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<p>As I have said before, the best part of attending a number of these showcases is discovering new talent or seeing players I have never seen before for an extended period of time. There were a number of players who fell into these categories on Saturday. The following players were impossible to miss with how well they performed in both the three versus three period and when the players got up and down the court playing five on five. I really look forward to seeing them with their high school teams this Fall and Winter.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">About 30 minutes into the event, I almost started texting some college coaches in the state that I am close with. If she isn't taller than 6'1, Veyda definitely played like it on the interior where she was outstanding finishing around the basket. She showed great hands catching some quick, tough passes in tight quarters and smoothly got the ball up to the rim without pause. As good as Jones was on the interior, she was just as impressive shooting the ball from the perimeter, where she buried shots consistently throughout the day. Jones is big, long, and is very nimble on her feet, making her the kind of player college coaches want to identify early. This was my first time watching Jones play (not sure I had even heard her name prior), but she is about to see a major rise in the rankings the next time they are released. She has the potential to develop into a legit Division One prospect over the next two years.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Archer has had an incredible amount of talent the last couple of seasons, however they dealt with departures to two of the more prominent private school programs in the country this offseason (Hailey Houlder-Oak Hill and Layla Adams-Monteverde). I joked with Smith it's her time to shine now and she got a big smile on her face like "I know". Fundamentally she is very sound. She is extremely quick not just with her feet, but also her hands. That coupled with her anticipation skills and then add a long wingspan, and you have one of the best defenders in the state. Taliya was able to turn that excellent defense into offense several times scoring off of steals in transition. She shoots the ball really well from three and can manage a team without question. I was not surprised, but happy to see she holds two offers from Norfolk State and Bethune-Cookman. Taliya is an excellent player who will have more opportunity to show that with the departure of the very talented Hailey Houlder. I have no doubt she will take advantage of it and make believers out of more schools. I would take her on my time any day of the week.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Zoe did not need the basketball a lot to score or impact and affect the outcome of her team's games. It is a showcase and the ball does not get passed more than once or twice each possession generally. Hill didn't wait for the ball, she went and got it by snatching rebounds out of the air, jumping in the passing lanes and creating steals/deflections, and she was quick to any loose balls in her vicinity. When Hill had the ball, she was effective and efficient putting it in the basket. Whether it was on short jumpers, where Zoe elevated over her defender, or a quick putback on a missed shot, Hill made the most of her touches. At 5'7 with good strength she has the build to be a guard in college already. She is an intriguing prospect who I definitely want to see more of. She did a lot of things well and did not force anything when it would have been very easy to do.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Ayla is a player I had heard a good amount about over the last couple years but had not had the chance to watch closely. If Saturday was any indication of her play, then I regret that I haven't seen her sooner. Ayla was very good shooting the basketball from the perimeter, something I expected after hearing from numerous coaches that she was a sniper from three. Her ability to get to the rim and score in the halfcourt and transition was a very pleasant surprise, however. Summers is long and covers a lot of ground with her stride. She can really elevate off the floor as well which was on full display when she leapt above opposing defenders at the rim. Mill Creek is not that far down the road from me and now I have a reason to go watch them play. Bella Ragone (injured) missed almost (if not) all of last season before departing for Notre Dame, so Summers should be prepared to carry the load offensively for her team.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Janiyah was one of the first players I noticed when she got out and started warming up on the court. At 5'10 Johnson has good height to along with the extraordinary strength she possesses. She looked like a player and when we chatted briefly, she told me that she plays in GIAA and that she was coming off an ACL injury, which explained why I had not seen her play. It was easy to see after a couple of quick minutes, however, why Johnson is a two-time All-Region performer as she is heads into her Junior season. She did a nice job creating space on the perimeter to elevate and knock down jump shots by using the triple threat position, an excellent jab step, and only a couple of dribbles. Inside, Johnson was very good finishing around the rim, which was to be expected. It was her footwork however that was most impressive to me. Janiyah was able to get around defenders in tight quarters in the paint without turning the ball over or forcing bad shots. She has the ability to not only make plays for herself, but also her teammates because of the mismatch she causes at the stretch four position. She looks like a college player right now.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Talya did what she always does on Saturday, play with a huge motor and a big basketball brain. Arnold is the kind of player you have to account for on every possession whether she has the ball or not. I'm not sure anyone pursues missed shots on the offensive end as hard or as well as she does in Georgia. Whether it is with Team Elite Hubbard, North Paulding, or in an individual showcase like this one, opposing teams better know where Talya is and account for her. She is also very good slashing and finishing at the rim and is more than capable of knocking down shots on the perimeter when left unattended. She uses her elite athleticism to impact the game in a positive way on the defensive end swatting and altering shots as well as giving that same effort on the boards as the other end. Arnold is currently receiving interest from a handful of D1 and D2 schools. Her size, athleticism, and effort make her a no doubter on the next level at the right school. She is a high academic kid interested in the Dentistry field when basketball is done.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Bristol is a player I happened to see while attending the Wildcat Shootout for and with my friend and colleague Shayla Smith this June at Camden County. The long playmaker is a very smooth operator at the offensive end where she handles the ball with poise, maturity, and the occasional flare. Bristol is a quite, unassuming kid so the one-two dribbling combinations that are quick and leave defenders standing helpless can come as a surprise if you have not seen her play before. She is an old-school pass first point guard who is just as skilled delivering the basketball as she is dribbling it and her teammates at Richmond Hill are the beneficiaries. She can score from all three levels too. One of the most underrated players in South Georgia if you ask coaches that have to play her teams.</p>
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As I have said before, the best part of attending a number of these showcases is discovering new talent or seeing players I have never seen before for an extended period of time. There were a number of players who fell into these categories on Saturday. The following players were impossible to miss with how well they performed in both the three versus three period and when the players got up and down the court playing five on five. I really look forward to seeing them with their high school teams this Fall and Winter.
