Easter Weekend AAU: Noteworthy Middle School Performances
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It’s always fun to keep one eye on the present, and one eye on the future: and TN is loaded with ’28s and ’29s that will be stars down the road. Here is what caught my eye this weekend: Jasalyn…
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Continue ReadingIt’s always fun to keep one eye on the present, and one eye on the future: and TN is loaded with ’28s and ’29s that will be stars down the road. Here is what caught my eye this weekend:
Jasalyn Butler
Jasalyn Butler
Jaz Butler is getting really good, really fast. Only a couple seasons ago she was a raw kid loaded with physical tools. She’s 6’2 at least, she has nice agility, and gives great effort. Her sheer size made her a nightmare on the defensive end.
But now…she’s putting it all together. I don’t have her rebound numbers, but she was unstoppable this weekend scoring the basketball:
vs Team Nike Select – 19 points
vs TN Rush – 18 points
vs TTP Black – 18 points
She’s always going to give to 10+ rebounds and 2+ blocks. Putting her next to Jenna Burchard Jenna Burchard 6’0″ | PF Rhea Co. | 2026 State TN ’26 next weekend is going to give the an incredibly scary Twin Tower lineup.
Saddie Garrett
Saddie Garrett
Saddie Garrett put on a show this week at the TN Rush AAU qualifier. She was scoring at ease at all three levels. She was hitting gaps off the bounce and collapsing defenses. She a high level three point shooter, but doesn’t settle for the 3. She also really can sit in a stance, keep the ball in front, and guard multiple positions. With Cookeville’s young talent already in place, adding Saddie Garrett to the mix really gives them the chance to be a special group.
As Coach Vann told me in text: “If every team had a Sadie Garrett their success would rise. She can score 20 if needed, always willing to guard the other team’s best player, and great rebounder. She is an amazing teammate and always puts the team first. Exceptional leader at such a young age. She is the glue to success for any team.
Ava Dyer Ava Dyer 5’5″ | CG North Paulding | 2028 GA put on a show this weekend from three. The 8th grader is (for my money) the best shooter in the ’28 class in GA. Lighting quick release. No hesitation. Always believes it’s going in….and this weekend the kept going. She’s the type that, if you let her get hot, she’s can win a quarter or two by herself. You’re almost forced to not help off her or she will make you pay.
She averaged 17 points for game this weekend in and hit round 4,000 3 pointers. Golly bum she can SHOOT IT!
Destiny Wilmington
Destiny Wilmington
Destiny Wilmington, is a future star. She’s electric with the ball in her hands, and can slither through space that others can’t see. Great ability to change directions on a dime, and nice stops and starts give her a real shiftiness to her game. She’s got a nice finishing package at the rim, and a float game that’s solid. She averaged 10ppg and 4 rebounds a game in a high level tournament, losing to Wood Elite in the championship game.
Kylie Norwood
Kylie Norwood
Kylie Norwood is just a really fun kid to watch. She’s a great teammate that finds real joy in doing the little things well. She defends her butt off, rebounds, is a really long defender that makes her a weak side shot blocker, and is a GREAT passer.
She’s battled injuries this season, and hasn’t played a game since December 22nd of ’23. Until this weekend when she stepped on the court for the first time in 3 months…and all she did was drop 19 points on 4/5 from three. The left sniper is going to be a big time player, and really happy for her that she’s back on the floor.
Azariah “AZ” Lee
Azariah “AZ” Lee
The young PG is going to be legit good. Right now, her strength is her defense. Give her the assignment of guarding the other team’s best guard, and she’s going to take on the task with pride. Her high-level athleticism has always made her deadly attacking the rim and in transition, but she’s starting to add the jumper as well. She looked terrific this weekend as BMaze 29 went 3-0 at Future Phenoms in ATL.
Amiah Lewis
Amiah Lewis
I see you Amiah! Lol…one of the funny things about middle school AAU is that there is such a remarkable difference between the well coached teams and the…..not so well coached teams. Amiah Lewis is becoming a 3 point specialist from the corners as I watched BMaze run the exact same “out of bounds underneath” play to get Amiah open in the corner over and over and over again (some coach’s call the play “America’s Play” because every team in American seems to run it). For whatever reason, teams at ATL couldn’t figure it out, and Amiah Lewis had a field day from 3 point land.
She’s a kid that has always been great defensively, and it’s really nice to see her developing confidence in that 3 point shot. She has a chance to be really good.