2018 Kayla White makes her decision #GPRUnderTheRadar

So many times I see players at an early age that just have “it” and you know something special will develop through the process and Kayla White was definitely one of those players. I don’t remember exactly what grade she was in, I could use the search bar on either of my sites but I’m thinking it was between her sixth  and seventh grade years. This young lady had poise and talent even then and her ability to simply take over a game, against older talented players at that age, sold me. White’s progression over the years continued where she has stars at Desoto High School and the GPR Under The Radar phenom simply took her game to a different level with DFW Elite EYBL over this season, after scaring defenders at “BOO” Williams, she continued her torrid scoring and defending at Nike Tournament of Champions and Nike Nationals where several of the top BCS programs had a chance to witness what I’ve been saying for years, this young lady is LEGIT.

Not only is White a talented basketball player, she’s also a high academic student and a member of the National Honor Society so I knew she made her decision on where she’d play college ball on a number of things and when asked what chose her to stay close to home, she said “I chose SMU because I fell in love with the coaching staff, the campus, academics, and players. I loved the enthusiasm in Coach Travis Mayes' voice when he talked about his vision for SMU women's basketball. I felt his passion and wanted to be a part of the reemergence of SMU women's basketball.”

White also wants to be part of something big that’s coming  and told me “ They are on the rise, and he and his staff are constructing something very special with the 2017 and 2018 incoming recruiting classes. I just felt a connection and felt like this was the perfect time and place for me to come in to a program and start my own legacy, here in my own hometown. PONY UP! “ There you have it !!!!!!

5'10 2018 Kayla White doing a little bit of everything, well

When you're 5'10 and can shoot the three, the midrange, attack from anywhere on the floor and finish with contact, then you have a variety of offensive weapons which make you hard to handle or as I often put it, a nightmare to defend. Kayla White knows how to put the ball in the basket, can play multiple positions as well as defend and in these two videos which certainly don't show you everything she can do, it shows you enough to know what you're looking at



Watching her glide through the air as a 7th grader left no doubt in my mind I was watching a special young lady and her unselfishness on the floor may be one of her biggest attributes. She has the ability to simply take over games however she can drop 20 in the flow against stiff competition and has done just that over the years




Catch her this summer with DFW Elite's 16U  EYBL team and here's my latest evaluation on this very talented young lady who can play the 1-3


KAYLA WHITE

Wichita State hits jackpot

Jaleesa Chapel

The Wichita State University women's basketball program signed seven student-athletes for the fall signing period, head coach Jody Adams announced.  The class consists of Jamillah Bonner (Butler Community College/Wichita Southeast HS/Wichita, Kan.), Jaleesa Chapel (Dekaney High School/Spring, Texas), Moriah Dapprich (Branson High School/Branson, Mo.), Briana Jones (James Madison High School/San Antonio, Texas), Morgan Landers (Burleson High School/Burleson, Texas), Marissa Preston (Staley High School/Kansas City, Mo.), and Kayla White (East Central High School/San Antonio, Texas).

Chapel, Jones, Landers and White are all from Texas and all have impressive resumes showing that this is not only the largest recruiting class in Coach Adams five seasons but it's also a class that will be able to compete on the national level and don't be surprised if they pull off some surprises along the way

Morgan Landers

Jamillah Bonner, 5-8, G
Butler Community College/Southeast High School
Wichita, Kan.
KBCA All Star
3-time All-City Selection
3-time All-Region
2010 Kansas State High School champion in Triple Jump
2011-12 at BCC: 16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.8 steals per game
Adams on Bonner: "I believe she is a program-changer in how she plays and the tempo at which she plays.  I've never, in the past few years, seen anyone play on both sides of the ball and leave it out there every possession like she does.  In doing that in our system she could be the most decorated junior college player to leave Wichita State in two years.  She has phenomenal speed and leaping ability.  She is a fighter and has an edge."