About 30 minutes into the event, I almost started texting some college coaches in the state that I am close with. If she isn't taller than 6'1, Veyda definitely played like it on the interior where she was outstanding finishing around the basket. She showed great hands catching some quick, tough passes in tight quarters and smoothly got the ball up to the rim without pause. As good as Jones was on the interior, she was just as impressive shooting the ball from the perimeter, where she buried shots consistently throughout the day. Jones is big, long, and is very nimble on her feet, making her the kind of player college coaches want to identify early. This was my first time watching Jones play (not sure I had even heard her name prior), but she is about to see a major rise in the rankings the next time they are released. She has the potential to develop into a legit Division One prospect over the next two years.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Archer has had an incredible amount of talent the last couple of seasons, however they dealt with departures to two of the more prominent private school programs in the country this offseason (Hailey Houlder-Oak Hill and Layla Adams-Monteverde). I joked…
Zoe did not need the basketball a lot to score or impact and affect the outcome of her team's games. It is a showcase and the ball does not get passed more than once or twice each possession generally. Hill didn't wait for the ball, she went and got it by snatching rebounds out of the air, jumping in the passing lanes and creating steals/deflections, and she was quick to any loose balls in her vicinity. When Hill had the ball, she was effective and efficient putting it in the basket. Whether it was on short jumpers, where Zoe elevated over her defender, or a quick putback on a missed shot, Hill made the most of her touches. At 5'7 with good strength she has the build to be a guard in college already. She is an intriguing prospect who I definitely want to see more of. She did a lot of things well and did not force anything when it would have been very easy to do.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Ayla is a player I had heard a good amount about over the last couple years but had not had the chance to watch closely. If Saturday was any indication of her play, then I regret that I haven't seen…
Janiyah was one of the first players I noticed when she got out and started warming up on the court. At 5'10 Johnson has good height to along with the extraordinary strength she possesses. She looked like a player and when we chatted briefly, she told me that she plays in GIAA and that she was coming off an ACL injury, which explained why I had not seen her play. It was easy to see after a couple of quick minutes, however, why Johnson is a two-time All-Region performer as she is heads into her Junior season. She did a nice job creating space on the perimeter to elevate and knock down jump shots by using the triple threat position, an excellent jab step, and only a couple of dribbles. Inside, Johnson was very good finishing around the rim, which was to be expected. It was her footwork however that was most impressive to me. Janiyah was able to get around defenders in tight quarters in the paint without turning the ball over or forcing bad shots. She has the ability to not only make plays for herself, but also her teammates because of the mismatch she causes at the stretch four position. She looks like a college player right now.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Talya did what she always does on Saturday, play with a huge motor and a big basketball brain. Arnold is the kind of player you have to account for on every possession whether she has the ball or not. I'm not sure anyone pursues missed shots on the offensive end as hard or as well as she does in Georgia. Whether it is with Team Elite Hubbard, North Paulding, or in an individual showcase like this one, opposing teams better know where Talya is and account for her. She is also very good slashing and finishing at the rim and is more than capable of knocking down shots on the perimeter when left unattended. She uses her elite athleticism to impact the game in a positive way on the defensive end swatting and altering shots as well as giving that same effort on the boards as the other end. Arnold is currently receiving interest from a handful of D1 and D2 schools. Her size, athleticism, and effort make her a no doubter on the next level at the right school. She is a high academic kid interested in the Dentistry field when basketball is done.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Bristol is a player I happened to see while attending the Wildcat Shootout for and with my friend and colleague Shayla Smith this June at Camden County. The long playmaker is a very smooth operator at the offensive end where she handles the ball with poise, maturity, and the occasional flare. Bristol is a quite, unassuming kid so the one-two dribbling combinations that are quick and leave defenders standing helpless can come as a surprise if you have not seen her play before. She is an old-school pass first point guard who is just as skilled delivering the basketball as she is dribbling it and her teammates at Richmond Hill are the beneficiaries. She can score from all three levels too. One of the most underrated players in South Georgia if you ask coaches that have to play her teams.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
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