MT Rice December 28th for Temple and Taliah Johnson

Although I couldn't get a roster, Taliyah Johnson stood out over the club season as well as the HBU Camp, where I got a roster and I love saying this to show how much nonsense I have to deal with ignorance and arrogance but it's girls basketball and it is what is but I am who I am and if you can really play, I'll find out who you are. Johnson can play, she's explosive averaging just under 10 and 5 assists for her temple school team and I'll close out the Holiday Tournaments catching her

The schedule might be blurry, so was my mind because I thought I'd catch another talented squad from Whitney with a whole lot of Under The Radar players but this will be a blast regardless because "talent is everywhere"

McKinney North Lady Bulldog Classic featuring young stars

I'll pull a Metroplex trifecta with Sandra Meadows, Mansfield Spring Creek BBQ and McKinney North Lady Bulldog Holiday Classic and without knowing all of the players, I know of some and talented sophomore Allie Buchanan will be one of those players I can't wait to catch after dropping her on a Tip Sheet over the club season. She's Under The Radar, for now, but at 6'0 which is the magic number, she won't be for long

I'll also catch Little Elm freshmen sensation Amarachi Kimpson one of the states best in the Class of 2023, story on her and many of the other top freshmen coming up on Prep Girls Texas and I can't wait as I'll figure out a way to catch both

Holland MS Tournament shows future stars of tomorrow

After becoming involved in this, girl's basketball, I've seen a huge shift on a variety of things I speak on constantly which goes over the heads of many. In 2009,  said social media was going to hurt the game, it's documented and it has, high school basketball is not what it used to be and neither is middle school and anyone that tells you different is clueless, naive, or basically lying to you about how they can "make your daughter" ironically with a little help from my ex-wife, I can actually say that about my own daughter, she's in the WNBA

By no means does this mean that there isn't talent spread around, many have already been labeled by me as players who will play at the next level as early as elementary school, I ain't been wrong yet, so I actually know what I'm talking about and could care less about the politics because of two things, I have no agenda and talent is everywhere which is why I was super excited to go and see Deyjah Ray who showed a big jump when I caught her at PassThaBall's The South back in  September read more

Ray scored 5 in the first minute of the first quarter and finished with 25 points, well she closed the tournament out with 25 as well and was named MVP and one thing I knew she needed was to become more aggressive on the court, she has. This young lady caught my eye in the 3rd grade, had I had a roster would have known that she was playing on a 6th-grade squad with some notable now juniors including one of the top juniors in Texas, Ashlyn Jones but  is showing some big-time signs

Holland also has a couple of players, twin towers in fact for their age that put in some work. One of those towers, Aniya Lazard, played with Deyjah on her club team and she was relentless in the paint
but her upside is what's definitely scary because she has size, strength, and athleticism right now, and trust me, everything else will fall into place. Speaking of scary upside, Joemoriah Ben was a bright spot for Hamilton. she does things instinctively, she attacks strongly and can finish with contact plus she has range

Two more MS tournaments are coming up, parents BEWARE at the nonsense you're about to hear but what do I know other than I'm dropping some photos from this event on Facebook

UNSIGNED Cheyanne Bonilla closes out Katy Classic with 38

In this day and age of Social Media nonsense countless Tweets with biased evaluations, sped-up videos on The Gram and YouTube and the numerous people going live, there is no wonder why and how some college coaches are misled on talent but there is saying that I've been using for over a decade"it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" and let me simplify that. Scoring 30 or more against players that aren't going to play at the next level doesn't equate to the ones dropping 10 or 15 against those that are but there are always exceptions to the rule

The first time I caught Cheyanne Bonilla was with a team from New Mexico and she was simply on fire against a star-studded team so right then I knew she could play college ball. I've seen her numerous times in different settings and one thing that's  consistent is she plays the same way, no matter if the squad is up or down 20 which shows her consistency and she's always ready to "take the shot" during pressure and if you had a chance to catch her at the Katy Classic you'd see that if you didn't, I dropped some clips on the Gram

