2018 Shooting 4 Da Cure 8th Grade Division highlights stars of tomorrow

Had a chance to catch some talented players that will be entering HS next season at the Houston Lady Roadrunners Shooting 4 Da Cure in fact some are still in the 7th grade but you'd never know it as their talent is, how can I put this, ahead of the game. Here are some of the standouts, again I appreciate the rosters, I rarely do do-overs because my time is somewhat limited so here ya go

Jonesha Neal (Houston DC Queens 2022) having an older sister that's one of the top guards certainly couldn't hurt as she's been around the game for a long time but her BB-IQ and ability to not only run a team and make her teammates better however she can score almost at will, she's a 2023 BTW yet you'd never know it, HUGE UPSIDE

Mia Mitchell (Houston DC Queens 2026) Mitchell and Neal caught my eye 2 or 3 years ago and I said they were D1 locks back then so there's nothing I love better than saying "I told you so" and what Mitchell bring to the table is scary because her offensive skills are abundant, she plays the passing lane and "gets it"

Ameria Castillo (Lady Houston Angels) I really liked her game a few weeks ago but I loved what I saw in a short of span time. She never takes a play off, she loves to apply pressure and reads defenses and offenses but that first step is turning into something special as she can to the basket and finish strong

Rachel Coleman (Houston Elite Black) no matter what the setting, in a game, at a camp or down the stretch, she simply finds ways to impress me so I loved the range initially but her progression combined with her power enables her to do some important things, finish strong while taking contact, as well as rebounding on both ends

Tracey Matindu ( Texas Elite Warriors 2022 Travel) started off game on fire and in the first couple of minutes I had seen enough to know she's definitely be on here. The midrange game has turned into a lost art yet college coaches love it, it's a higher percentage shot than BTW yet less exciting but it goes in a lot more, so that with her athleticism and drive will create problems


Maurdaisha "Dai Dai" Powell (Skyrise Mike 2022) don't know if she's related to General Colin but she keeps adding stars as her game progresses. Long, athletic and has a knack for finding ways to get to the basket and score. Love her upside, midrange is coming along as well as her defensive intensity

Keely Cummings ( Skyrise Mike 2022) I saw her in the 3rd grade and asked her could she play, she said come and see and the first play she spun on the defender and hit a lay-up, looked over at me and smiled, haven't taken my eyes off of her  since, I can't make this stuff up! Fast forward to now, prototype point guard that truly understands the game, sets teammates up nicely for easy baskets yet can score if needed

2018 Shooting 4 Da Cure 7th Grade Division provides excitement

It's always good to get a second look and even when you already know, you still might have missed something and Katy Rebels King definitely left a lasting impression a few weeks ago in the Rice Tournament, their Big Three of Fiyin Adeleye, Loghan Johnson and Emma Potts are solid to say the least read more

The Rebels are a tough team and they put it together to win the 7th Grade Division defeating a tough Texas Elite Warrior squad in the championship but I caught their game against B4D1 and Adeleye showed me even more as she's on the verge of something big. She's powerful and can take control on the inside and I'm talking about both ends of the court. Several B4D1 got after it including Brenda Torres and Sarina Arceneaux, love their upside

League City Defenders were scrappy and played baseline to baseline throughout the event in the games I caught while Texas Elite Warriors 2023 is a group that I'm watching for the 3rd year in a row and that says a lot since they're this young but one thing I always look for in players and that's progression and I definitely see that. Khloe Vaughn is a 6th grader playing up, long and athletic that gets to the basket whenever she wants but she already gets it

Kennedi Archie, Olivia Drummer, Sarah Woods and Harper Biley round out the starting five , all have shown improvement and there isn't any let down with the next group as this picture captures Kandace Williams and Erin Lloyd and a glimpse of Emma Gibbs but the glimpses I had of several players, including Grace Santasiero assures me that I will be keeping my eyes on this squad

2018 Shooting 4 Da Cure 5/6th had promising players

It's always great to see upcoming talented players and I certainly was more than pleased at catching Texas Adidas Elite D'Addieco with his array of talented young players as they breezed through the field to win the division but I also saw some other teams with some young ladies that are going to make some noise like Superstar Clippers, the runner up as well as DC Queens 2026 who were playing up, up and away and a new start-up squad, Power Basketball. I appreciate those clubs that sent in their rosters, as brilliant as I am in evaluating the girl's game, I can't do anything without at least names and numbers but here are some of the standouts from the event