Jaleesa Chapel, 5-10, G
Dekaney High School
Spring, Texas
1^st Team All-District
Vype Magazine Houston's Top 50 Girl Hoopers
Team Defensive Player of the Year
All-Tournament Team
All-Academic Team
9.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.2 spg
Team went 40-2 and was a state finalist - first state championship appearance in school history
Adams on Chapel: "She will be one of the most athletic student-athletes at Wichita State.  She has phenomenal speed and unbelievable leaping ability.  There is no ceiling for her.  Not only does she excel on the court but she does so in the classroom."
Moriah Dapprich, 6-0, G/F
Branson High School
Branson, Mo.
All-Tri Lakes
All-COC Large Schools 2^nd Team
Younger sister of current WSU freshman Michaela Dapprich
Adams on Daprich: "She can play the four or the three position for us.  She has range and can extend a defense beyond the three.  She can also post up and is very versatile."
Briana Jones, 6-0, F
James Madison High School
San Antonio, Texas
1^st Team All-District - Jr.
All-Academic Team
HM, All-District, - So.
13.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.4 spg
Adams on Jones: "She fits into our defensive schemes and will help us on the boards tremendously.  She has a knack for getting to the glass and reading the ball off the rim.  She also excels in the classroom."
Morgan Landers, 6-2, Post
Burleson High School
Burleson, Texas
All-State Honorable Mention
2^nd Team All-District
2^nd Team All-Johnson County - So.
Premier Basketball Report "Player to Watch"
8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.9 spg, 0.9 bpg
Adams on Landers: "I believe she can be an impact player.  She's a skilled and versatile player.  She has a very strong body and is a high IQ player."
Marissa Preston, 5-8, G
Staley High School
Kansas City, Mo.
2x 1^st Team All-Conference
1^st Team All-District
KMZU Dream Team
Kan. - Mo. All-Tournament Team
17 ppg, 3 rpg, 5 apg, 5 spg
Team went 21-7 and reached state quarterfinals
Adams on Preston: "She loves the game of basketball and the competitiveness.  You can just see the excitement every time she is talking about basketball.  She is always wanting to learn and get better.  First and foremost she looks to score.  She is a combo guard that will get looks at the one and the two.  I love that her work ethic already meets that of a college student-athlete."
Kayla White, 5-9, G
East Central High School
San Antonio, Texas
2^nd Team All-District
Defensive Player of the Year
MVP Lady Rohawk Tourney
13 ppg, 3 rpg, 8 apg, 5 spg
Adams on White: "I look for her to come in and bring energy on the defensive side of the ball.  She fits very well in our system and how we like to pressure."

Brianna Jones

5'10 Kayla White puts on scary good performance at Boo

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know my favorite original quote is "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" and you should know because it's pinned there for a reason. Speaking of pinned, I'm multi-tasking at another event and read all this buzz going across the web about a player from Texas pinning shots on the backboard and scoring at will at Boo Williams and to know surprise it was Kayla White (DFW Elite EYBL)

I knew this young lady was special when she was in the 7th grade so me knowing is one thing, it always helps when the players are showing on the floor and a capacity crowd of college coaches saw her go completely off  in game one dropping five deep threes and 19 points to open things up. The scoring barrage continued over the next three games and the only thing that slowed the young lady down was food poisoning before the final game and she still was just shy of double digits averaging around 15 for the event

I just did a piece on her a few weeks ago, as I stated earlier I've been following this young lady for a very long time and watched her progression over the years, so when you're ultra athletic and can play basketball, not to mention shoot the ball from anywhere on the court, trust me, you're looking at someone special. Check out the link below and be ready to catch this young lady down the stretch because when I hashtag LEGIT, I'm not doing it just to be doing it

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Talented 2018 White cousins excelling on and off the court #GPRUnderTheRadar

It's always good to have back-up plans, be versatile and understand what this all about and there is nothing more gratifying that seeing players taking caring of business both in the classroom and on the floor and for cousins Jaquia and Kayla White, both have simply done just that

They star together in high school for one of the top programs in the state, Desoto and both play with one of the top club programs in the country, DFW Elite, Jaquia (GOLD team ) and Kayla (EYBL) but it gets even better than that

Both are outstanding students that  been inducted into the National Honor Society, both have already qualified to get into college and based on their April performances, both have an abundance of offers on the table

I'll be sending even more out later this week on 2018 but until them, click on their names for a peek