She opened up the tournament with 27 against Cedar Ridge, their starting 5 will play at the next level, so I'm setting the stage. She put up numbers throughout the event including 21 in game 2 and 38 in the Consolation Championship game which included 6 three-pointers. There's no question she can shoot from distance or find ways to score and her effort was something to see

2019 Katy Classic mini preview

To say I'm excited about this weeks Katy Classic would be somewhat of an understatement as I'll spend opening day at Seven Lakes because of numerous reasons but a couple of the main ones are El Paso Eastlake is coming to town and they feature sharpshooter Cheyenne Bonilla, an UNSIGNED senior you're going to be hearing a lot more about

To make my day even brighter is that their first-round game is against Cedar Ridge, a team in which I've caught several of their players over the club season with Rock Nation and the Raiders super soph Alex Neimeth is one of the many standouts on this squad

Stay tuned for more coming at you on Prep Girls Hoops, here as well as my GPR website so grab some popcorn or whatever and check out the BRACKETS

Ten of the Top Texas 2024

Middle school basketball is a hit or miss, well so is high school in this era and one thing I will always do is keep it real. Lack of comprehension and twisting my words have some equating my saying the talent is not what it was 5, 10 let alone 15 years ago into my saying there isn’t any talent so I don’t have time go back and forth with people like I used to but rest assured there are still talented players in our area and across the state including players that will play ball in college and that includes the highest level. I had planned on doing a recap of 2024 players but Gwendlyn McGrew received an offer from the University of Houston made me say “why not” “just do it”

The first 5 are from the SEC event I caught in July and the rest are from various events including PassThaBall’s The South

Kendall Robinson-5’7 PG (Texas Savage 14U) I called her a #BCSLock a couple of years ago for a number of reasons and although she wasn’t 100% at the event, you’d never know. Good size and body, she plays bigger than listed height, she creates several problems offensively because of her arsenal, in other words, she finds ways to put the ball in the basket. Good defender and rebounds on both ends which also enables her to start and finish the break

Kemah Shaw-5’5 PG (AD Elite Future) don’t know what’s more intriguing, her upside, her progression or her desire but it doesn’t matter because she is showing me a whole lot in a short span. Plays the passing lane, handles the ball under pressure, finishes with contact and creates, not only her shot, but problems for defenders

Leaire Nicks-5’11 PF (Lady Drive Nation Duncan 2023) long and ultra-athletic, her upside is unlimited on high she’ll land because not only does she play the passing lane and has excellent timing to deflect, alter or just block shots galore, she elevates over defenders with ease for a nice pull-up. Her length also enables her to blow by defenders, I foresee her first step becoming devastating

Kiah Goynes-5’7 PG (Texas Savage 14U) very athletic and understands the simple things but the hard things, well she gets them too and her ability to create, not only for herself but her teammates, at this stage of her career is big but doing it against older and sometimes stronger players is huge. She attacks from everywhere, speed galore, and finishes with contact

Chloe Mann-5’3 PG (Texas Savage 14U) nothing like speed but speed with the ball while being under control is always great and when you “get it” early, they’ll get it now and later. Her athleticism enables her to do a variety of things, like bring heat on defense or make acrobatic shots but I still remember the first time I wrote about her a few years ago and I said “she made a save I haven’t seen many on their way to D1 make”

Gwendlyn McGrew-5’9 PG- the more I see her the more she continues to show me that the sky is the limit and when you look at her size, athletic ability and skill set, that in itself is intriguing but her BB-IQ is ahead of the game, she understands she can take over offensively at will. I first noticed her dropping the long ball a few months ago but she attacks ferociously and with power and now her ability to see the floor and make pinpoint passes add fuel to the fire

Nicolette Polochek-5’11 F- saw her a few months ago, was given wrong name so here we are and there she goes because she is going to create issues down the road. Well, she’s creating them now, size, physical, desire, and a nice skill set. Finishes strong runs the floor and rebounds on both ends but her upside will have numerous colleges on her

Jade Williams-5’8 G- one of those young ladies I’ve been watching for a very long time, 5th grade she showed me something and just watching her, I knew what was coming. Scores off the dribble with either hand but that first step includes a turbo that enables her to keep going or take that pull up. Long and athletic, defends and plays the passing lane

Maddison Bob-5’8- if you look at my notes, it’s coded so I have UPS for her not only because she delivers but can flat out explode off the ground. She’s athletic, handles the ball and sees the floor well but her acceleration coupled with her change of pace are great tools to have offensively and when you add she understands how to create her shot….

