2020 Levings impressive at USA trials

Add 6'3 Katelyn Levings as yet another superstar in the making I caught my first glimpse of at Prime Time Nationals as the 2020 "can't miss" prospect showed many others what I already knew, she can play. Levings made it through the first cut and although she wasn't selected, she laid the foundation and it's only a matter of time

Lady Houston Phenoms win Consolation #IBC Gold

Nice mix with the 8th grade squad from TEAM PHENOM, the 2016 group I told you four years ago that "you better watch out" and like that other SC from the North, I'm sure many are pouting because they get in on some of those talented players earlier but one more time and "I'm telling you why" several of these younger Phenoms showed some potential. Keep in mind I only saw them briefly but you've been doing this for a minute and you actually know what you're looking at, well it's easy and many of these players have the tools to play at the  next level if they keep working

Ana Kassim and Bre'lyn Adams showed signs of being dominant inside, both have powerful bodies and rebounded well on both ends while Taelyn Londow showed she could get to the rim and finish, also showed a floater same with Chelsea Green who got there from the wing with ease, great athleticism and upside. Also liked Heaven Ming, she runs the one and does it having fun, well for her because she's feisty, can shoot the three and take defenders off the dribble and although she's small, #sizedontmatter and neither does the fact that she and Londow are in the 7th grade  playing up

Speaking of up, let's talk about upside and Krystal Doakes, Tiffany Moore and Brittany Stafford all definitely showed some ability on the court, Stafford simply can go off on the offensive end as well as bring heat defensively but the biggest upside of them all is probably the young lady that made the Tip Sheet, Talia Gourad

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Skyrise Hamilton win #IBC Gold

To say this is a talented young team filled with players that are going to make an impact in high school almost immediately would be an understatement and when we return back to some of the stories on players I've written about, all you have to do is use the search bar, you'll realize I was on to something but over the years, if you use that same search bar you'd already know that. Jessica Soders and Dyani Robinson were the two I picked for the Tip Sheet, Soders also made the All Tournament team but there were many others I could have chosen

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Markayla Johnson and Micayla Hamilton have star written all over them, Johnson blows by defenders from the wing, rebounds and plays the passing lane while Hamilton simply excites me with some of the things she can do in the open floor, I caught last season as she simply went off several times but the athleticism and energy both bring is going to do nothing but elevate their games and since I'm talking about elevating their games, Kyra Merdith is definitely a force to be reckoned with on the inside

Dylan Malone and Makala Patterson also sold me on their skills last season while both Jenneka Jackson and Brooke Cephus showed they could score under pressure over the weekend, Cephus and Robinson also had that long ball working. Mailyn Wilkerson is showing several different signs as she keeps getting better and one game in particular, she went completely off on both ends but the killing part is that she, along with Wilkerson, are only in the 7th grade and are more than holding their own playing up

Livingston Ladies bring more talented faces #IBC GOLD

Breanna Terral impressed me so much last season, first I didn't realize how old she was as she was doing damage playing up and even more her BB-IQ for her age was ahead of it's time read more
Nothing has changed as far as that, but she's taller and stronger and even more fluid than last season but she's plenty of time left to master her craft and believe me, from what I'm seeing, colleges will be beating at her door. This is a solid squad and Candace Ellis and Natalie Stewart joined Terral at putting work in the paint, Ellis also showed some long ball action

Dannah Martin shot the three quite well throughout the event while Gracie Day, Serenity Smith and Kate Thompson also added offensive firepower to this talented young group but the energy that came from several other players, Abigail Burns, Asia Garner, Natalie Stewart and Victoria Smith were all key reasons why they won 2nd place in the Gold Division. One of the biggest suprises of the tournament was 2020 Dijone Flowers, how good is she, I thought she was a sophomore when I first saw her but she made the Tip Sheet so

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Skyrise 2020 Howard win #IBC Silver

Let me sum it up like this, Kyndall Hunter is a Tip Sheet waiting to happen, she keeps adding things to her game but the most important parts are the ones you can't teach and since the game starts at the one, she's definitely handling the pressure of playing up. Skyrise 2020 Howard has a little bit of everything and when you look at the jump Rianne Burton has made and the jumps Jade Compton is making, that isn't presence simply wears opponents down.

