Big Shots and Surprises from #TheGrind
I can’t stress the importance of progression and I have spoken and written about it since I became involved in girls basketball a very long time ago, right after the turn of the century and although SWAG Elite and Texas…
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Continue ReadingI can’t stress the importance of progression and I have spoken and written about it since I became involved in girls basketball a very long time ago, right after the turn of the century and although SWAG Elite and Texas Energy definitely had some talent, I have nothing to really gauge what they’ve done as far as going from point A to point B so I’ll focus on what I know and who I’ve seen, this all falls into the common sense approach as I break down things as SIMply as possible
Wiliyah Everline (Lady Thunder)
Everline was EVEREADY and she made play after play after play under pressure but this is about progression, right? She’s become more “under control” with the ball going full speed and with her speed and athleticism, she definitely is showing some big signs of exploding in so many ways and one of those ways is creating her shot, under pressure, which she did with regularity and watching her take the defender to the left, to the left and hitting the stop and pop jumper from mid to long-range, under pressure, was definitely entertaining to me. Just to keep it real, she also took them to the right and down the middle but the jump she’s made since I saw her in high school has me smiling
Roxanne Williams (Cy Fair Premier White)
Williams continues to make strides as she takes her game up and what I really liked seeing was her aggressiveness, on both ends of the court. She’s attacking the basket harder and showed she could finish after contact and part of her being able to attack the basket harder is her improved ballhandling, under pressure, always remember UNDER PRESSURE means something and so does applying pressure on the defensive end which she is also doing. I’ve seen Williams at numerous camps and I love taking mental notes in my head, I’m that good and she’s showing how badly she wants it
Emma Macintyre (Cy Fair Premier Black)
Macintyre gets after it on both ends and she usually sets the tone early but she creates her shot off the dribble well and understands how to get to the basket. What she’s doing better is attacking from various shots as well as finishing in a variety of ways including the reverse layup going baseline and to top that off, she’s also improved on “taking the lick” and finishing but she can score and her mid-range shots were on as well as the long-range, which has gotten longer
Heaven Ford (Lady Thunder)
Ford is one of those players that has it and probably doesn’t realize it but that’s about to change. A growth spurt during the offseason has been a huge plus to go with her long ball shooting because she can elevate over defenders, she has long arms and a quick release, the form is good and shot falls with regularity but she is starting to get it and that is the fact that she can take defenders and use the step back or pull-up and once she just does it instinctively, you’ll be hearing a whole lot more
Sheenah Shaw (Cy Fair Premier Black)
Shaw has graced my presence before and I couldn’t figure it out until the pre-game warmups and although I didn’t know her name because of not having an ever so important roster when she was with another team, I’m serious about the importance, but I knew her game and her court savviness immediately stood out that initial meeting. Her shot wasn’t on but I could tell she could shoot it but this go-round, was it ever on as she was dropping the long ball from everywhere as if she was playing “around the world”. She also mixed it up nicely as she took defenders off the dribble
Makayla Ford (Lady Thunder)
Ford has definitely improved on what she brings to the table, yeah she attacked and hit shots but she’s doing it in crunch time and being undersized against players around “the magic number” that’s 6’0, doesn’t matter because it’s not a deterrent as she rebounds and finishes strong. She also attacks and challenges those who are taller, she’s strong with good body control and that strength enables her to finish after contact. If that isn’t enough, her mid to long-range game adds fuel to her fire