Torran Deterville-5’5 PG- not the prototype point guard but she can run a team and speaking of run, it’s hard to stay with her as she blazes by defenders. She’s made multiple Tip Sheets already, I saw something special years ago and its crystal clear because she is showing she can take over a game offensively whenever she wants, btw, I didn’t have to take any notes

Size Don't Matter players one of many highlights at South Texas Classic

I usually hashtag #sizedontmatter and add, when you can play and I also hashtag #talentiseverywhere. I attended the South Texas Classic and wrote an article on Prep Girls Hoops Texas about Cibolo Steele featuring talented Bria McClure picture in above GIF read more

McClure wasn't the only small guard that played big,Mikayla Johnson 's four threes in the second half in a span of a little over two minutes helped ignite Cedar Ridge to come from a double digit deficit, that means they were down by over 10 points, in the second half for the victory

Yeah I know it's pre preseason but I know talent, learned that from a BCS coach when my daughter was a freshman as she said, Mr Colson it only takes me a couple of minutes to know what I'm looking at so acrobatic Dezerae De Le Garza (United South) is only a 2022 with huge upside

2021 Emma Vasquez (Brennan) showed the catch and shoot and I'm talking from deep range. Edison guard Avalon Munoz played with SA Holmes to get more exposure, S/O to Holmes coach for that gesture as well as Munoz who I'm told is one of the tops in cross country, the senior missed an event to be seen and I definitely saw a lot

All of the guards in this article are 5'4 or less, I have something else for JJ coming later but it will be Good Times for the talented freshman. Her Johnson teammate and fellow freshman Angel Tumbarello had already showed the long ball during club season but she creates and hits the midrange. Speaking of freshmen, Judson's Ariana Rodriguez is making the adjustment nicely.

Laredo Lady Longhorns, I have a special story for you all, explosive Sam Houston senior guard Khadija Derry just got added to Top 100 plus and many more will be added to what I'm doing for Prep Girls Hoops because it's an added way to give Texas players more exposure, many parents choose to believe BS, I get it, actually I don't and even though I may have been thrown out of MENSA, unwarranted morality nonsense, I actually know what I'm talking about as far as this

Prep Girls Hoops updated rankings

Samantha Wagner

For those who don't read or speed read or pay attention because I've tweeted, posted and said many times that I'm doing the rankings for Prep Girls Hoops senior and junior classes while the sophomore and freshmen are Watch Lists which basically means watch how that list will change as the season progresses and that also ties into one of my favorite sayings, "talent is everywhere" but I had to throw in an amendment "if you know what you're looking at"

There's an old saying that goes like this " beauty is in the eye of the beholder" because everyone doesn't see things the same way and that could be due to a number of things, the political aspect, relationships, on and off the court, or just view talent differently because at the end of the day, it's just someones opinion but mine is more important to me because if I don't see it......

PREP GIRLS TEXAS

RyLee Grays

Samantha Wagner is arguably the best player in Texas, she's already committed to Baylor so it was a no brainer on her, but after the first group who are just above everyone else, those numbers can be adjusted because the talent level is so close, I know is over 280 characters and many will get bored and turn on a POTcast because much of what is being said, you need to be high to believe it, just keeping it real so always remember, simple math on how many players there in the country and how many colleges and universities there are should let you know there is NOT something for everyone as well as if you can play, they will find you and that falls into the "they who" category"  RyLee Grays made one of the biggest jumps over the past few weeks, size, skill set and strength will keep her up there but I'll adjust and add again for each class after holiday tournaments

