MLK Invitational Tournament: High School Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you know the history of high school basketball in Memphis, you know during the week of Thanksgiving the MLK Invitational Basketball Tournament will be going on. My high school coach, Robert Newman, has kept the tournament going for as long as I can remember. Now my high school teammate, Dr. Nicole Newman, has taken over the tournament director role.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tournament has changed over its 54 years of existence. It started as a boys basketball event. I actually played in the first girls version when it was called the Tip Off Classic. Now, Middle School Girls and Boys participate in the event. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The MLK is 6 days of basketball action. I watched both middle and high school games. So I wasn't able to see every high school team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some standouts from games I was able to watch:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/12/mlk-tournament-championship-game-whitehaven-and-white-station/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read about more Whitehaven and White Station standouts here.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/11/mlk-invitational-tournament-memphis-overton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read about Overton standouts here.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["482165"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69310663573ec"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>High Motor Guard. Tanyiah isn't going to score a lot of points. She can knock down a 3 but she isn't going to shoot many. She'll get a layup or 2 from a steal. What Tanyiah does isn't going to show up in the score book. I watched Tanyiah in the championship game at one point and it looked as if she needed a break. I thought she was coming out the game but she didn't. She is the definition of “leaving it all on the floor”. She is going to play hard all game. She's going to hustle, defend, get a deflection, go after a loose ball and do little things that make a big difference.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["899915"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6931066357462"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>Scoring PG. Kiya got into a some foul trouble in Middle College's game against Overton. So she had to sit out for a bit. When she re-entered the game, she played with some offensive intention and intensity. She can knock down the 3, the pull up and the floater. She is a smaller guard. However, I saw where that is an advantage for her, because she can get into small spaces on the court that a bigger guard couldn't. Defensively, she is tough and aggressive with quick hands and quick feet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["899858"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69310663574b7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>Scoring Post. The last time I saw Gabrielle play was pre-season action and I mentioned her conditioning. She was is great condition this time. Using her frame to seal and finishing on the block. When she does her work early and create her angle on the block, no one is able to stop her from scoring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["513234"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6931066357507"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>Scoring Guard. After watching the UT Martin signee a couple of times in the MLK, I'm adding her to my list of intense players. She plays super, super locked-in. She is really expanding her game this season. She is a high motor player. From what I saw in the past, she was primarily an attacker. I see her developing into more of a scorer. She is taking more mid range shots and knocking down 3s.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["743542"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6931066357557"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>Scoring Point Guard. Elyse is the lone junior starter amongst 4 seniors for Whitehaven. It's not easy to transfer to a new school in the same city. I can't imagine the transition to transfer to a new school in a new city. That's what Elyse has done. She has a dual role for Whitehaven as a point guard and as a scorer. In the MLK semi-final, Elyse was able to play off the ball some and operate as the scorer. In the championship game, she played more at the point guard spot. She can knock down the 3 ball, hit the mid range, get to the basket and get to the free-throw line.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Khalia Claxton","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Middle College","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693106635760c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>Combo Guard. Khalia was a big spark off the bench for Middle College against Overton. She assumed point guard duties, when [player_tooltip player_id='899915' first='Kiya' last='Mell'] was in foul trouble.&nbsp; Then knocked down back-2-back three pointers to initiate a run for Middle College.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->