New Faces-Inside Presence #SwaauNIT 8th Grade Division
Caught quite a few up and coming players from SWAAU-NIT that just showed sheer desire to want “it” and that is a great starting point yet it gets better when you bring even more to the table Kendall Hitchens…
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Continue ReadingCaught quite a few up and coming players from SWAAU-NIT that just showed sheer desire to want “it” and that is a great starting point yet it gets better when you bring even more to the table
Kendall Hitchens (Power)
Hitchens’s much-anticipated return to the court had me wondering how she’d come back and I wasn’t disappointed as she went right back to BATTLE mode inside the paint. You won’t outwork her, she plays within herself and she rebounds on both ends against taller players, usually by getting position which is a lost art, and she also finished after contact
Amyah Hall (Pro Skills 2025 Elite)
Hall was a guest player, I missed her with Power last season yet her POWER in the paint will be a force to reckon with. She’s 6’3 and coordinated, moves her feet well, and also rebounds on both ends but she also runs the floor after rebounds, keeps the ball high, and finishes. Her upside is good, 75 inches means a lot
Faith Ford (NM Zias)
Ford isn’t fixed or repaired daily yet she definitely fixes and repairs several things on the court. I wrote BANG which is one of the inner notes that reminds me of how she fought for rebounds on both ends. I also remember her finishing with players climbing on her back, figuratively yet she also did a good job on the defensive and repaired broken plays
Carolina Saiz (NM Zias)
One initial, D, one word, BATTLES, and when it’s in caps, that’s extra because she goes after everything. I love players aren’t cemented on the floor and follow the ball off of the glass, she did that numerous times but she also showed she could defend on the interior as well as step outside of the paint and apply pressure
Chanel Shuler (Pro Skills 2026 National)
Shuler has size, power, coordination and she’s constantly showing me she’s been working as I travel back in time to 3 years ago when I said she showed promise, to now where I’m saying I promise she;’s going to show out. Her physique is college ready yet she hasn’t played her first middle school game yet, I love watching her call for the ball, get positioning n the block and now she’s finishing with hands. Her rebounding and defense have also taken big turns upwards, trust me, she’s going to do plenty of damage
Grace Spencer (NTX Elite 2025)
Spencer for Hire was a hit television show because the PI, Spencer solved many mysteries and it’s apparent that Grace can play that role as well. She strong inside, she took the ball from several opposing players after they rebounded yet they didn’t take it from her once she got it on both ends of the court. She showed a drop step that pumped me up and finished after contact so her upside, yessss
Jillian Topping (Lady Drive Nation Black Topping)
Topping just continues to amaze me on my annual sightings, I remember when she was watching her big sister Mia go completely off, Mia’s heading to the next level, and Jillian, well it’s a done deal for her as well and the way she’s progressing, there’s no telling how high she’ll go but she’s strong, long and athletic, I added the strength because she finishes with ease after contact, she attacks from the wing, plays the passing lane, defends baseline to baseline or in the paint and faced the basket for baskets
Sarenity Taylor (OK Lady Lions 8th Grade)
Taylor is becoming “tailor-made” as she showed me a different side of her game. Yeah, I loved her defense at #WinterJam as well as her rebounding yet she’s long and athletic and looked pretty good at handling the ball in the open court while attacking the rim. She finished after the lick, which’s always good but she was playing the passing lane very well