Prep Girls Texas 2023 Rankings

2026 and 2027 from Pass Tha Ball's #TheSouth

JOURNEY JEFFERSON & JADA MAPLES

They traveled from Orange and Kountze, from San Antonio and Helotes, even from Donie heading 45N to around Dallas, but they also crossed state lines, from back home in Louisiana as well as Arkansas and Oklahoma just to attend The South. I explain over and over, when I cover an event, I look at everyone as much as possible, that's why you came, that's why you paid and you need to know, so unlike the sleight of hand nonsense that is prevalent, I will always keep it real, always did, my daughter has numerous WNBA highlights on here so I kind of know first hand what talent looks like so here is the deal on some of the players, not even playing middle school ball yet

Journey Jefferson-guard-Earle, Arkansas- defensive stopper, athletic and went through the drills with ease. Already understands the simple things, does a good job of creating her shot and attacking the basket not to mention finish with contact

Jada Maples-guard-Earle, Arkansas- well when you can stutter step, at this stage and change direction going full speed, at this stage, you're on to something big that's coming. Handles the ball well, under pressure and finishes multiple ways

Kaelyn Blanchard-guard-Baytown, Texas- athleticism is always good and when you combine it with long arms at this stage, things will fall into place with her work ethic. I love her upside, she gets "it" already and showed she could score

Kyndall Graham-guard- Shreveport, Louisiana- I have a saying, size don't matter, when you can play and she showed the floater and defense early but when the bright lights of Sunday's All Star game came on, coast to coast, pull-up in transition not to mention handles the ball under pressure

Delaney Arredondo-guard- San Antonio, Texas- she's ready for prime-time right now because some things you can't teach so shall I call her a D1 Lock right now? Yes because the game starts at the one, she hits teammates in traffic, understands how to control tempo and can take over offensively. BTW, I ain't been wrong yet

Faith Idowu-guard- Houston, Texas- handles the ball well under pressure, that's always a good sign because you can build on it and her basketball IQ is ahead of where it should be. Defends well, knows how to get her shot off  as well as when to take it

Nia Phillips-guard-Katy-she already possesses a lot of tools that's ahead of the game. Strong inside, she rebounds and pushes the ball the length of the court. She attacks and finishes strong and plays the passing lane. She's 5'7 now and might reach "the magic number" which is 6'0

2027

Mackenzie Teuton-guard- Richmond, Texas- this camp was open to players that were in the 6th grade  and competitive 5th graders so I was overly happy to see her performing. She was solid during the skill set but on Sunday, the gloves were taken off and to open up it up with back to back jumpers got the crowd going. She understands and absorbs so much that her upside is scary good

I didn't include 2026 Whitney Smith in this segment, she traveled from Tulsa Oklahoma and participated with her three older sisters and I did a special story on them

READ MORE

Oklahoma's Smith sisters shine in Texas at Pass Tha Ball events

Whitney, Aaliyah, Mariah and Destiny Smith

It seems like I've been watching these young ladies forever but it's probably been four or five years but one thing II know is that the Smith sisters from Oklahoma can play and by that, I mean at some level of the next level so let me break the fantastic foursome down from what I saw over the weekend at both The South Individual Showcase and the I-45 Shootout, both events hosted by PassThaBall as they get their very own Tip Sheet

2020
Mariah Smith-5'8 PG- one of the best SHOOTERS in the STATES of both Oklahoma and Texas and her poise is second to none as well as her ability to catch and shoot. The long ball was dropping from somewhere close to that Oklahoma border and taking defenders off the dribble with ease to finish with contact over and over  is something I've grown accustomed to seeing

2022
Destiny Smith-5'7 G- her game mirrors older sisters so much that I used to get them confused, I'm serious and even during the event, their closeness on and off the court had smiling. Destiny also has range, mid to long and is athletic and finishes acrobatically an d she's nowhere near her upside which is scary

2024
Aaliyah Smith-5'11 F- size and strength will be huge for her when she enters high school for a n umber of reasons because she can score in the paint, good hands and footwork, she rebounds on both ends and runs the floor yet her defense, inside and outside, plus her ability to face the basket and score shows she can play outside the paint as well

2026
Whitney Smith-4'11 PG- what is one of the things I say over and over, size don't matter, when you can play and the heat she showed me when I first saw her, didn't even know she was a "sister" had me glued to her game. She understands things now many seniors don't and basketball IQ is very important at her size but she gets "it", terror on defense, handles ball under pressure and can score

