauren Burrow and Sidney Groves made some huge plays throughout the event while Mallory Jenkins continues to add more to her game

2019 Nariya Riley has been putting in some work, she's one of the most improved players I've noticed over the past year, from club ball to club ball and with her size, strength and athleticism, her ticket is in her pocket. I truly enjoyed watching 2018 Jayln Johnson and with the initials of JJ fitting her perfectly because I truly had some Good Times watching this athletic young lady score and defend and she made the TIP SHEET

I also got a chance to see Melissa Rodriguez who along with Taylor Hunter gave me some thrills over the years as they put up huge numbers with the Rebels. Can Rodriguez score, well let me put it to you like this, I've seen many players drop right around 10 threes in a game, but she's one of a handful I've witnessed personally, that means I SAW THIS, drop 8 in a row in both HS and club ball and that ain't know urban legend but Rodriguez will be taking that on the road to Mary Hardin-Baylor and trust me, I'll be reporting on her accomplishments

Lady Jags close out #ShowcaseClassic16

The BBA Lady Jags put up a good fight during the Showcase Classic  2016 even without their leading scorer Alize Washington who will be on the Tip Sheet coming up on the girlzprepreport.com website later this week, or maybe tonight, who knows. Washington and Mary Monciaviz definitely caught my eye when I glanced at the squad but as I finished the event observing the squad I saw even more

TIP SHEET

Felicity Boutte and India Thomas bring heat from the backcourt while Jessica Guerra provided several highlights gliding through the air for baskets. Jeci  Martinez and Kaylynn Campos as well as Marissa Herrera and Aliyah Vaeza filled in many blanks for the team

Remember pay attention to the website listed above as well as Instagram and Twitter, Facebook account is full until I delete people who tag me in nonsense and you will get a glimpse, well mini glimpse on the action packed event Showcase pulled off. Oh yeah, mini stories will be right here and remember if you miss something either her or on the website, utilize the search bars listed at the top

Ireneshia Johnson goes completely off #ShowcaseClassic16

Ireneshia and her dad

Several players have shown me they have the "IT" factor the initial time I saw them play and Ireneshia Johnson is definitely one of them. The talented 2017 is probably one of the best players in the state that you haven't heard of so with that being said she's also one of the best kept secrets however this is what I love about her game, she's not like those people on the Direct TV commercials, The Settlers because she was a D1 lock just by dominating in the paint however the Bellaire HS star is dropping the three effortlessly, playing the passing lane and just showing that she can play multiple positions at the next level. Right now the Houston Hoops star gets the star of day one award, I just thought that up, there were many stars at the Showcase Classic and you can check them out via TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, here and girlzprepreport.com I would say on Facebook too but it seems like I can't accept anymore until I delete some and with that being said, let's close with this video and remember IRENESHIA JOHNSON is a BEAST

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Ireneshia Johnson is a BEAST @showcase_athl pic.twitter.com/vJQUQ99v5h

— Girlz Prep Report (@girlzprepreport) June 25, 2016