2017 Battle at the Hive Tip Sheet
CHLOE MALONE ( Texas Adidas Elite 14U Toppings)
OKLAHOMA CITY-Oklahoma – The Battle at the Hive was definitely swarming with talented players and teams last weekend, in fact over 100 teams in eight different divisions got a chance to show what they could do in front of numerous evaluators in attendance. I caught quite a few players outside of Texas as well as many from my home state that I hadn’t had a chance to see before as well as some that definitely impressed me with their progression from the last time I saw them in action. Here are some of the standouts from the event
2018
Alexis Evans-forward (NWA Mavericks) strong body and finishes even stronger in the paint. Rebounds well on both ends, runs the floor and can defend. What really grabbed my eye was her explosiveness when she jumps and goes after everything
2019
Adrianna Carrethers-guard (OLBE 2019) she handles the ball extremely well, under pressure, which is very important and with an explosive first step, she creates many problems offensively. Sees the floor well and can knock down the long ball
2020
Jayla Brooks-guard (Cy Fair Shooters Rich) talk about progression, she was really good when I saw her a couple of seasons ago however she’s on the verge of big things. Attacks at will, can finish with contact and passes are on the money. Speed makes her hard to handle, especially in the open court
Kaitlyn Edgemon-guard (Breeze 19/20) I love players that play the passing lanes and colleges love big guards that can face the basket and score so that combo tells you something about this young lady. She handles the ball well and can take defender off the dribble
ISABELLA HIGGENBOTTOM (Arkansas Mavericks Elite 2021)
2021
Angel Scott-guard (Oklahoma Swarm Richie 2021) truly a joy to watch because I was sleepy when I got there but a 30 foot step back three definitely woke me up. Okay 25 footer but she did it again and again and watching her attack the basket with either hand for baskets as well as scoring with either hand on top of her ability to create her own shot pumped me up
Chloe Malone-guard (Texas Adidas Elite 14U Topping) so many talented players, it was simply a toss-up on who I chose this time but the second go around gave the nod to Chloe. She dives after loose ball and goes after rebounds but more importantly she does the little things that the average person who just looks at the score sheet would miss. Oh yeah, she can score a number of ways and I guess the spin move for an and one kind of sold me
Isabella Higginbottom-guard (Arkansas Mavericks Elite 2021) when I get up to go ask your name, I’m not doing it to just add steps on my Fitbit but this young lady put on one of the best individual shows of the tournament that I happened to catch. Another defensive oriented guard that can also block shots and handle the ball in traffic but trust me, her ability to create and pull-up on a dime and nail it is better than some D1 signees I’ve seen this class. She wants the ball down the stretch and when they say “guard when she steps across half court” well you better
Alice Stevenson-forward (OK Swarm Bluestar 15U) for the past three seasons she’s done nothing but work on things she needed to add to her game and with her athleticism, I initially knew she’s play at the next level somewhere however the package is steadily filling up as she’s adding even more on both ends so her upside is through the roof
Kennedi Watkins-wing (Midwest Select 2021) excellent timing enables her to block shots constantly and her ability to elevate will do nothing but help her game down the road. Scores well from 10 ft on in, rebounds and can handle the ball in the open court
Trinity Gooden-wing (Arkansas Mavericks 2021 Ludgood) long and athletic, she simply was one amongst many talented players I could have chosen for the tip sheet but she’s almost at the magic number, she’s 5’10 now and when you can defend inside and on the perimeter, play the passing lanes and on top of that, shoot the long ball, well …..
Trinity Nguyen-guard (Nike Pro Skills) showed me a lot in a short amount of time but she understands the game, created well and ran the squad. On top of that, let’s just say she’s a zone buster
Haylee Mitchell-wing (Oklahoma PWP 2021) she runs the floor well on the break, she gets back on defense, she also loves to play defense as well as rebound but her athleticism and energy level made things happen. Good upside
Raven Adams-guard (Texas Elite Fort Bend) I love watching this team, been watching them I guess 4 or 5 years and Adams just showed she was going to be legit whenever I first saw her. She had SWAG then and nothing has changed as she’s showing she’s a PG that can run a team as well as score from anywhere and her B2B2B threes silenced the opposing crown
2022
Modesti McConnell-guard (Oklahoma Lady Fire 2022) after opening night, the only note I put was “the package” because what she did is embedded in my memory. Unlimited range, that means she can and will shoot the ball from 30 ft on in, consistently but she also showed she could create off the dribble and either take it to the rim or pull-up for the midrange. Another big plus is that quick release and with her age, I can’t wait to see her over the next few seasons
Journey Armstead-guard (DFW Elite) love her first name because just watching her go completely off was worth the drive. Showed she could score from the outside which definitely created problems when she was guarded closely because she blew by defenders. Contact no problem; she finished like a high schooler and beyond
Samaya Smith-wing (Arkansas Mavericks) huge upside, very athletic and with her youth, she shows signs of being a game changer. Understands the simple things, showed intensity on both ends
Karley Johhnson-guard (Oklahoma Swish 2022) I love young guards that can handle the ball under pressure; she can do that and more. Mid and long range, check, but she also comprehends the game and does a good job at combo spot
Peyton Overton-guard (Skyrise) first impression sold me on this young lady, she loves to defend and plays passing lane well and on top of her athleticism, she’s fast, with the ball
Kennedy Claybrooks-guard (War Eagles) so many small guards stood out at this event and Claybrooks is definitely one of them. Good passer who makes the right pass to the right people at the right time
2023
Macey Mercer-guard (HG Elite 2023) talk about dazzling me with ball-handling, well she definitely did that and at 5’0, she is definitely in the #sizedontmatter category because she already knows how to run a team by controlling the tempo and when you can create for not only yourself but your teammates, that’s definitely a plus
2025
Keeley Parks-guard (Oklahoma Lady Thunder) That old saying “where there’s Thunder there’s fire” certainly applies here, wait, it’s “where there’s smoke there’s fire” either it fits because this young Thunder guard was smoking hot and let me tell you something, I was impressed when I thought she was a 2023 but as I looked down at the roster and I’m thinking, wow. I’m good at this, so you have to trust me when I say something about younger players and this young ladies “poise under pressure” and not being fazed is huge at this stage. She attacks well and finishes with either hand, the basics are there and her future is definitely bright