Prime Time #NBC19 Middle School Standouts

Zamia Turner and Chrishona Ellis

The joy of being young, loving and understanding the game and already showing signs of big things coming. I caught a glimpse of many of the squads I'm about to mention and their players numerous times before and although many mock or laugh at my asking for rosters, common sense should kick in at some point and although many just don't get it, my knowledge and experience is second to none and on my CONSULTING page, click on NCAA link , the odds on playing at the next level should raise your eyebrows. Keep in mind JUCO and NAIA are not included in those statistics, less than 10% of high school seniors playing basketball will play at the next level so if you choose to not pay attention, I don't care but what I do care about is those who follow simple instructions and with that being said here are some of the MS standouts I caught at Prime Time's #NBC19

Lady Thunder 12U

Zamia Turner- showing signs of explosiveness, great first step to the basket and unlimited range from outside. Also plays passing lane and defends baseline to baseline

Chrishona Ellis-strong finisher and rebounder, her catch and shoot gets better every time I see her play plus her mid to long range game continues to impress me, she wants it in the clutch

Journey Taylor

HUB 2024
Journey Taylor- wires got crossed and I missed part of the game but 2 minutes of Taylor told me a lot. She attacks and finishes nicely, great athleticism and upside

HUB 2025
Raniyah Hunt-prototype PG that gets the job done, understands how to control temp and run offense  as well as set up teammates for baskets, plus she can score

Shiloh Kimpson-scores in droves, brings intensity on both ends and her upside is unlimited. Rebounds well, creates off the dribble or in tight situations

Carley Hamilton- long and athletic, attacks basket hard and finishes with contact. Already has good timing to block or alter shots

HUB 2026
Reagan Wright- heady guard that already is showing a crossover that will be deadly before it's all said and done. Attacks the basket well

Serenity Massar- athletic and alert is always good, especially when you implement it into game situations. She plays the passing lane so well now, I can only imagine what's coming

Kierston Russell

NTX 2025
Kierston Russell-when I talk about players attacking the basket strongly, check above picture because her facial expression says it all. She's powerful on both ends, good upside

Ananda Jenerson-athleticism and under control are very important and at this age, having just that is a great foundation to build on but she has much more. Defends baseline to baseline, plays passing lane, finishes with contact and her upside is huge

Jazlyn Powell-size matters when you can play and she is close to the "magic number" of 6'0 already. Good defender and rebounder, mobile and finishes

VOLS
Taylor Barnes-athletic, plays passing lane, defends and can score from the wing. Watching her glide to the basket effortlessly at this age is pretty impressive, so is her upside

Arianna Criss-showed a lot of power both battling for rebounds, on both ends as well as finishing with contact but her going C2C numerous times splitting the defense for baskets was something to see

Autumn Sherman-I have a saying I hashtag #sizedontmatter when you can play and she can play. Brings tons of energy, won't back down, attacked against whomever and showed a nice mid range game

REPS UP
Gwendlynn McGrew- game starts at the one, she's close to 6'0, her range is 5 steps across halfcourt, her upside is unlimited and she's a what, #BCSLock and that means MAJOR D1

2023 players from Super 64 ready for HS challenge

Mikaylah Manley

Lake City Pride brought some heat with them to PBR Super 64 and when you have talent across the board on both squads, well that's pretty impressive. Mikaylah Manley's athleticism is off the charts, high energy and she brings it, she also picked up some offers to add to what she had and what can I say about Paris Guillory? Well as 21Savage would say #ALOT as 8 of the standouts I personally saw are on Prep Girls Hoops Texas, it's like me, premium,  simmie20 for a DISCOUNT

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Paris Guillory

The South Individual Showcase 8/31-9/1 you don't wanna miss it

Back in the day, before social media just blew up, I was blowing up trying to get a grip on what was real and what was not and with plenty of trial and error, not wasting my time dragging my child to useless events that I see now like,  " get your 3rd grader ranked nationally" I just smh and say, if you are clueless enough to believe that........

