Five Standouts from #TheGrind in Houston
I have covered Prime Time Sports girls basketball events for around a decade and have caught several players early that I called #D1Locks but that isn’t what impresses me about how great I am at knowing what I’m looking at,…
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Continue ReadingI have covered Prime Time Sports girls basketball events for around a decade and have caught several players early that I called #D1Locks but that isn’t what impresses me about how great I am at knowing what I’m looking at, my seeing an 8th grade Lauren Cox and after watching her for a couple of minutes, she too was labeled #D1 but after watching her handle the ball and drop the three in the second game, my exact words were “she’s the best or second-best player in her class” and she was and after a National Championship with Baylor and her first season with the Indiana Fever (WNBA) hopefully if you read and process what I write and say, just about girls basketball, you could learn a lot from someone that knows everything of relevance so here are five from what I caught Saturday at The Grind in Houston
2022
Kaitlyn Evans -5’7 guard (Cy Fair Premier Black)
Evans will probably have a breakout season at Westside for a number of reasons including most of their offense from last year graduated and she can score so that sort of gives you a clue yet trying to defend her sometimes, many don’t have one because she’s capable of doing anything in the open court, nice crossover, step-back three or just stop and pop for the jumper, she can fill it up. She also understands how to take defenders going baseline, finishes strong, after contact
Mia Babiro-5’9 forward (SWAG Elite)
Babiro was unbeknownst to me, no clue on what class she’s in or high school she attends after Googling her name yet wherever she is this season, she should make some noise because she falls into that “you won’t outwork me” category and that will take you a long way. She has a nice pull-up jumper, in traffic and she can shoot it mid to long-range but watching her battle, not just for loose balls but on the floor like there was no tomorrow had me smiling. Her defense is physical, she applies pressure the length of the court and can do the same in the paint
2023
Macie Whitfield-5’9 guard (Texas Energy)
Whitfield starred on JV at Deer Park, I watched her score a lot of points in a few minutes and took mental notes. When I saw her at Shooting 4 Da Cure, she showed me even more because she has very good BB-IQ and plays within herself and watching her create her shot either for the jumper, which she knocks down consistently, or attacking the rim, where she finishes consistently, even after contact and she showed me the same thing as I watched from afar at The Grind but her poise under pressure was just, well cool
2024
Kemyreul Wheaton-5’9 guard (Lady Thunder)
Wheaton has done something only a handful of players have done, in my lifetime, not just my 20 years of watching girls basketball and that is “throws an assist” I did not see coming. Yeah she defies gravity, hits the mid to long-range, rebounds and defends and I’m clueless on why she isn’t on the 2024 Watchlist, she will definitely be on the update but her potential is so high, she doesn’t realize she can dominate a game from either end, yet, but it’s coming because that pass, I can’t even describe it and I was in MENSA
2025
Andrea Sturdurdivant-5’7 guard (Cy Fair Premier White)
Sturdivant had me yelling “un año más” in my head because she has one more year before she brings that energy to high school. She falls into a class of players I saw in elementary school that played hard and under control that just that in itself had me label them #D1Locks and her first step is something, she’s explosive in the open court and plays the passing lane better than many guards heading to #D1 programs right now. What I love even more is that she has added, even more, and she is setting defenders up nicely in the half-court
I slid into #TheGrind here’s what’s coming up