Rumble In The South Immediate Takeaways
Marc Rowe has been putting on the Rumble in The South for several years, but this was the first year he had the girls in action. I spoke with Marc, and he was pleasantly surprised at the level of talent that took the floor throughout the day, and the girls did not disappoint in their first appearance in Rumble; here are my immediate takeaways.
Riley Hancock (6’0/Center/2023)
School: Madison Ridgeland Academy
Instagram: riley_hancock_
Twitter: @rileyhancock_
Riley had an impressive showing at the #RumbleInTheSouth. She is a lengthy and highly skilled scorer down low that finishes well around the rim. She was highly efficient and productive against Noxubee. She finished the game with 29pts, shooting 68% going 13-19 from the field.
She was a nightmare match-up for Noxubee, who had no answer for her scoring prowess or size.
At times, I wondered if Noxubee would send a double team at her and force others to carry the scoring load, but nothing changed. Riley is too much of a threat to see one type of defense throughout a game. She has a high IQ along with a lot of tools in the toolbox, which are reasons she made a strong case of being one of, if not the top player that took the floor at the Rumble. Riley’s defense is reliable, and she is a presence on the boards. Her stat line was impressive in a very strong performance: 29pts (13-19), 16rebs, 3blks, 4steals.
Offers: None
Nyla Hooten (6’1/Power Forward/2024)
School: Hartfield Academy
Instagram: Nyla_j_15_
Twitter: @Nyla_J15
One of the most dominant post players I saw at the Rumble was Nyla. She has good size and is a physical player in the paint. She worked hard carving out space and establishing her position on the low block. She never made herself small but was a big target for her teammates. She had a subpar 1st half as she only attempted 3 shots.
She came out more aggressive in the second half and began to dominate on the offensive end.
She was more aggressive early in Q3, as she showed a nice drop step, nice touch around the rim, and soft hands. Nyla is a sophomore who stood out as one of the best post players at the Rumble and will continue to develop as she puts in work in the lab. As she expands her arsenal of finishing moves and continues working on her footwork, her stock will continue to rise. She had a solid outing: 14pts (6-12) and 5rebs.
Offers: None
Debreasha Powe (6’1/Shooting Guard/2022)
School: Meridian HS
Instagram: Breashapowe
Twitter: @debreasha
Debreasha was one of the most versatile players at the Rumble. She has good size and length at the guard spot. She is a smooth 6’1 creator that can score at all levels. She is a featured piece in Meridian’s offense and gets it done in a variety of ways. She scores at all levels and gives reason for optimism of why her play can help Meridian accomplish their goals for the season.
As long as Debreasha impresses night in and out and does not fade into the background on some nights, her stock is going to rise as she prepares for the next level.
Outside of her ability to score, DP doesn’t shy away from battling on the boards as she pulled down 10rebs against Olive Branch. She can handle the rock and showed her ability to knock down the trey ball as she went 2-3 from behind the arc. She finished with the following stat line: 15pts (3-8), 10rebs, 6blks, 3steals.
Offers: N/A
Addison Howell (5’5/Combo Guard/2022)
School: Olive Branch HS
Instagram: _.addison.howell._
Twitter: N/A
In the match-up against Meridian, which saw the largest crowd at the Rumble, Addison allowed the game to come to her, as Meridian came out with a lot of energy and the crowd behind them. I contribute her poise to her experience throughout her high school career. She did not force the action but got settled into the game and started picking her spots. She was aggressive off the bounce and began putting pressure on defenders and collapsing the D when she got into the paint. She did her best to keep the contest close as she had 11 of her teams 16pts at the half. With only 16pts at the half, her squad was still in striking distance, trailing by only 8pts because of Addison.
Addison took direct paths to the basket and often finished thru contact.
She was productive off the bounce, and she was difficult to stop when she got going downhill. She was dejected after the game, not about her performance but by her team’s performance; as she mentioned after the game that her team has all the pieces, but they just did not put it all together against Meridian. Her outlook after taking an L gave a glimpse into her leadership as a senior. I am confident that Olive Branch will bounce back and finish their season strong, and Addison will be a huge key to that happening. Her stat line for the game was: 16pts (5-11) and 6rebs.
Offers: Mississippi Delta; East Central; Itwamba; Northeast; Rust; East Mississippi; Coahoma
Jaycelyn Russ (5’7/Small Forward/2022)
School: Madison Central
Instagram: N/A
Twitter: N/A
Jaycelyn had a good feel for the game and a good understanding of when and where her talent was needed in the game. She contributed on both ends of the floor with scoring, rebounding, passing, and defense. She was one of the most complete players I saw throughout the day. She showed the tools in her toolbox as she scored in a variety of ways. Whether she was getting it done by getting to the rack, scoring off the mid-range pull-up, or hitting her defender with a step back, she was an essential source for points against Ridgeland.
She was making one-hand passes, making hit ahead passes, and dropping dimes as she was forcing help off her dribble penetration.
She brought a lot of energy to the game as she logged 30mins in the contest and was not taking plays off on either end. Defensively she has quick and active hands and anticipates well when playing the passing lanes. Her stat line was 13pts (6-18), 13rebs, 6assit, 7steals.
Offers: N/A
Stay tuned…More is coming…