New Faces #HoustonSummerSlam

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houston is big, large, whatever word you want to use to describe it and there are countless players I haven't seen yet I've been saying that for as long as I've been doing this so catching new talent, some there, close to being there are showing potential has been a joy for me to capture</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaelyn Jackson (Team Spaz 16U) Atascocita [2025</strong>]</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson helped open things up on Saturday by going on Saturday by going completely off with 22 points yet numbers don't always matter, hers did as she scored just about every way imaginable. Her pull-up jumper was effective, she also showed she could "catch and shoot" it but her scoring and finishing off the dribble was solid, as well as her "on the ball" pressure baseline to baseline</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong> Tamia Allen (IJU 17U) Benjamin Davis [2024] </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen gets #THROWBACK because she's not at "the magic number" which is 6'0 yet she plays like it and her going after the ball relentlessly off the rim, on both ends brightened my day as I love stuff from another era that you just can't teach. She has a powerful frame and uses it around the basket to score, she's also long and athletic which will always be th base and she did a good job attacking the basket </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chloe Yarbrough (BDA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yarbrough impressed me off the top as she's a long and athletic guard, that also works and seeing her playing the passing lane a few times grabbed my attention from another court. As I moved over, she showed showed a deceptive first step coupled withe good body control on her finishes, including after the lick. Her upside is really good because she not only creates her shot under pressure, she can drop it </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mikayla Gary (BDA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gray is, you guessed it, "long and athletic" and not only did she plays the passing lane, she also handled the ball after ward. She attacks the basket strongly, she rebounds and runs the floor on both ends and she showed she could score around the basket. Her timing is going to create some problems as she blocks, alters and (or) deflects shots but she also did a good job defending both in and outside the paint </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anna De-La-Penn (BDA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Penn read the floor very well which translates into playing the passing lane yet she went coast to coast after interceptions and saw the floor in transition. She also saw it in the set but her handling the ball and court vison under pressure are huge pluses as she falls into the #sizedontmatter group and it doesn't because she can play. She also set the defender up to attack the basket off the dribble, with either hand</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaylin Ross (BDA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ross wasn't a discount but still a bargain as she showed me a lot off the top. I'm giving her #THROWBACK for just BATTLING for everything, whether it was off the rim or loose balls on the floor, her knack for creating havoc had me smiling. She plays solid defense and just made things happen, like playing the passing lane, which I absolutely love yet her powerful finishes after contact, yes, solid body control, JUST DID IT for me </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->