Amada Turpin's outside shot is becoming more deadly or should I say deadlier, either way it's a killer but I'm seeing steady improvement from everywhere. Briana Parker and Sydney Rollins join Hunter in the small guard club but they also are in the the #sizedontmatter club and they keep coming at you. Zaria Johnson and Cy' Maya Colquitt, check and double check as well as new face Ja'nyah all are exciting but Cassidy Howard and Shadiya Thomas made the Tip Sheet this go round

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Varsity Tip Sheet from #IBC

ALEXUS WYCOFF

CYPRESS, Texas-The Insiders Basketball Classic Varsity Division had talent flowing on every team and I had a chance to the majority of those teams but a few of the teams, I’ve seen multiple times throughout the season and the young talent coming up is going to definitely be exciting and entertaining. The Acadiana Stars represented the Lafayette Louisiana by winning the division and their lone loss was to 365 Elite Red which they avenged in the championship. Here are some of the top performers that played in the Varsity . I don’t know the last name for Lindsey who played with another Louisiana team, Livingston Ladies, but she gets a S/O for putting up big numbers

2017

Alexus Wycoff (365 Elite) gifted scorer that shoots the midrange well but can also attack from wings. She also handled ball pressure and saw the floor well but her comprehension of the game is ahead of her years, she simply makes things happen

Isabella Rathgeb (Houston Insiders Black) she's long and creates problems on defense especially by playing passing lane but that length also enable her to get her shot off which she's creating more effectively. Plenty of upside 

HALLE JONES

2018

Chandler Jones (Houston Premier Orange) when Jones is on, she's definitely hard to handle because she can score many ways. Take away the long ball, she blows by you for the pull-up or all the way to the basket and trust me, she's usually on

2019

Halle Jones (DFW Elite Houston) I think this was probably the most impressive performance I've seen from Jones because she handled the heat from Acadiana Stars back-court and didn't get flustered. Huge upside

Janaziha Cormier (Acadiana Stars) let me put it this way, she's in the 8th grade and has a college ready body. Now that I have your attention, she definitely has the tools to be as good as she wants to be, she battles for everything in the paint, she runs the floor well, she passes well from the post, inside or perimeter but more than anything else, she puts the ball in the basket  

#IBC NCAA wrap

Houston Lady Phenoms, Waco Lady Panthers and Blue Star Skyrise were the top teams in the NCAA division however one thing I know for certain is that the other teams had several talented players as well and here's a quick rundown on the other four teams other than their players that made the Tip Sheet

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Houston Premier Blue
Bryce Wilbanks, Reagan Reeves and  Skylar Crawford continue to show they can be a long ball threats while Kenzie Peterson is turning into an offensive machine

Dynasty Stroman
Alexus Murphy and Lauryn Cannady bring heat in the back-court while Carlee Neel's length and upside has me watching her closely. Leigh Freeman also showed she was offensive threat

Zero Gravity
Athletic team filled with players that could attack and play passing lanes, guards Jill Morris and Keyria Nails create issues with press

Northside Ballers

Sierra Brash and Empress Pryor continue to show they can shoot the long ball while Kyar Wilson, Tara Eubanks and Yazmine Kellough bring so much energy on both ends that this team continues to grow

Blue Star Skyrise(s) to the occasion #IBC NCAA

Okay we're going into season three of "I told you so" and the roster reads like a Who's Who of not only next level players but D1's and before someone whines about how I can make those statement, keep in mid this is what I o, I'm not a novice and I haven';t been wrong yet. Amanda Ferry, Ashley Daniel and Alecia Whyte's are locks, it's just a matter of how high they can go and it would be safe to assume that Kate Petrovic, being a big guard that can score is in that mix as well. Daniel is the silky smooth wing that can put it on the floor, score in the paint and block countless shots and 6'2 while Whyte is "outasight " as she punishes defenders taking them off  the dribble and is developing a nice pull-up. Ferry and Petrovic made Tip Sheet

