2017 DFW Elite Marchfest Tip Sheet
MALAY McQUEEN
MANSFIELD, Texas-After missing DFW Elite’s March Fest event the previous two seasons, it was truly great to get back out to see a variety of talent which I already knew would be hot and heavy. Zarielle Green (DFW Elite), NaLaysia Smith and Desiree Caldwell (SA Finest) and Charli Collier (Cy Fair) are among the top players in the nation and could’ve conceivably made the Tip Sheet however I went another route and looked for those that I hadn’t seen in a long time, hadn’t seen before or just had taken jumps in their games since I saw them last. The ironic part about this is that I saw over half of these players in middle school, including the above three, and just knew they were going to be special and of course, I was on the money so here you go
2018
Jada Peacock-guard (DFW Elite EYBL) Peacock was on fire when I caught a glimpse of her and I mean off the dribble, she was nailing the midrange consistently or just finishing with contact but her poise definitely showed as nothing flustered her
Taelour Pruitt-guard (Fly Swift) Pruitt has always been one of those point guards that could score and in a hurry, nothing has changed except the fact that those passes are even crisper and precise and she’s expanded her range
Keziah Dilworth-wing (Texas Elite 17U GATA) I knew she and her twin sister would be hard to handle when they were 10 and as usual I was on the money. Long and athletic always helps but Keziah’s ability to score multiple ways as well as the intensity she brings on both ends trickles off on teammates
Kennedi Taylor-guard (Lady Jets Platinum Elite) explosive off the dribble, handles ball under pressure, creates shot in traffic, creates for teammates, plays defense and just knows the game. Taylor can be electrifying on the court but when I saw her hanging in the air for baskets…….
Jamiya Braxton-guard (Bluestar) talk about scoring in bunches; Braxton put together some individual runs for baskets multiple times throughout the event. Solid guard that just finds ways to score
Diamond Morrison-guard (Austin Elite RFW) she plays the game one way, hard, and she does it throughout the game. That pull-up after stopping on a dime either mid or long range is hard to deal with but she also teases defenders with that first step
Queen Egbo-post (Cy Fair Premier) she was a D1 player after I saw her block what seemed like 100 shots in a game as a freshman, okay it was 10 but the way she did it caught my eye. Over the years, she’s added more on the offensive side, battles in the paint on both ends and plays defense inside and on perimeter
Lauren “Lolo” Davenport-guard (Pro Skills EYBL) I’m sort of speechless about this young lady, she was definitely a player when I caught her 4 or 5 years ago but that growth spurt elevated not only her game but where she’d land in college, she’s heading to Texas. Smart scorer that creates and can get her shot off whenever she wants plus defense has taken off, like her game
2019
London Scott-forward (UTLB) always hard to handle in the paint offensively, Scott not only showed she could face the basket and score and she also defended well on perimeter. I also liked her handling the ball under pressure as well as how physical she’s become
Mia Deck-guard (Cy Fair National 15U) I amaze myself and after reading what I wrote about this young lady three years ago everything came back. When I ask “who is that player?” it’s for a reason but Deck put on one of the best offensive performances at the tournament. Her ability to catch and shoot accurately from anywhere is something see, I love her ability to score in traffic and with contact
Malay McQueen-guard (Lady Jets Elite) long and athletic, brought heat on both ends. Can blow by defenders trying to guard her, plays passing lane extremely well and keeps heat going all game
Jaden Owens-guard (Cy Fair EYBL) it was a toss-up on who I was going to pick on this team until Owens did some fascinating stuff in the open court. She dazzled me with her ball-handling under pressure, the no looks on the money certainly caught my eye and just her ability to run the team and score when needed solidified everything I’ve ever said
Elizabeth Scott-forward (SA Finest Cee Lou) when you call a player “Great” Scott in the sixth grade, you know something special is coming and when I say you, I mean me and Liz put on an offensive show throughout the event. Initially a back to the basket player, Scott has definitely worked on her offensive game and can put the ball in the basket multiple ways. Still rebounds and defends, just completing the package
DEYONA GASTON & ASHLON”ACTION” JACKSON
2020
Arianna Smith-guard (Hitchcock Select) explosive guard you just can’t get close on, loved the midrange, long range or even what seemed to be out of range because that too was dropping. Loves to defend, speed is hard to handle
Deyona Gaston-wing (HTX Fire) oh my, she’s expanded her range as well as taking defenders off the dribble. At 6’3, she’s something to see as she is showing signs of playing multiple positions in college, all well and with that ball handling under pressure and ability to see the court, hmmmm
Laila Blair-guard (DFW Elite Dynasty) when my daughter tells me to make sure and catch a player, well I definitely listen and Blair was definitely a highlight waiting to happen. This young lady scored so many ways in the 10 minutes I caught her that at times I was speechless, great athleticism and energy on both ends
2021
Kendall Hunter-guard (Skyrise) I was sold when she was a 4th or 5th grader or whenever I first saw her and you can just see the maturity in both her and her game as time has progressed. She’s poised under pressure, can score at will and just loves to defend
Jada Malone-forward (DFW Elite Houston) another growth spurt has her at close to 6’3, she runs the floor well, handled the ball in the open court under pressure, great hands and footwork but I guess scoring in the paint with players hanging on you, while playing 3 years up is sport of impressive, no it’s huge but her upside is as well, it ain’t over
2022
Carleigh Wenzel –guard (SA Finest) though she was a 2020 and knew she had college potential but the acronym OMG seems to fit better. Long, can create her own shot which drops from 25 feet on in, scored off the dribble, just one of those players that’s on the verge
Ashlon Jackson-guard (HTX Fire) definitely one of the best in her class, she too had a huge growth spurt a couple of seasons ago and just looking at her play you’d think she was a seasoned HS star. Well that seasoning continues to marinate as she does so many things on the court quite well that it’s scary to think how good she’ll be by the time she’s in high school