2017 HoopersRUs MS Tip Sheet
HOUSTON, Texas- One of my favorite saying is that talent is everywhere , when you’re capable of recognizing it, and over the years I have definitely seen some talent not only from the Houston area and across the state of Texas but across the country while coaching my own daughter so when I judge players abilities, it’s usually done by comparing the “now” against some of the players I’ve seen during my 20 years of observing so when I tell you a player is a “can’t miss” I haven’t been wrong yet. The talent I caught from these middle school players had me smiling as in some sequences they were going against the older girls and let me add holding their own in many cases but I love watching players implement what’s being taught at these types of events and II always watch out for one thing, progression so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on these talented young ladies
2022
Endiah Lundy-guard- hadn’t seen her in a few months but that initial sighting showed me a lot. Huge upside, but she’s doing several things right now that are good to see, handling the ball under pressure, seeing the floor and finishing with contact
Alyssa Ruiz-guard- this young lady caught my eye three years ago and her progression over the years tells me a lot. She understands the game, plays within herself and definitely is ready to make the big play. Love the midrange and ballhandling which keeps getting better as well as her defense
Jaycee Hyatt-guard-already knowing how to put ball in the basket multiple ways, attacks from every angle and showed good range which had defenders guessing at times but she also handles the ball well and saw the floor
Gabby Nunez-Gaskins-guard- first impression left a lasting impression and definitely wants the ball in clutch and showed she could deliver. Creates her own shot, under pressure, while also showing both mid and long range ability
Caitlyn Panuco-guard- sold me months ago and I’ve seen her perform so many times during that span, against HS players that I see it and she gets it. She scores in droves, driving or from outside and that range just keeps getting deeper
2023
Tabitha Johnson-post- at 6’2 she’s already showing signs of dominance, good body, hands and footwork and loves to battle plus she finishes strong, she showed me all of this in April. Facing the basket more for buckets and igniting the break
Aarianna Masters-guard-goes hard baseline to baseline on both ends but playing defense the way she does now is scary. Dives on floor, battles for rebounds and wants to hold the scorer. Finishes strong on offense and can hit the jumper
Emma Ford-guard-I have another saying, size don’t matter when you can play and having a very good BB-IQ at this age speaks volumes. Saw the floor, made the right passes and handled the ball under pressure plus shot the midrange well
Mikaela Curtis-guard-I love players that never take a play off and Curtis is definitely one of them. Plenty of energy on both ends plays the passing lane and showed she loved to defend. Mixes it up on offense, hits the jumper and can attack from the wing
Keely Cummings-guard- some 3rd graders have really impressed me over the years and she’s definitely one of them. Knowledge of the game is better than some players heading to college, scores and defends. Makes right decisions and unreal upside
Dalanna Carter-guard-also impressed me as a 3rd grader, scores so many ways and that range keeps getting longer. I’ve already called her a #D1Lock and she definitely proved it over both days but she’s nowhere near the finished product, trust me
Sammie Wagner-forward-just under “the magic number” of 6’0 and is already showing ability to play 3 at next level effectively, colleges love big guards that can shoot and she can do that, inside and outside plus scores off the dribble and rebounds on both ends
2025
Mikah Comer-guard- another “size don’t matter” player that just had me smiling. Loved her energy and even though she was the youngest player in attendance she didn’t play like it. Loves taking defenders off dribble, showed she could score outside and with her youth and upside, she’ll definitely be enjoyable to watch over the years