Ichiban stars passing the torch after Gene Watts Boot Camp

Terriell Bradley, Monisha Neal and Jalea Bennett shined bright at the Gene Watts Boot Camp however that comes as no surprise because they three of the top players in the state, legitimate D1 players and stars on their respective teams. I already knew what to expect from them before I hit the Gene Watts Boot Camp last weekend, I've seen over the past few seasons in game situations so nothing they do on the court really surprises me anymo

I hadn't seen Mikayla Hutchinson and Kansas Watts that much since last season, only a couple of times briefly during this season but after taking a good look during the camp, I saw their skills had improved as well as their knowledge of the game and what's even impressive is the fact that they are still in middle school

Just entering middle school is Jasmynne Brown and Nina Millner who were solid at the Boot Camp and showed a lot of promise. Yesterday I had a chance to see all of these young ladies perform at the Houstonians tournament and the younger ones in middle school impressed me even more in game situation.

More Boot Camp coverage coming on both Gene Watts and Cy Fair's

Cy Fair Boot Camp stars ready to start party

Brooke McCarty know's what this is about and young stars Chassity Patterson and Deauzya Richards are about to find out if they think it's hot in Texas now, wait until next week because there is no hot like heat July brings for GBB players, especially those who have just finished their junior high schools and unlike McCarty who has already committed to the University of Texas, along with her teammates Duncanville stars Ariel Atkins and Tasia Foman who will also be Hookin Em, as well as The Woodlands star Nicole Iademarco (Arizona State), this is the most important summer for the 2014 players that haven't committed in their basketball careers

Kennedy Leonard was also loose last night and when you have a team like Cy Fair Ogwumike with at least 10 players that can shoot the three, well and make it with regularity, this squad is going to be hard to handle but this story is just a tease, I'll be back to break down not only the Cy Fair Boot Camp but the Gene Watts Boot Camp as well and I'll close with a picture of Iademarco and Nancy Mulkey, fresh off the USA Team, checking things out from their own aerial view as they nurse minor injuries

Dallas Stars have plenty of firepower at College Prep Challenge

Coach Roosevelt Riley has been doing thing for a minute, he has been successful throughout the years and his very own daughter, Andrea, was not only a high school All American here in Texas but a collegiate one at Oklahoma State before moving on to the WNBA.

Since I first met him, he consistently gets everything he can out of his players and this was shown over the past weekend as his Dallas Star team captured the Grand Championship

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Cy Fair Boot Camp countdown started

Tasia Foman and Ariel Atkins joined Cy Fair Ogwumike this season and dividends were seen early as the team finished a few points short of the Boo Williams Championship back in April, Boo Williams is one of the top events in the country. Tonight the Cy Fair Boot Camp get's off the ground as the players are getting ready for a grueling July which will place them in front of hundreds of coaches from across the country

Brooke McCarty has been around the block before and as she get's ready to join Foman and Atkins not only in the July events but after their high school careers are over at the University of Texas, I'm sure that  finishing their club careers with a run a Nike Nationals is probably high on their priority list.

I'll take a look at the kids tonight as they get ready to either seal some deals or get on the map once they hit the road

College Prep Challenge continues to prove #talentiseverywhere

After covering my fourth Prime Time event for the season, I can't tell you how many new next level players I've identified, wait, yes I can, I keep pretty good notes and using that hashtag in the subject line that I tweet so often continues to be true. Texas is a big state, there are kids playing all over the place and sometimes you not only have to know where to look but also know what you're looking at

I'll be in the Dallas area to cover Prime Time Nationals at the end of the month and I', going to do my best to try and catch some of the younger kids, well that was the plan last season however after watching that 6'4 volleyball player play all five positions and close the tournament out by hitting threes, well it's kind of hard to leave that type of talent getting ready to enter high school

I'll close out the College Prep Challenge today with a story on the 11/12 Grade Grand Champion Dallas Stars and in case you missed it, one Star continues to shine bright

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Lady Big Dogs get it done at College Prep Challenge

I love watching exciting young talent and the Lady Big Dogs is a team loaded with just that

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Although there were many on this team to chose from for the tip sheet, this young lady made the cut the first time around

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Who's hot for July segments coming-Kingwood trio up first

 Gabby Stanton and Brooke Jolivet have been playing together for a while and those two, along with Charlotte Hodges form the nucleus for Kingwood HS GBB squad. The trio also play together on Cy Fair Nike Elite 15U and have been enjoying a very successful summer. I'll be posting where my GPR Under The Radar players will be at in July, so coaches if you're there, you probably want to catch these young ladies

July schedule for the 2015 trio

Run For the Roses
Battle on the Boro
US Junior Nationals
Nike Nationals

Swoosh and Cy Fair headline and highlight opening day

This was the game I knew I had to see and I'll have a chance to watch many of the young stars who participated in it over the next four seasons and beyond. Cy Fair Nike AC defeated Arlington Swoosh however Arlington Swoosh won the pool and Blue Division but the game showed me a lot as both teams fought until the very end and this says a lot for these young stars of the future

