Houston Hoops Evaluation: Who Stood Out

On Saturday, October 11th, the Houston Hoops Basketball Program held a scouting evaluation at the Dunbar Community Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This event featured hoopers from the 2027 to the 2032 classes, and there was some serious talent on display. The event was highly physical, and Coach Looney, who put on the evaluation, encouraged that. Everyone got into it, which made this a truly fantastic experience.   Players got to showcase their skills in drills and in scrimmages, so who stood out the most?    [player_tooltip player_id='881232' first='Janae' last='Johnson'] will be entering her freshman season with the Central High School Lady Tigers in Little Rock, and I think she will star immediately.   I will admit, I did not know much about Johnson before this event, but after seeing her play on both ends of the floor, I am very impressed. There is no way she is only 5'10", as her length outmatched everyone else on the floor. Johnson was finishing with ease in the painted area and doing so with both hands. Until I saw her shoot right-handed, I did not know which hand was her dominant one; that's how smooth and comfortable she was at finishing.   From the outside, Johnson proved that she could stretch the floor. She did not hesitate when she had open jumpshots, knocking down multiple mid-range and 3-point looks throughout the evaluation. Her length also troubled opposing players on the other end.   Johnson came into this event on the Watch List, and she left ranked in the 2028 class. Keep an eye on this future star.     [player_tooltip player_id='1183259' first='Kierstan' last='Dailey'] had a productive season with the Lady Hornets last season, mostly finding time on the floor as a player who committed to playing hard defense and moving without the basketball. She did not have the most consistent outside shot as a freshman, but she proved during the evaluation that it is no longer the case.   Sometimes you can easily tell when a player puts in work during the offseason, and it was apparent with Dailey. During the scrimmages, Dailey was firing away from three, and without a second thought. Her shot looked smooth, and she was hitting efficiently off the catch.   Dailey is a great defender, proving that this weekend by diving on the floor after loose balls and applying persistent pressure throughout the afternoon. However, she proved that she could facilitate the offense with her passing and her ability to move the ball up the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='1183259' first='Kierstan' last='Dailey'] might just have a highly improved season with the Lady Hornets this season, so make sure to keep up with her.     It was no surprise that [player_tooltip player_id='753259' first='Gia' last='Campbell'] would be a standout from this event, but she still impressed everyone in that gym.   Campbell took charge every time she was on the floor. She is a great ball-handler who seems unpluckable. She can change the pace of the game in a matter of moments, throwing the defense completely off. This allowed her to fly by defenders at times and get straight to the basket, or to feed a trailing teammate down the lane.   Her playmaking was stellar, but so was her scoring. She has a very quick release on her jumpshot, and she gets excellent elevation, both off the catch and off the dribble. She was knocking down those jumpers at crucial moments during the scrimmages, but she was also attacking the basket with intentionality and finishing well through contact.   [player_tooltip player_id='753259' first='Gia' last='Campbell'] will be heading into her first season with the Lady Hornets, and after watching her performance this weekend, I can see why she is ranked #6.     There were not many players who could be both smooth and tough at the same time on the court, but [player_tooltip player_id='1219429' first='Ainsley' last='Stevens'] proved to be one of them.   Stevens started the afternoon by torching the competition during drills. During simple full-court dribbling drills, Stevens was showing off her effortless speed and getting to the basket well before the defense could catch up. She also showed her ability to knock down jump shots.   Games or scrimmages always have a chance to be physical, and last weekend was no different. Stevens absorbed contact with the ball in her hands, and if another player threw a bump her way, she would throw it right back at them, not backing down from the physicality.   [player_tooltip player_id='1219429' first='Ainsley' last='Stevens'] can plug and play immediately for Sheridan. She could be one of the most impactful freshmen of the 2025-26 season.     Meelah Phan was one of several players I had not heard of before who shocked me. She plays for the Little Rock Flames, a homeschool team, but she outplayed most of the competition, even several older players.   Phan appeared to have endless energy. She never backed down from a challenge on defense, doing whatever she could to force a turnover or cause havoc against other guards. She could stay in front of the opposition with her quick lateral movement, but that quickness helped the most on offense.   Phan was a killer handle. She was slicing and dicing all afternoon, really showing out with her fancy moves. Since she is not the tallest player on the floor, she had to rely on her craftiness and her speed to get to the basket. Once in the paint, she could hit defenders with several fakes, leading to a bucket. She was also dialing it up from three, knocking down at least two triples during the scrimmages.   Meelah Phan may be homeschooled, but she is becoming one of the better guards in the 2030 class.    Several other players stood out, and I will talk about them in later articles, so make sure to stay tuned.

On Saturday, October 11th, the Houston Hoops Basketball Program held a scouting evaluation at the Dunbar Community Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This event featured hoopers from the 2027 to the 2032 classes, and there was some serious talent on display. The event was highly physical, and Coach Looney, who put on the evaluation, encouraged that. Everyone got into it, which made this a truly fantastic experience.