2017 HBU Camps
ADHEL TAC, MARILYN NYAKUNDI & BRIELLE HAMPTON
HOUSTON, Texas- I had a chance to catch the action at both the Elite and Team camps at Houston Baptist University and there were several standouts from both events. Fresh off impressive Tyrone Johnson Showcase performances were Jaelyn Knight (Fury) and Marilyn Nzwiou (Lady Thunder) who were equally impressive this go round. Knight is the big guard that can shoot it from all over while the 6’3 Nzwiou’s ability to finish with either hand as well as step out and hit the midrange added more to my memory bank after seeing both players for the first time. Another player that simply left me speechless after an initial showing was Mary Nyakundi, one of three players from North Texas Lights out that were in attendance. Brielle Hampton sold me when she was in middle school while Adhel Tac is just one of those players that goes after everything and at 6’2, you definitely better bring it
Dez Pierson continues to show me a little something extra every time I see her, Danielle Davalos and Emily Vidal were both lighting it up from anywhere from half court on in, plus that step back from double D was clicking, while the improvement I keep seeing in Haleen Harris and Tamia Horton and I’m talking about since the beginning of the season definitely had me smiling. The always impressive Jaedyn Dunn which rhymes with “game starts at the one” has becoming more vocal but that explosiveness from her and Cassidy Howard add to their strong points and when you talk about range, Shira Patton was dropping it from “home on the range” but talk about taking it up a notch, well she definitely gets it. Madison Honea was one of the players that does what I love to see, play the passing lane and she also saw the floor well
JAELYN KNIGHT & MARILYN NZWIOU
Nyakundi gets to the rim and finishes strong plus she has range, Tijanae Simmons athleticism enables her to do more than just go coast to coast at will for baskets while Robbie Johnson never takes a play off, goes hard and finishes harder. Aubrey Adams showed good hands and footwork and could finish while Macey Braswell continues to drop midrange nicely. Kyra Meredith mixed up inside and outside but the talent on hand at the Elite Camp was definitely a great group of players capable of playing at the next level. Fast forward to the Team Camp where Rori Harmon stole the show but that’s something she’s been doing since I wrote about her heading to the 5th grade and she finally enter high school, just be ready
It’s one thing to be good and can score however when you add certain intangibles to your game, such as “making teammates better” let me drop this on you and I’m qualified to make statements like this, she is one of the top 2021 players in the country, no doubt. Finally got a chance to see Strikeforce, Hillary Broussard’s explosiveness continues to impress me while seeing Keirah Andrus in game situation for the first time was definitely a highlight of my day. Love her poise under pressure and her ability to make things happen couple with her youth will give her some options. Watching the stroke from Kierra Fuller is something I’ve been doing since she was in middle school and she continues to drop the long ball with the best of them