Junior Standouts at the TB Christmas Invitational

The Class of 2027 set the tone. Whether through clutch shot-making, defensive stops, or steady game management, these juniors showed they're ready for the expectations that come with the next level. College Recruiters were in the building and a lot of conversations were about the Junior prospects. Superlatives were thrown around like passes: elite, advanced, cold-blooded, etc. For Juniors, it was about now- and these players showed they ready for the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='742503' first='Alanna' last='Fabrini'] was flat out “cold” blooded on the floor and delivered a masterpiece in the semifinals. Fabrini had three ball working from all over the court. Her drives to the rim resulted in pull up jumpers or dimes to her cutting teammates. Fabrini was exceptional in the transition game where she got to the rim at will. Her defensive bag was just as impressive as she got steals and turned into highlight reels.       [player_tooltip player_id='214184' first='Jalynn' last='Belton'] played with grit on Day one of the tournament for mainly her grit on the floor. She didn't go crazy in the scoring department, but she demanded a lot of attention from the opposition and that opened up the floor for her teammates. Belton impacted the game in other areas. She led her team in rebounds from the guard position and led all players in the court with 5 steals. Belton didn't scorch the nets, but her efforts in all other areas were good, and college coaches saw the “push-through.”         [player_tooltip player_id='470397' first='Sariyah' last='Sabb'] delivered a strong performance with 3 threes, strong ball handling, crisp ball movement, and energy on the court from start to finish. Sabb was smooth with the jumper and she created shot opportunities by finding the soft spots in the defense, use of her handles, and her great use of head fakes and rips to the midrange area.   Sabb was a dynamic playmaker whether she was shooting, defending, running the break or making plays for her teammates.     [player_tooltip player_id='221602' first='Kori' last='Edge'] calmly delivered the dagger with a three from the elbow to seal the deal. Edge shot 60 percent for the game and was 2 for 2 from deep. Edge let the game come to her and didn't force the issue. She handled the ball well, handled pressure and made good decisions on the floor. The junior guard also impacted the game on the defensive end, securing 3 steals, and creating steals for others with her defensive pressure on the ball.     Jadyn Watts stood out with her ability to score in the paint as a guard, using craft and touch rather than forcing action. She connected on several threes, and ripped into the midrange for a few pull-up jumpers, showed a soft floater, and finished through traffic with composure. Watts played under control, made smart decisions attacking space, battled in rhe the paint for loose balls and rebounds, and displayed a versatile offensive game . Her ability to put the ball in the basket - from the perimeter as well as on the inside was attention getting. Watts was steady in the scoring department and her versatility showed - there were college coaches in the building who saw the potential and could project how effective the lengthy guard will be at the next level.        [player_tooltip player_id='243916' first='Victoria' last='Valle'] showed versatility with her ability to play the two and the one. She ran the point guard duties to the tune of 8 assists and countless other passes that set up teammates to score. Valle also knocked down 3 threes and pulled down 5 boards from the guard position. Valle and company are figuring it out and her versatility is a big part of the bigger picture. As a result, Valle “balled out” and was a standout.

The Class of 2027 set the tone. Whether through clutch shot-making, defensive stops, or steady game management, these juniors showed they're ready for the expectations that come with the next level. College Recruiters were in the building and a lot of conversations were about the Junior prospects. Superlatives were thrown around like passes: elite, advanced, cold-blooded, etc. For Juniors, it was about now- and these players showed they ready for the next level.