PGH Freshman Showcase Review: Teams 1 & 7
I started using a saying around 2005 when Texas wasn’t being covered the way I thought it should be and that saying was “Talent is everywhere”. So after getting tired of complaining, I JUST DID IT myself and became the…
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Continue ReadingI started using a saying around 2005 when Texas wasn’t being covered the way I thought it should be and that saying was “Talent is everywhere”. So after getting tired of complaining, I JUST DID IT myself and became the first person to cover girls’ basketball in the state on a large scale. Some said I was doing it to promote my daughter, well she had over 100 D1 offers when she graduated in 2007 so that wasn’t it
I also hate when people send me stuff other people write, especially the National guys who kept my daughter off the McDonald’s All-American team because I was outspoken or they didn’t know what they were looking at, which is why I call myself a REAL EVALUATOR. By the way, my daughter won a National Championship at Texas A&M in 2011 and a WNBA Championship with Las Vegas last season. She’s also getting into acting and comedy, and her show is about to drop so when you put all of that together, #ThereIsNoMe, and when I cover an event and see so many players that can play, always remember #TalentIsEverywhere if you know what you’re looking at and here’s some other players that grabbed my attention
Team 1:
Rileigh Good-5’5 G (San Marcos) SA Finest
To say “it’s all Good” would be an understatement as her upside has me looking into my crystal ball on what she will become. Her ability to not only create her shot but drop it from mid to long-range is already creating problems for defenders yet when you factor in she can score off the dribble as well as see the floor, what else? Well, she also does a good job defensively and plays the passing lane
Austyn Miller-5’4 G (Joshua) DFW Hawks
Miller is a heady guard who comprehends the simple things that will become big as she progresses on the court and one of those things is understanding how to get hers in the flow. She doesn’t get flustered and patiently waits to set the defender up to attack as well as take the jumper, which she can drop from mid to long-range. Her court vision also stood out
Emma Jones-5’4 G (Henrietta)
Jones got after it immediately and her “on the ball” defense was consistent in every game I caught her. She appeared to be enjoying applying the heat and that heat helped create turnover which led to scoring opportunities. She handled the ball and saw the floor under pressure, her upside was nice
Gianna Velasquez-5’6 G (Rockwall) DC Queens
Velasquez was another player who wowed me with her defense because she forced the offensive player to pick the ball up, as well as into traps yet her quick hands also helped her come away with steals. She handled the ball afterward to score or dish, she also did a good job attacking off the dribble in the set
Maggie Marino-5’6 G (Hardin Jefferson) Team Texas- SETX
Marino not only created her shot under pressure but she also knocked it down with a hand in her face but in transition, her “stop and pop” pull-up jumper had me smiling. I kept smiling watching her body control as she attacked the basket and finished after contact, oh yeah, she dropped the 3 as well
Jamyla Anderson-5’7 G (Billy Ryan) DC Queens White see evaluation here
Katelyn Olds-5’10 G/F (Liberty Hill) Phoenix Select
Olds ceiling has “no roof” because she scores in a variety of ways starting with putbacks, yes she rebounds on both ends, but she also scores around the basket, her pull-up jumper is smooth as she creates it with ease but she dropped the mic with her spin move while attacking the basket. Court vision is solid, so is her defense and she’s just under “the magic number” which is 6’0
Jhallin Isaac-5’9 G (Robert M Shoemaker) Dream United
Issac left a lasting first impression with her intensity off the top and I’m talking about both ends of the court. She does a good job of playing within herself, nothing fancy, she just gets it done and her attacking the basket to score or dish was nice, yet her court vision in the set was also solid. Her defensive pressure also created havoc
Mackenzie Hilterbran-5’9 G/F ( Rouse) Phoenix Select
Hilterbran continues to elevate her game, and watching her not only rebound but handle the ball afterward and see the floor in transition was very nice. She also saw the floor in the set, did a good job of taking the defender off the dribble, with either hand on finished strongly after contact
Allii Maley-6’1 PF/C (Rouse) Phoenix Select see evaluation here
Team 7:
Aja Smith-5’5 G (Duncanville) Lady Jets
Smith is an athletic guard who uses her athleticism on both ends of the court and her baseline-to-baseline pressure immediately stood out, and so did he quick hands as she came away with steals. She also played the passing lane, handled the ball, and saw the floor afterward. She scored off the dribble and finished after contact plus she dropped the jumper from outside
Eryn Roberts-5’6 CG (Iowa Colony) Texas Southern Flames see evaluation here
Prisha Kolhe-5’6 G (Coppell) Texas True Hoops
Kolhe showed me she could drop the long ball the first time I saw her and since I’, always looking for progression, her attacking the basket from multiple angles and finishing strongly was nice. She has also elevated her on-the-ball pressure on defense, and even showed positioning to outrebound taller players
Caitlyn Moyer Caitlyn Moyer 5'7" | CG Friendswood | 2027 TX -5’7 G (Friendswood) Cy Fair Premier
Moyer can score from outside but I already knew that, yet her body control after attacking the basket has gotten better, especially after contact, and watching her grab rebounds and go coast to coast to score or dish was nice yet her dropping the FLOATA off the dribble in the set as well as in transition was really nice
Lauryn Carrizales-5’8 G/F (Cleburne) DFW Hawks
Carrizales gets the #THROWBACK hashtag for playing bigger than her listed height and watching her not only BATTLE but go after everything off the rim was refreshing. Her timing to block shots was solid, and so was her scoring around the basket but she also did a good job of attacking the basket and finishing. Nice court vision and good upside
Yar’din Evans-5’8 G (McKinney Boyd) Team Takeover see evaluation here
Lilah Mauck-5’10 F (Marcus) ITL Skills
Mauck used a deceptive first step to get the defender off balance and attack the basket. Her body control was nice and it helped her finish after contact but keep in mind she is “long and athletic” which is the base and with her bringing a couple of inches shy of “the magic number” her handling the ball after rebounding to score as well as make good passes in transition
Gracie Ellington-5’10 F (Royse City) BCB Elite
Ellington did a good job rebounding on both ends of the court as well as running the floor on both ends. She scored around the basket, putbacks included and her interior defense was also solid. She showed she could step outside the paint and guard her man, she attacked the basket strongly and finished