Dynasty Region KickOff: 17U All-Tourney First Team
If you were in Dallas this weekend and not at Drive Nation or Haltom High School, I really don’t know what you were doing. Yes, there was that little Wrestlemania thing at that little stadium the Cowboys play in, but…
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Continue ReadingIf you were in Dallas this weekend and not at Drive Nation or Haltom High School, I really don’t know what you were doing. Yes, there was that little Wrestlemania thing at that little stadium the Cowboys play in, but man, the real show was on the courts of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. We had some absolute superstars in the building for the first weekend and I am so excited to get to talk about these prospects. With no further ado, let’s take a look at the six players who stood out above their peers this weekend. Here is the 17U All-Tourney Team from the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit’s Dynasty Region KickOff in Dallas, Texas!
Samiyah Ellis | 5-7 G | Kansas Bluejays / Sunrise Christian | 2025 | @SamiyahEllis25
Try to watch a Kansas Bluejays game and not notice Samiyah. I dare you. She is going to be seen! Maybe not heard, but definitely seen. Her game does a lot of talking for her. She can fill it up from long range and has the speed and aggressiveness to take her defender off the dribble and finish strong at the basket. She can score it from all three levels and showed that all weekend long in Dallas. Ellis is well-built and strong, very long, and knows how to use her body to create space on the offensive end to get buckets. Oh, by the way, she was only a freshman this past high school season. She put up double digits in every game, including a 21 point game leading her team to a second-place finish in their division. Ellis plays good on-ball defense and is very fun to watch. I look forward to seeing this Bluejays squad at their next stop on the circuit!
Natalie Gentry | 5-8 F | Team Firstep / Larue County | 2023 | @NatalieGentry20
Gentry’s hard-nosed brand of basketball was the catalyst for Team Firstep’s tremendous start to their 2022 PGH Circuit. She set the tone with defense, but scored some incredible buckets down low – and from mid-range – to lead her team in points. She plays like a “small school big” who knows how to use her body well inside and fights hard for every rebound and loose ball. She has that “wants it” that coaches are looking for and would clearly be an asset on any college team. A joy to watch, Gentry is on my radar and I can’t wait to see more Team Firstep games as the Circuit progresses as they look to continue their undefeated start.
Aubrey Hishaw | 5-11 F | Team Griffin Select / Union | 2023 | @AubreyHishaw
As someone who sees a lot of Aubrey’s games, she never ceases to amaze me with her scoring ability. She scored 67 total points over the course of four games for an average of 16.8, but that is definitely not the extent of what she can do. Her height, length, and willingness to put a body on someone enable her to come up with a lot of rebounds. She is incredibly athletic and flashes into places that a lot of times it seems her opponent had counted her out of. She is bouncy and racks up the blocks with her incredible athleticism. Another undefeated weekend for her team means that perhaps more college coaching eyes took notice of her outstanding ability and will send the offers her way that she definitely deserves.
Madison Lumsden | 5-8 G | True Texas Hoops / Argyle | 2023 | @madilumsden_
One of my absolute favorites of the entire weekend! Madison was such a joy to watch. Every time I’m at a court and I see a player doing the right things at the right time and they are the standout, I put a star next to their name. That way I can remember later that I want to write about them. By the end of the weekend, Lumsden had five stars by her name. She continued to make the right pass at the right time with the right amount of zip on it. Just beautiful basketball. When her team needed buckets to get back in the game, she started raining in threes. When her team needed another possession, she locked it down on defense. Madison can do it all. She played like a Division-I guard all weekend long against top-level competition.
Jada Thompson | 5-8 F | STP Elite / Klein Collins | 2023 | Hudl
Thompson had some massive games this past weekend including two games over twenty points. She showed a tremendous ability to finish inside with great footwork and the poise to finish in transition, especially through contact. Jada is a really tough player and very fun to watch. She is strong and exciting and I can’t wait to see more of her and her outstanding STP Elite squad. Thompson is both quick and fast and if you’ve watched enough basketball you definitely know the difference. She can outrun you or blow by you and that will all be dictated by how you defend her. She is a smart player who doesn’t try to do too much. She plays within herself and that is plenty to get a lot of buckets!
Gracy Wernli | 5-10 G | Team Griffin Elite / Bixby | 2023 | @GracyWernli
Well, the champs were back and so was Gracy Wernli, looking like they never missed a beat. Wernli continued to shoot the lights out and had some HUGE games. A strong, tough guard who moves extremely well off the ball, Wernli hardly misses when she receives a pass in shooting position behind the arc. She also plays suffocating defense, as does her whole team. Add all of that up and you get another undefeated weekend and the beginnings of what looks to be another Dynasty Region Championship run. The Abilene Christian commit plays like a Division-I player every time she’s in a PGH event and is almost single-handedly worth the price of admission if you just like good basketball.
***Stay tuned over the next few days for Second Team All-Tourney and Honorable Mention All-Tourney***