Pass Tha Ball #Next100 Duncanville 2027/2028 Tip Sheet
I have emphasized over and over that talent is everywhere, I started that phrase over 15 years ago arguing with NATIONAL media and evaluators about Texas talent being good as anywhere else yet as I’ve been told “my approach was wrong” and my response was “I ain’t playing golf” yet after countless holes in one, I got my point across and with players crossing state lines to attend this event, to say I was overly pleased would be an understatement so I’m starting my coverage with the babies who haven’t had a chance to play their first middle school game
2027
Nyila Botello-5’1 PG (DC Queens SA)
Botello made the “PASS OF THE DAY” yet she said she had never been to a showcase and wanted to make sure she was noticed and even though I notice everyone at events I actually cover she made it easy for me because she handles the ball very well, can take defenders with her eyes clothes, under pressure at that and she creates her mid to long-range with ease but she is one of those #sizedontmatter players that just brings “it” and her ability to see the floor at this stage is way ahead of her years
Nadia Jordan-5’3 PG (Team Jordan)
Jordan handles the ball well under pressure, she creates her shot the same way, under pressure and her midrange jumper was clicking yet she also understands how to create for her teammates, that’s big at this stage, well so is her first step which gives her numerous options on either attacking, attacking and dish or just tease the defenders and with that being said, she also applied some heat on defense
Yar’din Evans -5’4 F (Texas Flight)
Evans plays bigger than she is, much of that attributes to her desire to outrebound taller players, this showed on both of the floor yet she also finished strongly in the paint and I enjoyed her going completely of in the one on one sessions where she created her shot from the outside and showed a nice cross-over, which was under control and fluid
Tori Hines-4’6 G (Hines D1)
Hines is athletic, comprehends the game very well, and implemented much of what she was shown during the skill-session. I love her upside because of a number of reasons other than her being heady, she plays within herself and she understands how to get hers in the flow and that trifecta is big at this stage of her career, oh yeah, played so hard-nosed defense
Taylor Hines-4’6 G (Hines D1)
Hines is also athletic and I wrote “shifty” which takes me back to her handling of the ball under pressure as well as her body control when she attacks the rim. Yes, she finishes strongly but she also created her shot while being defended to either take the defender or the mid range, which is a nice 1-2 combination but she sees the floor and reacts well on the court
Terriah Taylor-5’5 PG (Hines Elite)
Taylor has athletic written in her notes from multiple segments of the event, including the one on one which she did a good job creating her shot and attacking the rim with power yet under control. Her upside is good because she thinks the game and just brings so much energy on both ends of the court, that’s something you can’t teach
Sofia Read (Texas Flight Elite)
Read has SDM which means #sizedontmatter because she definitely can play and watching her handle the ball under pressure in every segment was nice, especially when she showed the “HEZ” aka hesitation which had me leaning but she created her shot very well, either to attack or shoot the pull-up jumper and she did a good job of distributing the ball
Serenah Coleman-5’1 PG
Coleman is a heady PG that thinks pass first yet she did show she could score if needed but her ability to handle the ball and see the floor are good signs. I like her upside because she’s under control and doesn’t get flustered when heat is applied yet she did plenty of flustering showing she could play some heated defense , on ball, baseline to baseline
Charlotte Cavin-5’7 G (Pro Skills)
Cavin shows plenty of signs on being in the mix, first of all, she loves to defend, that’s one of those things you can’t teach but she also rebounds well and I’m talking “both ends of the court”. She can handle the ball under pressure, this enables her to attack the basket from multiple angles and she sees the floor well so she can either dish or keep it when she’s attacking
Carley Reyes-5’0 PG (SA Select)
Reyes handled the ball and saw the floor well and she carries that SDM but she also attacks the rim and finishes after contact, much of that because of her ballhandling which incudes the cross-over and a lot of it because she understands how to create her shot under pressure. Her upside is really good because she’s another one of those players that understands the simple things
Kayli Kellogg -4’11 PG (Lady Blue Devils)
Kellogg was spotted by me at Prime Time Nationals as I passed the court and saw her going completely off, attacking and dropping threes and she was one of those rare players I had to get their name. Her dad’s a D1 coach, she definitely has been watching but she played the passing lane, she attacks and finishes after creating her shot but she also defends and her upside is …….YES !!!!!
