Discovering Tennessee's Rising Basketball Stars

Back in grade school (unsure if teachers actually use this today), teachers would use a “word of the day” to help bring home a point to students when introducing a learning concept to them. The word of the day that came to mind for me today was discovery. As a scout, talent evaluator, coach, student of the game, fan of the game, I love discovering new talent especially when it comes to the state of Tennessee. Boys or girls, doesn't matter. When you witness someone who has risen above and brought something to the table, chills runs through my body. Why you might ask? Cause they are doing something that I love, representing the state, and we are all connected by the basketball DNA.   Last weekend at the Tennessee Expo event, there were a lot of girls who are now or will be discovered. Now people in their area might have already known about them, but the cat's out of the bag now. Multiple girls played their tails off to be seen and competed against some of Tennessee's best. Discovered? Absolutely. Props to them for stepping up and showing out.   Here are some girls who have jumped on the radar and will be looking to contribute to the Tennessee hoops scene real soon.      An 8th grader from Station Camp, held her own against competition and made some noise for herself. An inside out player who wasn't afraid to get physical and challenge others around the paint. She finished through contact, knocked down shots from the arc, was big on the boards, and competed in contests. She got a taste of what high school ball is going to be like and she looks primed and ready for when her opportunity comes. Solid kid with a bright future.     Dynamic 8th grade guard who was active on both ends of the court. Offensively, she got paint touches, was consistent from the arc, and facilitated the rock, hitting girls right in their shooter's pocket for easy shot attempts. On defense she was down and ready, going toe-to-toe with girls, battling, being scrappy. I loved how she was having fun and communicating with teammates out there. She brought a lot of energy and others were feeding off of her. This kid is going to be something special. Great size and a high basketball IQ, she's a sleeper that will be ready to compete day 1 on the high school circuit.     Solid wing who played fearlessly. She could shoot it from all 3 levels, but oftentimes was the aggressor, getting downhill displaying a nice euro move here and there on the way to the basket. She challenged low post players who tried to stop her from scoring. Defensively, she was always in the right position at the right time. When she was on the ball, she was low, with her hands out. When she was off ball, she was communicating, rotating in help and in denial spots. The kid had a solid outing and will be an important piece of the Mt. Juliet Lady Bears attack.     This kid stars in her role and does it well. High basketball IQ, she reads and reacts, making the right play. She could pull it from deep, finish in the paint, lock up on D, and pull rebounds down, boxing opponents out along the way. You can tell she has a great understanding of the game in how she moves on the floor, creating pace and space to help exploit the defense. She was solid in the screen game. The kid left everything out on the floor every contest she competed in. Solid kid who has a bright future.     Solid wing who is pretty freakin tough. This kid was out to prove she belonged as she looked to finish at the rim time and time again. Grabbing boards and going coast to coast, this kid was about her business, doing her thing, making a name for herself. I loved her tenacity. The way she hustled on both ends of the floor. She got after it on every position and definitely turned a lot of heads. Solid kid who is someone to definitely follow.     The kid can score it from all 3 levels, but it's the little things she does that stood out more than anything. A selfless ball player who is scrappy. She did a tremendous job boxing out even against bigger foes. She made timely assists. She was hustling for loose balls, active in double team situations, and just flew around in both 3v3 and 5v5 games. I loved her hustle and with that mentality she was displaying at the event, if she brings that to the Lady Rockets team this year, look for her to be a solid contributor. This kid has leadership qualities and I know girls will follow her just based on her example. Solid kid who hustles, plays hard, and is an exceptional teammate.

Back in grade school (unsure if teachers actually use this today), teachers would use a “word of the day” to help bring home a point to students when introducing a learning concept to them. The word of the day that came to mind for me today was discovery. As a scout, talent evaluator, coach, student of the game, fan of the game, I love discovering new talent especially when it comes to the state of Tennessee. Boys or girls, doesn't matter. When you witness someone who has risen above and brought something to the table, chills runs through my body. Why you might ask? Cause they are doing something that I love, representing the state, and we are all connected by the basketball DNA.