GPR 2013 Tyrone Johnson Showcase Tip Sheet

MELINA MERRITT AUSTIN ELITE-BLACK

 

Austin Elite Black captured the title game in the Varsity Open Division with a close victory over the Houston Lady Roadrunners in a game that went back and forth and forth and back throughout the game. Not only was it a high powered game offensively as the young Roadrunner squad forced the upbeat tempo but the veteran AE Black answered every call and at the end of the game which closed out the tournament, 16 threes had been made, eight by each team. This game closed out the Tyrone Johnson Showcase and it did so with a bang as several stars shined even brighter while others emerged. Here is my GPR Tip Sheet

2014

Megan Badejo-6’1 post-Team Ichiban Genesis

Talk about stock rising, look at her height and when you see her body, you better get your pens ready if you’re a recruiter.  From where she was last season until now tells me she’s has been putting in some serious work and it showed as she helped her team make a successful run in the tournament. Her offense is coming around which is good because on defense she’s a force on the boards

Melina Merritt-5’7 guard-Austin Elite Black

She wasn’t the leading scorer in the tournament however what Merritt did in the championship game merits her a spot on the tip sheet. Down the stretch, she was on fire for AE Black and not just on offense. She created turnovers, dove for loose balls and tied up defenders twice in the closing minutes. She also took target practice, dropping several shots in the second half to thwart potential runs or create runs for her team

 

2015

Kennedy Harris-5’8 guard-Austin Elite RFW

This young lady is like that Eveready commercial because she stays energized on every play. As drained as I was, she revitalized me every time I saw her and she simply looks better each tournament I catch her in. She averaged double digits for the tournament and was her team’s leading scorer as she helped them to the runner-up spot in the top division and score is only one of the many weapons in her arsenal

Alexandria Gulley-58 guard-DFW Elite T-Jack

One of the missing pieces to the puzzle is almost one hundred percent and when Gulley is on, she can add so many things to her team. She showed flashes of the past as she creates well for herself and others not to mention the knack for being somewhere around the ball as she appears almost out of nowhere. Just watching her move effortlessly and gracefully on the court was enough to get her some pub, her game will speak for itself

Anja Martin-5’10 forward-TeamXpress

Being long and athletic is always helpful especially when you’re close to 6’0 and with her wingspan, Martin is definitely over that. She was also over defenders during the tournament and I’m talking about in the paint for rebounds or pulling up for the easy jumper. I like her footwork around the basket but even more importantly she showed me that she knew how to score on a variety of ways

 

2016

Brianna Jackson-5’6 guard-Houston Lady Roadruners

This is a very exciting young team filled with exciting players that can go off on a moment’s notice and to be honest, this young lady surprised me with how good she was. Wait, I knew she could play, the whole team can but she stepped under the spotlight and put up numbers all through the second half and did it again and again. She’s has a quick first step and a quick release, not to mention quick hands on defense so I guess that’s the quick version

Jakeria Ford-6’0 forward-Houston Lady Phenoms

There were rumors about this young lady that had me believing it was another urban legend going around however she has a chance to be a legend before it’s said and done. She’s strong and athletic enough to play and produce on some college teams right now, I love players that get after it on both ends no matter what size difference and she fits that. A few tweaks here and there and you’re looking at a high D1

Imani Robinson-5’8 guard-ATX Lady Phenoms

It didn’t take me long to recognize she was legit and this before she touched the ball. She’s intense on defense and elevates for rebounds not to mention the ability to anticipate very well. She can handle the ball after a rebound and ignite the break or just glide in for lay-ups ala coast to coast. I love her pull-up, it appears to be a smart shot, you know highly accurate. Didn’t see much of the three but why settle when you can make the high percentage over and over

Marie Benson-6’0 post-Waco Lady Panthers

Like that old song by another Benson, she’ll On Broadway, well under the bright lights of college basketball. I liked her lot last year and even more this year as she’s become more aggressive in the paint. She catches just about everything thrown to her and she overpowers defenders in the paint. She’s added facing the basket and scoring along with taking defenders off the dribble. The great news is she has even more time to perfect her already next level game

2018

Alex Castillo-5’4 guard-Katy Rebels-Howe

One of my good friends has been bragging about this young lady and I never really watched her but after seeing her this weekend, it’s going to be hard to keep my eyes off of her over the next few years. She pulled up on a defender and a hit 23 footer, then got a rebound, ignited the break and did it again and in case I missed the first two, the trifecta just so I’d know she wasn’t kidding. She loves the game, that shows by her enthusiasm and even though she can score, she loves to set her teammates up