Best of the Best ’26s VI: Sophomore Seasons Loading

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this series we continue to take a look at the a few of the best 2026's in the state as they enter their sophomore seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["513236"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Thompson might be the best PG in the state regardless of class.  Pause for a moment and go watch her highlights on the @CoachGWilliams twitter page (Coach Williams is the HC at Trezevant in Memphis). I knew that she was a guard that put up over 18 points a game as a freshman, but I didn't know that she has some the best court vision of any HS guard I've seen.  Once she gets into the paint, its a bucket:  either she's hitting a floater, a creative finish, or a dump-off pass to a big that you're not sure how she saw.  She's just on another level!  Most of us East TN basketball fans simply don't know how good she is because of proximity.  Get online and watch her play, and you'll see while she's so high regarded as a college prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652afc5b2bd3d"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["513240"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Shirley is rated very highly in the state of TN as a 6'0 SG, but hasn't gotten a ton of attention playing for MTCS.  All you had to do though was pay attentionu002du002dshe was an TSSAA All-State Tournament Selection as a freshman this year, All-Region, and All-District.  Last season she shared the scoring load with Miss Basketball Nominee Jailyn Banks, but with Banks graduating, we are about to see exactly how talented Shirley is offensively.  She is one of the best shooters in the state, as her 6'0 frame gives her the ability to get shots up over just about any contest.  She also possesses a very strong lower body that helps her score through defenders in the post.  She was consistently putting up over 20 points a night (a season high of 32!) last season, and that number could easily jump into the 24 points range as she will be relied on score on seemingly every trip.  It's going to be a lot of fun to watch how Shirley is used offensively when everyone in the gym knows MTCS will need her to score.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652afc5b2bda4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["636391"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Dunn is an old-school PG with basketball IQ for days.  She was one of the best floor generals in the state as a freshman at South Gibson last seasonu002du002dbut she also a really refined scorer.  An incredible passer, she helped last years Sr [player_tooltip player_id='496310' first='Hallie' last='Allen'] become SGHS's all-time leading scorer last season.  She makes on-time, on-target passes that always give her teammates the chance to make a play. As a PG and leader, she helped bring her team to the state 3-A Final Four, and put up 16pts and 8rebs in a quarterfinal win vs Dyer County.rnrnShe already has experience playing, and experiencing success on the biggest state, and doesn't get rattled against vs defensive pressure or big moments. She's a leader who loves challenges. This season you will see an uptick in her numbers as she will be relied upon to do more of everything as MTCS graduated a ton of talent.  Dunn is a special player, and this season could be be coming out party.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652afc5b2be12"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["593347"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='593347' first='Chelby' last='Jordan'] is having her breakout moment as we speak.  She recently visited the University of Memphis, MTSU has visited her, and that's just a couple of the schools (she's already holding multiple D1 offers).  Her freshman season was phenomenal leading Dyersburg to the Glass House while bringing home All-District and All-Region Honors.rnrnHer scoring package is off-the-charts.  The moment she crosses half-court she is a threat to pull the trigger.  She will take and make shots from deeeeeep.  She also has one of the best pull-up games in the '26 class as she's able to get to her spots off the dribble and get into her release at lightning quick speed.  Using her high level athleticsm she's also able to get into the paint and get to her floater game or her finishing package.rnrnShe doesn't just impact the game as a scorer however.  Her court vision is also fantastic both in the half court as well as in transition.  And she is a disrupter on the defensive end.rnrnIf you enjoy watching high level PG play, go check out her clips @chelby_jordan and you will see exactly what I mean.  Jordan is a straight-up baller, and I think her stock will only rise.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652afc5b2be70"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["513245"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"I first saw Alber while watching the [program_tooltip program_id='792541' first='Southeast' last='United'] 17U team.  I knew they had one incredible freshman ([player_tooltip player_id='513233' first='Natalya' last='Hodge']) playing on the team....but I had no idea they had another in Alber. She is in touch with numerous D1s (UTC, Kentucky, etc).  Her stock is rising FAST as she had an incredible summer.  She has terrific physical attributes:  6'1, strong shoulders and lower body, elite length, and gets off the floor very quickly as a rebounder.rnrnBut looking past the physical tools, she just has an u0022itu0022 factor.  She plays with an edge to her that is fun to watch.  Hyper competitive, intense, and plays with a really high motor.  Look for her to have a HUGE season for Lakeway Christian Academy.rnrnAlready a game changer as a switchable big that blocks shots and rebounds, its her offensive game that has grown by leaps and bounds and has led to her sky rocketing up rankings.  When she catches deep, she has the whole bag of post moves.  Incredibly hard to keep off the offensive glass, she's an elite finisher at the rim.  She's developing a great mid-post, turn u0026amp; face game that allows her to pull from mid-range or attack the rim.rnrnu0026nbsp;","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["496295"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Wells put together a fantastic freshman season.  She legit took on a leadership role on an Ensworth team that finished 27-5, and was State Runners-Up in Division II-AA.  She was selected to the All-State Tournament team, along with her teammates [player_tooltip player_id='245351' first='Jaloni' last='Cambridge'] and [player_tooltip player_id='514123' first='Nori' last='Jamison'] (two of the best players in the state).  She already has several D1 offers (including Xavier).rnrnShe's a 5'11 u0022power guardu0022 that is at her best attacking the rim and using her high-level strength and athleticism to finish through, or, around defenders.  She knows how to use her strength to create an advantage in almost all situations.  You can also find video of her getting into u0022Barkley'su0022 off the dribble, which is super advanced for a '26.  She has really nice quickness, but more importantly, has some shiftiness that makes it almost impossible to stay in front of her.  She's great at initiating contact, and using the bump to create an advantage.  Once she becomes a consistent outside shooting threat, she's another kid that could skyrocket up the rankings.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652afc5b2bf0b"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Abbi Alexander","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Cannon County","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Team BWright","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Played on the loaded Team BWright '26 team, and is an elite shot maker.  Creative shot maker, quick release on pullups off the dribble, shoots at a high percentage from 3, nice float game with the skill to uses either had.  Her skill level is exceptional for a '26, and will certainly be playing at the next level as she's already garnering interest.  Expect her to play a huge role for this year's Cannon County team.  Big time scoring potential.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-652e98b0156c9"} /-->