PGH Roll Tide Rumble – Akiem’s Standout Youngsters (Part 2)

The opening weekend of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit saw events emanate from Chicago, Dallas and Colorado. The ensuing weekend may have upped the ante as four events took place in different areas of the country.    One of those events occurred in Houston, another in Wisconsin and another in Indiana. Then there was the Roll Tide Rumble in Guntersville, Alabama which essentially served as the kick-off event to this season's Triumph Region. Two more Triumph Region events are scheduled – Peach Games in early May and the Triumph Region Finals towards the conclusion of the month.    Games at the Roll Tide Rumble were split between Supreme Courts and the Guntersville Recreation Center. While the latter venue was where the bulk of games involving younger teams took place, a few of them did occur at Supreme Courts. Here is part two of our list of noteworthy names from those younger teams.    Let [player_tooltip player_id='1227338' first='Bristol' last='Cook']. It is only fitting that for a travel showcase event taking place in Guntersville that there would be a healthy contingent of 5A Wildcats displaying what they are made of. Cook certainly did plenty of that – and then some – towards the close of the evening against Now Elite 14U. To the tune of 11 points, the eighth grader displayed one of the reasons why Guntersville is poised for a return in the near future to its recent winning ways. Seven of her 11 in that victory over Now Elite 14U were tallied in the second half of play. At 6-foot-3, Cook's fellow bigs across Alabama will not look to defending her in the post or getting into rebounding battles with her.     Given that SGB 14U Veal is an assembling with plenty of Guntersville standouts on its roster, those 5A Wildcats had to feel an extra sense of urgency to defend its home turf. It did so towards the conclusion of Roll Tide Rumble Saturday when Hammond's team claimed victory over Now Elite 14U. Hammond paced her team's offense to the tune of 16 points en route to victory. She may only be an eighth grader but possesses the skillset of a seasoned veteran. Two other attributes she has that make her tough to game plan against is how she can score off the dribble and how accurate she can be from 3-point range.     These Falcons can thank a “Hawk” for helping discover a brave new future full of dreams. Following a couple of seasons where 7A Florence took somewhat of a backseat to the rest of Alabama's high school girls hoops pack, Hawkins has helped the Falcons re-enter the chat. Hawkins helped Florence to a 17-win season – a nine-game improvement over its dismal 2023-24. She is carrying that momentum into the travel season with Now Elite 14U. Towards the close of Roll Tide Rumble Saturday, her team may have come up short against a tough SGB 14U Veal team but Hawkins led her team with 13 points.     Engels' [program_tooltip program_id='713934' first='JSI' last='Elite'] 15U team may not have had the weekend it was looking for as it dropped all four of its matches throughout the weekend. Engels still put forth an impressive performance to close out Roll Tide Rumble Sunday as she tallied 11 points to lead her team through what was a difficult matchup against OMG Academy 15U. Her high school career has included a stint with 7A Vestavia Hills. All 11 of her points were scored in the first half of play and she also stayed out of foul trouble that game as she only had two personals called against her. Engels also displayed her willingness to draw contact and take her chances at the free throw line.     Vega's All Alabama 15U team was having a rough go of things throughout the tournament – until the final game when she scored one of a pair of clutch baskets to earn a 49-44 victory over Fly Girls Tamara 15U. Vega is one of several players on the AAU team hailing from Mae Jemison. She is listed at an even five feet. More often than not, Vega will give a team productive minutes as a traditional one. She is also tough to contend with defensively and can create additional offensive possessions by way of her defense. Vega also has a knack for making plays in the transition game.     This young 5-foot-3 standout is actually one of a few on the All Alabama 15U roster that does not hail from Mae Jemison. In lieu of the Jaguars, Weed represents the Mustangs of 4A Madison Academy. The 2024-25 version of Madison Academy finished with a robust 31-4 record. Weed may be 5-foot-3 but she has a talent for converting on tough shots. She is also unafraid of contact and is willing to take her chances at the free throw line. While she can play the more traditional style of point guard position, she will also give a team productive minutes as a two guard.     She has had a steadily rising profile for a while across Mississippi. By competing in more out-of-state events like Roll Tide Rumble, Webber's profile has the opportunity to transition from statewide one to a regional one. Webber can even build a national profile. What also helps is when she has games like the one she managed in the final game of Roll Tide Rumble. That closing match featured Webb's Fly Girls Kay 13U earn an emphatic 34-12 victory over Mississippi Delta Elite 14U. Not only did Webber finish with a game-high 14 points, Nine of her 14 happened in the first half and she did not get called for a foul the entirety of the matchup.

The opening weekend of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit saw events emanate from Chicago, Dallas and Colorado. The ensuing weekend may have upped the ante as four events took place in different areas of the country.