UIL-6A-Region 3 Elite 8 shaping up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Pearland and Shadow Creek advancing from last night, they've punched their ticket to round 3 yet another team, Hightower, was the game I wanted to check out because their first-round game went into overtime. The first half started slowly against Clear Creek but they turned it up in the second half <strong><em><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color"><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/-6qNT6sjEe6A1Aqb9tl3hA/_0f_iaskEe6A1Aqb9tl3hA/girls-basketball-23-24/2024-uil-texas-girls-state-basketball-championships-2024-girls-bb-6a-reg-3-and-4.htm">read more</a></mark></em></strong> and here are the standouts </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HIGHTOWER</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["206972"],"_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":"Bob did what she does and that was u0022found ways to put the ball into the basketu0022 so seeing her score attacking the basket with either hand along with finishing the same way, with either hand, took me back to catching her middle school. She also elevated on her jumper in the set, as well as in transition to score. Her :catch and shootu0022 from deep was nice and she played the passing lane","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["849952"],"_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":"Nerocker applied heat u0022on the ballu0022 in the set as well as in the open court yet she also saw the floor and made some tough passes look easy . She has a nice first step and finishes off the dribble after contact, solid body control helps plus she can drop the midrange with a hand in her face. Her huge 3 changed in the second half","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["385707"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Caver impressed me so much the first time I caught her at an Individual Showcase that I asked u0022what high school will you be attendingu0022 and she responded u0022I'm only in the 7th gradeu0022 so after that, I teasingly started calling her The Baby. I had to change that to u0022BABY NO MOREu0022 as she made the transition in high school easily, first with Hardin Jefferson and has been a huge key to the Hurricanes success since coming on board. She heady, runs the combo well but watching her create her shot from the wing and take the defender off the dribble and drop the midrange, after the lick was my u0022shot of the nightu0022 to see","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["855743"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Okeke grabbed my attention when I covered Cynthia Cooper and Sherryl Swooped tournament last club season and with her being relatively unknown combined with her size and frame, I figured she would cause problems early. She did just that at theu003ca href=u0022https://prepgirlshoops.com/2023/12/impressive-freshmen-stand-out-at-peggywhitleyclassic/u0022u003eu003cemu003eu003cstrongu003e Peggy Whitley Classicu003c/strongu003eu003c/emu003eu003c/au003e and has shown progression since then. She's moving more fluidly, even stepping outside the paint to defend, se does a good job inside but her rebounding on both ends, running the floor, on both ends and give a glimpse of what's coming with the u0022hands and footworku0022 has me smiling","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65cf48c847055"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CY CREEK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["597325"],"_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":"Hampton caught my eye last season, well she stands over u0022the magic numberu0022 and had a u0022college ready frameu0022 so that was a given that even a novice evaluator should know however I'm enjoying her u0022on the courtu0022 progression as she did a good job maneuvering inside the paint to score and letting the physicality affect her. She rebounded, on both ends, even handled the ball afterward yet her interior defense has gotten better and so has her timing to block, alter and (or) deflect shots","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["855744"],"_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":"Dickson took me back to yesteryear and I'm using a phrase that the old folks used to tell me u0022I knew you before you were bornu0022. Her mom and aunt used to play outside shooting basketball with my children when they were in elementary school and to be honest, I hadn't seen Mariyah since she entered high school and was even clueless on where she attended high school yet her poise handling the ball under pressure was definitely a plus for me, along with her seeing the floor in the set as well as in transition. She did a good job creating her shot for the jumper as well as attacking off the dribble","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"April Pettigrew","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Cy Creek","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Pettigrew did a job on both ends and showed she understands positioning which helped her outrebound taller players. Her defense was solid both in the set as well as baseline to baseline but she also played the passing lane a couple of times, I'm thankful for the announcer bringing that up because the camera was obscured in certain spots. She also attacked the basket from multiple spots and showed she could create her jumper","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65cf48c847168"} /-->