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Anna Chong plays the passing lanes and showed me a floater a couple of times, so I know it's legit but I'm seeing big things ahead for Allie Byrd with her length and work ethic. Zaiyer Banks is powerful, she too plays that passing lane strongly and Mia Griffin showed she could put up numbers against competitive teams. One downside, Bre Bookman wasn't available and I'm looking forward to seeing her progression

Waco Lady Panthers 16U #IBC NCAA runner-up

The Waco Lady Panthers and myself go way back in fact almost before the turn of the century, I love saying that but over the years, I've watched talent galore come through their organization and in the millennium, nothing has changed except the color of my hair. I already talked about the WNBA champs and now it's the 16U for the quick hitter. Haley Howard made the All Star team, she did a number of things but more importantly she was a leader and authoritative in fact when she hollered switch, I was ready to jump out of the stands and guard someone

Ashlynn Gorrell controlled the inside, Kaitlyn Stevenson and Brenna Bain brought heat on D while Chirah Jackson, Janeisha Mosley and Jaylinne Johnson made big offensive plays to stop runs. Regganae Allen and Shania Hadden put up numbers throughout the event and those two young ladies made the Tip Sheet

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Lady Houston Phenoms win #IBC NCAA

I remember the first time I saw the Lady Houston Phenoms in pink, I simply couldn't stop watching them, not just because pink bring my eyes out, it also opened my eyes at what I felt would develop into a barrel of next level players. Fast forward almost four years later and this is my first real good look at the new group. Yeah I know Alana Spencer and Madison Francis, they both made the Tip Sheet

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Yeah I know the 6'2 twins from Atascocita, Diamond and Jada Johnson, although raw when I initially saw them, they've been on the grill and are smoking as well as Nadia Trevino who has size and upside and is also physical and this gives them an impressive front-line for the future, trust me and the heat brought from Alexis Lumpkin on both ends of the court had me sweating, she's powerful and can get it done as well as smooth and electrifying Chardae Jones

Sarah Pettiford made All Tournament team so let me give her a special Tip Sheet simply because I love the way she plays, hard, and never takes a play off. She might be the best young defender in the area, you wanna deal with this young lady you better bring a lunch and on top of that, this jumper off the dribble clicked all weekend.

365 Elite #IBC WNBA

Katie Gunther and Kelsey Scibek put up numbers over the weekend, Scibek simply went completely off  averaging 24 ppg and trust me, she is a D1 player and that's simply the bottom line read more
The powerful Gunther had a couple of double digit games but this 365 team has some talent spread across it. When you have two Taylor's, Bearden and Harris, you're in good hands to have games sewed up but what I also enjoyed was the heat brought by Deja Keys who showed she could run a team and score, this is why it's important to see players in multiple setting or place your players where I can see them

McKenna Christler showed range,Amber Terry, Emily Chafin and Kelly Sommers brought heat of defensive end and all made key plays throughout the event however smooth as silk Payton Walker has taken her game to another level and made the Tip Sheet

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Runnin Rebels Dynamic Duo on fire #IBC WNBA

Melissa Rodriguez smile is contagious, she simply is one of those players that doesn't get flustered and is always the same on the court whether she's putting up numbers or making things happen in other ways. She's unselfish but can simply get going at the blink of an eye and her being one of the states top long ball shooters is only one of the reasons why she made the ever so important Tip Sheet

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Rodriguez and Taylor Hunter compliment each other on the floor it's like they're using telepathy as they simply know where each other happens to be and in this event, that happened to be the All Tournament team as both were on fire. Hunter is as powerful attacking the basket as she is from launching deep ones but this squad has other scorers, like Veronica Behr and Leslie Lockridge who can catch fire as well as the energetic Sable Denson who is a powerful guard that plays hard on both ends