I started a scouting service years ago, Texas was not be covered by "those people" like I thought it should be so I figured, hell I was in MENSA, this can't be that hard and low and behold, here we are but even more importantly, this camp will have numerous benefits including a chance to get on the map and since I'm the guy in Texas from Prep Girls Hoops, I'm wearing a lot of hats, you probably want to be here or just roll dice

REGISTER HERE


BTW, my daughter plays in the WNBA, won a National Championship and has been featured on ESPN several times including a few weeks ago with #9 Top Plays so I'm not just blowing second hand smoke, been there, done all of that, highlights to the right

2020 players who filled it up at Super 64

I know many think my magic of calling players that will be "big time" early are only in Texas however that isn't so and to the novices who run rampant, the new breeds with arvant garde ideas, either you know or you don't, I do, I did and always will so when I saw Katelyn Levings in the 6th grade, I knew big things were coming as she's heading to Arizona State

READ MORE

One of her Oklahoma Swarm teammates made the list I dropped for Prep Girls Hoops Texas, remember to use simmie20 , this is a premium article

PGH Texas

Tymberlin Crisswell and Kamari Portalis haven't changed off the court but.....

These two right here just keep me laughing. Tymberlin Criswell and Kamari Portalis fall into that "I've been watching ya'll before HS category and the thing that has remained constant is that they are still the same as when I met them, well mannered and just a joy to be around and there are many like them so when players like this continue to succeed, I'm truly happy for them

On the court, that's a different story as both have elevated their vertical and more importantly games and Criswell is featured in one story I dropped for Prep Girls Hoops Texas

2021 Texas Heavy Hitters stand out at Super 64

while Portalis is in another

2021 TX “game elevators” from Super 64

and remember this is premium content , use simmie20 for a discount

2019 Texas A&M Team Camp

So I walk into Reed Arena and the first thing I see are the bobble-heads of Danielle Adams and my daughter Sydney Colson and the memories from their magical run in 2011 just overtook me with emotion because that was very special in so many ways

Watching my daughter overcome so much fueled by so many petty adults and winning a National Championship was icing on the cake and playing in the WNBA I guess were the candles which she's still lighting

Alissa Knight (Cedar Park)

I caught several talented HS teams including Cedar Park who has a nucleus to make a big run but there were others that captured my attention over the two days I attended. I picked some standouts from the camp and Prep Girls Hoops Texas has launched, I'm the guy bringing the heat so please check out the site, it's pretty neatr and to save 20% use simmie20

PrepGirls HoopsTexas 

Super 64 with many Super 2022 players

Team Lex Gold has an abundance of talented players on their squad that they remind me of many teams from yesteryear. I think the first time I caught the squad, they were in the 5th or 6th grade and I knew that had some D1 players but they've progressed individually and as a whole and finishing runner up in the 2nd highest division at Premier Basketball's Super 64 without Michayla Gatewood, one of the state top PG's "any class" but she'll be back to join SaMyah Smith and the rest of her teammates including many from their Desoto HS that finished runner up in state, as freshmen in the highest division, I can't script this any better

I dropped an article on Prep Girls Hoop Texas featuring some of the 2020 standouts from the PBR event, that I personally saw, I'm huge on seeing for myself, especially with all of the nonsense that continues to grow on both social media and word of mouth but for me, "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" so the sleight of hand foolishness does absolutely nothing for me. I have Ashlon Jackson listed among the top players in her class, that's a given nationally as well so her and many others are HERE 

Also this a premium article, use simmie20 for a discount even though I'll be 60 in 67 days

2023 Area PG's shined playing up #AllEyezOnMe

Riley McCloskey caught my eye a couple of months ago, how much, well I actually asked what her name since I didn't have a roster. I knew she was young but she was handling her business, well giving incoming seniors the business as well so watching her at All Eyez On Me not really looking at the roster left me somewhat speechless when I figured out who she was. Very good BB-IQ, already understands how to run the one just makes her teammates better. She can score from outside, handles the ball pressure and sees the floor very well and trust me, I'll be watching Memorial HS quite a bit