Ruke Ogbequire (Texas Adidas Elite D'Addieco) already gets "it" as she plays the passing lane and attacks relentlessly but even more impressive is her speed and speed with the ball as she is definitely under control and already knows how to create her shot

Melinda Winston ( Texas Adidas Elite D'Addieco) 6th grade, almost 6'0 feet and strong body tells me "next level" is written all over this young lady. How high she goes depends her, right now she rebounds, runs the floor and finishes which has her in good shape

Caitlyn D'Addieco ( Texas Adidas Elite D'Addieco) I hadn't seen her in a couple of years, watched her sister forever so I was beaming when I looked at the roster and realized it was HER. Attqacks the basket and finishes with contact, creates shot under pressure and makes good decisions 

Morgan Allen ( Power Basketball) I don't know what impresses me more about her, the fact that she's ultra-athletic or she's a track star that just started playing a few weeks ago. She handles the ball in the open court under pressure, gets to the basket strong and finishes stronger but her upside is scary

Kalyn Toussaint ( Houston DC Queens 2026) size don't matter when you can play, she can PLAY and this young lady is only in the 4th grade but trust me, you are going to be hearing a whole lot about her down the road. Creates shot under pressure, changes direction going full speed and has a nice stop and pop already 

Jaleigh Wilson ( Houston DC Queens 2026) good size, gets to the basket effortlessly and finishes with players hanging on her. Also rebounds on both ends but her basketball IQ at this stage of her career probably impressed me more than the other attributes I listed 

Superstar Clippers- array of athletic players that just after it baseline to baseline 

Raven Adams sizzles through freshman season and is ready for Heart Of Texas

I've seen Raven Adams put on so many shows it's hard to believe that she just completed her freshmen season at Ridgepoint HS where she helped lead them to not only the playoffs but some impressive victories over some of the top teams so being an underdog has never been a problem for this young lady. She falls into the #sizedontmatter category because it just doesn't matter, she can play and I knew that when she was in the 5th grade

The talented PG is ready to roll in the club season and she will be at the Heart of Texas with the Texas Elite Stars 2021 as they will be going hard in the 17U Division but first things first, here are some highlights from her freshman season

Ridgepoint 1st half

Ridgepoint 2nd half

She was also one of the top performers at the Skilledup Evaluation Combine

LINK

2021 Gracee Smith sends a message as she closes freshman season on fire

I've watched this young lady for almost two seasons and if you don't know me and what I do, you need to utilize the archives and search bar on here and my website and observe all of the talented young players over the years that I've said would be playing at the next level as well as beyond and after seeing Gracee Smith shoot that ball in the 7th grade, I knew she was on the right track

Fast forward to end of freshman season at Arcadia High in Missouri where the talented PG averaged 13 ppg and helped lead her team to the playoffs where she upped that to 15 ppg and was one game away from heading to the state tournament. She'll be doing her thing with Southeast Dynasty over the club season but here's a treat as seeing is believing

GRACEE SMITH VIDEO

Nicholls State proves to be #BOTH as they win 2018 Southland Conference Tournament

I just tweeted about being " lucky and good" a few days ago and this time #BOTH came into play for Nicholls State as they simply capped some amazing performances and comebacks to head to the NCAA Tournament. Oddly enough, this may not have happened as they opened Day 2 against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in a battle and having the ball with the shot clock off and only a few seconds left in te game, an ill advised missed 3 that fortunately turned into an offensive rebound that saved the day because the script could've changed right there

I've been working on my vertical so my knees are sore and I didn't get a lot of pictures but the picture in my head had Lamar up in the semis 21-11 and to be honest, I thought it was over but the fire and never quit attitude from #GeauxColonels enable them to win come from behind games against both Lamar and Stephen F Austin to head the NCAA war so if you weren't there and had a chance to be, you definitely missed some exciting and entertaining basketball and the fight to the finish over and over was something to see. Great job and good luck but importantly, thanks to all for their effort

