Talent on the Circuit to watch: South Florida

With the AAU season in full swing, after some tip-top tournaments and national events, these are some players who have impressed. [player_tooltip player_id="217669" first="Jade" last="Leon"] 5’9 2024 Palmer Trinity You watch her shoot one jump shot and want to label [player_tooltip player_id="217669" first="Jade" last="Leon"] as a shooter, but she is so much more. Leon has the talent and IQ to understand when defenders run her off her 3, she can attack and create for layups. Such an important shot to have in the bag of tricks, her floater is as good as any I’ve seen at this level. The way she knifes through the defense finding gaps she can attack is beyond her years, and it speaks to her earning 3rd Team All-County as a freshman. I liked how good her footwork was with deceptive gathers and euro-steps for finishes. Leon is a stud, and with her and [player_tooltip player_id="221696" first="Annalise" last="Lindsay"] for years to come, the future of Palmer Trinity looks bright. [player_tooltip player_id="221662" first="Alessandra" last="Bonilla"] 5’7 2025 Mater Academy As an eighth-grader, Bonilla put up 16 points and 4 rebounds a game, and also was nominated for Miami Dade Ms. Basketball. Bonilla can score, and at 5’8 she can really handle the ball, what I like most is she can control the tempo of a game. Her ability to score mixed with the way she can create for others makes her a legitimate combo guard. She gets good arch on her catch-and-shoot three and will pull off the bounce as well. I watched her block a shot, keep it in bounds, and throw a bounce pass from half court for a layup, that is the type of defensive sequence college coaches will love. The fact she received the nod from Miami High Head Coach Sam Baumgarten, who has sent some talent to a high level, speaks to the talent and potential Bonilla has. [player_tooltip player_id="221688" first="Hailey" last="Hausfeld"] 5’10 2024 Cooper City Hausfeld has great size with the ability to handle. If she can develop steady ball control she is an appealing prospect to play on the wing in college. She seems to understand using her body to protect the ball. She has good mechanics, holding her follow-through well on catch and shoot jumpers, and will shoot the floater in the lane over smaller defenders and help side bigs. She’s in both a travel and AAU program that I have no doubt will hone her game and cause her to grow as a player. The best thing for her is that she’s in programs that believe in her abilities. The rising Sophomore is an intriguing prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="219941" first="Madison" last="Aguilera"] 5’4 2023 Gulliver Prep I watched Aguilera in a number of off-season workouts, I was impressed by how coachable she was. It’s underappreciated when a player can take a coach’s instruction and immediately apply it and even be an extension of the coach amongst her players. She has a confident stroke on her jump shot and will hit from deeper than teams seem to realize when left open. The Gulliver product also has a good change of pace to go along with a tight handle to keep defenders guessing. My favorite part of her game is hesitations into floaters, her ability to facilitate but score when needed separates her from the average point guard. The Second Team All-Dade point guard, has a high IQ and plays with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Aguilera is a natural leader, and that will help her career. Jim’Miyah Branton 5’7 2025 Slam Branton is a blur. Her end-to-end speed is as good as any high school guard I’ve seen, and it speaks to her earning 3rd Team honors as an eighth-grader in a county filled with talent. She has good footwork going downhill to throw defenders off-balance. Branton likes the spin move into a floater and does a good job attacking hard right, causing defenders to cut her off, or think they did, to set up the move. I was impressed with her defensive anticipation, the rising Freshman will wait on passes and shoot gaps like an NFL cornerback for steals. All the greatest defensive players have this way of making you think something is there that really isn’t, I see this in Branton. I think developing her left hand to where she can consistently attack will be big for her. Look for her to continue giving Dade county problems for years to come. [player_tooltip player_id="221696" first="Annalise" last="Lindsay"] 5’10 2024 Palmer Trinity Lindsay has a great pursuit of 50/50 balls and does a great job of attacking the glass. She is a legitimate threat to average a double-double for an entire season. What I like most is how she is a threat from the high post area, she is a capable shooter from 3 or 15 feet, and will rip through looking to attack when she faces up. I watched her shoot a sidestep 3 that really opened my eyes. Developing her left-hand finishing ability will be huge for her, and as a rising Sophomore, she has more than enough time. If she can consistently score at every level, with the way she rebounds, the Falcons may have a perennial All-County talent on their hands. Priyanka Alibhai 5’9 2024 Gulliver Prep I always enjoy watching players who play with intensity, and the rising Sophomore has a good motor. She can finish through contact and will create for herself at times. I watched her let a defender fly by on a closeout and pull-up for a mid-range jumper that showed her ability to be a 3 level scorer. Coaches at the next level will like her ability to rebound defensively and initiate the offense in transition. She can also cause problems for opposing offensives with her length, at 5’9 with the way she can attack, Alibhai is certainly a player to watch.