E.P.I.C. Tournament 5th/6th Grade Standouts

 Off the top on opening day, I saw some talented younger players who showed a lot of potential. 

The Native Queenies #42 showed the pull-up jumper as well as played the passing lane strongly, something I love to see, yet she also understands how to get hers in the flow. #21 has solid court vision which is ahead of her years, she also showed a nice crossover in transition. Her upside is high because she's heady, showed the FLOATA, and even followed her shot.

#30 has good size and scored around the basket, rebounded on both ends, and ran the floor but she's also long and athletic, which will always be the base. 

Several players on this squad saw the floor well and #35 was one of them yet her ballhandling under pressure, along with handling the ball after rebounding was nice yet her court vision in the open court was impressive, and so was her attacking the basket off the dribble

Here are some of the other STANDOUTS

SAVAGE STORM

Eternity Running Rabbit hit the boards hard and went coast to coast to score quite a few times on opening night yet her rebounding on both ends helped her score on putbacks. She understands how to get positioning around the basket, she scored off the dribble and she dropped the midrange

Maya St. Clair also went coast to coast yet her court vision in transition as well as in the set was nice, and so was her using a deceptive first step to score off the dribble. She also rebounded on both ends of the court

Naudia Smith created her shot in the set to knock down the jumper but she also showed the pull-up in transition 

Koryahana Stwyer did a good job defending baseline to baseline, her pressure helped to create turnovers and she played the passing lane

TULALIP UNITY

Shianna Valentine grabbed my attention immediately after diving on the floor for loose balls. She played the passing lane, showed solid on-the-ball defense, and scored from outside. Her court vision was also nice, in the set and in transition and she played the passing lane

Kaylee Martin is heady and showed she could score both off the dribble and with the jumper from outside. She handled the ball and saw the floor under pressure, yet her crossover was a problem to defend. She rebounded and scored on putbacks against taller players

Kristina Williams hit the boards on both ends and watching her go after the ball off the rim over and over falls into that DESIRE category that you can't teach. She also scored off the dribble and saw the floor both off the dribble and in the set

Other key players for the 2nd place team were Shanna Cortez, Madison Williams, Paulie Namee, and Sienna Chanel Greene

LADY AZ NEWEST

Peyton Moore just kept showing me MORE every game I caught her. She's showing some impressive things at her age, and her poise under pressure is one of the main reasons I see big things coming. She has good body control and scores off the dribble, she can not only shoot the ball from outside but can "catch and shoot". Her court vision is solid, and so is her HEZ and crossover

Chanoah Charley falls into that #sizedontmatter hashtag I use because she can play. Her first step is nice, and so is her body control as she finishes after contact. She also saw the floor and dropped the jumper yet her "on the ball" defense and playing the passing lane were also solid 

Tiana Edison impressed me immediately by playing the passing lane, which is something I love seeing players do. She scored off the dribble, her first step and body control are solid, and she dropped the jumper yet her passes in traffic were very nice as she threaded the needle several times to give her teammates good looks. Her defense and playing the passing lane were also pluses

Rayea Edison also did a good job playing the passing lane. She rebounded on both ends, played good defense, and showed she could score both off the dribble and from outside with the jumper

Other players who contributed to Lady AZ Newest winning the championship were Shandin Bia, Cambree Thompson, and Morgan Upshaw

E.P.I.C. Tournament 3rd/4th Grade Standouts

 In case you aren't familiar with me, I am the FIRST person to cover girls' basketball in Texas. I used to complain about what the National Media was not saying about my state, so I threw in the towel and started doing it myself. 

INTERVIEW

My mission has always been to give those who may not have a chance to be seen, that chance because one thing I know is #talentiseverywhere so I don't play politics, I have no agenda whatsoever and I have been through this as a parent, my daughter plays in the WNBA, a club coach and now as a scout/evaluator so here are some of the BABIES I had a chance to evaluate 

TULALIP UNITY

Kris Williams was one of the standouts in the division, I watched her dive on the floor for loose balls and go after rebounds on both ends of the court but her FLOTA was nice as she scored off the dribble and she came away with steals using her quick hands. 

#2 was probably Rylee Tom and she does what I love seeing players do at any age and that's play the passing lane. She handled the ball under pressure and also showed she could score off the dribble

Shawn Cortez did a good job of handling the ball and seeing the floor, but she also understands how to create her shot while being defended

Good defense from Mari'Anna Valencia, who also rebounded strongly, Nayeli Valencia, and Tenya Robinson who scored off the dribble and I'm guessing  #11 is Alexis Williams who also defended well

YOUNG WARRIORS

I have an old saying, not just because I'm old but SIZE DON'T MATTER when you can play and both Nani Tulee and Journey Johnson showed just that as their DESIRE just stood completely out

Temi Meninock did a little bit of everything as she was overly impressive in an abundance of areas like crossover dribble, her pull-up jumper, and her ability to catch ad shoot at this stage tells me a lot about what's coming. She also scored off the dribble, as well as on putbacks because she rebounded strongly, on both ends

Strong ballhandling and court vision from Annabelle Corone to go along with her pull-up jumper were nice, she even showed she could drop it from deep but her teammates Tatyana Wesley and Millie Palmonteer also showed they understand how to get their shot off from outside and drop it. Palmonteer also did a good job playing the passing lane 

2030 Girls Jr Phenoms Top Performers

I enjoy watching the younger players as much as I do the older players yet the eagerness and desire to learn was overwhelming for me as I spotted an abundance of talent and have already recognized not only next-level potential from this group but players who I have already dropped my #D1Lock on but always remember at this stage, your future is in your hands so keep working

Addison Brown did a good job of not only handling the ball under pressure but creating her shot while being defended. Her deceptive first step enabled her to get the defender off balance for her to attack the basket off the dribble and she finished strongly

Blake Hamsmith immediately showed she could defend and her on-the-ball pressure both in the set, as well as "baseline to baseline" was solid because it helped to create turnovers. She also did a good job attacking the basket plus she showed good court vision 

Chloe Madison-Davis has already been locked in at D1, she showed me that when I first saw her a couple of seasons ago yet her BB-IQ coupled with her skill set is so far ahead of her years that she makes it look easy. Mid to long-range, off the dribble, and understanding how to set her teammates up for gimmes makes her a multiple threat

Emilee Synatschk is heady and plays within herself yet she also showed she could get hers in the flow. Her shot selection was nice and she knocked it down with a hand in her face but she also attacked the basket with either hand and saw the floor.

