Langham Creek loses Owens but nucleus is intact

This is a tough class going on and year after year it gets harder and harder but as happy as I am to see 2017 leave, several players, especially those I started covering on MS sort of tears me up to see them leave. Kayla Owens is one of those players and as she heads on to UCLA, I just have to take my hat off to the young lady who simply expanded her game to  become one of the most dominant players in not only area but Texas

Langham Creek will be in good hands with that sensational sophomore duo of Dyani Robinson and Briley Perkins as well as junior wing Dezi White who is "out of sight". Throw in Mariel Wade, some incoming freshmen and players moving up and the Lobos ain't done yet after reaching their first regional semis

Texas 2017 MDAA squad has players I called in MS

I thought this picture would be appropriate since Chennedy Carter will be attending Texas A&M and my daughter graduated from there so let me just throw this out on the players from Texas that will be playing in it. I caught Carter with Arlington Swoosh as an 8th grader and I knew she would be a D1 player however after joining DFW Elite her game just took off and resume is mind boggling

2017 MDAA TEAM

The same can be said for Alexis Morris who I first saw with the Houston Hoops and when you have the "it" factor at a young age, she too was in the 8th grade, well I just knew she be in the running for an MDAA selection. Jade Williams and Kianna Williams had it early as well, both were in the 8th grade too but when Williams expanded her game bta at 6'3, she became a nightmare to defend while Williams just gives defensive players nightmares period

Deauzya Richards sold me on day 1 when I saw her wearing some orange shoes, I was so impressed I bought me a pair but my game was long behind me as I watched her continue to elevate hers and as she has helped lead her team to state this season, well nothing she has accomplished has surprised me. Chastity Patterson is one of those players I called BCS in the 6th grade or earlier, Courtney Williams, Brooke McCarty and of course my daughter when she was 5 yrs old but nevertheless, I was right and just use the search bar and type in their names, I gotta roll but this 2010 video on Patterson......

Tigers are losing Rowe but others ready to go

I said this when she dropped 40 plus in the 9th grade, no I didn't, I said she was one of the top players in Texas when  caught her playing in a Prime Time Tournament with Katy Rebels Poth read more  I don't fabricate stories about talent, I said she was a name you would want to remember and also one I wouldn't forget and she is definitely one of the states top prospects and she'll do very well at Abilene Christian

This a team you want to keep an eye next season, Cassidy Howard and Savannah May caught my eye a few seasons ago as well as Cait Calland, all are from the 2019 class and they'll be ready to step up and replace the huge losses from Rowe and Kelley Skinner graduating. Keep an eye on Amari Layeni as well, her improvement and desire on tthe inside should help make it interesting next season

Westside primed for a 2018 run

Let me say this about Westside and I can attest to this, they simply keep finding ways to be in the mix. One of the most defense oriented teams this century, they simply keep coming at you. With no seniors in their starting line-up, be ready for their Big Three of Stephanie Gregory, Jessica Soders and Jordan Lewis as well as Kayla Picnson and Yasmine Arogunjo

Talk about making a good first impression, this was my first time seeing Lewis and her energy, ability to get to the rim and just score multiple ways certainly will compliment what I already knew that Gregory and Soders brought to the table after watching them over the past 3 or 4 seasons

Big upside for 6'2 freshman Fatou Samb, the finished product isn't there however she showed flashes that I know can definitely take her to a different level but the Wolves should be in the mix and I'm not plugging them because my daughter graduated from there, just keeping it real

Katy Taylor returnees eyeing 2018 run

Taylor had a tough draw in the area round of the playoffs as they faced Region 3 champion Cy Ranch however when you factor in their losing only one starter, Lauren Reyes as well as seniors Victoria Ukoh and Olivia Percoski, well looking at who's coming back tells me I definitely need to keep my eyes open, Tristin Scherpereel, Alayna O'Conor and Macy Ray gave me highlights all club season and I expect more of the same this time around however that nucleus as well as who will move up and who'll be coming in tells me these Mustangs are ready to gallop next season

6'3 Arial Elizie #GPRUnderTheRadar

What's that old saying? Oh yeah "you can't teach size" and when you look at Arial Elzie on the court, you know her upside is what colleges are definitely looking for. This young lady has made so much improvement over the years, I believe I caught her initially in the 7th or 8th grade however her Basketball IQ was the first thing that caught my eye. She passes well from the post position and can throw full court outlet passes on the money but rebounding and her excellent timing on shot blocking along with her ability to finish just kept getting better.