JAQUIA

KAYLA

DFW Elite Power Puffs win Barbara Jordan #TJShowcase

I've had a chance to watch most of these young ladies a lot over the past two or three seasons and when I speak over and over about progression, many of these young ladies names simply just pop out at me. The Dilworth twins, Jhakya and Keziah,  were huge pickups for this already talented squad, and after seeing their improvement earlier in the season, they are going to play huge roles. Sarah Byrd is the lone 2019 on this talented group of 2018 but you'd know never know by her poise and confidence

Aysia McCullough just keeps getting better, her energy on both ends is unmatched plus she can get to rim effortlessly while I'm watching Dee-Dee Nelson making huge strides and I don't mean just on the attack. Nelson blew me away after jumping up and knocking the ball as it was stuck in the rim, effortlessly but the athleticism is strong throughout the team. Jaquia White and Jada Peacock are simply smooth and come at you from so many angles that before you know it, they've put up numbers plus the effort on defense by Kara Collins helped throughout the event

Brianna Mitchell is giving me highlights every time I see her play, well so does Kayla White who came off the bench to hit a big time three late. White simply jumps over opponents, she has unlimited range and still has a huge upside. Mitchell is a perfect example on where the game starts and she's my kind of one because when needed, she takes over and down the stretch, she converted free throws and sliced her way for the game winner and from this day forward, Big Shot Bri will be her tag

Waco Lady Panthers come up Gold in 8th grade

The Waco Lady Panthers are one of the oldest club teams in the state and over the years, countless young ladies from their program have gone on to play at the next level. Their White team won the 8th Grade Gold Championship at the DFW Elite BigTyme March Fest in one of the most competitive games in the tournament against the Arlington Lady Jazz

With so many bright young stars to choose from on the team, Kayla White was one of the players that made this team go and go they went. White was active on both ends of the court and she read the defense like a cornerback and got to hole smoothly like a running back, that's the football comparison for the day but she was impressive. Also impressive were Janaiya Davis, whose athleticism created problems and Elise Tate showed she could she could shoot the long ball, plus #10 came up big from midrange

2018 Kia White decides on next level #GPRUnderTheRadar

Kia White is another one of those young ladies I had a chance on catching in middle school that just got “it” early and by that I mean “comprehension of the game”  I saw that desire in her every time she stepped on the floor, no matter what the score was, who she played against or whatever , attitude, demeanor and performance never changed and when you lay it all out there over and over, continue to progress on the floor and excel both on the court and in the classroom, you know things will definitely fall into place

Her performance at Desoto HS, which is in one of, if not the toughest, districts in the state this decade as well as on the circuit with DFW Elite, she impressed more than me as college offers started to pour in and recently after the last viewing period a couple of weeks ago, she picked up an addition four offers before deciding on SMU so my question to her was what made her choose the Mustangs and she said “I chose SMU because Coach Mays reminds me so much of Coach Robinson and Coach Creel, who are two of the best coaches I've ever had. They pushed me to reach new levels, and I believe Coach Mays and his staff can do the same. Also, looking at the other 2018 commits, there is a lot of talent coming in, and I believe we have the potential to do great things at SMU.”

She is definitely correct because the Mustangs do have plenty of talent coming in, including Kia’s talented cousin and Desoto teammate Kayla White, and Kia’s addition is another huge piece to their puzzle

2018 #MarchFest Tip Sheet

My overused line of comparing players to Steve Miller's hit "Fly Like an Eagle" sums this #AutoAwesome photo up of Madison Williams but these ten players I've picked will more than likely fly into high school next season and soar eventually. Many played up or dominated their age group during the March Fest so here we go

Madison Williams-6'0 forward-DFW Elite Super Girls- Williams played up and like this picture and a phrase I've used already with this team, up, up and away. Here's the deal, she doesn't realize how good she is and once she does, all bets are off on how high she'll soar. She can handle the ball, attack from the wings and simply overpower you inside with her athleticism

Taloer Pruitt-5'4 guard- DFW Elite Super Girls-Didn't realize she was as young as she was until I looked at the roster and then I realized who she was. Her mannerisms have changed and her game has matured even more. She's a tough defender that didn't back down against the older players and she showed she could handle the pressure defenses sent her way

Kayla White-5'8 guard-DFW Elite Power Puffs- White almost mirrors Williams with her athleticism, she gets off the ground as quickly as many of the elite high  school players do now, she can recover if she misses the steal and she can score and I mean score in bunches. This young lady has to potential to be able to take over games on both ends

Keziah and Jhakya Dilworth-6'0 wings-AD Elite- I listed them as wings because these twins can fly, they were both always athletic but since I caught back up with them, their skill set has definitely taken a turn upwards as they are showing they can put in on the floor and score facing the basket.