DFW Elite Houston create problems #IBC WNBA

DFW Elite Houston 17U has some of the best young talent in the area, I mean I've already said Demaya Telamaque was one of the top 2018 points in the state, that's not going to change because she's young and poised, plays hard and can run a team and she's getting it done playing in the higher divisions, that's how I roll and you've already been told. Fellow '18 Atlantis Thomas wasn't on hand but another freshman, Taelin Grays was and she's a powerful score and rebounder

Gloria Davis, Cydnee Hill and London Mallett are from the 2017 class, Davis is athletic and fast on both ends, first step is deadly and she can score while Hill and Mallett are powerful inside, Mallett was powerful enough to make the Tip Sheet this time around

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Kennedy Hill, Destini Hall and Aliyah Hayward all put up numbers during the event and they event got a boost from the original TV, Tiffany Valentine, who made a cameo appearance to help the shorthanded squad over the weekend

Zero Gravity defies odd #IBC WNBA

Sometimes looking at the score sheet just doesn't tell the picture and watching Kendall Bess, she's a legitimate college prospect but I already knew that after seeing her play at George Ranch earlier this season. She's athletic, she's 6'2 and she battles in the paint but on top of that, she dropped the long ball a few times. Ashlyn Carr and Kayla Petty were also impressive in the game I saw but over the event, Violet Reynolds put up the numbers and made the Tip Sheet

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Insiders clicking at #IBC WNBA

Let me start off with Eryka Sidney who can make a Tip Sheet every time I see her play, not just because of the affiliation that's not how I roll because if you don't know I have no agendas by now, you will never, never, never know me and that's either in Blue Notes or Simply Red but Sidney's game speaks for itself especially with the mid to BCS offers on the table as I type. Yes she's one of the top 2016 guards in Texas and yes she can simply take a game over and she and Toraya Bass were named to the #IBC All Tournament team. Bass filled in nicely with the injury to Mirakle Sallie who sprained her ankle on opening day, Sallie joins Sidney as one of the states top players but the performance Bass gave was astounding as she helped the Insiders to the championship game in the WNBA Division

Taylor Coleman is one of the top defenders in the area and her offense has been coming around lately but she compliments whoever she's on the court with and her desire trickles down to her teammates. Demetria Heard is also one of the areas top defensive guards, she simply plays one way and never takes a play off and she hit some big shots throughout the event. Tasia Hayes and Patricia French were steady and got the job done as the Insiders were shorthanded over the weekend with Sallie out and Beth Hawkins making college visits but that only opened the door for Kendalyn Reece who made the Tip Sheet

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Houston Dream Blue entertaining #IBC WNBA

Let's see three talented guards, Aubrey Jones, Kirsten Brown and Teren Livas are the lone 2016 players on this squad and Livas has the right last name because she can leave us, meaning defenders, standing still off the dribble, how do I come up with this stuff. You want athleticism, you got it, you wanted shooter, you got it, you want players banging in the paint, well you got it all on this team. Mia Perkins has elevated her game, she showed signs of being dominant at times down low but even with all that, her ability to run the floor is what sold me. Shelby Malone and Bre Staten just bring so much energy with their athletic ability while Haylee Washington does that and handles the ball well under pressure which enables her to do a variety of things, all good

Miranda Stephens is a big guard with a stroke from long rage, mid-range she's home the range as she can simply shoot it and she was names to the #IBC All Tournament team while Mikayla Trayweek shot the ball well enough in a few minuted to make take a double look, her quick release and propensity to put the ball in the basket was enough for me. Falyn Taylor, oh yeah she can also let em go from just about anywhere which is why she made the Tip Sheet

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Hybrid Hoops still exciting #IBC WNBA

All I know is that when you're playing against Hybrid Hoops, you better bring it the whole game because they're coming at you and they won't quit. The talented freshman D'Asia Collins is one of the states top PGs, she can score and set teammates up for gimmes. I've loved this kids mentality since she was around I guess six years old and the interactions I've had with her talking about the game told me a long time ago she was going in the mix. The action starts with her and Cydney Varner, both made the Insider's Basketball Classic All Tournament team and Varner also made the Tip Sheet read more