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More coming from Gene Watts Boot Camp

For some reason I keep thinking about those AT&T commercials with the kids and I know with all of the personality I picked up on from the little ones at the Gene Watts Boot Camp, they would be a perfect fit, can you hear me now, oh wait, wrong company

What is correct is the fact that as much fun as the youngsters had off the court, I was truly impressed by not only how serious they were on the court but how supportive they were of each other and believe me that quality is something you can't teach and it's going to take many of them a long way and not only in basketball

I'll break the camp down with  dual tip sheets on the sessions along with up and coming seniors that colleges need to grab and I'm talking soon because in July.................

Lady Vols turn up noise at College Prep Challenge

If you want to find talent, Texas is a perfect state to build programs and when I saw talent is everywhere, I say it for a reason because the College Prep Challenge hosted by Prime Time gave me even more looks at players I hadn't seen that may have gone unnoticed and the Texas Lady Vols was one of the countless teams with many more than adequate players who simply knew, understood and could play the game

Taylor Herrera was simply everywhere and her ball handling went well with her knowledge of the game as she made things happen and I'm talking positive. Emily Brandon and Elizabeth Pack are almost at the magic number and with their upside, not to mention both are 2016's, I'm looking forward to watching their progression. Rhiana Michau not only handled the ball well but attacked even better.

Caylin Edwards showed she could score from 10-15 feet, while Hannah Clark finished and handled the ball with either hand in traffic. Clark and her Rockwall teammate Ellan Baker, were missing when I saw the school team play and I was told that both could play, yes they can. Baker was so impressive, she made the Tip Sheet

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ET Freeze heats up College Prep Challenge

The East Texas Freeze happened to be a very entertaining team to watch over the past weekend simply because they were sort of like a gumbo,had a little bit of everything, all good and the flavor wasn't bad at all as they put on quite a performance

I spoke briefly with their coach Don Abbis who informed me they lost a couple of games by a total of five points or less combined and that proved costly as they would have been in the Grand Championship representing the Blue Division for 11/12 Grade

Heather Rainey has excellent basketball IQ as she rolled off of picks successfully over and over again, not to mention setting her teammates up for baskets and even hitting the midrange, she's 5'10 and plays taller. Paige Munph also plays taller than her listed 5'5 height but she goes hard and can nail the three. Dee Watson is in the "I play taller than I am " club as well as she uses her body to her advantage and was huge down the stretch, as well as Savannah Jackson who cleaned up on the boards

Alisha Taylor showed some speed on both ends and I'm talking on or with the ball as she attacked from every angle on the court. Emily Floyd was strong on the boards, she also showed she could hit the long ball as well. Ellie Leathens shot the ball well also in both games I caught, not to mention she could take players off the dribble if they got a little too close. Speaking of getting too close, Renecia Simpson sold me after pinning a shot on the glass and going coast to coast for a basket and the crowd yelling, go Ro Ro, I couldn't get this old rap song out of my head, in fact I still can't "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" and you don't wanna fool around with Ro Ro either as she makes the Tip Sheet

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Even more coming from the College Prep Challenge

The Arlington Swoosh lost a game to Cy Fair Nike AC and still managed to win the Blue Division in the 11/12 Grade and make it to the Grand Championship. I said the game between the two talented young squads that consists of players made up from that, drum-roll please, 2017 Monster Class, was going to be a battle and it was

Both teams are getting a special s/o later today because when you're that young and play that well in an event, it makes what I'm doing easy. Also a new face from each team made the Tip Sheet

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Flight 9 lands on time at College Prep Challenge

I tried to see all of the squads I had info on at least once so when Flight 9 made it to the 9/10 Grade Championship I was in somewhat of a dilemma. Needless to say, I saw an energetic yet shorthanded group of players battle their way to the championship game. Shelli Thigpen, Lauren Stallworth and Kendall Leaks provided much of the firepower in the finals on yet another team with talented young players

Thigpen is talented and athletic and with her length and upside, she has a shot at doing some big things while Stallworth is powerful and strong in the paint. Leaks, along with Lauren Gunn showed they could score from the outside and with a name like Gunn, I can see all the possibilities for headlines regarding her firepower. Hannah Moya showed a solid midrange game and Meredith Brenna gave solid minutes as well

Texas Ice hard to melt

The Texas Ice proved to be a must see team at the College Prep Challenge and their game against the Dallas Stars in the 11/12 Grade Red Division Championship was a battle. The Ice has some next level talent for sure, in fact Tajshia Moore made the Tip Sheet, read more

Samantha Bell did just about whatever she wanted to on the court as the energetic point guard got everyone going and going they did as their uptempo style fir their personnel to a T. Filled with super athletes who could also defend, Jada Washington and Kei'una Joe helped Bell apply heat. Riley Nix teamed with Moore on the inside at times to control the paint while Chasen Howard and Channa Parvin proved it wasn't advisable to leave them open as they simply lit it up from the outside