Aniyah Sanford has been under my radar, I guess 3 or 4 years and the growth I've seen in her game tells me she's going to make noise at Langham Creek. Poised under pressure and she has an explosive first step are just a couple of the elements she has added to her. Her crossover and pull-up are there if needed but she too gets it as far as running a team and the thing about both is that "their hungry" and they both have "upside" which is  scary, for defenders, not me, I'm going to enjoy saying I told you so

Results from 2019 #TJShowcase

SA Lady Hoops won two divisions at #TJShowcase  as they keep getting better

Rock Nation 2022 Red wins Capital Division #TJShowcase

Always remember, ALWAYS, that the game starts at the one and in the Capital Division finals, Rock Nation 2022 Red's Jakayla Thompson went down with a shoulder injury as the talented squad was up on AD Elite 2023, a squad that I knew was going to make a run and make a run they did however down the stretch, '22 Alex Neimeth was ice in the clutch, big baskets, free throws and rebounds not to mention her defense which earns her a spot on the Tip Sheet coming soon. I've seen this squad multiple times this year and one thing I love is progression and they've shown exactly that. Lexi Alexander is mixing power and finesse, Thompson runs the squad well and can score

Dev Perera and Kam Weddington continue to bring "it" Mikah Johnson has also added fuel to the fire and Tinley Summer has been mixing it up on both ends. Jazz Cyphers is a new addition on this squad, watched her drop the long ball consistently on one of the other Rock Nation teams earlier, nothing has changed

SA Islanders #AllEyezOnMe Tip Sheet

I'll never forget the email I got from Jesse Torres, head coach and director for the San Antonio Islanders however I have forgotten what year it was but I'm thinking 2011/12 even though using the search bar only dates back to 2013 but that isn't correct, or is it. In the email he gave me a rundown of his team, I actually used to read the emails with evaluations back in the day and many made me stop when the nonsense started to snowball so was he correct, yes he was

FLASHBACK on SA ISLANDERS

That was a fun squad to watch especially when they knocked off teams with double digit D1 players pissing parents off from opposing teams, that's what used to keep me going because remember, it's not what you do, it's who you do it against and I'm always down for the underdog, for numerous reasons so this became a "must see" squad for me, multiple long ball shooters, very high BB-IQ, unselfishness on the court as well as just getting after it and playing the game

I caught the new look Islanders this past weekend at Austin Elite's Tyrone Johnson Showcase and they left a lasting impression but the impression started the night before for six of their players at the All Eyez On Me Individual Showcase so I'm giving them a page to themselves and no, this is not nepotism, this is SIMOTISM and it means whatever you want it to

'23 Viviana Moreno was one of the standouts during Session 1 READ MORE and here is a breakdown on the Islanders who were in Session 2

Gianna Gonzales-guard- made it look easy as she got to the rim with ease but her athleticism definitely created problems as she mixed up attacking basket or just showing range, mid to long consistently

Gabby Contreras-guard- there were an abundance of players that showed me they could shoot the midrange, Contreras does that, quite well. She also creates her shot under pressure and has a knack for being at the right place at the right time

Ali Meyer-guard- lone returnee from last years squad as everyone has graduated from that team so watching her leadership at the ONE, where the game starts wasn't new. She understands how to run a team, she has range, form is nice and she gets "it"

Jordan Lefler-guard-creates off the dribble and can get her shot off under pressure, it's accurate, good form plus she attacks well from the wing. She also brought heat on defense and played passing lane which I always love to see.

Presley Young-does many things well and just brought it at the event. Shooting the midrange is something I love to see, I say it over and over because it's a lost art, college coaches love it. She had one of the highest percentages at the Showcase plus she attacks well and uses her athleticism to her advantage on both ends

Guess what #ThrowbackThursday

I've had a chance to see some fantastic players come from the Houston area and I remember the first time I saw Nina Norman and Lindsey Harding play together in the back-court in an AAU game, when it really was AAU not what everybody calls it now because AAU is a NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, nm, anyway I knew girls' basketball had changed from when  I was in school and it was definitely an eye opener. Along that time, I ran into a couple of guys who would be pivotal in passing down knowledge on what to expect, Greg Cook, played at LSU, went to the Final 4 and just kept it  real, his daughter Aubrey was one of the top posts in the nation , played for Cy Fair and the University of Texas and their daughters graduated in 2005, the DEEPEST class ever from the area I personally witnessed