Kennedy Liu also brought heat on the defensive end off the top and at times, it was over the top as she came away with steals doing what I love to see and that's playing the passing lane. She also made good passes and scored off the dribble

Madison Colaizzi was another player that did a good job playing the passing lane her handling the ball afterward to attack the basket was nice, and so was her court vision but she also scored off the dribble and finished plus she created her shot from outside

Makayla Jefferson her ballhandling and understanding of how to control the tempo will be huge throughout her career. She saw the floor, made good decisions, and has a very nice crossover to get by defenders both in the set as well as in transition. She scored off the dribble and with the jumper 

Myah Bolden also had a nice crossover but her FLOATA will be an issue to deal with. Her first step is very nice, she already understands how to create contact when attacking the basket yet her pull-up jumper in the set as well as in transition was really nice, and so was her defense 

Ry'Leigh Harris

Harris is another "long and athletic" guard that played the passing lane off the top and that JUST DID IT for me. She has good court vision in the set as well is in the open court but her explosiveness off the dribble is very good, especially in transition as she blows by the defender with ease. She gave me a few acrobatic finishes and showed she could score from outside but her defense was smothering at times 

2031 Girls Jr Phenoms Top Performers

DANYLA KILPATRICK & NATALIE TURNER

 This was a very talented group of players heading to the 6th grade but always remember to keep working because this can flip in the blink of an eye. I speak about "on the court" progression a lot, I will always keep it real because I HAVE BEEB THROUGH THIS multiple ways so if I say something, hopefully, it's absorbed but here ya go

Isabella Perez showed the pull-up jumper several times and was able to knock it down with a hand in her face. She does a good job creating her shot for that jumper or attacking the basket off the dribble. Her ballhandling was solid, and so was her court vision but she also did a good job defending 

Natalie Turner showed me a whole lot yet her rebounding and going coast to coast was one thing, her court vision in the set as well as in transition was very good. She already has the change of pace going full speed down, her attacking and finishing are solid, first step sets it up, but she can drop the jumper and she plays the passing lane

Aubrey Agnew does something I love to see and that's playing the passing lane yet her handling the ball afterward to either take it to the basket to score was nice, yet so was her seeing the floor and making good decisions on which teammate to pass the ball to

Danyla Kilpatrick is already showing signs of being explosive off the dribble and even better, she's under control while doing it. She has the HEZ and the STUTTA to get the defender to lean and her body control on her finishes is ahead of her years

Jayde Blanton is tall and agile and may reach that magic number of 6'0 yet her skillset at this stage is good, she comprehends simple things like boxing out and running the floor but she did a good job rebounding and finishing around the basket plus she showed she could drop the jumper from midrange

Kennedy Clearman showed that defensive pressure off the top and watching her apply "on the ball" heat baseline to baseline over and over was refreshing, to say the least. Her energy level stays the same, she also picked some pockets and her seeing the floor set her teammates up for easy looks 

KENNEDY CLEARMAN & ZA'LYNN GUERRERO

Delaney Herrera gave me a great look at her crossover and watching her use it in the open court as well as in the set to get by defenders was nice yet even nicer was her court vision and "on the money" passes in traffic. She scored off the dribble and had nice body control and dropped the jumper

Zay'Lynn Guerrero is an athletic guard that understands how to use her athleticism on both ends, check her defense above, she does a good job "on the ball" but she also did a good job of attacking the basket, the first step is deceptive yet it got her by the defender and she also dropped the jumper 

Olivia Snyder rebounded and handled the ball afterward which is always a good sign but watching her attacking the basket in the set and finishing with either hand dropped the mic, well my notebook because that is HUGE. Her body control is nice, and so is her court vision 

Riley Phillips has good size and does a really good job of going after the ball off the rim. She was yet another player that could handle the ball and go coast to coast to finish after rebounding but she also did a good job of attacking the basket and finishing in the set. Oh yeah, she played the passing lane 

Victori Villareal has a lot of intangibles going starting with playing the passing lane yet she's long and athletic, that's another nd can score off the dribble, body control helps her finish after contact. She also rebounded and went C2C, coast to coast, and her mid to long-range jumper added even more 

2032/33 Girls Jr Phenoms Top Performers

BAILEE SYNATSCHK

I had a blast covering the Girls Jr Phenom Camp and was overly excited at the abundance of potential I saw in so many of the players in attendance, most of which I have never seen before. I started covering girls' basketball in Texas over 15 years ago because I felt they weren't getting enough attention while I was running across the country coaching my own daughters. 

My youngest has been playing in the WNBA for almost 10 years while the oldest, who was more skilled, told me in high school she didn't want to continue playing after hurting her Achilles, she's now an attorney and I tease her by saying "I guess it worked it out after all" 

Here's the deal, everyone is different and has different paths, keep working on your game if this is what you want, I have seen players get cut in the 9th grade that wound up playing at  the next level, some at the highest of the next so here is my first article as I'm starting with the youngest and working my way up, high school players will be on my website 

Bailee Synatschk (2032) is "long and athletic" which I call the base and it's a profile I love to evaluate. One thing that immediately stood out was her "playing the passing lane" another thing I love to see and handle the ball afterward. She also rebounded and went coast to coast to score yet she took the defender off the dribble and showed nice body control on her finishes 

Campbell Baldwin (2033) is an athletic guard that already understands how to use her athleticism on both ends. Her "on the ball" defense helped create turnovers, her lateral movement and recognizing when to switch stood out, so did her ballhandling in the open court and she handled the ball while being pressured. She rebounded and attacked the basket strongly for buckets