Haddasah Benedoch is one of the areas most athletic players, she simply won't give up in the paint as she battles for everything and she joins Varner along with Michelle Fokam and Anna Bowman at Seven Lakes who will be in the mix for that coveted trip to Campbell Center and beyond. Fokam can score against anyone down low while Bowman was on fire from both mid and long range. Nia Fuller can also put up numbers quickly, she and Cairn Timko shoot the long ball well also while Chrisitne Butterfield made plays throughout the tournament on both ends

Bay Area still Blazin #IBC WNBA

Let me start off by saying Hannah Froeschl is one of the top players in Texas 2017 and if you don't have her among them, I don't have any french fries but it's time to ketchup cause this young lady simply amazes me and although she could land on my Tip Sheet just about every time I see her, she didn't but she did make the All Tournament team read more

Kaitlyn Strassner and Ashlynn Dunbar are the lone juniors on this team of 2017 players and the boost they give definitely makes this team a threat against anyone. Strassner can hurt you off te dribble or outside while Dunbar's simply an athletic nightmare trying to contain. Don't fall asleep because the nightmares don't end as Caitlyn Burroway and Hannah Zajac status elevates each time I see them. Burroway is physical on both ends, loves to give and accept punishment and scores in droves while Zajac is something to watch in the open floor and from the wing

Myranda and Samone Walker both can shoot the three, Walker mixes it up off the dribble yet both also can bring heat on the other end of the court and when you talk about heat and filling up score-sheet with the little things many don't see, well I see just about everything and I've been an Alex Simmons fan for a long time, way before she entered Clear Creek and pound for pound, inch for inch, she gets it done with anyone. That bring me to player that I've been watching for three seasons, Madison Nicholas and although I spell her name differently every-time, her game continues to rise as she makes the Tip Sheet

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Coming up, more WNBA action from #IBC

I apologize but I'm a little under the weather so all I can say is talent can't hide and I'll try and finish up the WNBA segment up today

Be patient and remember you don't get this top to bottom coverage ANYWHERE else and if you believe you do, well you're wrong

Speaking of being wrong, some of these saying drive me crazy like there's a place for everyone yet I've posted straight from the NCAA site that less than 5% of players from across the country receive an NCAA scholarship so unless that's incorrect, well

Another false saying is "if you can play, they'll find you" well that too is incorrect and it should be if you can play, they'll find SOME of you


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Okay I'll be back later

Livingston Ladies Sibley bring heat across state line #WNBA

Let's see, athletic posts and wings, guards that shoot the lights out, a savvy point guard and a group of players ready to fill in the blanks sort of sums this team up. Christina Canale runs the one, she's a prototype PG that can also score, solid body and ball-handling enable her to do what she loves to do, get teammates involved. She along with "lights out shooters" Presley Wascom and Caroline Taylor are the lone lone 2017 players on this 2016 squad. Wascom and Taylor can score from just about anywhere, Wascom even drove, hung in the air and changed from right to left for and and one while Taylor made the Tip Sheet

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Emily Simeon did a good job on both ends while Shemeka Daigre is a strong and powerful scorer while Tamia brings so much physicality into the equation. I didn't see all three teams however I also caught their 8th grade squad and that will be coming later in our segment but one thing I do know is that I'm expanding my service across the state line because one thing is for certain, talent is everywhere

Fury bring talent to #IBC WNBA

They arrived from around the Victoria area and gave me a glimpse of several talented players that I absolutely knew nothing about however after they were done, the Fury left a lasting impression on me as a team filled with next level talent. Katya Czaplinski is super athletic on both ends and can finish strong, Brandi Escobar is long and did a good job on both ends while Kasey Hairell, Genesis Villareal and Kaymee Howell filled in several blanks yet all showed they could score, especially Hairell