The other gentleman was Vernon Starks whose daughter is pictured above with my daughter, I think this was during the playoff preview Starks' senior year but both dads, who have passed truly were amazing and honest about the BS that goes with all of this that has not surprisingly gotten deeper. The first time I saw Takia Starks, she was in the 7th grade playing as a guest player on a team and dropped 44 on a loaded 11th grade team with 9 or 10 D1 players, she was in the 7th grade and this is one of the reasons why I stress the "it's not what you do, it's who you do it against" that goes completely over many folks heads that constantly send me stuff on what other people say or have said

Starks went on the break the scoring record, at the time, at Texas A&M and helped lead the squad to multiple NCAA tournaments including an Elite 8 showing . Basketball has changed, and like always, I don't care if anyone agrees with me because if you weren't there, or were and have the knowledge to evaluate, many can't evaluate their  own players let alone eras of players, but the Chronicle used to be on top of it, that has totally changed when BCS players are left off , you didn't have to vote multiple times on websites for Players of the Year, especially when you don't all of the players, but what hasn't changed is the people who actually claimed to make players, that falls into the "gotten deeper" category but this is over 280 characters so let me close lol

Lake City Pride 2020 #HeartOfTexas

Hard to believe many of Lake City Pride's players caught my eye right before they started their middle school careers and now some are preparing for their final high school careers. Kristen Broxton is strong and athletic, gets the job done at the point while Anaiya Turner has a lot of tools in her 5'10 body including attacking from the wings and creating her shot.

Macie Montie is a solid combo guard that can knock shots down and watching Raegan Ojora rebound and go coast to coast with ease is something to see because at 5'10, she handles the ball under pressure and ignites the break plus she defends and rebounds on both ends while Aaliyah Jordan falls into the #sizedontmatter when you can play category because she's strong, powerful, athletic and shoots the midrange efficiently

Aasia Sam left me speechless at times because of her #throwback mentality of "going after everything" and that includes diving on the floor or playing the passing lanes but that ain't all because she has a nice pull-up as well as the ability to take defenders off  the dribble and finish any way you want it. Ariyon Artis  also showed a lot of athletic ability, finished strong after contact and so did Aryana Grays that just seemed to be, well everywhere and definitely can score in the flow and fill up the stat sheet. Deonna Brister, also 5'10, is long and very athletic plus she does a good job of setting defenders up because that first step creates some problems. Drop of the Day went to Deja Tanks as she finishes poweefully and knows how to use her body

Royal Players Basketball Academy 2020 #HearftOfTexas

I love catching startups and I had already caught multiple RPBA squads a few weeks earlier but the Heart of Texas gave me an even better view of the 2020 squad. Janiya Maxie plays bigger than her listed 5'9. she's physical and finishes strong plus she rebounds on both ends. Shed also stepped out and showed she could hit the midrange and she and Kayla Alford make a formidable duo on the inside. Alford's physicality and desire is old school as she battles for everything. Upside from the 21's playing on this squad, Kelly Weckesser, who is just under 6'0, Taelyn Johnson and Hailey Sinclair are some of their players I'll be keeping an eye on

Taylor Charity is heady at the one, really enjoyed watching her decision making as well as her midrange and she had the "save of the day"in the opening game on opening day for a no look assist that had the crowd going. Taylor (Lake Creek) and Sinclair (Grand Oaks) are the lone players that don't attend Oak Ridge who should make some noise with several pieces ready to be filled, Gabrieanna Williams and Isabella Tyson are among those who are getting ready

Madison Pigman showed me a whole lot, very good BB-IQ is always a plus but I just love players that play within themselves and can't get theirs in the flow. Nice mid to long range, well multiple long range shots and diving on the floor after loose ball didn't hurt. Alysssa Castro is a prototype PG, she distributes well and can take defenders off the dribble nicley