2027 Tip Sheet #NextUp50

First of all, I want to thank all of you for allowing your daughters to come out and compete, I’m one of the most unbiased and knowledgeable evaluators out here, contrary to what you may hear from idiots but think about it, I’ve helped hundreds get to the next level directly, thousands indirectly and my daughter has been playing at the highest of levels for years, so again, there is no me yet there was plenty of “YOU” out there competing at the inaugural #NextUp50 and I want to start off with the 2027 group, a couple of 2028 blended in and you’d never know but here’s their Tip Sheet

Marvinisha Norman-5’7 G/F (Power Basketball)

I don’t remember exactly what I wrote about her in the 3rd grade, evidently, some of my articles didn’t transfer over to the new site but nevertheless, I knew she had next-level potential and from what I saw she is going to create some huge problems because she’s so strong and athletic, she sees the floor and attacks and finishes like a seasoned high school player. I wrote ‘ups” and it has nothing to do with the delivery service yet she delivered over and over on time from mid to long-range as well, her ceiling is OMG

Lyla Delafosse-5’1 G (Houston United 2027)

Delafosse has a lot going for her right now but her upside is just through the roof because she plays within herself, doesn’t force anything yet finds ways to put the ball in the basket. She’s shifty with the ball, especially in the open court and when you have that and understand how to create your shot at this stage, you’re ahead of the game yet she also can put it on the floor and attack the rim and her smoothness just left me speechless at times because again, I know the formula and she definitely is on to something

Kamdyn Flora-5’6 G (Houston United)

Flora, did I already lock her in, I believe twice but they say that the third time is a charm but I already knew what was coming and I still know, but the most important thing is that she “knows” what she’s working with and is sending messages, directly n and telepathically. Her poise is beyond her years, I’m loving that stop and pop in transition as well as the pull-up jumper, this young lady understands how to create contact attacking the rim, and much of what she does, she does it instinctively which is something you can’t teach

Arielle Williams-5’6 F (San Antonio Aces 2027)

Williams crossed several counties to get here and I get it because she brought it in a variety of ways. She’s athletic and aggressive on both ends yet under control and watching her attack and finish after contact but she was another player that already understands how to create that contact, I can’t emphasize how valuable this is, especially at this stage but she also has a nice mid-range pull-up jumper in the halfcourt and can drop the “stop and pop” in transition. She plays defense baseline to baseline so that package is looking pretty good

Aliyah Woodard-5’4 G (Houston Fury)

Woodard uses her athleticism nicely, she understands how to create her shot and attack the rim as well as finish strongly with either hand. I used (ups) with her as well because she just elevates for rebounds, on both ends of the floor but her “never takes a play off” mindset stood out, she dives for loose balls and just never lets up defensively, and when she started mixing up her offensive skills, showing she could knock the midrange down consistently, that gave her numerous options on how to score

Lauren Hull-5’5 PG

Hull is long and athletic, I call that the base for a number of reasons primarily because that particular type of player falls into a much-needed category so watching her attack and finish from multiple spots on the court, including the wing as she sliced by defenders only to finish multiple ways including with contact. Her length also enabled her to deflect passes but she handles the ball and sees the floor, both under pressure and I enjoyed her decision making as well as watching her see the floor, oh yeah, nice jumper!

Bailey Burns-5’6 F (Just Play)

Burns has the right name because she definitely had the boards on fire but watching her finish in the paint is a very good sign. She has good hands and footwork, can finish that way yet her rebounding on the offensive end gave her some putbacks, not to leave out she can create her shot I love her upside because some of the things you can’t teach is the desire and she has that “you won’t outwork me” mindset already, I usually put parenthesis around things you can’t teach no matter what you may hear but at this stage, you’ll be hearing about her

Rileigh Good-5’4 PG (Texas Warriors Elite)

Good has some very GOOD handles right now and that, combined with comprehending the game falls into that BB-IQ category so picture this, she can go by defenders while being guarded tightly, under control with the ball, she understands how to run a team, like control the tempo and set teammates up for baskets because she not only sees the floor she can make the pass, all of this is still under pressure yet her poise under this pressure especially running the 1 tells me a lot

Amiyah Kinney-5’4 G (STX Skills, SA Lionlife)