Stephanie Delgado saw the floor very well and showed she could create for herself and teammates while she along with Martina Stavinova, Kelsey Vanpelt, Escobar and Howell all showed they could knock down the long ball. Stavinova showed me a number of things and she made the Tip Sheet


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2015 #IBC WNBA Tip Sheet about to drop but first a special S/O

I was asked by someone what I looked for in a player and my response was the same as it's always been, "someone that can play at the next level" and I also explained that I try to see players in both HS and club setting because players have a tendency to look different in both but the main thing I need is to see players as much as I can which is why when you see I'm covering this event or that, especially if it has GPR CERTIFIED you need to be there

I saw Oak Ridge play in the Conroe Tournament the past three or four seasons and I know they had a successful season including a victory over Summer Creek and II knew Kelsey Scibek could shoot the ball however the performance the young lady put on at the Insiders Basketball Classic was astounding. I knew she would make the All Tournament team after her first game, she creates her shot extremely well and can knock down the mid and long range with ease

Over four games, she dropped 96 points, that includes 17 threes, in fact she dropped 7 long ones in one game and scored 17 in a game that she didn't have any. The 2015 guard will be playing at UT Dallas, she'll put up numbers and probably break records but she definitely could have played D1 ball, no question in my mind and I'll get a chance to see her down the road

Today, I'll drop the WNBA Tip Sheet along with a few mini stories on some of the teams I had a chance to see so be ready

Houston Lady Dominators win WNBA Consolation #IBC

Houston Lady Dominators Shannon Jones and Taylor Alexander are both ranked on my Texas Top 100 as I've watched both of these young ladies elevate their games year after year since they were in middle school playing with the Phenoms and way back then I called it and my percentage is much better than FG% you'll catch on the tube. Jones, nm, I'll talk about her on n the Tip Sheet but Alexander has simply added dimensions to her game which will enable her to play multiple positions in college

Several tweets went out regarding Kianna Hall including "she's not related to Aresenio and her game isn't a joke" but she and TaShawna Riggs are becoming more explosive and even though they already brought plenty of heat on  defense, the temperature has been turned up even more. Hall is deadly from long range while off the dribble, Riggs can leave you standing in a trance while Kirsten Hardeman is a physical guard that just wears you down on both ends, good handle and sees floor

Kia Cobbs and her sister Kayla are also two bright young stars in the area and both performed exceptionally well even though they had found out they had just lost a family member. Kia's midrange has been clicking all season, she make her presence felt in the paint and rebounds welkl on both ends while Kayla and Teraneshia Washington are a couple of athletic speedsters that can play and both also happen to be among the areas top freshmen

Houston Dream Elite finish 2nd in WNBA #IBC

Where do I start on this talented team, probably Carma Nkola who at 6'4 has made gigantic strides with her game in less than a year. I told you the size plus she's athletic and although raw in some areas, her upside landed her my Texas Top 100 where she joins teammates Tamera Gulley and Tiara Matthews. Gulley also has taken her game to another level and with a late growth spurt combined with her length and athleticism, it's a no brainer. The first time I saw Tiara Matthews in middle school, well let me put like this, I got up and found out what her name was and for me to do that, I knew something special was in the making and as usual I was correct

Julia Schawke joined Gulley on the  All Tournament squad and it was more because of what she's added to her game than just numbers. Gulley's 5'10 so Schwake's wing span I imagine has her near 6'2, keep in mind she can shoot the three ball but what I really liked was her rebounding and passing, with either hand. LaLa Robinson handles pressure with ease, she smooth as silk, plays within herself and knows how to set players up, yet she can score off the dribble or in the flow. I could watch Jillian Cready launch missiles all day, smooth stroke yet put it on the floor a lot and made things happen. Emily Rodriguez also showed me a little something every game and that added up to a lot as she not only created well and nailed her shots, she defended well also. The gifted Taylor Howard is just a silent assassin that did so many thing you see on the score-sheet but she made the Tip Sheet because of other things you may not see and that will be coming up later today or tomorrow