Jaslyn Kuluwaimaka (2033) had me smiling off the top as I tweeted about her intensity and one thing I love is seeing things you can't teach. She falls into a category I hashtag #sizedontmatter because she can play and her ability at this stage to create her shot to get it off or attack the basket is ahead of her years, so is her understanding of "positioning" to outrebound taller players  

Khaila Key (2033) has the right last name because she's already "unlocking" many things on the court. Her ballhandling and court vision are definitely going to create problems as her "on the court" progression" continues but peep this, she's already showing the "step-back". Her first step is deceptive as it enabled her to get by the defender to score and she has quick hands which got her some steals

Tegan Jensen (2033) did a good job creating her shot and I can tell she's been watching her older sister based on her mannerisms. Her pull-up jumper in the set was nice, she even showed it in transition but her playing within herself and not forcing anything also stood out to me. She also attacked the basket and finished plus her defense was solid

Top Performers 7th Grade Division #TheLegendsTournament

 For teams who didn't turn in rosters, I saw little or NONE of them yet I did catch a few, asked for their names, and placed them on Prep Girls Hoops. Some of the names are probably wrong, yet if you watched The Wire, I don't do DOOVERS unless it was my mistake, well not even then all the time but here ya go

SHOWCASE

Madison Makil- already understands how to create her shot under pressure and drop it from outside. Her deceptive first step helped her get to the basket bad finish

Xyasis Williams- is a long and athletic guard that attacked strongly and finished after contact. She also showed she could drop it from outside 

Sophia Gomez- does a good job seeing the floor and making good decisions on her passes. She also scored off the dribble and showed nice body control on her finishes 

Nina Gianetti showed the pull-up jumper Maleah Hamilton used her body in the paint on both ends and Aniya Ray used her athleticism on both offense and defense 

HOUSTON LADY NETS

Justyce Long- rebounded on both ends, ran the floor, scored around the basket and on putbacks, plus she showed the pull-up jumper

Lundyn Bush-mot only did she show that she could drop the long ball, but she also showed she could "catch and shoot" it. Her "on the ball" defense was very nice

Kylie Mohammed- played the passing lane numerous times and handled the ball in the open court afterward. She also scored off the dribble and played solid defense

Mykah Williams- is an ULTRA athletic guard with a scary upside and with her being long and playing the passing lane, that's part of it. Another part is her timing to block shots and she dropped the mid to long-range jumper

Imon Daniels- also played the passing lane a few times, showed a deceptive first step to attack the basket

Tyionna Chatman- was another athletic guard that scored off the dribble, played the passing lane as well as "on the ball" defense 

Top Performers 5th/6th Grade Division #TheLegendsTournament

To the novice that believes EYBL teams recruit players based on pictures, this probably would be one as you can tell by seeing a long and athletic player with UPS yet most are not REAL EVALUATORS who just see the little things that go unnoticed so I caught several "stars of tomorrow" from this division, Zoe Torres (Just Play) left a lasting first impression and got the cover on Prep Girls Hoops but here are some others

Lady Drive Nation

Kaliyah Nance is "long and athletic" which will always be the BASE and she scored off the dribble, attacking with either hand and finishing after contact. Her defense was solid and she played the passing lane

#24 scored off the dribble numerous times yet her body control was very nice as it helped her stay with it after the lick and finish. She also showed the jumper from outside and played solid defense, nice upside

Aiyana Murphy falls into that #sizedontmatter category because she can play and watching her battle for rebounds and score on putbacks against taller players was enough but she also scored off the dribble 

Jahyla Lewis played solid "on the ball" defense baseline to baseline and when you factor in she played the passing lane and handled the ball in the open court, well her upside is solid

Tamaya Simmons used her athleticism on both ends as she attacked strongly while also applying heat on the defensive end 

Stackz Elite

Ta'niyah Jones has some really scary upside, she's a 2032 playing up and I'm already impressed with what she brings to the table. She's heady and fearless, handles the ball, and saw the floor under pressure, scored off the dribble, and applied "on the ball" pressure defensively 

Kristie McCray is "long and athletic" which is a profile I love to evaluate and her intangibles are abundant as she showed the pull-up jumper and scored off the dribble but her defense as well as playing the passing lane also stood out, so does her upside 

A'Zryiah Ayers played the passing lane numerous times and handled the ball afterward. She saw the floor in the set as well as in transition, she scored off the dribble and finished after contact plus she did a good job defensively 

Paris Shepherd does a  good job applying heat on the defensive end, both in the half and full court yet quick hands helped create turnovers. Her pull-up jumper was nice, and she also scored off the dribble from multiple angles 

Top Performers 3rd/4th Grade Division #TheLegendsTournament

 It was so good to catch some new faces of up-and-coming talent, yes I cover 10U in fact I have dropped #D1Lock on many that wound up being just what I said they would become, Brooke McCarty who starred at Texas, Rori Harmon who stars at Texas and my own daughter Sydney Colson who plays in the WNBA just to name a few

Speaking of WNBA, The Legends Tournament was put on by a couple of legends Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes and they led the Houston Comets to the first WNBA titles so this was an event I had to cover for a variety of reasons

I saw several standouts and players galore with potential so the main takeaway I want to leave you with is to keep working. Now that I have your names listed, I will be looking for progression, I'm not CONSERVATIVE on saying if a player is this or that like next level or even D1 potential and I'm also not LIBERAL about what I say because I am a REAL EVALUATOR so here ya go

MBA

Darley Garza is long and athletic, that will always be the base and her upside is huge. She has good timing to block shots, rebound, handle the ball, and play the passing lane. She also scored off the dribble and dropped the midrange 

Sophia Cantu created her shot and dropped the jumper from midrange. She also handled the ball and attacked the basket plus she saw the floor

Brielle Montalvo I hashtag #sizedontmatter because she can play and her quick hands along with on-the-ball pressure on defense were nice