Paris Netherly-5'9 guard-Houston Elite White-Good size and ability grabbed me when I first saw her which was about four years ago. Two years ago, her scoring, especially under pressure and now she's playing against players four years older at times and not being fazed, on either end.

Desiree Caldwell-5'6 guard-San Antonio Finest- Watching her older sister over the years probably gives her a slight edge on some things but she get's it and gives it as well. Her ball handling is off the charts as well as her ability to see the floor and get to the basket but I need to see if she could shoot from the outside as well, she can

Jasmine Smith-5'6 guard-Cy Fair Nike 15U- Basketball savvy at an early age helped when I caught her a couple of years ago and she is simply fearless on the floor. She's a defensive stopper, a point guard that can take over games in the flow and set her teammates up for point blank opportunities

Tatum Veitenheimer-5'6 guard-Texas Adidas Elite- Tatum is just one of those players that is so far ahead of the game in so many aspects that your head will spin. I thought she was at least a sophomore last season, her passion and knowledge of the game at this age speaks volumes and she's one of those players that loves to be "the girl" in clutch situations where she continues to deliver

Sophia Ramos-5'9 guard-South Texas Hoyas- Ramos just keeps getting better, she's poised on the court and is deceptive when you're trying to guard her. She appears to have grown another inch and being a big guard that can score like she's showing me she can will keep her mailbox full

Charli Collier-6'3 forward- Cy Fair Nike 15U- Okay a couple of months ago I saw her handling the ball coast to coast, a few weeks ago she added a crossover and over the weekend, she faced the basket and knocked down the mid-range. Don't get me wrong, she still dominates in the paint, on both ends and she isn't through with adding stuff to her arsenal


There you go, I gave you eleven instead, more to come later

Desoto sending early message winning Lady Gander Tournament

I made a special trip out to Baytown for a couple of reasons, first Desoto was in town, well closer than than Dallas, and I had to see a couple of young ladies who I've been watching since I guess the 6th or 7th grade, cousins Kia and Kayla White, both SMU signees and a couple of the top players in the state of Texas and secondly, I'm trying to make my rounds to see just who has a shot at representing each region as well as making a run for the state championship and believe me the Eagles definitely have the nucleus to soar providing they stay healthy

Kayla & Kia, pictured above, made the all tournament squad, both are explosive scorers that can take over games. Brielle Woods is a talented guard that makes things happen, got to the rim with ease numerous times and saw the floor, Ash'a Thompson punishes on the inside, I'd have to say she s among the top sophomores in the state but the show that Bria Patterson is putting legitimizes her as one of the state's top juniors. The bench has several talented players including Celeste Moore, another young lady I've been watching forever as well as freshman sensation Kayla Glover. The upside of junior Achai Arop tells me something as well and when you look at he fact the roster has her listed at 76 inches, well do the math but one of the key tests will be they have to go through defending state champion Duncanville, who I'll catch this week as well as many other talented teams in their region capable of winning it all

White keeps getting it right #4040JohnLucas Texas Tip Sheet

I've enjoyed watching this young lady the past two seasons and she continues to not only show progression but has all the tools to open the next level up in a huge way. Kayla White, if you use the search bar, comes up with several stories since I first laid eyes on her back in 2012

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There's no question she'll be a next level player, in fact she's on the D1 track right now but before it's over, and she has time, just remember I said she could simply blow off the ,map

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The pipeline continues with 2018 DFW Elite Goodspeed at #TXSpringInv

I didn't get a good chance to see this young group of DFW Elite stars at the BigTyme March Fest however I knew they had more than athleticism and Goodspeed. After watching them perform at the Texas Spring Invitational, they have an abundance of talented young players who are going make major noise before it's all said and done. I've talked about Diamond Atkinson and BriAnna Mitchell before and their ability to play defense along with hitting the three ball but they have several other players that can just get after it on both ends

