Who’s Next All-American Game-Team Justice
In this article:
The Blue team from the first high school game also gave me a number of players I knew absolutely nothing about but I also ran into some I tagged #D1Lock before high school Jasmine Timmerson-5’8 PG (North Allegheny) PA- Pitt…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Blue team from the first high school game also gave me a number of players I knew absolutely nothing about but I also ran into some I tagged #D1Lock before high school
Jasmine Timmerson-5’8 PG (North Allegheny) PA- Pitt
Timmerson is an athletic guard that handled the ball under pressure and saw the floor. She also created her shot and knocked it down from mid to long-range yet her ability to “catch and shoot” under pressure was really nice. She used a deceptive first step to attack the basket and she finished after contact but she also did a good job defensively
Stailee Heard Stailee Heard 6'0" | CG Sapulpa | 2023 State OK -5’11 G (Sapulpa) OK- Oklahoma State
Heard gets the “I HEARD THAT” to go along with the #THROWBACK hashtag because I just enjoyed watching her BATTLE for everything off the rim. There’s something about doing things you can’t teach that always grabs my attention and not only did she grab rebounds, but she also grabbed loose balls and went coast to coast to score. She also attacked and finished strongly, scored around the basket, and putbacks included
Zakiya Stephenson Zakiya Stephenson 5'7" | PG Princess Anne | 2023 State VA -5’6 PG (Princess Anne) VA-Ole Miss
Stephenson showed acrobatic finishes immediately and her body control was among the best at the event. She created her shot and dropped the jumper, mid to long-range, while being defended and pressure was irrelevant as she handled the ball and saw the floor with ease. On the flip, she applied “on the ball” pressure and her quick hands came away with steals
Kierra Merchant Kierra Merchant 5'10" | CG Westfield | 2023 State TX -6’0 G (Westfield) Houston
Merchant caught my attention in the 6th or 7th grade and with her being “long and athletic” with a pull-up jumper, #D1Lock was easy yet she sets the defender up nicely to get her shot off by elevating as well as using a powerful first step, and the midrange was clicking, so was her attacking off the dribble and finishing over whoever was guarding her
Shadasia Brackens Shadasia Brackens 5'10" | SF Fairfield | 2023 State TX -5’11 G (Fairfield) North Texas
Brackens is “long and athletic” with UPS and away she goes after the rebound to score while being pressured baseline to baseline. Not only can she go “coast to coast” her attacking off the dribble in the set creates problems, she understands how to create contact making her an “and one” waiting to happen and she plays the passing lane well
Reagan Jackson Reagan Jackson 5'8" | CG Kennedale | 2023 State TX -5’9 G (Kennedale) Cincinnati
Jackson falls into that “nightmare to defend” category because of the number of ways she can put the ball into the basket. Her jumper is more than solid, her shot is fluid and her release is quick but her “catch and shoot” with a hand in her face is special. She attacks the basket with either hand using a variety of moves to get the defender leaning, her defensive pressure is also nice
Saulele Tanuvasa Saulele Tanuvasa 6'0" | SF St. Marys (Stockton) | 2023 State CA -5’11 F (St Mary’s) CA-Colorado
Tanuvasa falls into that “blue collar” mindset of “you won’t outwork me which gets her the #THROWBACK hashtag. Things from yesteryear make me smile, she operates on both ends inside the paint, she rebounded, she went after the ball and she scored around the basket. She also did a good job defensively in the interior
Faith Acker-6’3 P (Winnsboro) University of Louisana Monroe
Acker used the “hands and footwork” so again, I gotta drop #THROWBACK. Speaking of drops, she even showed a “drop step” but she understands how to use her college-ready frame in the paint, she rebounded on both ends of the court, and she also played defense both in and outside the paint. The icing on the cake was seeing her “play the passing lane”
Zeryhia Lee-Aokuso-5’10 CG (Amarillo) UNDECIDED
Lee-Aokuso sold me at the 2018 Prime Time Nationals and she’s one of the top UNDECIDED players remaining in Texas. Her poise under pressure, and her ability to deliver in the clutch, from mid to long-range. all played a part in why I dropped #D1Lock, yet her unselfishness and ability to see the floor and make good decisions all go into her well-rounded game