April Valle was feisty on defense, well inside the paint as well as she did a good job of not only rebounding but going after the ball

Showcase 

Ah'Riyah Murphy is also long and athletic, and it's still the base. She played the passing lane very well, she rebounded on both ends of the court, and she even went after loose balls  but watching her attack the basket from everywhere was nice

Madison Sims-Anyanwu already understands how to set the defender up and her deceptive first step to attack the basket was nice, she even has nice body control already and that helped her finish after contact. Her pull-up jumper was also nice 

Sofia Abraham is another #sizedontmatter player that does quite a few things well right now. Her ballhandling and court vision are nice, she also created her shot under pressure from outside and dropped it

Xavia Otegbola is, you guessed it, long and athletic. I was overly impressed with her timing to block shots as well as go coast to coast after rebounding. She played the passing lane, defended in and outside the paint, and scored off the dribble

Kadance Barlow scary upside for this #sizedontmatter guard because of her long arms and being athletic, which also is the base, and ballhandling in traffic because she's showing signs of becoming explosive off the dribble, her passes are crisp and on the money and she can drop it from outside

 TNBA

Makayla Craig has nice, she creates her shot under pressure and knocks it down from midrange. She also attacks the basket off the dribble and finishes strong. Her court vision is solid and so is ballhandling in the open court

Kacie Lee was very impressive with her smothering defense. She applies "on the ball" pressure baseline to baseline, dives on the floor for loose balls, plays the passing lane, and did a good job scoring off the dribble

2023 All Eyez On Me Session 1

Always remember that TALENT IS EVERYWHERE and the main thing players need to do is continue to work on their games. Any advice I give you is advice you should absorb. I am the first person to cover girl's basketball in Texas and now you have tons of people popping up giving advice that probably isn't right for you. 

If you didn't know, I have a daughter who has played in the WNBA for years and recently won a championship with the Las Vegas Aces, she also won a National Championship in college with Texas A&M and that has absolutely NOTHING to do with what I do or have done

I always enjoy catching "THE BABIES" because of the upside and potential, I have placed the graduating class next to grades, please contact me if that is incorrect so it can be corrected, my contact information is listed on my website under the ABOUT tab

5th (2031)

Ashley Douglas (Vanguard College Prep) is already showing she can not only create her shot but get it off while being defended. Her crossover as well as step back will only get better and create some problems, her pull-up jumper is nice but watching her catch and shoot at this stage was also impressive, left-handed...

Aubriella Guerrero (Midway MS) showed me the "HEZ" off the top, that's hesitation and it gets the defender to lean which enables her to get by them yet her body control while attacking the basket was also nice, so was her crossover and court vision yet watching her play the passing lane had me smiling, so did her quick hands

Kiyah Carmichael (Hewitt Elementary) also showed quick hands to come away with steals but her pull-up jumper in the set as well as in transition was nice, and so was her crossover in traffic because it helped her split the defenders. She created her shot and scored off the dribble, also showed the step-back

6th (2030)

Bristol Jensen ( Santa Rita MS) was yet another player with quick hands but her HEZ, as well as body control, was really nice, especially after contact while attacking the basket. Her court vision both in the set as well as in the open court had me smiling, and so did her "stop and pop" jumper in transition

Ellie Mae Lester (Gonzales MS) already has a video with me from a few weeks ago yet she showed me even more and her "FLOATA" along with the HEZ and crossover is going to make her hard to handle. She sees the floor and handles the ball under pressure, she also drops the jumper in the set and transition plus she plays the passing lane

Ivanna Yanez (South MS) also has quick hands and did a good job defending "on the ball" and playing the passing lane but her pull-up jumper looked good in the drills and even better in the games because she not only creates her shot under pressure, she knocked it down while being defended, step back played a part in that as well

Jazlyn Alexander (Starter) is a long and athletic guard and based on what she brings to the table, quick hands-on defense and rebounding are part of her upside being scary. Other parts are she scores off the dribble, has good body control after contact, she sees the floor in the set and in the open court but her crossover is already hard to handle, and she can "catch and shoot" from outside

Kalista Flojo (Hector Garcia MS) showed the HEZ off the dribble as well as solid body control on her finishes yet her pull-up jumper was effective in the set and in transition. She understands how to create her shot under pressure, she showed the step back and knocked it down from outside. Her quick hands-on defense were also nice

Kennedy Price (The Village) is "long and athletic" and that is the base and watching her progression over the past 3 seasons shows how much she's been working. She elevates and releases the picture-perfect on her jumper, but her first step and crossover are going to be hard to handle, she has implemented the step back yet her quick hands and playing the passing lane are all intangibles that are pluses

Olivia Glazener  (Veritas) falls into the quick hands group yet ALL I can STATE is she not only picked pockets but played the passing lane to perfection, at times coming from out of nowhere. Her court vision was nice, both in the set as well as in the open court, and her on-the-money passes were very nice but so was her jumper and attacking the basket to score 

Pia Karthik (Ridgeview MS) has UPSIDE by her name for a reason because she understands how to get hers "in the flow" and watching her create her shot and drop the jumper or use that same creativity to attack the basket had me smiling as her deceptive first step was solid. She also showed good timing to block or even alter shots

Tayza Cunningham (Compass Rose Journey) also used a deceptive first step to get by defenders, both in the drills and games but her body control and understanding of how to "create" contact are ahead of her years. She did a good job of creating her shot and knocking it down while being defended and she was another player with quick hands

7th (2029)

Alicia Strickland (Farley MS) used quick hands in both the set and the games and her first step created issues in both as well as when she got by the defender and finished strong, body control was nice. Her crossover in the transition while being tightly guarded was tough and so was her pull-up jumper yet her ability to see the floor set teammates up for baskets

Helena Granda (Santa Rita MS) showed "on the ball" pressure off the top and yes, she came away with steals that led to baskets but she also showed she could attack the basket with either hand and score. She created her shot and knocked it down from outside, her "catch and shoot" was nice and so was her step back

