Triple D Still Fighting
BRIANNE JOLIVET
Okay let’s back track a little bit as I cover my bases on players and teams that attended the Houston Insiders Basketball Classic. I’ve probably mentioned over 200 players and broke down almost half of those so as I stated earlier, do the math on what I do and what you receive so next time you’ll know. I wrote on the blog earlier that Triple D was coming to the tournament and mentioned a couple of players, Kaylin Roher and Jo Ann Lira and how successful Clear Springs would have been anyway had “The Chosen One” not arrived in the article titled Roher Of The Lira.
I’ve written about 2017 players Kayla Owens and Marissa Banfield, Banfield in fact made my All Middle School squad while also being mentioned in the 2017 Players Ready For Anything story. I mentioned Erica Powell, Strong Class Developing For 2016, and most recently Mia Hayes (2015) who will be running the show at Clear Creek after this season.
This in itself tells you Triple D has a variety of players from various classes that I think will be among the next level players of the future. It also explains why Triple D almost pulled off the trifecta at the Houston Insiders Basketball Classic, winning the Varsity and NCAA divisions and losing to eventual champion DFW in the semifinals of the WNBA division.
Several of their other players also shined in the event. 2014 Angel Williams (Bellaire) not only put up numbers but was another one of the top three point shooters in the tournament. 2013 Toni Atkinson did a superb job on both ends as she gets ready to enter her final season at Spring and hopefully has a chance to help lead them to the playoffs. Another 2013, Jada Balou (Dekaney) showed that last years run may happen again as she will add extra firepower for the state finalis who lost two starters. Those three, along with Hayes, helped secure the NCAA win for Triple D while Powell, Banfield and Owens helped them do the same thing in the Varsity.
High expectations were running rampant for Triple D’s 17U team however the beginning of the end started during this seasons playoffs when 2013 Sydney Buchel (Seven Lakes) tore her knee up but will make a full recovery. To top that off, many were “SHOCKED” when another one of Seven Lake’s 2013 stars, Christin Inman, decided to part ways with the team back in April, Inman by the way is listed on most national Top 100 lists, something I said she would be prior to her freshman season, not bragging, just stating a fact.
BRIA GOODMAN
The other players on that squad could have lain down and folded after losing two key starters however if you read what I write and also comprehend my words, here it is one more time, “this is what separates basketball players from players just playing basketball”.
The Clear Springs duo received help this season with the addition of a couple of 2013 players, Bria Goodman (Episcopal) and Brianne Jolivet (Bellaire) not to mention the improvement of 2014 twins Caylinne and Corrine Martin (Langham Creek). Goodman has shown she has the ability to score from just about anywhere on the floor while Jolivet can not only control the paint on both ends but also hit the midrange jumper consistently. Both will play a big part in how far their high school teams go next season.
Speaking of big parts, the Martin twins, 6’3 Caylinne and 6’3 Corrine have to bring it for Langham Creek to contend next season. Caylinne is on the verge of blowing up, body and athleticism says it all while Corrine just needs to stay healthy for a full season as both could be hard to handle.