Mallory Adams can also shoot the three ad when you combine that with her attacking from the wing, she's going to be hard to handle. Aysia McCullough handled the ball well under pressure and showed she was yet another young player that could play D

Jhakya and Keziah Dillworth are long and athletic, both close the magic number already and with their athleticism and drive they are going to be hard to handle. Already showing signs of being hard to handle is 5'6 Kayla White who jumped over a couple of six footers for rebounds. That along with her hitting the three and know how to get to the rim makes her a threat each time she touches ball and speaking of knowing how to attack, JaQuia White did it time and time again, under traffic at that

This team is full of bright young stars, Jada Peacock last names says it all and with her being able to handle the ball and shoot not only the three, but the mid-range as well, you may be on the verge of exploding. Madison Williams exploded and that block on one end of the floor and outrunning everyone for a lay-up s one of the main reasons she made my Full Court Tip Sheet

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DFW Elite Power Puffs to the rescue, again #BigState2014

This picture says it all because things are definitely looking up for many of the young players I saw that are about to enter HS and the Power Puffs have simply matured on the court throughout the season. The Dilworth twins, Keziah and Jhakya, have elevated their games in a short amount of time and they will be instantaneously thrust onto the scene next season as they join a loaded Vista Ridge that should make a deep run. Kiara Collins and Sarah Byrd simply keep getting better and the strides Dee Dee Nelson keeps taking have her ready to leap into something very special

Brianna Mitchell and Jada Peacock were already good but that wasn't enough for them as they're taking their games to another stratosphere but what about Kayla White, who's also DYNOMITE or Aysia "jump out the gym" McCullough and Jaquia White, well both are out of sight but you better know where they are. Big ups to Alicia Shufford who guest played in the event, I hadn't seen her all summer but she's, I don't even know how to put it but it would be easier to say what she can't do and the way she's worked on her game, I'm simply speechless. All of these kids have to potential to play somewhere once their HS careers are over, trust me and copy that

DeSoto threesome ready for #TXInviatational

Let's see how I can simplify this, Najala Howell is one of the most explosive scorers in the state, Chastad Barrs is one of the top defenders inn the state and sophomore Chania Wright, well you can't be wrong if you're Wright and I was definitely right about her early

Howell has committed to UTEP, Barrs mmore recently to Lamar and Wright has a year under her belt and I saw her take a big jump over the summer. Desoto also has some outstanding freshmen, Celeste Moore, Kiara Collins and cousins Jaquia and Kayla White all coming to the Texas Invitational and they, Desoto,  could pull off a big surprise

EVENTS

Lobos stay in playoff hunt with win over Cy Lakes

Saw a little bit of everything in this one and after Cy Lakes led Langham Creek 17-16 after one with Lakes guards Kendra Houston dropping 2 threes and Sierra Fuller another, however the Lobos simply went off in the second quarter and appeared to have this one under control leading by 7 at the half  31-24 holding Lakes to 7 points and closing the quarter with a Dezi White put-back

BOX


Cy Lakes wasn't done and they put together a comeback of their own, down 43-41 however Houston was simply unconscious from long range and her sixth three gave Lakes the lead to open the fourth quarter but Lakes with only score one more field goal the rest of the way as Langham Creek has a two game lead  for that final playoff spot

DISTRICT RACE

Langham Creek continues to do a lot of growing up and considering they start a pair of freshmen, Briley Perkins and Dyani Robinon to go along with sophomore White, one would have to wonder just how good this team will be next season with Kayla Owens back in the picture. White put her squad on her back in the final quarter, Robinson hit one of the biggest shots of her career to simply change the momentum while Perkins to play with extreme poise at the one, that's where the game starts so these last games will be tough but they've shown the won't back down

SCHEDULE

Young Guns send message

This wasn't the only group dialing 187 on the court as they went through some tough drills followed by stiff competition during the games. 2017 Dejanee Terrell wore 187 and she played taller than her height of 5'9 size as she was joined by Kayla White, Jasmine Smith, Zavielle Green and Katlyn Ghavidel on one of the teams

THE RICE CAMP

As I walked into Tudor Fieldhouse for the first time, several memories of old Autry Court went through my head. I can go back to old Southwest Conference days watching Ricky Pierce and probably the most talented guard to come out of Houston, Rob Williams go at it through the old Gulf AAU Qualifer days when the Hotshots and Old Marvin were "Kings Of The City". Probably the most memorable game for me was watching my daughter drop 40 on a star studded Houston Elite team, 12 D-1 players, in a semi-final upset win back in 2005, the same year we won the NC at Basketball On The Bayou.

