Three of GPR 2014 Top 5 make it to state

ARIEL ATKINS

When you’ve been doing this as long as I have, certain things just catch my eye from some of these young ladies at an early age. A lot of people get excited over this or that however when you understand the basic concept of basketball at early age, you are ahead of the game and based on your skill level, it’s easy to determine if the player will be able to play at the next level however it’s their job to keep working and determine how high.

Duncanville’s Ariel Atkins is one player I can’t say “I told you so” because the first time I truly saw her was in her freshman season in high school, so I had to judge everything on that initial sighting. What she accomplished between freshman and sophomore told me she was legit and from that point until now has her in my Top 5. I tweeted she was one of the best players I have ever seen in GBB from Texas based on her Texas Invitational and Sandra Meadows Classic performances this past season. Any national Top 100 list which omits her isn’t complete and with her work ethic, there is no telling how high the ceiling will go at the next level

MACKENZIE CALVERT

Brooke McCarty has been doing amazing things since I saw her at I guess nine or ten and her poise on the court is what truly sold me on her being named “The Chosen One.” Anything that was lacking in her game was worked on and corrected during those young years and by the start of her freshman season at Clear Springs, she was already one of the top players in the city, period! Two things that I truly love from a point guard is their ability to make their teammates better and also the ability to take over a game. She can and has done both on numerous occasions.

Steele’s Mackenzie Calvert was such a hard worker on defense that the term relentless probably fits when I saw her in middle school. No matter what knock there was against her or what knocks she took coming around picks, she got back up and delivered time and time again. The defense was definitely there before the offense however when the offense did come around, it expanded to blow you away from a variety of ways and to say she has become a complete player is simply an understatement