Music City Hoopfest Wrap Up
In this article:
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you and yours will have a wonderful 2024 year. The motto for the year: Let’s do more in 2024. This year is going to be a great one and I can already tell you,…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingHappy New Year everyone! I hope you and yours will have a wonderful 2024 year. The motto for the year: Let’s do more in 2024. This year is going to be a great one and I can already tell you, I am excited about the talent we have in this state. 2024 will be filled with some phenomenal storylines and I must say this season will finish out to be a great one.
As you all know, district play starts this week, however, I would like to recap the Music City Hoopfest that saw a star studded field take the court this past week. Page High School in Franklin, TN hosted the event and let me tell you, the stars and coaches were in the building.
The matchups consisted of:
Day 1
MTCS vs. East Nashville
Page vs. Hamilton Heights
Day 2
Beech vs. Cleveland
Hamilton Heights vs. Rossview
York vs. Blackman
East Nashville vs. Montverde Academy
Day 3
Beech vs. MTCS
Cleveland vs. York
Blackman vs. East Nashville
Page vs. Rossview
Montverde Academy vs. Clarksville Christian
For starters, this field was one of the most talented bunch of teams playing at one location for a post Christmas tournament. I will say the matchups were great and the girls were ready to showcase their talents in front of collegiate coaches and fans in attendance. There were a lot of hard fought battles, but the old adage that goes “ the cream rises to the top,” our top level hoopers showed those in attendance why they are the top dogs around. Here are some notable hoopers who balled out at Page HS.
Madison Graham Madison Graham 5'10" | SG MTCS | 2026 TN (So/G/MTCS)– Had a fantastic tournament where she was lightouts. Posting both 17pts and 31pts in each of the Lady Cougars contests, the girl found the bottom of the net at a consistent clip. The sharpshooter was the leading catalyst for the Lady Cougars and she will be riding that momentum into 2024. Her stock is high and she is looking to capitalize off her recent success.
Lauren Hurst Lauren Hurst 6'3" | PF Cleveland | 2025 State TN (Jr./G/ Cleveland) – The junior did more than just shoot it well, but her overall play and getting her teammates involved stood out tremendously. The game plan for the opponents was to shut her down, with that being said, she lit it up in the other statistical categories which helped propel her ball club. She was using her frame by getting on the boards, making it tough for opponents to get shots off. Look for her to come out the gates in 2024 and uplift a hungry Cleveland squad.
Lauren Hassell Lauren Hassell 6'3" | PF Clarksville Christian | 2027 State TN (Fr./W/ Clarksville Christian )– The freshman continues to get better and be impressive every time she steps onto the floor. No matter the competition, she is out there being a “dawg,” giving opponents the work. Posting a stat line against a nationally ranked Montverde Academy, she had 16 points, 9 rebounds,2 steals, 3 blocks, and 4 assists. What other freshman in the country is putting up numbers like this? The talented freshie is looking to win titles, break records, and reach benchmarks that some may never reach. Phenomenal talent whose skies are the limit.
Reese Beaty Reese Beaty 5'8" | PG York Institute | 2025 State TN (Jr./G/ York Institute)– The Clemson commit was showcasing her phenomenal talent against some tough competition. The multi-level scoring threat was doing it up, slashing through defense, knocking down 3s, and being a tremendous leader. Reese doesn’t get rattled and she has such a high basketball IQ that enables her to exploit any defense that is thrown at her. She isn’t just a bucket getter, but an all around hooper that plays hard on both ends of the court. Look for her to finish out the season leading her club towards state contention.
Jaloni Cambridge (Sr./G/ Montverde Academy)– Well, what a way to bring in the new year coming back home and celebrating a great high school career in front of friends and family. On top of that she announced that she will be continuing her education and athletic talent at The Ohio State. Jaloni, one of the best in the country, showed out and gave fans something to cheer for. During her contest against a talented Clarksville Christian squad, she dropped 36 points. Having JC back in the Ville was awesome and her hooping in the state is dearly missed. Good luck Jaloni and congrats on your commitment.
Once again, there was exceptional talent that was on the floor during this tournament. This will definitely be a must see event for years to come.