Naomi Johnson-4’6 G (DC Queens SA)
Johnson creates her shot very well, that caught my eye early in the event and the more I watched her, the more she showed as that creating of the shot helped keep the defender guessing because she could take the shot or just attack the rim and she attacked it strong yet under control to finish. She also sees the floor, even while being pressured
Ebonie Chatman-5’3 G (Lady Diamonds)
Chatman showed me a lot a few weeks ago at my #NextUp50 Individual Showcase and I guess she wasn’t done because she took it to yet another level and I loved watching her create her shot, especially when she did it and dropped the long ball, yeah she still attacks and finishes with contact, rebounds and defends but she has a nice mix of offensive tools that are going to help her do plenty of damage, the midrange was nice as well
Finley Murdock-5’6 F (Lady Blue Devils)
Murdock was a mystery player yet she definitely solved a lot of things on the court. I wrote “red head” after she dropped a deep one and then another and yet another but it wasn’t just that she knocking them down, she understood how to create her shot while being pressured. She also could attack the rim but she doesn’t force anything and plays within herself
Ibre’ll Morgan-5’0 PG (Beaumont All Stars)
Morgan is athletic, she falls into the size don’t matter, well it doesn’t when you can play and I love her ability to create, that as well as her upside because she understands how to get her shot off, either from the outside or driving to the basket plus she understands “how to play defense” and did a good job on that end
Ileiah Morgan-5’4 G (Beaumont All Stars)
Morgan is speedy, with the ball and her athleticism helped her maneuver through the defense in the open court, well that and her ball handling. She sees the floor, she attacks the rim and she also does a good job of getting hers in the flow but attacking the rim strong and under control numerous times was n ice
Jayla Robinson 4’10 G (SA Select)
Robinson created her shot well and I’m talking about doing it under pressure, this is something I love seeing in young players because it’s a good foundation yet she has some other things working well including attacking and finishing with contact as well as showing she could drop the long ball, yes she created that as well but her defense was definitely a good sign
Jazman Bailey-5’5 G (Team Jordan)
Bailey has several stars by her name, she gave me a glimpse of what was coming but she’s athletic and understands how to score in a variety of ways. Her poise under pressure just took me away several times but she can create the pull-up jumper or attack he rim off the same creating and she played the passing lane as well as dended strong. She has some serious upside, be ready
Journey Jefferson-5’6 PG (Mavs Elite)
Jefferson falls into that JJ line I use because she’s DYNOMITE and Good Times are coming, well for her, not defenders because she’s hard to handle now, this will only get better because she’s athletic and can handle the ball going full speed, under control and her body control, either attacking the rim and finishing after the lick or letting defenders fly by her on the jumper as she defies gravity. She’s mastering both the HEZ and FLOATA, drop the mic
Layla Flowers-5’7 F (Hunt United)
Flowers is athletic and created some problems on defense early, I saw that during the one on one competition which gives me a different view and she gave e plenty because she attacks strongly and under control, then during the five on five, she still defended and attacked but showed she could also create her shot
2028
Makayla Clarke-5’6 F
Clarke has “long and athletic” written by her name, first time readers, that’s the base I use in evaluating players, well one of them and I wrote “upside” by her name right by rim because she has “ups” and I guess watching her elevate in the paint kind of got me excited because she has BEAST written all over her game. Throw in she dropped the long ball and defended, I’m thinking a couple of growth spurts as well, trouble is coming
Khila Williams-4’11 PG (Pro Skills)
Williams falls into that size don’t matter group yet her athleticism and defense was strong, very strong. She creates her shot nicely under pressure and she attacks with either hand off the dribble but she also showed she could create her shot and knock down the pull-up jumper. She understands the game and just brings it over and over
Aliyah Prestridge-5’1 PG (BTR)
Prestridge is a Tip Sheet waiting to happen and to be honest, I don’t even have to take notes on her game, she attacks relentlessly, finishes with either hand, relishes contact and can drop the floater but she also is hard to deal with in the open court and her crossover can leave defenders cemented to the floor. She’s under control, she’s poised, her mid to long range is very good, she sees the floor and thrown pinpoint passes and she is nowhere near what’s coming