North Texas Hawks still flying

I like watching this team and it's always good when you have multiple players that can step up and do some damage, well positive damage and after watching them back in early May, this is what I said

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This time around, I saw others getting it done like Fulgham Bell who was not only aggressive but knew how to attack and finish. Meg Terry did a good job handling the ball under pressure, while Morgan laday's athleticism had her all over her defensive assignments. You always need multiple shooters and on day one, Keaton Nellgan showed she could do just that

Texas Tigers hard to tame at College Prep Challenge

The Tigers are another group of talented 2016 and 2017 players  that showed they have the ability to make a next level run. The key at this age is progression but they're on a good start. Tae Davis is an athletic guard who is also fast with the ball while Bailee Smith showed she could hit the mid range with ease. Other players on the team did some positive things as well including Sierra Riley and Ally Hall

Athletic Elite makes run at College Prep Challenge

I caught a glimpse of Arielle Brown walking through the gym late on opening day and I knew I had to take a look her team, Athletic Elite. I caught them early on day two and loved the energy they brought on the court and when you bring that type of energy at 8am, you know they mean business

 Nia Randle did a good job on both ends of the floor while Sara Salamak showed she could hit the three but again the energy was there from multiple players so either it was Lydia Williams, Taylor Craddick or Ayanna Hayslett joining the others at applying pressure

I've been wrong at observing players and making assumptions, a team my daughter played at 12U AAU Nationals is a perfect example of seeing a group of kids walking through the airport with a lot of swagger and talking noise for absolutely no reason however that was 12 years ago and I've gotten a whole lot better at this observation stuff. I knew Brown was a player before I saw her touch a ball and by player I' talking a legitimate D1, no question about that. She's also virtually unknown, here's a freebie

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More Thunder from Flower Mound 2017 squad

Flower Mound's Elizabeth Hetrick has no fear as she drives on 6'4 Jovita Cortez of Texas Prep Elite but the same can be said for her teammates as well as the 2016 squad I've had a chance to watch and write about this season. The Thunder made some noise during the College Prep Challenge as even more young stars emerged that I might want to keep an eye on

Maci Turkoly handles the ball well and just as important had good court vision while Mikayla Roof and Molly Sheridan nailed the mid-range jumpers with ease. Maya Thomas is a long and athletic and she created some problems on defense for whoever she guarded while Jocelyn Pierce did a little bit of everything

I enjoyed watching this team as much as the older squad and the mixture of 2017 and 2018 players has me thinking several have a good shot at the next level

Gene Watts Boot Camp gets even more serious on day 2

When I asked Nina Milner how she liked the Gene Watts Boot Camp, her thumbs up says it all and I'm in total agreement with her on that. Nina and Jasmine Brown attended both days of the camp which had to have over 100 kids during the two days which consists of morning and evening sessions and as bad as I wanted to stay for the whole camp, I had to get back as the all important month of July is right around the corner

Something else is right around the corner, not only for Milner and Brown but Lauryn Bowie and Darria Williams as well as they were among several young ladies that showed me something during the camp, but I'll come back to that later on this week and I'll even have a tip sheet.. I was already familiar with Bowie and Williams after seeing them back at the BigTyme Fall Finish with Arlington Swoosh, man time flies, and each time I've seen them since, they've done nothing but improve

I call Gene Watts a teacher from the old throwback style where you corrected mistakes ans explained what you were done wrong and how to solve it and here's an analogy. Say you're in a math class and the teacher tells you the problem is wrong and that's all they tell you, so either you figure it out or you fail. I'll break down more on the camp and players later along with closing out the College Prep Challenge and in case you missed it

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Coming up, even more from the College Prep Challenge

I ain't done yet so just relax and chill as I close out my June road trip at the Gene Watts Boot Camp today. Two Grand Championship remixes and a few more "whatevers" I'll be throwing at you but please always remember, NO ONE does it like I do and in case you missed the Tip Sheet

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Tory Jacobs says Big 10 next stop

Tory Jacobs is one of the young ladies that I can identify with in so many way. When I first decided to start covering GBB, I was in College Station covering a Ganon Baker Camp and Jacobs was one of the first young unknowns, well at least to me, I spotted certain things in. She was strong for her age and had good skills but the way she absorbed whatever was being told to her sold me

I'm not the only one that was sold as numerous colleges extended this young lady a scholarship offer  however Minnesota was the one she chose, so add the Big Ten to her already impressive resume which includes a state title

I had a chance to ask Tory's mom Sheryce what contributed to her exciting daughter's decision and she said "Tory liked the high academic standards of the university. She believes Coach Borton and Coach Loyd can elevate her game to the next level and help her compete at a high level in the Big 10."

There it is!!!!!