Day 1 Top Performers #SimmieColsonClassic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My second annual tournament was a breath of fresh air because of the new faces capable of playing at the next level I had a chance to see as well as some of the young ladies I have been watching for some time. I caught some <strong><a href="http://girlzprepreport.blogspot.com/">"babies" who are still in elementary school </a></strong>that left a lasting first impression as well as some others who have yet to play their first middle school game that are showing progression and I'll be dropping others on my <strong><a href="http://girlzprepreport.com/">website </a></strong> from the event but here are some of the players that immediately stood out on opening day, yes I covered 4 courts #ThereIsNoMe </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":615296,"width":160,"height":154,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/03/DSC_0391-e1678724874263.jpg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-615296" width="160" height="154" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Za'Kenya Thompson-Houston Lady Nets 17U[2024] Spring HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson was one of my "must-see" players last season because she just went hard on both ends while also showing she wasn't afraid to take the big shot. This time around, she's added even more, and watching her explode to the basket and finish strongly, after contact, using nice body control had me smiling, well so did her jumper </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Debi Hernandez-San Antonio Islanders [2024] San Antonio Lee HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hernandez had to fans going crazy with her variety of moves which enabled her to get to the basket, the HEZ, the EURO, and even the crossover were all on point, yet she also ran the 1 and showed she could control the tempo as well as distribute under pressure. Mid to long-range, check, and double-check, but trying to contain her offensively was definitely hard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509657' first='Allie' last='Seybert']-5'3 PG 3T Elite [2024] Porter HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seybert falls into that #sizedontmatter hashtag I use frequently because she can play and her "getting after it" on both ends always makes me smile. Her court vision as well as ball-handling under pressure, have always been an attraction but she can drop the long ball as well as attack the basket yet her "on the ball" defense was also nice</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gresa Arapi- Dash Elite [2024] Cy Fair HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arapi is a new face, well sort of, yet I got a great look at what she brings to the table, and watching her not only create her shot under pressure but knock down the mid and long-range with a hand in her face was solid</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jeani Arthur- Houston Lady Nets 16U</strong> <strong>[2025] Klein Collins</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arthur used her athleticism well on both ends, her "on the ball" defense was smothering plus she played the passing lane but her deceptive first step enabled her to score off the dribble while showing good body control in the air on her finishes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":615298,"width":160,"height":200,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/03/DSC_0154-e1678725181148.jpg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-615298" width="160" height="200" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Allie Tillerson-SETX Elite White [2025] Warren HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tillerson was a THRILLAson as I watched her pull up in transition and let it go from deep. She shot it with confidence off the top so I had seen enough she wasn't finished as she scored off the dribble but her playing the passing lane as well as baseline-to-baseline pressure were all nice</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='597323' first='Kobe' last='Johnson']- IJU16U [2026] North Shore HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson is "long and athletic" which is the base and her soaring over defenders had me smiling. She scored around the basket as well as off the dribble yet that pull-up jumper keeps getting better, and so is her defense, in and outside the paint. I also enjoyed her timing and watching her come from nowhere to block shots </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='510469' first='Kennedy' last='Simpson']-Houston Lady Nets 17U [2026] Summer Creek HS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simpson convinced me last season she was legit, it doesn't take me long to know what I'm looking at so as others play catch up, I enjoyed watching her "catch and shoot" from, well wherever she wanted and her release is so smooth and quick, she's hard to defend. Why, because she can attack off the dribble, she also elevates on her jumper and played the passing lane</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1279699' first='Mattie' last='Holmes']-SETX Elite Blue [2026] Beaumont Westbrook</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holmes has red hair and she reminded me about me writing she "might not be related to Sherlock" yet red hair usually means FIRE and you don't have to be a detective to watch her not only create her shot under pressure but drop it consistently, she started the day off with 4 from deep, I just stopped counting, doesn't take me long </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cyra Narahari- TNBA 16 U [2026] The Village School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Narahari is one of many new faces in the organization you'll be reading about from me and watching her mannerisms before the game told me a lot. She's long and athletic and she dissects defenders to set them up to get her shot off but her creating it under pressure for the jumper or off the dribble was nice, the stop and pop in transition JUST DID IT for me </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->