McKenna Hoellen (Salado HS) understands something very important and that's how to mix it up offensively while playing within herself. She was another player with quick hands on defense and she played the passing lane but her attacking and finishing after contact, body control helped, as well as dropping the jumper, step back included, were very nice 

8th (2028)

Jai Johnson (Homeschool) had steals galore but her being "long and athletic" and going after everything off the rim gets her the #THROWBACK hashtag. She's explosive off the dribble, in the set, or in transition yet her court vision from the length of the court was very nice. She also created her shot in the set and dropped the jumper

Alexandra Evans (Vanguard College Prep) had me dizzy watching her spin with the ball but she sets the defender up nicely to attack and finish yet her body control after contact was very impressive. She handled the ball and saw the floor under pressure, crisp passes in traffic are huge and so was her jumper which she knocked down with a hand in her face

Kamryn Fox (Copperas Cove JHS) sold me a few weeks ago and I think she's going to be a nightmare to defend. Her pull-up jumper is already hard to handle, mid to long-range, both in the set and transition, she can also "catch and shoot it" with accuracy. She scores off the dribble, the first step is nice and so is her court vision 

Makensie Shaughnessy (Lampass MS) was another player that mixed it up offensively to keep the defender guessing. She scored off the dribble, has a deceptive first step, using either hand and that along with her jumper was nice. Speaking of hands, hers are quick and she applies pressure baseline to baseline along with "playing the passing lane"

9th (2027)

Emily Roman (Cedar Park) showed the pull-up jumper from a variety of spots and watching her drop it consistently was nice, including in transition but she understands how to pick and choose her shots, makes good decisions on where to let it go from and to keep the defender honest she attacks strongly and finishes the same way. Oh yeah, she has quick hands on the defensive end

Matilda Bartels (Stoney Point) is also long and athletic with some impressive upside. She showed me the drop step, yeah #THROWBACK hashtag on that alone yet she went after the ball off the rim. She's tall and handled the ball after rebounding and did a good job attacking the basket and finishing along with dropping the midrange

Middle School Standouts #HoustonSummerSlam

Stars Of The Future has always been something that just grabbed me and one thing I love is watching progression on the court. I've had a chance to catch glimpses of some players yet for many, this was my initial sighting but I was moving around and 

Kennedy Price-5'9 G (Houston United 2028) 2029

Price had another growth spurt to go with her being long and athletic. I was impressed earlier this season with her ballhandling in the open court, the crossover was smooth yet her jumper, pictured above, both in the set as well as in transition will create issues

Liana Calderon-5'5 G (Houston United 2028) 2028

Calderon already understands how to anticipate the pass, aka playing the passing lane and she handled the ball in the open court after the steal. also did a good job attacking and finishing

Carly Burgoyne-5'3 G (Houston United 2028) 2028

Burgoyne saw the floor very well and when you factor in she made good decisions on who to get the ball to, that's huge at this stage. She also attacked off the dribble and showed solid body control on her finishes

Addi Sanford-5'6 G (Houston United 2027) 2027

Sanford gave me an excellent first look at THE BABY yet he's far from a baby. Her poise in the court immediately stood as she played good defense and played the passing lane yet her deceptive first step coupled with nice body control on her finishes had me smiling

Rayn Frazier-5'8 G (Houston United 2027) 2027

Frazier had me thinking "Up comes Frazier" as she understands how to use her athleticism on both ends of the court. She rebounded, on both ends and scored on putbacks as well as around the basket and also off the dribble

Kayla Cortez-5'8 W (Houston United 2027) 2027

Cortez has some impressive upside when you factor in she understands how to create her shot under pressure as well as knock it down while being defended but she also dropped the long ball and when she showed me the "catch and shoot" well ...

Kylie Mohammed (Houston Lady Nets 13U)

Mohammed also played the passing lane and that is something I love to see yet she went #THROWBACK for me and dived on the floor for loose balls several times, I also love things you can't teach. She attacks and finishes after contact

Lundyn Bush (Houston Lady Nets 13U)

Bush is not beating around the bush, she's showing signs early and her on-the-ball defense caught my eye back in March, I still see that yet she has quick hands and came away with steals. She also attacked the basket strongly from multiple angles and finished

Justice Long (Houston Lady Nets 13U)

Long was another player that understands the importance of playing the passing lane. I can't emphasize how important that is yet her baseline-to-baseline pressure is equally important. She handled the ball and has nice court vision

Whitney Wilson (Houston Lady Nets 14U)

Wilson is a long and athletic guard, that works too and her first step was very impressive as she left the defender standing several times. It's also nice in the open court as she can blow by the defender to score off the dribble yet her pull-up jumper both in the set and transition was effective 

D'Aijha Lawrence (Houston Lady Nets 14U)

Lawrence is also a long and athletic guard, see above and watching her not only create her shot to blow by defenders and score off the dribble, but she also used that same creativity to drop the jumper as she elevated over the outstretched hand of whoever was guarding her 

#2 (Houston Lady Nets 14U)

New additions are always nice, especially when they bring something to the table yet her first showing helped set the table as her "on the ball" defense was smothering at times, and her playing the passing lane was also solid. She's athletic and strong, finished after contact off the dribble, nice upside 

15U Standouts #AllEyezOnShe

 I dropped the 15U All-Star team evals on my website yet here are some other talented players that grabbed my attention from All Eyez On She who are showing right now they are filled with potential 

Riley Teeter-5'7 (Hill Country) 2026 showed she could not only create her shot but knock it down from mid to long-range

Tonita Silverya-5'2 (Hill Country) 2026 scored off the dribble, used a deceptive first step but also had good court vision and made nice passes 

Kate Ahrens-5'6 (Hill Country) 2026 hit the boards on both ends, understands positioning, and scored around the basket but also did a good job defensively 

Julia Castillo (Stat Elite) 2026 not only created her shot under pressure but showed she could knock it down, this included her showing the "catch and shoot" from deep

Audrina Pacheco (Stat Elite) 2027 understands positioning and went after the ball off the rim on both ends. Also played solid defense and scored around the basket 