SOUTHLAND RECAP

Northeastern Junior College star Kiara McElroy ready for next chapter

This young lady has and always will be one of my all time favorites because no matter what obstacles were in front of her, she overcame them and continued to battle and that shows not only character but the ability and desire to succeed and from that bright eyed middle school player who was somewhat shy to become the young lady and basketball player she became keeps me smiling. One thing that remains, she is not only one of the best clutch long ball shooters I've seen come through here, she also has more four point players than any player I've witnessed since they brought the three ball in. The novice might wonder "what does that mean" and before someone gives you the wrong answer, it shows mental toughness and concentration to not only take the lick, because you know it's coming, but keep on ticking because she knows it's going in

2018 Rice Basketball MS Tip Sheet

The 2nd Annual Rice Basketball Tournament had me glued to my seat for the most part as I had a chance to catch some up and coming players, many of which are on their way to the next level and their hard work and progression will determine how high they actually will be able to compete but as I always say, don't turn your backs on anyone, especially at this stage because I can tell you some stories that are not fables but even more importantly always remember talent is everywhere and Nicholls State incredible Southland Conference Tournament win sums up both sayings but here are a few of the standouts I saw extensively and even though I din't have a roster for Phoenix Revolution, they had some talent I'll catch later

Katy Rebels-King 2023

Emma Potts- right last name because she can cook on the court and she stayed hot throughout the event. Good size and showed a knack for getting to the basket whenever she wanted and rebounded well on both ends. She does so many little things that grabbed me but her work ethic definitely will take her places combined with everything else

Loghan Johnson- nice hesitation in the open floor mixed with great athletic ability is definitely a starting point but ability to blow by defenders with a deceptive first step and attack basket relentlessly are all pluses at her age but the exclamation point is that she finishes strong with contact. Huge upside

Fiyin Adeleye- she has good size, she's also strong and understands how to use her body on the inside but on top of that she's athletic, runs the floor, on both ends and can be overpowering at times. As good as she was in the paint, she also faces the basket and scores from 10-12 feet and when you add that she goes after everything on the boards.....

Lake Houston Angels 2023

Jade Williams- attacks basket from every angle imaginable and finishes strong, with contact, handles ball well in open court and showed she could stop on a dime and hit the pull-up. Good defender and guess what, she plays the passing lane

Kaia Henry-was worth the wait, trust me on that but her upside is unlimited yet right now she's doing HS things. She anticipates passes, she blows by defenders and she uses her athleticism to elevate over them as well. That phrase "she doesn't realize how good she is" applies but when it clicks, she will definitely be hard to handle

Jayda Woods- 6th grader playing up but I never would've known because she already gets it. The phrase I use a lot is "size don't matter when you can play" applies because she can definitely play. Range, mid to long, handles ball under pressure, gets to the basket for buckets and defends but on top of that, she knows how to run a squad and gets teammates involved

Cy Fair Elite 6th Grade

Zachara Perkins- mom and dad both played at the next level, mom actually played in WNBA as well so that definitely says something or does it. What I love about this young lady despite DNA is BB-IQ and when you STUDY the game like she does and apply what you've seen, that supersedes anything else. Gets to the basket, scores from midrange and I'm definitely going to enjoy her progression

Shreya Jateggonkar- players that can shoot the midrange at this stage are definitely up on it and she definitely was putting them up and in it. Don't get tit twisted, she attacks well off of the dribble and just keeps coming at you but she also understands how to create her own shot which opens things up for her

Jada Harvey- 5th Grader playing UP UP AND AWAY because her game definitely has that type of potential. She small yet powerful and already knows how to create issues for those guarding her and with her variety of offensive weapons, her defense also stood out and she rebounds but when I speak of upside, ain't no telling how high she flies

So much talent with the even younger squads, when I saw the little girl with the fro, I had to check that squad out and Summer Williams and her Lake Houston 2025/26 teammates were getting after it. Summer's older sister Jade made the Tip Sheet and she too will be maikng many but the Nemesis Crushers were super athletic, Jalina McGrough was one of many as well as DC Queens who had speed from everywhere, Kamora Carroll, Kalyn Toussaint and Braeon Arceneaux while HTX Watson had an array of bright young stars, the light was definitely bright on Skyrise-Ray with talent from everywhere including a couple of players I had just seen the week before, Asia Waddell and Andrea Sturdivant. Always remember, ROSTERS are a pet peeve of mine so please give me what I need, wait, with errors, with last names and even more importantly with jersey numbers and contact info 

