#BasketballOnTheBayou23

Day 1 Standouts   Basketball On The Bayou 2023 is underway, and teams from across the country have come to New Orleans. There were a lot of talented players on the court on day one, and here are a few that stood out to me…    <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Kerbie-Cash-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723752" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Kerbie Cash (6'0/G|F/'24/SA Finest 17u Gold)   Twitter: @CashKerbie   Kerbie proved that she is Ms. Do-It-All for her squad. She came out very aggressive and was looking for her offense early and often. She showed a lot of versatility on both ends of the floor. She shot from distance, put the rock on the floor, and got to the cup often. She scored thru contact as she was very physical off the bounce and at the rim when finishing. As often as she looked to attack off the bounce, she also had to lend her hand, helping to initiate the offense. She has playmaking skills, and as much as the ball was in her hands, she did a good job taking care of the rock and limiting her turnovers. There isn't a lot of flash to her game, but she is very productive with the rock in her hands.     <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Abuna-Ruop-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723753" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Abuna Ruop (6'8/C/'26/Boo Williams Summer League)   Instagram: Abunaruop    Everyone watching the court at the time Abuna stepped on it was completely locked into her every step and movement. As eyes were locked on the 6'8 interior presence, you heard several times the words, "you can't teach size," uttered from the mouth of several people standing around the court. She is a rising sophomore who is still raw in a lot of areas, but her size, length, and wingspan are a deterrent to many potential ball-handlers looking to get to the cup. Her defense is ahead of her offense, as she can simply impact the game with her ability to block and alter shots. As she works to add to her offensive game as well as work on her strength in the weight room, you can best believe that what she brings in size has a lot of coaches at the next level thinking about making the offer.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Zhen-Craft-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723754" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Zhen Craft (6'2/SF/'25/Team Takeover)   Instagram: its_zhencraft   Twitter: @craftzhen   Zhen is a player that is full of potential, and it was on display throughout the day. She is playing up a grade level and she plays with a lot of confidence. She has good positional size, and her length causes problems on both ends of the floor. She is extremely active on the glass and on the defensive end of the floor. She makes plays all over the floor on both ends, and her play stuck out immediately to me. Zhen impacts the game and impacts winning by asserting herself in the paint and at the rim, and she showed that her impact can be made without scoring even though she can score. She is the type of player that does whatever it takes to win, and she showed that on day one.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Chaney-Spencer-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723755" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Chaney Spencer (5'8/PG/'25/CyFair Premier)   Instagram: Chaneyspenc3r   Twitter: @Chaneyspencer1   Chaney is a highly skilled guard that plays at a nice pace. She is a reliable ball-handler that does a good job facilitating. She set the table for teammates and distributed the rock on time, on target, and in positions for easy scoring opportunities. With her skill, high IQ, and feel for the game, she makes life easy for her teammates. She has high-level vision with the ability to make all the necessary passes. She has a nice bounce to her game and a quick first step that leaves defenders playing catch-up. She was comfortable and confident on the perimeter and is a player that can be trusted with the keys to the team.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Abigail-Long-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723756" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Abigail Long (5'7/SG/'24/Missouri Phenom)   Instagram: abigailklong   Twitter: @abigaillong2024    Abigail showed a lot of maturity in her game on day one. She is an unselfish player that allows the game to come to her and is intentional about getting her teammates involved early. When her shot opportunities came, she took advantage and was productive from behind the arc. She can handle the rock and is a trustworthy ball-handler who can help initiate the offense. Abigail is a crafty little guard who plays under great control and has a brilliant floor game. She has a great understanding of the game and how to make in-game adjustments. She does a lot of things well that help her team when it comes to winning.    <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-TyReona-Sibley-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723757" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Ty'Reona Sibley (5'9/SF/'24/[program_tooltip program_id='713308' first='Louisiana' last='Flames'])   Instagram: Tysibley2024   Twitter: @SibleyTyreona20    One of the most gifted scorers I saw on day one was Ty'Reona. She was terrific at scoring the rock. She attacked in straight lines and was a threat every time she touched the rock. She is a player that requires all 10-eyes of the defense to be on her at all times. She created her own offense as well as created offense for her teammates. She showed her ability to be able to get a bucket at any moment as well as her ability to go for huge numbers. As much of a potent scorer as she is, she was a willing passer to open receivers when she found herself doubled. Ty is extremely difficult to contain off the bounce and has a strong drive game that creates fouls. She finished with 21pts in a 48-39 win over FBC South Gunn.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/PGH-Lourdes-Da-Silva-Costa-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-723758" width="256" height="256" /></figure>   Lourdes Da Silva Costa (6'2/F/'25/ESSENCE Purple)   Instagram: Lourdes.dasilvacosta   Twitter: @Lourdesawuor    Lourdes was aggressive from the jump and she was looking to put pressure on the opponent's defenses throughout the day. She has good positional size and is very physical when attacking off the bounce. She attacks relentlessly and is tough to stop when she gets going downhill. She is a talented interior finisher who plays off two feet in the paint and makes plays in traffic that lead to quality shots for herself and her teammates. She has a unique skill set for her size, along with a tenacity to score the rock. Lourdes has a combination of power and strength, and she uses both to finish plays in the paint. Now as hard as she goes in attacking off the bounce, she did find herself out of control at times, but as she continues to work in the lab, especially on changing speeds off the bounce, she will get control of that area that needs improving. According to the stat sheet, she finished with 10pts in a 56-31 win over Team Melo MD23.

Day 1 Standouts