Leona Narvaiz (Stat Elite) 2026 set the defender up nicely to attack the basket, the first step played a part in that but she was another player that could "catch and shoot" from mid to long-range 

Chassidy Fluker (Waco United 15U) immediately grabbed my attention playing the passing lane and handling the ball afterward. Scored off the dribble, and finished after contact but she also dropped the midrange, defended and grabbed rebounds, went coast to coast several times

Taliyah Minnitt (Waco United 15U) went after everything off the rim as well as on the floor yet her "on the ball" pressure baseline to baseline was nice, so was her attacking the basket strongly 

Taliya Bell (Waco United) on the ball pressure was nice, showed quick hands to come away with steals but she also attacked the basket from multiple angles 

Also (Waco United) #15 hit the boards hard on both ends while #24 used her athleticism on both ends well, especially on the defensive end & #15 (Stat Elite) also used her athleticism well as she attacked strongly, finished after contact and dropped the midrange

Lady Diamonds 7th Grade Black #AllEyezOnShe Runner-Up

 The Lady Diamonds gave me a good look when they played in the Simmie Colson Classic last season and here we go, I always look for progression and they traveled from the Rio Grande with 6 players who all gave me an even better look this past weekend, here ya go

Evan Ayala- scores off the dribble after attacking the basket from multiple spots and watching her finish after contact was nice, especially when you factor in her body control. Her first step is nice, she creates her shot under pressure and knocks down the mid to long-range jumper with a hand in her face

Jay Berlanga- her court vision is ahead of her years and watching her see the floor from the set as well as in the open court tells me a lot because she can thread the needle and hit teammates going full speed. She also scored off the dribble, also has nice body control plus her timing to block shots was also nice 

Alyssa Ramirez- mixed it up offensively very nicely and her deceptive first step had the defender off balance. She goes baseline and showed the reverse layup but add her court vision as she hit teammates while attacking the basket. Her pull-up jumper was nice and she dropped it from mid to long-range 

Alisela Rangel- just fills up the stat sheet as she understands how to get hers in the flow yet she also does things that don't appear on the stat sheet like forcing players into the trap which leads to turnovers. She attacks with either hand, showed the HEZ to get the defender to lean, and dropped the jumper 

Gena Benavidez- does a good job of playing within herself yet her defensive pressure was nice, both in the set and baseline to baseline and she understands positioning which enabled her to outrebound taller players. Her first step is nice, she got the basket and finished strongly and her body control was solid 

Ragelani Garcia- I wrote BATTLES for a number of reasons and watching her go after loose balls, off the rim as well as on the floor, just had me smiling. She scored on putbacks against taller players yet she attacks the basket strongly and finishes after contact. Her court vision was also nice, as well as her defense 

Phoenix 2028 7th Grade Black #AllEyezOnShe Champions

 I had several conversations with Coach Myers, director and head coach of the Phoenix organization and he told me he had quite a few players on a variety of teams I needed to see because of their potential and guess what, he was "on the money" so let me start with his 2028 squad who won the championship in their division 

Grace Dorr-what I enjoyed over everything else she did was watching her BATTLE for rebounds and loose balls, which is very important, especially at this stage. She also scored off the dribble and has nice body control

Erica Taylor- huge upside for this talented point guard, remember the game starts at the 1 and her understanding of how to run a team and control the tempo puts her ahead of the game. Solid court vision, the deceptive first step, yet watching her slice by defenders to score after contact was nice, and so was her pull-up jumper

Kamryn Fox- I'm going out on a limb, well actually I'm not because this young lady is going to fall into that "nightmare to defend" group I talk about and please remember, I'm never wrong about this stuff. She sees the floor and makes 20-foot passes in traffic but she can also drop it from that spot, well mid to long-range. She attacks strongly and finishes after the lick

Karis Brown- hit the boards hard on both ends and guess what, she ran the floor on both ends. She also set the defender up to attack the basket from the outside, contact wasn't a problem, and her body control played a part in that. She also showed the pull-up jumper yet she did something I love to see and that's "play the passing lane"

Lainey Dixon- long and athletic will always be the base and she stands above "the magic number" which is 6'0  so what are her intangibles. Let me start with her timing on blocking shots, which will keep getting better as her lateral movement to defend outside the paint is solid. She rebounds, and scores around the basket, and her upside is definitely high

Brooke Schilling- stands at "the magic number' plus her timing is on the verge of taking off. She rebounded on both ends, understands positioning and she also used her body around the basket well. Solid defender and very good upside 

Lexi Tutor- showed me the "hands and footwork" is looking good and that will get her some buckets around the basket but watching her use her frame to score was nice, and so was her rebounding

Lily Rich- heady, plays within herself, and understands how to get hers "in the flow". She scored off the dribble, attacked the basket with either hand and she also showed she could create her shot from outside 

Team Tulsa 2025 Shaking It Up

 I can't remember exactly when I met Team Tulsa Coach and Director Samuel Wilson, aka Coach Punchie yet he always brings talented players from Oklahoma proving Oklahoma is still OK. I have caught his squad a few times on the PGH Circuit, in fact, a couple of his 8th graders, Tiana Butler and Aaliyah Simone-Buriss made my Top Performer list while Brianna McIlwee will be on the All-Tournament squad. Butler and Buriss are 2 of the top 8th graders I've seen from Oklahoma, McIlwee leaves me speechless every time I catch her yet 

Calla Fueshko didn't make the tournament and Kamauri Miller was out with an injury yet here are some of the other players that I caught

Abigaile Martin-5'7 G (Charles Page) opened up the PGH Circuit a few weeks ago on FIYA as she dropped threes galore. I asked her if she brought the heat because her hair was red, and she said yes. She added even more as she attacked off the dribble for baskets, and even played the passing lane 

Tay'ja Butler-5'6 CG (Charles Page) is a long and athletic guard that brings the heat on both ends of the court. She understands how to defend, on the ball, and played the passing lane yet she has good court vision and made tough passes look easy. She also scored off the dribble 

