PGH Tennessee The Expo Team 7

Team Seven was a good mix of players from the five classes represented at the Prep Girls Hoops Tennessee Expo. I had heard of a few of these kids and maybe seen a few in passing, but for the most part this was the first chance I had to watch this group play for an extended period of time. Several players emerged as potential high-level D1 players and others also showed that they have the potential to continue playing on the next level after high school.    Ariyah was a walk up on the day of the event, so I did not have her on my roster initially. After watching Huffman play for a few minutes it was clear she was one of the very best players there in an elite class with a handful of others. Ariyah has good height and is long with an impressive wingspan allowing her play bigger than 5'9. When Huffman had the basketball in her hands, she was a threat to score no matter where she was on the court. The confidence and conviction that she showed taking and making an NBA three early in the camp put everyone on notice that she was an elite shooter. Off the dribble, Huffman slashed her way to the rim with poise and patience before finishing smoothly. She has some wiggle handling the basketball and defenders had a hard time staying in front of her. She currently holds an offer from in-state UT-Chattanooga. I expect that list to grow substantially over the next two years. there is no question in my mind she is a division one player.     Alyssa showed very good form and follow through shooting the basketball from the perimeter. Thompson did not need a lot of space or time to get her shot off and the results were good more times than not when she was left open. Thompson has very good size already for a guard her age. She looked competent and confident handling the basketball and had a little bounce when elevating off the floor. Her size, a quick trigger, and high release point allowed Thompson to get her shots off with ease over smaller defenders. She is a definitely a player to track in the 2030 class in Tennessee. Alyssa is another very good prospect to add to that list.     I do not see any offers posted on McKenna's social media, which is quite surprising after an impressive showing at the Prep Girls Hoops Expo in Lebanon, Tennessee. She was one of the first players that caught my attention as she caught the ball at the top of the key, took a few dribbles to get down to the post with her back to the basket, and then sealed her defender and elevated over her for an easy finish at the rim. Miller demonstrated on several other occasions that she is more than capable of operating outside of the paint, which she also did well. In addition to the skill she showed on the offensive end, McKenna blocked and altered multiple shots while cleaning the glass on both ends of the court. McKenna's footwork and mobility at her size is rare, especially for a sophomore. I saw enough for me to know she can and will play division one basketball in college. The potential is there for her to develop into a Power Four prospect over the next three years. With continued development on the offensive end, I would not be shocked at all to see her sign with a team in the ACC or SEC.     I am pretty certain Sadie was the youngest participant in the showcase in Lebanon on Sunday, but you would never have known it by watching her play. Ivey earned high marks in several different categories for me which indicates a very solid base when it comes to the fundamentals. Sadie did a great job picking and choosing when to assert herself on the offensive end and when to give the ball up. Not always an easy skill for talented young players, but Ivey played with a high level of knowledge of the game. She shot the ball well from the perimeter, handled the ball well under pressure, and did a great job keeping her head up, surveying the floor on offense, and picking out open teammates.     Davia was one of the better inside-out threats on the offensive end out the floor in a group of over 60 players on Sunday. Collins knocked down shots from the perimeter, including one tough three that was heavily contested between the top of the key and the wing. Her most impressive play came on a post up where she gave the defender a little shoulder shimmy and shake before finishing on the opposite side of the basket with a smooth one-handed reverse layup. Collins has very good size and excellent mobility to go with it. She will be a very good player and solid contributor wherever she ends playing in college. NAIA and D2 coaches should have this kid on their radar without question. Davia will be a solid contributor on the next level.     Good things happened when Desleign had the basketball for Team Seven. Whether she was initiating and facilitating the offense (as much as you can in a showcase) or knocking down catch and shoot jumpers from the perimeter, McGuire was very impressive playing against much older kids. She showed a lot of composure and maturity handling the basketball, never getting sped up or out of control. That poise for a young play caller is quite rare. McGuire was a lot of substance with very little flash. It wasn't necessary as she was able to effectively to hard job without making it more complicated than it needed to be. Very bright future for Desleign in my opinion.     Taylor was another of the very impressive 2030 prospects in Tennessee that attended the showcase. What impressed me most with Taylor was her confidence in handling the ball and pressure while running a much older and talented group when she was on the floor. Snyder has sneaky good ball handling and athleticism to go with good perimeter shooting and a high knowledge of the game. When shots were available, she did not hesitate in taking and making them. Taylor did not force the issue however, instead flourished distributing the ball to her very talented teammates. She showed very good instincts and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. That was probably due to her playing with a big motor and competing hard the entire four hours.     Rister stood out with her height, length, and athleticism for Team Seven at the Prep Girls Hoops Expo in Lebanon, Tennessee. She was active on the boards on both ends and used her wingspan to snatch several missed shots out of the air above the crowd. Defensively, Adanne used her length to apply maximum on-ball pressure at times while at others Rister jumped into the passing lanes tipping and intercepting passes. Rister showed very good quickness and effort sprinting past other players on the floor in transition consistently making herself available for kick ahead passes on the break.     Rhymes did a lot of things and did them well on Sunday at Lebanon High School. She asserted herself on the offensive end competing with and against much older players. Her biggest strength was handling a lot of pressure on the perimeter without turning the ball over. She made several impressive passes after she used her dribble to get a better angle, specifically feeding the post. Her passes were on time and on target for scorers when they sprung themselves open giving them the best opportunity to score. Journey is a skilled offensive player in her own right showing good form and follow through, along with a quick release when shooting from the perimeter. She also showed the ability to finish with both hands at the basket.     Foster was another impressive prospect in the 2030 class from Tennessee at the Expo on Sunday. She has the size, skill, and shooting ability to develop into a very good combo guard over the next three years. Foster is a very good shooter from behind the three-point line, both off the dribble and in catch and shoot situations. Her length and athleticism give her the ability to slash and finish at the rim, something she could easily incorporate into her game to go along with the stellar shooting. She has very quick feet and hands, showed good explosion off the ground, and played with a lot of energy.

Team Seven was a good mix of players from the five classes represented at the Prep Girls Hoops Tennessee Expo. I had heard of a few of these kids and maybe seen a few in passing, but for the most part this was the first chance I had to watch this group play for an extended period of time. Several players emerged as potential high-level D1 players and others also showed that they have the potential to continue playing on the next level after high school.