Coach Williams and Amenomope"PAY PAY" McKinney

Head Coach Greg Williams and I go back a few years, great coach and a great guy. I really feel bad for him because he has been hurt by injuries during the past two seasons, even though he has led Rice to a pair of Conference USA Championship games, along with a WNIT appearance since becoming head coach. Williams also played at Rice back in the day and was a three-year letterman for the Owls under coach Don Knodel in 1967-69, earning all-Southwest Conference honors and the league's Co-MVP in 1969.

Zoe Rogers was a four year starter at Bellaire High School and another kid that it seems like I have known forever. Baby Lowblock is another one of my faves, because she always has great comebacks for me, I guess it's hereditary (lol) Zoe put Bellaire on her back and led the Cardinals to the Region 3 Finals in her senior year, along the way adding numerous honors to her resume.In her freshman season at Rice, Zoe also had a breakout game against Tulane , scoring 19 points, going 9-9 from the field which included a trey, all in the second half.

Another great kid I've known for years is "Pay Pay", I know I'm spelling the nickname wrong but it fits because she used to make them PAY on the court. I remember her and Ashleigh Fontenette ,who now plays at UT, putting on one of the most memorable battles going at each other , both dropping over 30, when they were juniors in high school.

D'Frantz Smart is a product of Chicago's Whitney Young High School, consistently ranked nationally year after year. She was one of the top PG's in the country coming out of high school and although she is listed at 5'0, she is a perfect example of what heart, hard work and determination can do for you.

Former Plano West star Candace Ashford taking instructions

The staff and players did a great job teaching and instructing as the campers were very attentive and seemed to be grasping everything they were told

Close to 100 kids were in attendance from as far away as San Antonio and the Metroplex, to Bay City and the Clear Lake area.

Two of the top 2013's in the city, Alex "I'm not gonna let you take a picture"Lapeyrolerie and Jo Ann Lira were doing their thing.

Our own Bryce Owens, 2012, by way of DeSoto, was in the house.

Paige Parliament, Bryce Owens and Mary Abella, who btw gave a verbal while at the camp.

The kids from out of town were enjoying themselves, and I did get a shot of Alex, finally! Jackie Anderson plays for my good friend Ray Caldwell in San Antonio. Also in camp from their team were Briana Jones and Kayla White. Speaking of Caldwell, his daughter is one of the top 2014 guards I've seen, that's in the country folks!

Former 4A POY and Dickinson great, Brianna Hypolite offering words of encouragement

Megan Shafer had already given a verbal to Rice before the camp even started. If you kept up with post season awards, you would have seen her listed as a senior on the All Greater Houston team, however this College Park standout has one more year in high school before joining the Owls.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, these kids were into it. Megan Palmer from Cinco Ranch in left photo, wearing burgundy, my bad, maroon shorts and a kid that played on the North Texas Shcockers for my old pal John in the right photo, Mary Abedula , all were were doing their thing

Cy Falls, Kim Metoyer, 2012, is one of the top shooters from BTA in the area. She awed the crowd as she was letting them fly from what seemed like the main court inTudor , even though she was in Fox, the gym in the back . The kid has range out of this world!

The Fantastic Four, which included Metoyer, Parliament from Brock and another Cy Falls shooter, Macy Moore, were beating everyone before I left

6'1 Lyanne Colon has transformed from a post when she was around 11 or 12 to the PG at Morton Ranch. She is also from that Class of 2012 I keep talking about.

It was great to hang out with Coach Greg and his assistant Coach Kim Nzamba, along with meeting the new ladies on the staff.