Texas 8th Grade Division Standouts #NBC22

I overemphasize the importance of this is more than just about winning games, it’s also about progression and I have been saying “I don’t need stats” I don’t care about LOGOS” and I certainly don’t care about who won a game because I have never had a college coach call and ask me “WHO WON” and keep in mind I started doing this after my daughter graduated in 2007

I look for players that can play at SOME level of the NEXT level, I also look at players that show promise and are on the verge of breaking out, and in theory, everything I say is SIMple yet in reality, I still get those stats but one more time, “it’s not what you do, it’s who you do it against” so I dropped some pretty talented players heading into high school on Prep Girls Hoops yet I got some more, wait, I have some more, a baker’s dozen

Emmy Caster (True Texas Hoops 2026 Blue) face is hidden but her game isn’t as she was a force inside the paint, rebounding on both ends and scoring around the basket plus, she played the passing lane

Callie Hall (True Texas Hoops 2026 Blue) solid defense both inside and outside the paint always grabs me yet she scored on putbacks and showed nice moves around the basket

Audrey Mitchell (True Texas Hoops 2026 Blue) size matters when you can play and her SIZE grabbed my attention immediately. She’s already over”the magic number” and showing signs of creating serious problems for defenders

Destiny Arinze (TX Platinum 2026 Bartlett) long and athletic is and always will be the base, I’m not a novice at this, and when you intangibles like “on the ball” defense and “playing the passing lane” that’s good yet she also scored off the dribble

Kamdyn Scott (TX Platinum 2026 Bartlett) also “long and athletic” yet she rebounded against taller players and showed some good timing on defense, to block shots as well as quick hands to come away with steals

Ashlyn Dacus (TX Platinum 2026 Bartlett) created her shot, under pressure, and dropped it, mid to long-range. She also showed she could not only score off the dribble but dish while attacking, in fact, she saw the floor well in the set also

Lilian Johnsoon (Lady Jets Elite) rebounded and went coast to coast countless times to score or hit her teammates on the money but on the flip, she rebounded and scored on putbacks, after contact

Jada Patterson (Lady Jets Elite) created her shot under pressure and showed elevation when releasing it so knocking it down with a hand in her face had me smiling, so did her first step which created some issues as she attacked the basket

Cara Collins (Lady Jets Elite) I wrote RANGE in CAPS so do I need to say more? Probably because she did even more like handle the ball under pressure and see the floor but she also did a good job defending

Aja Smith (Lady Jets Elite) watching her in the open court and dropping the “stop and pop” in transition was nice but she also used a variety of moves to attack the basket and finish strongly. She too showed good court vision

Cynia Williams (Lady Jets Elite) athletic guard that got my adrenaline going in the last game I covered on Saturday and that was not only her defensive pressure but dropping the step back 3

Jaiden Williams (Pro Skills 2026 Williams) off the dribble she scored, creating her outside shot for the jumper, she scored, she even battled in the paint and scored on putbacks, but guess what else, she played the passing lane

Leah Patel ((Pro Skills 2026 Williams) her deceptive first step got the defender to commit or had them off-guard yet guarding her was an issue as she scored off the dribble with either hand

For those who DON’T know, I’m the first person to COVER girl’s basketball in Texas, because the NATIONAL media didn’t do an adequate job, no matter what you think or hear, that’s why I write it

I have a daughter, a shade under 5’8 that had over 100 D1 offers, more than shoe teams combined, on an INDEPENDENT platform, she won a National Championship at Texas A&M and has played 8 or 9 seasons in the WNBA yet that doesn’t mean I know what I’m talking about

I know what I’m talking about because of the thousands of players I have helped get on the map and receive offers, either DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY so when I tell you something, I know what I’m talking about

Where I will be will always be HERE and if you don’t see it listed, that means I won’t be there. Prep Girls Hoops has a 2026 event coming up, as well as their Top 250 Expo plus I’ll be heading to West Texas again in October so these are perfect opportunities to showcase your skills and always remember #ThereIsNoMe