’24 All Eyez On Me 2027 Standouts
Fifteen from this group helped set it off and set themselves up for potential next-level play and many positioned for future PGH Top 100 plus additions
Sydney Hughes-5’7 SG (Palestine) is a “long and athletic” guard which is also the base and when you factor in her intangibles including rebounding and handling the ball afterward in the open court, at her size that is big but so her timing as she blocked some shots and played solid defense. She scored off the dribble, gave me the pull-up jumper, and just for fun, used the step-back
Kiera Walker-5’8 G (Allen ISD) grabbed my attention off the top with her intensity during the 1 on 1 drill and I’m talking both ends. That translated over to the 5 on 5 where she applied baseline to baseline heat which helped to create turnovers but she also attacked the basket strongly from multiple angles to finish. Her pull-up jumper was nice and she saw the floor
Destinee Sanchez-5’4 PG (Brandeis) offensive bag is filling up nicely as she used a deceptive first step to get the defender off balance which allowed her to attack the basket and finish. Her body control was nice and so was her court vision but in transition, she gave me the “stop and pop” jumper as well as a spin move to leave the defender. Her defense was solid and she played the passing lane
Shamiah Taylor-5’5 CG (Waco) is another “long and athletic” guard and let me place her in my “nightmare to defend” category. Her shake-and-bake will definitely need the defender to get some help and her being shifty with the ball in the open court to throw darts “on the money” from 25 feet or just pull up and drop the mid to long range was nicely done. She also saw the floor in the set, showed the step back, and played solid defense
Ava Josephson- 5’7 G/F (Orangefield) plays taller than her listed height, part of that is that she understands positioning to outrebound taller players but another part is DESIRE which you can’t teach. Watching her BATTLE for rebounds and loose balls gets the #THROWBACK hashtag. She set the defender up to score off the dribble, and even went baseline for the reverse but she also has good timing to block shots
Sophia Izadi-5’3 PG (Rouse) gave me a glimpse of her ability to score attacking the basket during the 1 on 1 drill as she’s crafty and sly with the ball in the set. Her slight HEZ worked in both the drill and the 5 on 5 games but her body control helped her finish after contact. She did a good job creating her shot and dropping the jumper plus her on-the-ball defense was good. Oh yeah, that step back “on the money”
Peyton Griffin-5’9 CG (Round Rock) has some serious upside because she is a big guard that can drop the jumper and overpower guards off the dribble as well as under the basket. Yes, she rebounds on both ends and scores on putbacks after contact but she’s heady and plays within herself understanding how to get hers “in the flow” Her ability to “make plays” in clutch situations is something you can’t teach
Addison Linton-5’11 PF (Westwood) is “long and athletic” and a shade under “the magic number” and she was so good at the #TJShowcase, I stopped and asked what her name was, yes occasionally I will do, that but she showed me a variety of ways to score both in and outside the paint, her step back is smooth and effective yet watching her rebound and staying WITH IT puts her in the “you won’t outwork me” group
Katelyn Olds-5’10 SG (Liberty Hill) continues to impress me as she can score in the flow or flip a switch and take over offensively. Here’s the kicker, she’s a big guard who can shoot the mid to long-range effectively, and next-level coaches love that, so do I but they offer opportunities. Her scoring off the dribble and completing it after the lick keeps getting better so does her court vision and “on the ball” pressure
McKenna Robinson-5’9 SG (Hamshire Fannett) did a good job across the board as she picked up things that were being taught in the skill session quickly and implemented them during the games. Her court vision stood out but she also set the defender up nicely to not only attack the basket and finish but create spacing and drop the jumper. Her “on the ball” pressure was another big plus
Emily Roman-5’9 SG (Cedar Park) stayed under control while being pressured handling the ball and showed she could make tough passes look easy, both in the set as well as in transition. She does a good job creating her shot and got it off with even more creativity but her attacking the basket from multiple spots, with either hand was nice. Her “on the ball” pressure has taken a jump and that heat was smoking at times
Audrey Richardson-6’2 F (Liberty Hill) ceiling has no roof and watching her turnaround jumper drives me crazy so I can only imagine what defenders are going through. She’s on the verge of mastering it and when you factor in her being “long and athletic” all bets are off. She elevates on her jumper and drops the midrange with ease. She scores around the basket and off the dribble, rebounds on both ends, defends, and plays the passing lane
Abbie Uzzell-5’8 SF (Flatonia) understands positioning and did a good job rebounding on both ends of the court as well as scoring around the basket, putbacks included. She’s strong and physicality is irrelevant as she was another player that plays taller than her listed height yet she scored off the dribble and showed she could not only defend inside the paint but apply “on the ball” pressure outside of it
Rachel Torres-6’0 PG (Vista Ridge) played strong inside the paint, well that may be an understatement because she went AFTA everything off the rim, on both ends. On the flip, she scored giving me a glimpse of the “hands and footwork” I love seeing yet her putbacks and moves inside in the paint were also nice. She attacked the basket from the wing to score and played solid defense in and outside the paint
Alli Maley-6’2 F (Rouse) I guess her being more fluid on both ends grabbed me immediately and her “on the court” progression is fun to watch. She definitely had the “hands and footwork” down to score with either hand but she did that inside the paint as well after rebounding and contact ain’t matter none yet she also showed the turnaround jumper which will be hard to handle. Her defense was solid, and so was her timing to block shots