Freshmen standouts from Texas Invitational
That old saying “the good thing about freshmen is that become sophomores” never made much sense to me but old sayings are dated, unless they come from me because at some point you have to use logic and if you’re…
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Continue ReadingThat old saying “the good thing about freshmen is that become sophomores” never made much sense to me but old sayings are dated, unless they come from me because at some point you have to use logic and if you’re doing something over and over, you should get better each season, no matter what classification. In the early part of the century, many high school coaches wouldn’t even put their freshmen on varsity, let alone start them however talent was also deeper and it’s useless in me trying to explain something from the past many won’t or can’t comprehend but this is the now so I’ll go with that. I spoke about Memorial’s standout freshmen Abigail Tomaski and Riley McCloskey in an article I did on the players from the McDonald’s Texas Invitational D2 and I also dropped Pearland Dawson’s freshmen backcourt TAKEAWAY on Jalayah Ingram and Kennedy Ford also from the D2 side and although I didn’t see Dalanna Carter (Barbers Hill) play but I know she went off based on some of the buzz and I’m not surprised because when I saw her in the 4th or 5th grade, guess what I said? #D1Lock and over the years her explosiveness off the dribble, her ability to create and shoot, from anywhere as well as her ability to run a team cements what I stated but here are some others
Brandy JonesBrandy Jones- 5’8 PG (North Crowley) the game starts at the one and no one would know she’s a freshman by just watching her. She’s poised on the court, gets to the rim whenever she wants and has a nice pull-up while being contested. Her ballhandling and passing skills were on full display and her upside is through the roof because, on top of everything I’ve said, she’s athletic, powerful and thinks the game
Chelsea Singleton-5’7 F (Cy Ranch) when you’re a starter on a squad with three D1 signees, you have to find ways to “fit into the system” and she is showing a different side of her game which will be huge in the long run. I saw her score off the dribble as well as the short jumper over the summer but her defense is standing out and she’s making the transition nicely
Gisella MaulGisella Maul-5’10 G (Cedar Park) another player I labeled “can’t miss” before middle school and it didn’t take long for me to know what I was looking at. She can score multiple ways, her long-range has expanded somewhere close to the timeline but her ability to play the passing lane are layups going the other because, with her length and athleticism, she can bring some heat on both ends of the court
Angel Tumberello-5’4 G (San Antonio Johnson) already one of the best long ball shooters in her class and she showed that during the club season but she’s adding even more to her offensive game. Ball handling and taking defenders off the dribble are solid but she’s creating her shot, under pressure and showing that she can knock down the midrange as well
Janae TuckerJanae Tucker-5’5 G (Dobie) made her first Tip Sheet after finishing the 4th grade and always remember “I don’t guess” so watching her make the transition smoothly doesn’t surprise me. The midrange is solid, attacks from every angle and her ballhandling and ability to not only see the floor but make the right passes continue to standout but her upside is definitely impressive
Ja’Shelle Johnson
Ja’Shelle Johnson-5’3 PG (San Antonio Johnson) one more time #sizedontmatter when you can play and my overused phrase “when you see JJ, Good Times are coming” as she adds to the list of players with those initials that are a hit. Her maturity on the court impressed me a few years ago and that has set the foundation for now as she attacks relentlessly, can score from mid to long and knows how to control the tempo and I’ll close with the game has and always will start at the one and she’s showing it