’22 PassThaBall #NXTUp 2027 Class
One more time, TALENT IS EVERYWHERE, which is why I hashtag it over and over but these soon-to-be high school players are definitely on the right path. I dropped the Top Performers from the 5 on 5 games on Prep Girls Hoops Texas yet here’s even more from both the 1 on 1 as well as the 5 on 5
Lyla Delafosse-5’6 G (Just Play)
Delafosse is a long and athletic guard that brings it on both ends. She understands how to play “on the ball” defense baseline to baseline but she also has a first step that’s hard to handle. That enables her to get to the basket numerous times and she finishes strongly, after contact. She also creates her shot under pressure and knocks the midrange down
Aja Smith-5’4 PG (Lady Jets)
Smith showed her explosiveness in the 1 on 1 drill and her ability to get by the defender over and over spoke volumes. She has good body control but she understands how to use her athleticism on both ends of the court and her “on the ball” defense really stood out during the session, She has quick hands which enabled her to get steals over and over
Altiya Everett-5’3 G (DC Queens)
Everett also did a good job of scoring off the dribble, in both sessions and she showed not only good body control in both, but she could finish after contact. She’s athletic, on both ends, played good defense and her timing was also nice as she swiped the ball several times as well as made the defender pick up their dribble. Her midrange was nice and she showed she could get it off
Jordynn Ratliff-5’5 G (Drive Nation)
Ratliff was one of many players with an impressive first step, she used it in the games as well as the drill yet her UPS had me going because watching her not only rebound against taller players but score attacking the rim was very nice. She also created her shot and dropped it with a hand in her face, from mid to long range but her “on the ball” defense and playing the passing lane was equally impressive
Patience Simmons-5’11 F (Pro Skills)
Simmons is “long and athletic” and I say that’s the base over and over because, well it is. Her timing to block, alter, and (or) deflect shots is huge but what’s even HUGER is what she does in the open court afterward. She can handle the ball under pressure, well she does that after rebounding showing the “coast to coast” with ease but her finishes are nice and consistent, at times acrobatic and her midrange was clicking
Sofia Read 5’6 G
Read understands how to get the defender leaning ad her numerous ways of scoring off the dribble are ahead of her years. She can score off-balance yet her scoop shot has a nice touch and speaking of a nice touch, she can drop it from mid to long-range. I also see her ballhandling under pressure has gotten better, but her court vision and her “catch and shoot” had me SMH
Jazman Bailey-5’8 SG (Pro Skills)
Bailey will be a legitimate nationally-ranked player, no if and or buts about it, she is that good yet as good as she is, her desire to get better shows each time I catch her. She has that “turbo” in the open court while handling the ball that can leave the defender cemented to the ground but her ability to defy gravity both off the dribble as well as with the jumper will continue to be hard to handle
Nilah Esparza-5’3 PG (Texas Chaos)
Esparza is a heady guard that plays within herself and understands how to get hers “in the flow” and those small things turn out to be big in the long run. She handled the ball well while being defended and she also made good decisions when making the pass but her seeing the floor in transition was nice, and so was her attacking the basket to score or dish. Add that she understands how to “create her shot”
Janai DeJesus-5’4 PG (Hoop Society)
DeJesus is ahead of the game in so many ways that her upside is scary. She already understands how to create contact off the dribble, she knocks down the midrange with ease and she has UPS. She’s athletic, rebounds on both ends, and can handle the ball the length of the court while being defended. Her body control is nice, and so was her defense including “playing the passing lane”
Madison Webb-5’4 G (Texas Elite)
Webb is a heady guard that already “gets it” and her finding ways to contribute without the ball stood out. Yes, she scored off the dribble, created her shot from the outside, and knocked it down but she also did a good job defensively and beat her man to the spot several times to make them pick up their dribble. She also did a good job of forcing players into the trap
Kaylynn Quinney-5’9 G/F (Texas Flight)
Quinney was all over the place, yeah she went for loose balls several times but her diving on the floor gets the #THROWBACK hashtag. I enjoyed watching her get positioning to rebound on both ends of the court yet she also showed she could score off the dribble. Her body control on her finishes was nice, and so was her pull-up jumper but that “on the ball” defense definitely stood out as well
Abby Fuessel-5’9 G (Hardwood)
Fuessel and her twin sister made the trip from Colorado and both came for a reason. I loved the quick release on her jumper, she created her shot well while being defended. She also showed she could “catch and shoot” with accuracy, from mid to long-range yet her attacking the basket from various angles helped keep the defender guessing. She also showed good body control attacking the basket and solid defense
Shamya Johnson-5’7 G (Drive Nation)
Johnson is an athletic guard that scored multiple ways. Her first step set it up as well as off as she blew by defenders and finished strongly, at times using body control after contact. She also created her shot under pressure and showed she could knock down both the midrange as well as the long-range from DEEP. She also showed solid “on the ball” defense and played the passing lane
Jamyla Anderson-5’7 F (DC Queens)
Anderson did a good job of creating her shot under pressure and not only did she get it off over outstretched hands, but she also dropped it. She also dropped some other stuff, like an impressive spin move both in the set attacking the basket and in the open court. She has a deceptive first step and when she showed me she could create contact, I just smiled
Camryn Brown-5’3 G (Beeville Blaze)
Brown came in and off the top, she showed me the crossover going full speed. That is NOT easy, especially while being defended but her ability to get to the basket with either hand was nice. She was another player that already understands how to create her shot under pressure and while she knocked it down from the midrange, she also showed she could defend
Kiran Karundethu-5’4 PG (Lady Jets)