Check out this video on the 2017 UNSIGNED SENIOR, trust me it doesn't do her justice, did I mention she was 6'3 ?

Kindallyn Reece commits #GPRUnderTheRadar

So many times talented players fall through the cracks for whatever reason and believe I've seen this happen countless times so when I found out Kindallyn Reece (New Waverly Bulldogs) was still available, I knew she wouldn't be long after I got on board. The young lady has been impressing me since I first coached her in middle school, I watched her steal the show at a Ganon Baker Camp I was covering and I knew with her length and athleticism, she would definitely play ball somewhere so when Coach Darrick Matthews (University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma) told me he was in need of a scoring guard, I suggested he check this video out




Video doesn't tell the complete story however this young lady averaged 27/9 and 6 for the Bulldogs and standing a hair under 5'10, you got to trust me on her upside. The fit was just right on both ends and I'm truly happy she landed on her feet

Mustangs get it done as they head to state

Since Deauzya Richards and Ariana Whitfield arrived on campus, I knew that Cy Ranch had the potential to make a run. Joining established area stars like Sydney Coleman (TCU) and Cienna Rivera and the poise of those two freshmen as well as the amazing sophomore Rachel Tapps (UTEP), I felt this team could definitely make a run

Over the next three seasons, injuries played a big part on the Mustangs not advancing, in fact all of their D1 commits, including '18 D'Asia Collins who will be committing soon as well, had to nurse nagging injuries the past two seasons but this season, they not only stayed healthy but continued to improve.

Richards has elevated her game to more than just a scorer, in the quarter and semifinals, she flirted with triple doubles and solidified herself as being able to do everything I said she was when she was in the 7th grade. Whitfield's midrange game is one of the states best and believe me,that will be huge at the the next level and if you don't realize the importance of Collins then you need to Google "the game starts at the one" and get back with me

Big ups to Jayla Buster, a super athlete that can actually play basketball while she and Kween Jean just moved up the list on my Texas 2018 rankings. Jean at 6'2 showed she could definitely score in the Regional Finals but her rebounding and defense has definitely improved over the past few months and she made her presence felt

It ain't over for Ranch, the emergence of freshmen Shadiya Thomas who has that "never scared" mindset is definitely a player that has plenty of upside and will have multiple offers and I guess the biggest surprise for me was the play of sophomore Nia McWhite who caught my eye immediately by just making big plays at the right time

Clear Springs and Dekaney come up short however

All I can say is that yesterdays Region 3 final between Clear Springs and Cy Ranch was definitely one of the most exciting I've seen since I've been watching them and I've been watching them for around 20 years. The Chargers came up a little short however a couple of their players, Tasharian Robinson (UTSA) and Sierra Cheatham (Tulane), have been giving me highlights and memories since they were in middle school when I said both were D1 prospects.

I hear people saying that you shouldn't say that about kids that young and I agree, you shouldn't if you don't know what you're talking about however my record speaks for itself and one more time, I haven't been wrong yet in fact, almost 5 years ago I said this about Robinson

TASHARIAN

I didn't see Jasmine Smith (Dekaney) in the 5th grade but I saw her as a 7th grader with the Cy Fair Heat. You see the hardware she already picked up two years prior, playing in a boy's league at that, and when I saw her length, wingspan combined with her athleticism, well I knew everything would fall into place as she helped lead Dekaney to state last season and was one away this season but 2017 was and will always be special because when I saw all of these kids back in 2012 or prior as well as the tons of other ones, well once I again I know

Smith will be announcing her decision in the near future on where she'll be playing but remember if I call it, there will be an answer and these young ladies are among the many that makes me look like a basketball genius, thanks for the memories

Cy Ranch vs Clear Creek Regional preview

I guess this game is somewhat fitting as Cy Ranch and Clear mirror each other in many ways. I guess the biggest way is I thought both of these teams would definitely make a run when their top players were freshmen however both teams have suffered injuries to key players at very inopportune times. Nevertheless here we are in the semifinal nightcap and lets meet the players. The game starts at the one and D'Asia Collins is one of the top 2018 PG's in Texas, I knew this would happen when she was 9 so nothing she does surprises me

