Week 4 Scouting Report: Standout Bigs
I had the opportunity to attend two Week 4 matchups. The DeSoto Eagles remained unbeaten after earning a 44-26 road win over the Allen Eagles on Tuesday, and the Denton Guyer Wildcats hosted and defeated the Dallas Skyline Raiders 60-32…
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Continue ReadingI had the opportunity to attend two Week 4 matchups. The DeSoto Eagles remained unbeaten after earning a 44-26 road win over the Allen Eagles on Tuesday, and the Denton Guyer Wildcats hosted and defeated the Dallas Skyline Raiders 60-32 on Friday.
Here are five standout bigs from this past week’s action:
Mackenzie Wurm Mackenzie Wurm 6'3" | C Allen | 2021 State TX | 2021 | 6’3” Power Forward/Center | Allen HS – Wurm is an outstanding shot-blocker and an incredibly disciplined defender in the paint. She does a fantastic job of staying vertical and defending without committing fouls. If she is unable to get a piece of the ball, you can almost guarantee that she is going to impact her opponent’s shot. Her rebounding and passing impressed me as well on Tuesday. Furthermore, the 6-foot-3-inch post did more than hold her own against the talented bigs of DeSoto, proving that she can remain productive when facing elite competition. Wurm finished the game with six points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Sa’Myah Smith Sa’Myah Smith 6'4" | PF DeSoto | 2022 State #14 Nation TX | 2022 | 6’4” Power Forward | DeSoto HS – Smith is another terrific interior defender. Her combination of size and athleticism allows her to be super disruptive. She is dangerous at the offensive end too. The junior power forward is a force down low. She runs the floor in transition and finishes well over the top of defenders. It was a treat to get to see her battle it out with Wurm at both ends. The No. 2 ranked player in our PGH Texas 2022 rankings ultimately accounted for seven points, four rebounds, one assist, four steals, and two blocks vs. Allen, showing off her ability to impact games in a variety of ways.
Laura Nosakhare-Bello | 2021 | 6’3” Power Forward/Center | Allen HS – Bello possesses tremendous instincts as a scorer. She understands when to utilize pump fakes, when to go strong to the basket, and when to pass out of a bad look. The Newman commit has a soft touch in the paint and competes hard on offense. She is also a strong defensive rebounder. As I mentioned above, DeSoto has an assortment of gifted post players, and Bello competed well against them. This is a prospect who is only going to improve as she continues to work on her game.
Tionna Herron Tionna Herron 6'3" | PF DeSoto | 2022 State TX | 2022 | 6’3” Power Forward | DeSoto HS – Herron has great size, length, and mobility for her position. I loved her activity on defense on Tuesday. She challenges shots and turns them back with ease. The 2022 forward is a good rebounder who elevates and high points the ball, and she is even able to handle the ball some in transition and initiate the break after pulling down a board. Additionally, she follows her shots on offense and plays her heart out down low. Her upside is extremely high.
Jaida McDonald | 2023 | Power Forward | Dallas Skyline HS – McDonald is in her second season of varsity ball. The sophomore forward has good size and showed some strength and power vs. Denton Guyer on Friday. She runs the floor in transition and isn’t afraid to take some punishment on her way to basket. Beyond that, McDonald is a productive rebounder at both ends, as well as a solid shot-blocker, contributing seven total rebounds and two blocks against Guyer. She could prove to be a serious problem for opposing teams in the coming years.