Karundethu had a variety of ways to not only get to the basket but score and her change of pace in transition was very nice. She also showed me the spin move, which always gets me going but her mindset of not only getting her shot off while being defended but knocking it down consistently was very nice. I love her upside, she handles the ball and sees the floor under pressure which is always good
Nadia Jordan-5’5 PG (Pro Skills)
Jordan is one of those players that fall into the “you won’t outwork me” category. She thinks the game, she understands how to set the defender up multiple ways and she does it instinctively, which has always been there since I first saw her. Yeah, she scores attacking the basket, and she also has a nice jumper, but her “on the ball” defense creates plenty of problems and when you go hard as she does, well that’s another problem to handle
Bailey Kimberlin-5’9 G (Texas Legends)
Kimberlin is long and athletic, I probably mentioned that is the base a few times because it is. She thinks the game, understands positioning, and did a good job rebounding but she also set the defender up on the flip with a deceptive first step to attack the basket. She finished after contact, she also showed she could defend both in the half court as well as full court, on the ball
Janessa Kuti-5’8 G
Kuti is another long and athletic player yet she’s also ULTRA athletic which will be a very big plus with her skillset. Her intensity level blew me away as she blew by defenders but when you play that hard on both ends, it usually trickles down to teammates. Her first step was very nice, and so were her finishes but her diving on the floor for loose balls added a different touch. She manned up and played the passing lane
Kate Fuessel-5’9 G (Hardwood)
Fuessel did a good job rebounding on both ends, yeah she gets the blocking out the right way and she finished strongly on putbacks and around the basket. Her defense was tough, both in and outside the paint and she showed she create her shot and drop the midrange consistently. She also did a good job attacking the basket and finishing after the contact
Gianna Velasquez-5’5 G (DC Queens)
Velasquez handled the ball and saw the floor under pressure, which was nice but she was yet another talented player that showed me a solid spin move multiple times. She reads the floor and avoids the trap, that particular move got her out of jams, but that move also was a go-to as she went to the basket with either hand and scored, with either hand. Solid defender with good upside
Sydney Hughes-5’7 G (TRUTH)
Hughes is a long and athletic guard that brought plenty of heat with her “on the ball” defense. She’s also strong and watching her attack the basket hard and finish after the lick was nice, and so was her creating and knocking down the jumper. She made good decisions and saw the floor, she even played the passing lane and rebounded
Charlotte Cavin-5’11 G (Pro Skills)
Cavin caught my eye in passing last season because she had an eye for passing. Well, that’s not all she had yet she’s added because the range is deeper, the pull-up is smoother and her HEZ in the open court JUST DID IT for me. She also drops the midrange yet she can mix it up and show the “hands and footwork” in the paint. She finished after contact, she also rebounded on both ends
Jada Patterson-5’10 G (Lady Jets)
Patterson is, you guessed it, long and athletic so her playing the passing lane and handling the ball in the open court was very nice yet when dropped the fadeaway banker, I was speechless. Her pull-up jumper is nice, the midrange is smooth yet she attacks the basket fiercely yet under control, and her finishes were equally impressive as she did it with players literally hanging on her back
Skylar Harvey-5’6 G (BIQ)
Harvey is an athletic guard that’s both strong as well as powerful yet when you factor in her comprehension of things, everything falls into place. She makes good decisions and doesn’t force shots or passes yet her on-the-ball defense forces turnovers. She moves her feet, and even played the passing lane but watching her score numerous times in the 1 on 1 while finishing after contact was more than solid
Zaria Howard-5’9 F (Team Lex)
Howard has the frame and doesn’t mind the physicality, either giving it or taking it. She plays within herself and finds ways to contribute, battling for balls off the rim is always a good sign, and so is scoring on putbacks. She also did a good job defending inside the paint, she set screens and rolled properly during the games and has some nice upside
Brooke Maupin-5’5 PG (Texas Legends)
Maupin did a little bit of everything that I needed to see and when you show me the HEZ as well as the COP, change of pace, in both the 1-on-1 and in the 5-on-5, yeah I get it because she definitely does. Her court vision was among the best at the event. so was her pull-up yet she scored with ease off the dribble and that gave her options offensively. To top it off, she played solid defense
Savannah Heihn-5’11 G
Heihn is long and athletic yet her intangibles add even more. Let me start with “she plays the passing lane”, I LOVE TO SEE THAT, but she also can drop the midrange both in the set and transition with the pull-up. She creates her shot and with her long first step, she attacks whenever she wants and did a good job of finishing after contact. She also has good timing to block shots, well alter them too
Kayden Herbele-5’11 F (Pro Skills)
Herbele understands the simple things yet she has the potential to be able to control games on either end of the court. That may be a bold statement yet when you know what you’re looking at, it fits because, on one end, she can score multiple ways in the paint yet she can also step outside and either attack the basket or drop the jumper. She defends inside the paint and rebounded strongly
Maci Pringle-5’10 F (DC Queens)
Pringle is yet another “long and athletic” player that showed me the UPS as she soared for rebounds and blocks yet also did it attacking the basket and finishing over players, using body control at that. She created her shot for the midrange, she played more than solid “on the ball” defense, and guess what else, she played the passing lane
Sandy Cortez-5’11 P (Tha Answer)
Cortez understands how to use her body inside the paint on both ends. I loved her lateral movement during the 1 on 1 drill, then she showed me she could only attack and finish after contact but with body control. During the games, she rebounded on both ends and ran the floor, on both ends but her putbacks as well as scoring around the basket were nice