2023 Standouts at Heart Of Texas part 3
One of the top 2023 players, Maddie Cox Maddie Cox 6'2" | SF Flower Mound | 2023 State #18 Nation TX -Pro Skills (Flower Mound HS) wasn’t in attendance for the July events, she’s nursing a minor injury and will…
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Continue ReadingOne of the top 2023 players, Maddie Cox Maddie Cox 6'2" | SF Flower Mound | 2023 State #18 Nation TX -Pro Skills (Flower Mound HS) wasn’t in attendance for the July events, she’s nursing a minor injury and will be back soon however I had a chance to chat with her and she’s overly excited about the upcoming high school season.
Savannah Catalon Savannah Catalon 5'8" | CG Mansfield Legacy | 2023 State TX – 5’7 PG/SG Team Lex Nation (Mansfield Legacy HS)
Catalon is smooth and poised but she was already like that when I first saw her a couple of years ago and her strength at a young age definitely added to her game as she could attack and finish with contact. Her ballhandling under pressure and making the pass off the dribble are among her biggest assets as well as her pull-up jumper in transition
Taylor Haggan Taylor Haggan 5'11" | PF John Paul II | 2023 State TX -5’10 SF/PF Team Lex Nation (Plano East HS)
Haggan impressed me last year at a Pass Tha Ball event with her power and desire and once you have that, everything else will fall into place and it has as she is one of those “you won’t outwork me” types of players, she battles for everything off the glass, on both ends of the court and she can ignite the break with an outlet and finish on the other end
Jaeden McMillin Jaeden McMillin 6'0" | SF College Station | 2023 State TX -5’10 SG/SF Team Lex Nation (College Station HS)
McMillan was one of the biggest surprises for me during the school season and her play throughout the year played a big part in College Station winning the region and playing in the state tournament last season (UIL 5A) but her size is filled with many positives as she can take defenders off the dribble as well as shoot the mid to long-range accurately
Abbie Boutilier Abbie Boutilier 6'9" | PF Flower Mound | 2023 State TX -6’8 C Texas Lone Star Black 16U (Flower Mound HS)
Boutlier is 80 inches tall and filled with potential and every time I see her I’m impressed at what she’s adding because she’s finishing on the inside, rebounding and her agility has gotten better but that upside combined with “you can’t teach size” when you can play is scary but even scarier is she and Maddie Cox Maddie Cox 6'2" | SF Flower Mound | 2023 State #18 Nation TX potentially forming one of the best high-low combinations in the state
Payton Hull Payton Hull 5'4" | SG Peaster | 2023 State TX -5’11 PG/SG Texas Lone Star Black 16U (Peaster HS)
Hull was added to the watch list after watching her drop jumpers unconsciously last season and her numerous awards as incoming freshman told me I wasn’t seeing a mirage. She’s grown a little and her range is still there but her ability to set defenders up and take them off of the dribble has gotten better as well as mixing it up with the stop and pop jumper
Peyton Stellato-5’10 PG/SG Texas Lone Star Black 16U (All-Saints Episcopal)
Stellato also has grown since I last saw her and that pull-up looks pretty darn good, especially when she’s contested, that’s even better but she creates her shot under pressure, another plus, and can attack the basket strongly, much of that falls on her ballhandling while being defended but on top of everything, she showed she could finish after the contact
Syona Mandyam-5’8 SG Cy Fair Elite 15U (Westlake HS)
Mandyam was one of many pleasant surprises on this talented squad mixed with 2023 and 2024 players but I guess what caught my eye almost immediately was how she was ready for whatever when she came in and “instant offense” is always a plus but the mid to long-range is solid as well as attacking the basket but the more I watched her, I saw she could get hers in the flow very well