Navaeh Williams-5'7 F (Daniel Webster) understands positioning and does a good job of rebounding on both ends, as well as scoring on the inside. She also showed she could defend in the paint and had good lateral movement to step out and guard her man

Jordyn Gilton-5'10 (Charles Page) is POWERFUL inside the paint and that coupled with her upside tells me a lot. She goes after the ball off the rim and with her strength, it's a battle, even for loose balls yet she scores with players literally hanging on her and her pressure defense was nice 

Skylar Overstreet-5'2 G (Union) understands how to use her athleticism on both ends as her "on the ball" pressure is nice, so is her playing the passing lane yet she can handle the ball under pressure as well and shows good court vision. She scores off the dribble, even dropped it from outside 

Oklahoma Lady Chiefs- 5th/6th Grade Battle On The Plainz II

Watching this team compete is one of the main reasons why I started doing this almost 15 years ago. The Lady Chiefs had one player in the 6th grade and one in the 5th, look at the graduation years yet you would have never known because they went after it and showed no fear playing against the older players so yes, this is my WHY, well one of them, here ya go

 2029

Cheyanna Black-5'6 (El Reno) used her body well in the paint and showed some nice moves inside to score. She rebounded and ran the floor on both ends, but peep this, she keeps the ball high after rebounding and understands how to throw the outlet to get the break going. Good upside

2030

Kiara Harjo-5'0 (Glenpool) showed me a lot of ways she could score and starting with her attacking the basket and finishing after contact. She also created her shot for the jumper and even showed the step back but her handling the ball and seeing the floor  was nice, and so was her "on the ball" defense and playing the passing lane 

2031

Blair Thompson-5'3 (Bearden) also gets it and her understanding of positioning to rebound, on both ends, many times against taller players were nice. She also used her body inside to score but her interior defense also looked good, so does her upside

Danika David-4'8 (Catoosa) plays within herself and did a good job defending both in the full court as well as in the set. She also showed she could handle the ball in the open court and made solid passes

Dayzie Cooper-5'3 (Glenpool) played solid defense "on the ball" and read the switch well. She also understands how to trap and did a good job handling the ball while being defended 

Aaliyah Smith-5'1 (Cowetta) used her body well on the inside, showed good hands while catching the ball, and made good strong moves to the rim. She rebounded and battled on the floor for loose balls

2032

DeAwna Black-4'4 (Sapulpa) falls into the #sizedontmatter category because she can play. She creates her shot and attacks the basket under pressure. She also played solid "on the ball" defense 

Muhayu McIntosh-4'1 (Glenpool) also falls into that #sizedontmatter category because her BB-IQ is ahead of her years. She handled the ball under pressure, saw the floor, and did a good job defending 

2033

Tinleigh Forbes-4'4 (Broken Arrow) another #sizedontmatter player because she understands how to stay with her man, on the ball, baseline to baseline. She handled the ball and made nice passes 

Lady Natives- 5th/6th Grade Battle On The Plainz II

The Lady Natives were competitive and fought hard, this is one of the things I look for when evaluating younger players. I'm a REAL EVALUATOR, no sleight of hand tricks and I know what I see and that's plenty of potential as well as upside for this squad, here ya go

2029

Reyana Robinson-5'1 (Bogue Chitto Elementary) plays within herself and did a good job defending and seeing the floor

La Taysia Hickman-5'1 (Standing Pine Elementary) handled the ball under pressure and scored off the dribble plus her court vision was nice and she played the passing lane 

Chyler Thomas- 5'3 (Conehatta Elementary) handled the ball well in the open court, she even showed a nice crossover going full speed

2030

Kaidence Thompson-5'4 (Tucker Elementary) understands positioning and not only rebounded on both ends but ran the floor. She also defended well

Kazelyn Farmer-5'1 (Pearl River Elementary) plays within herself, understands how and when to switch, and did a good job defending "on the ball" 

Greatone Ben-4'4 (Tucker Elementary) handled the ball well under pressure and also saw the floor under pressure. Also did a good job of staying with her man

Kaylianna McMillan-5'5 (Tucker Elementary) did a good job creating her shot both in the set as well as in transition. She handled the ball in the open court and saw the floor

Tiana Robinson-5'7 (Bogue Chitto Elementary) is tall and her doing things instinctively, like going after the ball off the rim as well as using her body in the paint was nicer 

2031

Zeta Ben-5'3 (Tucker Elementary) her "getting after it" had me smiling. She understands how to "man-up" and she also dove on the floor for loose balls

 

AZ Newest- 5th/6th Grade Battle On The Plainz II

 I have said previously that I really enjoy catching the youngstas because I love the energy and enthusiasm plus I always find hidden talent and rest assured, my saying talent is everywhere isn't just something I attached a hashtag to. It's real so here are ya go on this talented group from Arizona 

2029

Tianna Eddison-5'3 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) is showing signs of being a force to be reckoned with. She rebounds, on both ends, and she plays the passing lane yet she scores well around the paint with nice moves, as well as off the dribble. She also created her shot and dropped the jumper but her crossover in the open court JUST DID IT for me

Cambree Thompson-5'2 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) understands how to apply baseline to baseline pressure and her "on the ball" defense helped create turnovers. She also attacked the basket and showed the pull-up in transition 

Morgan Upshaw-5'0 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) gets the #sizedontamtter hashtag because she can play and her comprehension of reading the floor as well as her on-the-ball pressure was very nice. She made good passes and has good upside 

2030

Peyton Moore-5'2 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) already understands the importance of using her first step to attack the basket. She's long and athletic, which is still the base, and she battles for loose balls and also plays the passing lane. Nice upside because she also sees the floor and rebounds and one of her highlights was "banking a 3" 

Rayea Edison-4'11 (Catherine Miller Elementary School) dove for loose balls on the floor, and battled for loose balls off the rim, she just understands the importance of getting after it but she also did what I love seeing and that's "played the passing lane"

