Young Guns Deliver at TB Christmas Invitational

While the spotlight belonged to primarily the upperclassmen, several young prospects from the Classes 2029 and 2030 stepped onto the floor and held their own against older, stronger competition. These “young guns” (guards and wings) played with confidence, skills, awareness, and a competitive edge, showing they were capable of competing against the older players - the big dogs.    [player_tooltip player_id='1258488' first='Audra' last='Davis'] continued to show why versatility matters. She impacted the game on offense, defense, transition, and on the boards, and even protecting the paint when needed. Davis plays with a mature understanding of spacing and timing, allowing her to slide between guard and forward responsibilities seamlessly. She plays in sync with her point guard and teammates and knows when to flash to the open spot for a scoring opportunity. She can shoot the three ball and has a nice touch around the rim. On defense, her ability to defend and rebound has been the key to her team's defensive success this season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1327031' first='Zoe' last='Bone'] played with confidence well beyond her grade level. She handled the ball comfortably against older defenders, attacked space without hesitation, and competed physically on both ends of the court. Bone showed good instincts reading defenders and didn't shy away from contact when attacking downhill. Her composure stood out — she didn't rush decisions or look overwhelmed playing against older players. She showed a nice shooting touch from the three point line , and the play that sealed the deal was a steal followed by and coast to coast pull-up midrange jumper. Bone makes great decisions on the floor and remains calm in the process. maker. She stood out and displayed composure well above her years.     [player_tooltip player_id='1188178' first='Callie' last='James'] (cover) displayed natural scoring instincts from the point guard position and from the shooting guard position. Her ability to compete as an 8th grader is already impressive enough, and she takes it further with her ability to interchange from the one to the two and not miss a beat. She spaced the floor well, stayed ready off the ball, and took advantage of opportunities when defenses relaxed. James has the ability to create space and shoot the jumper off the bounce or off of the catch. On defense, James also showed toughness, competing through physical play and staying engaged defensively. James shows leadership on the floor and communicated with her teammates and in some cases directed them to the right spot on the floor, showing leadership abilities as an 8th grader. The young guard is a high IQ player who plays well beyond her years. She was a standout as a “young gun,” and got the attention of everyone in the gym.     [player_tooltip player_id='746290' first='Sydney' last='Youngblood'] stood out immediately and was a tone-setter on both ends of the floor. Youngblood was impressive with her ability to score the ball from the perimeter and at the rim. Her fearlessness is scary and impressive- she is only in 9th grade. On defense she plays with advanced on-ball instincts and applies consistent pressure to make life difficult for opposing guards. Offensively, she attacked downhill, drew fouls, and shot it well from the perimeter, and showed good awareness kicking the ball out to shooters when help arrived. Youngblood is a guard who is composed, elite, and was one of the top young players in the entire building.      Number 1 8th grader nice three point shot    [player_tooltip player_id='1314253' first='Jalaun' last='Meeks'] has continued to shine on the big stage and plays with poise well beyond the 8th grade. Meeks connected on a three and followed that up with an attack of the rim and a steal. Meeks provides back court depth and her ability to shoot makes her impactful from the moment she steps on the floor.

While the spotlight belonged to primarily the upperclassmen, several young prospects from the Classes 2029 and 2030 stepped onto the floor and held their own against older, stronger competition. These “young guns” (guards and wings) played with confidence, skills, awareness, and a competitive edge, showing they were capable of competing against the older players - the big dogs.