2024 Newcomers PGH Texas Top 250 Expo pt 2
To be honest, I’ve seen a few of these players once or twice as I was moving around various courts at different events yet at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo, I got an even better look because covering…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTo be honest, I’ve seen a few of these players once or twice as I was moving around various courts at different events yet at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo, I got an even better look because covering four courts with almost 20/20 vision is very doable to get a great assessment, well for me and here are some of the other freshmen that have shown progression or caught my eye before like Grace Riggs Grace Riggs 5'9" | SG Harker Heights | 2024 State TX
Morgan Weems-6’0 P (Marble Falls HS) @morganweems1
Weems size and upside has my attention, she understands the basics, plays within herself yet she also understands how to get hers even if she doesn’t get the ball and that’s usually battling for offensive rebounds and getting putbacks but she can finish, also sees the floor well which is a big plus at her size and to top that off, she rebounds well on the defensive side
Grace Riggs Grace Riggs 5'9" | SG Harker Heights | 2024 State TX -5’9 SG (Harker Heights) @GraceMRiggs11
Riggs showed she could not only handle the ball under pressure but create her shot under pressure and watching her get to her spot, 10-15 feet from the basket and make it consistently as well as taking defenders off the dribble and finishing after contact gave me a glimpse of what’s coming. Her ballhandling in the open court also looked good and she showed she could make the pass under pressure, she’s already in the PGH Texas Top 40 and there’s no telling where she’ll end up
Alex Rague-5’9 SF (Lago Vista HS)
Rague is another player with a lot of upside, first of all, she’s long and athletic and in case you don’t know, that’s the base and she’ll be able to build on that because of her energy on the floor. She reads the court well, she played the passing lane which helped get points for her team and she showed she the makings of a very good slasher because her first step is looking like it will be creating problems
Alyxa Martinez-5’4 G (Incarnate Word HS) @Sisterballers44
Martinez continues to elevate her game, I’ve been watching her for a couple of years and I definitely see the progression because she was going against seasoned high school players and it didn’t faze her. She attacked the basket, handled the ball under pressure, and even created her shot off the dribble but her defense against the older players stood out as well
Calyssa Sevier-5’5 PG (Lytle HS)
Sevier has been seen by me a few times in passing yet she showed she was the one that could do the passing and seeing the floor the way she did gave me a “prototype point guard” in the making look because she thinks pass first and sets teams teammates up nicely. She’s vocal yet she can also score and her ballhandling under pressure was helpful because it enabled her to create her shot or attack the basket
Rakiya Nelson-5’10 SF (Churchill HS) @Kiyanelson4
Nelson is another “long and athletic” player whose upside is very very high. She plays the passing lane, that’s always a good sign and she can handle the ball after the steal and with her speed as well as being able to handle the ball under control, that’s usually a lay-up waiting to happen but in the halfcourt, she can slash from the wing or straight down the middle and finish but watching her rebound and go coast to coast for baskets was nice too
Elizabeth Laurence-5’6 G (Rockwall HS)
Laurence had a solid event, showed a great feel for the game, and played within herself. She’s athletic and used it wisely and efficiently on both ends, attacking the rim offensively and applying pressure on the defensive side but she also created her shot well and had a nice pull-up jumper. She handled the ball in the open court and even if she wasn’t scoring, she found ways to contribute
Reese Cruise-5’9 SG (Valley HS)
Cruise didn’t cruise one bit, she came out showing she could do some damage with her shot and the mid to long-range was definitely among her strong points. She understands how to take defenders off the dribble, she creates her shot under pressure but as the games progressed, she showed me something else, the catch and shoot, with accuracy and that will come in handy throughout her career