 In the last two games, Ranch has had big pluses from Jala Buster who simply went off in the early going against Katy Taylor and Shadiya Thomas in the last game against Katy when she came off the bench with so much energy, she was part of the reason the momentum changed and gave the Mustangs a huge boost. Kween Jean has been solid in the middle while Ariana Whitfield has been clicking from mid and long range, she set a school record for 3's with 8 against Katy Taylor while DiDi Richards has simply done a little bit of everything as she tinkered with a triple double last game

Lacee Savage and Alex Simmons are both out for the Wildcats, had they been healthy you never know how this whole thing would have played out, well you still don't know because the two Hannahs, Froeschl and Zajac, are both capable of going completely off in this setting, trust me I've seen them do it too many times, not to mention the explosiveness Keondra White brings to the table. Caitlyn Burroway is just a gamer, she is one of those inside players that can face the basket and her mindset is "she will not be denied" so this should be an interesting game and I can't wait for the doubleheader to begin

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Clear Springs vs Langham Creek Regional preview

Langham Creek has surprised many people, I'm not one of them because when I watched Briley Perkins and Dyani Robinson start as freshmen last season, the heat they brought on both ends and the maturity they showed off the top as well as the desire, well I knew they would be in the hunt with GPR Texas Top 20 player Kayla Owens, who was out last season with a knee injury

Owens had a 3 for all in the quarterfinals dropping 4 and a couple of more were in and out but the stuff this young lady has done over the years since I first saw her in the 7th grade has been amazing. Add Dezi White and Mariel Wade to the equation and this starting 5 is solid with players that can score and defend

They got here for the first time in, well forever I believe but I'm not 100% sure as they knocked off TABC #14 Hightower and #6 Seven Lakes so to be honest, you can't really count them out against #2 Clear Springs, or can you?

Tasharian Robinson and Sierra Cheatham have been on my radar since the 7th grade, wait Robinson was in the 6th grade playing up and I simply knew that they were going to be D1 players, well as well as Owens, at a very young age.

The Chargers love to bring heat on defense, that's been their style forever and that old saying "if you can't stand the heat" is one of the main reasons their ranked #2 in the state.

Talented '18 PG Dymond Gladney has simply gotten better each year, one more time folks, "the game starts at the one" and her ability to run a team as well as set teammates up is among the best in the state plus she can take over a game offensively if needed. Add the much improved JaNay Redic to the equation and game one should be exciting

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Iron Sharpens Iron Showcase April 1st in DALLAS !!!!!

I've been watching Nina Milliner since she was around 10 or 11 and even back then I could see what was coming in the not so distant future. Well "The Future Is Now" as the talented PG will be on hand for the Iron Sharpens Iron Camp being held at Desoto Middle School in the Dallas area

Peep this, register before March 1st and , well check out the link, I'll be there

REGISTER

Clear Creek advances to regional quarterfinals

I took this picture back in 2013 and wrote about them being one of the teams to beat in the "not so distant future" and although those talented freshmen are now seniors, they've made it to the regional finals in spite of injuries to Alex Simmons and Lacee Savage

CHRON

Injuries to key players has hampered them on their journey, I honestly thought, wait, I knew they were going to get here because that group was special and I could just see the enthusiasm they brought on the floor as they simply got after it and were never scared. They are waiting on the Katy vs Cy Ranch winner and that Friday night game should be interesting but let us revisit what I said in 2013

CREEK FRESHMEN

2017 Quarterfinals schedule as SHOWDOWNS & SHOWTIME continue

Clear Springs and their balanced scoring attack will take on Pearland featuring freshman sensation Deyona Gaston, one of the top players in the COUNTRY on Tuesday night. The Chargers are more than ready for the challenge, TABC has them ranked #2 in the state behind Duncanville and they've already beaten the Oilers by a substantial amount. #4 Cy Ranch #5 Dekaney and #6 Seven Lakes all remain alive in the 6A group so here you are and of course, I'll be at the doubleheader 

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