Lake Houston Angels 2023 adds excitement to Rice Basketball Tournament

I had a chance to catch some talented players in MS and younger last weekend at Rice University's 2nd Annual Basketball Tournament, I'll revisit that with a Tip Sheet on some of players throughout the event later but Lake Houston Angels 2023 definitely had some promising players. Jayda Woods is definitely ahead of the game, she and Jade Williams are the lone 6th graders on the squad and will join Kaia Henry on Tip Sheet with other players from Katy Rebels and Cy Fair Elite in the MS Division as well as some of the even younger players I glanced at and that's coming up later

This picture sums it up with Laila Mouton battling Fiyin Adeleye ( Katy Rebels) who will also be on the Tip Sheet. Love Mouton's upside as she and Ava Cianciotto both showed they could hit the midrange. Matti McDaniel was injured early, I've heard a lot about her so I'm sure I'll catch her soon and while I'm talking about upside, J'Nyah Holman did some promising things and when you combine what she's doing now with her length and size, she is going to make some noise along with Brinn Rhodes  who gets after it

Ameria Castillo is a baseline to baseline player, she's been bringing heat since I saw her for the very first time and I'm definitely enjoying watching her midrange game especially since she's creating her own shot in traffic. This young squad has some talented players on the verge of breaking out. I've seen Amaya Dubose and Kira Zaruba before and observed their progression along the way while Elizabeth Brown is shooting the mid and long range well. Again, this team has some up and coming talent, the main thing is to continue to work and with the mindset I picked up on from the squad, I'm sure they will

2018 SkilledUp Evaluation Combine MS Ballers were more than ready to perform

This was a solid event across the board, the younger kids came from all over town as well as from down I-10 West from Katy to Austin to San Antonio to showcase their skills at Lutheran North. Many of these young ladies have already given me the opportunity to observe them and for a few others, this was my initial sighting and what I'm always looking for is progression and many of them are already making big jumps in a short amount of time. I picked 14 of the top players for the Tip Sheet, you can check that out right here

Let me drop a little on some of the other MS players that are already showing promise

2022

Khady Samb- love her size, she's just under 6'0, as well as her wingspan but upside is definitely there as she has good timing, alters shots, runs floor well and rebounds

Amanda Crowninshield- definitely a #sizedontmatter guard, she's heady, understands the game very well and can take over with flair. Scores off dribble or drops them from another time zone

Taylor Howard- has made adjustment from being a back to the basket player to one that can not only score from the outside but defend on the perimeter. Rebounds on both ends and can handle ball

Kori Neal-relentless defender, good handle and nice midrange shooter but on top of all that, she keeps coming at you

Skyler Tabeb- two things she did over and over thatb I love and one is a nice pull-up that she can nail on the money and she plays passing lane

Mia Grace Thompson- has a knack for getting to the rim from multiple angles which is only superseded by her ability to finish over and over with contact

Belica Martinez- had one of the best step backs at the combine, creates her shot well under pressure, gets to the basket and anticipates well on defense

2023

Mackenzie Johnson- the jump she's made in a few weeks has my head spinning. She gets it and she's giving back and when your comprehension is there, everything will fall int place when you apply it and she is 

Kaitlyn Evans- athleticism bursting out, huge upside, she anticipates, has a nice first step, is long  and is showing a variety of offensive weapons already

Macy Spencer- another young lady that understands the benefits of playing the passing lane and her desire to want the ball as well as defend are thing you can't teach

Lyric Barr- the words are there and the bar will be raised as I played on words using her name but with size, length and strength on the table already, other things are shaping up to be set

Kiyah Tarver- showing signs of being an explosive player, reacts well on both ends, recovers well on defends and can get to the basket

Shavani Sancho- very athletic is a good thing especially when you know how to use it and she does. Gets to the basket with ease and finishes, her length gives her options, many options

2024

Asia Waddell- I love young players that think the game and use whatever to their advantage and usually having an older sister enables you to observe older players as your game begins to develop so her BB-IQ , her "never quit" mindset and that drop step she showed me tells me a lot already, huge upside

Lebron showing respect at All Star Game

Legendary Respect. #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/vQuJlVPdzd

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2018