<span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s about that time. Grind Szn is approaching. We are right on the heels of an exciting time of the year. We saw excellent high school action early in March. The NCAAs were great. The WNBA had the most watched viewers since 2004. The NBA playoffs are heating up. And of course, here we are, about to start hitting the road for some amateur basketball. This is always an exciting time of the year. A) kids who really love to ball will be competing against tough competition. B) You start to see the cream rise to the top and girls begin making a name for themselves. Clubs from all around the state embark on a journey with similar goals in mind. Yes, winning is a priority, but the main goal is to help young hoopers get seen and obtain collegiate scholarships.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">So far, teams have been fine tuning their skills as they get ready for the season. From playing local events to preseason showcase tournaments, girls have been sharpening their play as we approach the live period. We are just a little more than a week away from the first live period, with that being said, here are some things that have been cooking from around the state.</span>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><b>Tennessee Flight EYBL</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> team went 4-0 and won the Southern Starz shootout. This highly-touted squad was led by </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="195902" first="Mallory" last="Collier"], [player_tooltip player_id="245292" first="Jailyn" last="Banks"], and [player_tooltip player_id="245301" first="Lauren" last="Bailey"].</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This team unleashed a fierce inside and out game where you saw them shoot a high % from the field. They weren’t only knocking down clutch shots, but were fierce on the defensive end.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><b>TN Sol </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">had a great successful playday. Local teams gathered to compete against each other to fine tune some things. </span><b>Lauren Hassell</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the 6’6 phenom was on full go as she matched up against opponents. Even though she is a middle schooler, her game is head and shoulders above other girls in her grade.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>FBC Reign</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> shot south down to Alabama to get some games in. </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="245355" first="Sydney" last="Mains"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was hot from the field as she converted big time opportunities into some buckets. A kid to keep an eye out for in the FBC program is 6’3</span><b> [player_tooltip player_id="245367" first="Amelia" last="Pfeiffer"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. After sitting out much of the regular season due to transfer rules, she is primed and ready to go full throttle.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>FBC Nashville</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> had a great time down at the FBC Super Scrimmage. </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="245356" first="Alonna" last="Poole"], [player_tooltip player_id="399932" first="Riley" last="Long"], and [player_tooltip player_id="245359" first="Madison" last="McNeal"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">gave the new program out of Nashville something to be excited about.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>TBW</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was on fire in Bama last weekend. Multiple squads did damage down there across state lines. </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="290712" first="Annie" last="Buisson"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from BA was back at it again with her dancing shoes. Tough nosed kid who is a scoring machine and fierce competitor.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>EAB Tennessee</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will look to showcase their talented squad at the Knoxville Knockout this upcoming weekend. Led by [player_tooltip player_id="285387" first="Emaleigh" last="Tarpley"] and [player_tooltip player_id="375216" first="Kennedy" last="Johnson-Corley"], it should be an exciting squad to watch.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>RTG Elite </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">will be in the building in Gatlinburg. Led by </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="290953" first="Angel" last="Martin"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, this squad is 32 minutes of run n’ gun. Played in local tournaments prior to this upcoming weekend and they looked ready to compete.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b>Bluff City, B. Maze, Tennessee Flight Trotters, Stars basketball, Tennessee Pride, Tennessee Volcanoes, ETA Thunder</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and more, have been in the gym getting shots up and fine tuning their play. All these squads are ready to compete next week.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">( More news on clubs to come throughout the course of the year.)</span>
<b><i>Big shout outs</i></b>
<b>[player_tooltip player_id="245210" first="Kennedy" last="Cambridge"] (5’8/CG/Sr./Ensworth)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Well, the cat is out of the bag. This highly-touted young lady will be taking her talents to the BlueGrass state to play for the University of Kentucky. Such a fun kid to watch. Tough competitor who has a lot of spice to her game. Two-way player, go getter, gym rat, you name it, UK is getting a steal in this balling diva.</span>
<b>[player_tooltip player_id="245228" first="Carleigh" last="Wilson"] ( 5’10/SF/ Sr./ Oakland)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">- is heading to Tusculum in east Tennessee. TU has put together an impressive recruiting class and Carleigh is the cherry on the top. Multi-level scoring threat who can get done inside and out, Carleigh will go into next season looking to compete for some big-time minutes right away. Like I mentioned, a steal and a big time addition to the Lady Pioneers program.</span>
<b>[player_tooltip player_id="245277" first="Mckenna" last="Monger"] (5’9/ PF/Sr./ TKA)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Will be suiting up for Johnson University next year. Solid kid who battles on every possession when she is on the floor. JU will be getting a solid addition to help continue to lay the foundation for a good program.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure to catch some action this upcoming weekend at the Prep Girls Hoops Knoxville Knockout in Gatlinburg. All clubs will be in action next week during the live period. DM us and drop your schedule. Good luck and see you on the road. Let the journey begin!</span>
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading
Already a subscriber?
Log in