Chanoah Charley-4'5 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) has me dropping another #sizedontmatter hashtag because she too can play. Her deceptive first step enabled her to get to the basket, well that and her ballhandling. She also saw the floor and played solid defense 

Shandin Bia-5'1 (Tsehootsooi Middle School) used her body well and already understands positioning. She did a good job defending around the basket, even stepped outside the paint but she also plays within herself which is always a great sign and has nice upside 

Oklahoma Lady Warriors 5th/6th Grade Battle On The Plainz II Runner-Up

 What I loved about this division is that the teams fought hard, and the Lady Warriors gave everything they had. You see some sad faces in the photo but it's all about competing and these young  ladies left a lasting impression, and when you factor in youth and upside, well I can't wait to follow their progression and revisit my evaluations, and here you go

2029

Abigail Taylor-5'0 (Sasakwa) caught my eye early with her defense yet as the tournament progressed, she showed me more. She pushes the ball and sees the floor, scored off the dribble, and has a nice pull-up jumper, as well as a step back

Mya Wilson-5'2 (Shawnee) is long and athletic, which will always be the base, and watching her play the passing lane as well as attacking off the dribble was nice. She also did a good job rebounding, on both ends and defended well

Lacee Thomas-5'0 (Chickasaw) does a good job of playing within herself and understanding the little things that will be big like battling for loose balls off the rim as well as diving on the floor were nice, so was her defending and playing the passing lane

2030

Sage Wildcat-4'8 (Justice) mixed up her offense nicely by attacking off the dribble, body control is nice, as well as showing the pull-up jumper. She did a good job defending "on the ball" as well as playing the passing lane

Aziza Pebworth- 5'3 (Konawa) also did something I love to see and that's play the passing lane. She reacts well on defense, and she understands when to switch but she also does things instinctively which is always a good sign, nice upside 

Olivia Riley-5'3 (Jefferson Elementary-Shawnee) I guess I should have just written that everyone plays the passing lane but she came out of nowhere a few times to get steals. She also attacked the basket from the wing yet she's long and athletic with nice upside 

2031

Alivia Zavala-5'1 (Justice) just gets after it on both ends and when you factor in her age and playing up, I just smiled because I know what's coming. Guess what, she plays the passing lane too but she also ended and handled the ball well

Oklahoma Lady Runners 5th/6th Grade Battle On The Plainz II Champions

 I opened up with this talented group and they helped close out the event by winning the Championship in the 5th/6th Grade Division in the Battle On The Plainz II Tournament. This group of 6th graders, all from the Class Of 2030, have tons of potential in fact some are already showing they will play at some level of the next level so here you go

Madelyn McGrit-5'7 (Okamah) is long and athletic, I call that the base because it's a definite next-level attraction. She does things instinctively, like playing the passing lane as well as reacting quickly defensively but her timing was also nice, and so was her attacking the basket off the dribble

Lala White-5'6 (Calumet) defended well all through the event, both and outside the paint yet her rebounding on both ends was also a plus. She finished around the basket and even showed she could drop the midrange 

MaKya Muskett-5'0 (Calumet) falls into a hashtag I love to use and that's #sizedontmatter because she can play. She applied solid on-the-ball pressure and players the passing lane. She also created her shot and attacked off the dribble

Khloe Bass-5'2 (Mustang) also gets the #sizedontmatter hashtag because she too can play. She understands the game and more importantly, she plays within herself meaning she doesn't force anything. Well she forced turnovers because she did a good job defensively 

Jordyn Littlebird-5'4 (Darlington) scored off the dribble as well as from mid to long-range but her court vision was also nice, as well as handling the ball "coast to coast" after rebounding. She has quick hands, came away with steals, and played the passing lane but her diving for loose balls was also nice 

Aashari Hollins-5'5 (Darlington) rebounded on both ends and scored around the basket, putbacks included, and after contact. She also showed she could attack the basket off the dribble and did a good job seeing the floor and making nice passes

Michelle Hoffman-5'5 (Darlington) also played within herself and did a good job of getting hers in the flow. Her defense stood out in each game I caught them but her seeing the floor as well as attacking the basket off the dribble was also nice 

Houston United 2028 #simmiecolsonclassic

 I always give useful information, not just NONSENSE many believe on social media but this is sort of funny. Jada Malone had been selling me Girl Scout Cookies for years as I watched her watching her older sister Micarah put in work over the years. I guess in the 6th or 7th grade, Jada said "Mr. Simmie, I have bad news for you, I'm going to start playing and I won't be selling the cookies anymore" and she was right, it was bad news because I thought this would help me lose weight, it didn't

Fast forward to now, after a state championship as well as runner-up with The Village, the good news for her is that she's putting in work for Texas A&M now, and also the good news for me is that Jayda Hart is now my go-to for the lemon cookies as she is showing signs with Houston United as are her teammates 

Kennedy Price has grown both on and off the court and her being "long and athletic" which is THE BASE has her on the path around all 4 for a home run. I used to drop "the PRICE is RIGHT" when her older sister Lauren played and I'm sure I'll be using it again. Her ballhandling in traffic, her court vision  as well as creating her shot under pressure to attack or drop the jumper was impressive, so is her upside as she's playing up, class of 2029

Addison Little is heady and understands how to set the defender up with a deceptive first step. I think I enjoyed her understanding of how to get hers "in the flow" more than anything yet she saw the floor well and made good decisions which is always a plus. She defended as well as understood how and when to trap

Jayda Hart is also "long and athletic" and watching her rebound and handle the ball in the open court tells me a lot. I remember watching her older sister Tymberlin Criswell who also starred with Malone at The Village and is not putting in work with SMU and I see similarities like the explosiveness off the dribble as well as playing the passing lane but she has scary upside as well 

Others I'll be watching closely are these young ladies because they already GET IT and GET AFTER IT and I'll enjoy all of their progression on the court 

Brianna Kelly

Liana Calderon

Naomi Rodriguez

Autumn Randle 2029