Team to See: Conroe Lady Tigers

Anyone with eyes will immediately notice Sneed’s stocky build. She may be undersized, but with this upper body strength opponents will not take her lightly. When she receives a high ball screen, she hits a hesitation and blows by multiple defenders to get to the cup. I also saw Sneed make beautiful bounce passes to her teammates. The team wants the ball in her hands to make decisions. I also saw her get several deflections, effortlessly. Sneed has solid form but still has potential to add a consistent 3 point jump shot to her toolbox.

After being caught by her size, the next thing I noticed about Gross is that she understands how to post and re-post. With true post players evaporating in today’s game, it’s nice to see a young player that is learning how to work the paint. Gross may not get a touch every time down the floor, but what’s important is that she seals defenders and is constantly working off the ball. Leaving the paint, she will pop the short corner jumper. She has a nice high release. Once she works on getting off her feet and really shooting in the air she will be even more of a threat.

Justice- Dixon is another player with a strong frame. Conroe Lady Tigers are in the weight room! With a solid frame and long, muscular arms, this young lady is a true hustler. I saw her boxing out opponents much that were much larger than her. She was clearing opponents out the paint to go get rebounds, then beat these same opponents down the floor. With the same intensity, she posts low and uses her strength to pivot and seal off defenders. She is a strong willed player that has time to be molted to optimize her strengths.

Smith provides size off the bench for the Lady Tigers. She is still growing into her body. It often takes post players longer to learn interior concepts. So while putting the pieces together, Smith hustles hard to rebound and get put backs for her team. Her presence alone makes a difference for the team because opponents can’t leave her unguarded. Smith is still working on her hands but I can’t wait to see her in another year after more varsity game experience.

Castille provides more size for Conroe. As a senior, she understands the offense and has a polished basketball IQ. In the game I watched, she seems to be more of a role player for her team. Role players seem to be a lost art in today’s game as so many players are worried about their own statistics. Castille makes a difference being on the floor that may not always appear in the box score. She provides value for her team. This is a player willing to make the extra pass to an open teammate instead of taking the shot herself. She is coachable and with more speed work, will be a nice edition in a collegiate program.