Kinney is strong and she can finish with power yet she also rebounds with authority and can apply pressure on the defensive end. She already understands positioning and how to use her body, she also reads defenses and knows when and how to switch yet she also can recover quickly. Her ability to take defenders off the dribble was another bright spot that got even brighter after she showed numerous times that contact meant absolutely nothing as she finished

Rachel Roberts-5’0 SG (Lady Panthers)

Roberts brings a lot to the table and what she does, at her size, left me somewhat speechless as she rebounds on both ends, against taller players and she also finished on put-backs but she uses her body well, understands how to create her shot while being defended and knocked down the midrange consistently yet when she started dropping the long ball, I just smiled because she already gets it and seeing her play the passing lane numerous times and go coast to coast to finish, oh yeah, I definitely see it

Mackenzie Teuton-4’11 PG (Lady Panthers)

Teuton’s comprehension of, well everything, amazed me the first time I saw her and she can fall into the “prototype” point guard who controls the tempo and facilitates or she can be that “scoring” point guard” that can attack and dish, attack and keep it or just shoot it from just about anywhere but her knack for just making things happen so easily always is good to see in young players. She sees plays before they happen, she understands the situation and clock management and she is definitely going to be “one of the girls” trust me

Ebonie Chatman-5’3 G (San Antonio Aces)

Chatman is strong, her body is strong and she finishes strong but watching her power her way to the basket with not only ease but under control, and seeing her finish after contact had me thinking an “and one” waiting to happen. I love her battling for everything mentality and her numerous put-backs on the offensive end was one of many bright spots for me because I love #THROWBACK type stuff, add her on-ball defense to that. She also showed she could face the basket and score, love her upside

Sydney Marshall-5’4 F (Lady Panthers)

Marshall is just over the top in so many areas, she’s another young lady I sat with and listened to her evaluate players during on of her mom’s high school games, she coaches at Kinkaid. She told me she played as well, and I was fortunate enough to catch her a few months ago and I was really dumbfounded at what she already brings to the table like she commands and calls for the ball down low, many high school seniors on their way to college don’t do that, she’s vocal on the court, what I just wrote previously but her skill-set is solid, she’s a punisher in the paint and can score facing the basket but let me tell you something, big things are coming

Caitlyn Moyer-5’0 G (DC Queens 2027)

Moyer is one of those heady players that makes good decisions and plays within herself yet she can also handle the ball in the open court and make good passes either in transition or in set plays but she also can create her shot in the half-court, to either attack the rim and finish after contact or to get her shot off from midrange. She has good form on her outside shot, the shot is fluid and I also enjoyed her get after it on the defensive end but her upside and desire will add a lot more

Ma’Riyah Alfred-5’4 G (Cy Fair Elite)

Alfred just “set it off” immediately, maybe because I didn’t write about her after seeing her during the club season, I forgot her name, or maybe because she can just flat out play, I’m going with the latter because that first step, right now, is one of the best in the city, I’m talking all the way up to high school and seeing her use the floater “under control” and finish with it sold me again, yet she wasn’t done, her mid to long-range, her playing the passing lane and her smothering defense are all very good to have, oh yeah, the HEZ as well as the shake and stutter-step, wow

Isabelle Rodriguez-5’0 PG (Houston United 2026)

Rodriguez is one of the main reasons I was revitalized about hanging around a few more years, first of all, when I saw her playing up with plenty of confidence as well as not being afraid, I figured, yeah, a new breed is coming and her ballhandling is already solid under pressure, not to leave out she can create her shot. She will grow, she will get faster and stronger and with her BB-IQ, she is going to be hard to contain, archive what I just said because that’s the real

Brooklyn Wong-5’3 PG

Wong is a 5th grader as well and guess what, she can create her shot right now while being defended. I keep saying that’s huge at this stage, it’s HUGER when you can do it against older players yet it’s HUGEST when you knock shots down while being defended. The younger players played up against the 7th graders in games as well, none flinched especially Wong as she didn’t crack a smile and just got the job done, on both ends of the court. I can’t wait to see her progression yet I have a feeling on what it’s going to look like, very good

Victoria Walton-4’11 PG (TNBA)

Walton played up a few months ago and she did it against high school players and I was just glued to her every move as she attacked the “big girls” like she was the “go-to”, that’s something you can’t teach, she has solid skills in every aspect including handling the ball under pressure, seeing the floor, creating her shot and her doing two things I speak about over and over when I’m evaluation, she does things instinctively and she reacts to certain situations before they happen, you can’t teach this but she will be giving lessons