Mason’s Top 20 Performers: Duel for the Dynasty
This past weekend in both Dallas we kicked off play in the Dynasty Region with the Duel for the Dynasty event. This is the opening qualifier for those participating in the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit, but we also had quite a few teams who entered the event as a non-circuit team. This event was the first Prep Girls Hoops AAU tournament that we have hosted and the talent in the gym really came to play. I tried to see as many different teams and players as I possibly could. I wanted to put together a list of the top 10 performers at the event but I couldn’t shrink it down under 20 players — and even that was hard to do. Below, I will list top 20 standouts that I saw at the event, regardless of class. Subsequent articles will touch on 10 players in each class that I did not mention in this article.
Paola Perez-Mendoza – 5’5 PG – 2021 – New Mexico D1 2022
Perez-Mendoza is an unsigned high school senior who really impressed this weekend against some of the talent that she faced. She’s a solidly built strong guard who penetrates into the teeth of the defense really well. She has a good floor IQ and makes those around her better. I was very impressed with some of the moves she made on the floor. She’s very talented with the ball in her hands. She has quite a bit of JUCO interest offers, but this is a scholarship kid waiting for her shot.
Tristin Keller – 5’8 G – 2022 – Platinum Basketball 2022 Bruce – Abilene Christian commit
I had heard a lot about Keller and was excited to see her this weekend and I was not disappointed. Keller plays with a lot of passion and energy which rubs off onto her teammates. You can see that Keller is outrageously talented but she’s the type of player to set her teammates up and make them look good. I thought she was one of the best defenders in the gym this weekend as her toughness makes her a tough player to move off the ball. She’s a really crafty and fun player to watch as she processes the game just so quickly.
Destiny Buerge – 5’8 G – 2023 – Team Tulsa 2022
When I think of pure scorers from this past weekend one of the first names that come to my mind is Buerge. She was on fire throughout the weekend and showed everyone that if she has any space she’s scoring it. She scored her 1,000th point as a sophomore, and in Dallas she made sure everyone knew she can score it. Buerge is one of those players that is just going to give whoever she plays buckets. It doesn’t matter who is opposite her, she has the confidence to rattle off shots from anywhere.
Lauren Smith – 5’5 PG – 2022 – TNBA Houston 2022
Smith wasn’t one of the highest scoring players in the event but she handled herself very well. It is never easy to play the competition that she did and she handled it really well. I thought that her ability to move the ball and set up the offense was really solid. She always competed too — that is a trait that I really like to see, even when your team is down. She’s going to be an asset to a small college’s lineup in the near future with how poised she is at the point guard position. Did I mention how hard she competes?
Aaliyah Henderson – 5’8 G – 2023 – Team Trae Young 2022
Henderson was one of the first players that caught my attention at the event this weekend. She was getting after it in the first game of the weekend and was ultra-aggressive with the ball. She’s a downhill player and was best this weekend when she hd the ball going at her defender. She is a heady player in the half-court as well where she made quite a few really nice plays. Really good motor and is always one of the most athletic kids out on the floor. She’s going to really start to turn some heads soon.
Mikayla Parks – 5’8 G – 2022 – Team Trae Young 2022 – Kansas State commit
Parks is a dynamic guard who is solid across the board in all facets of her game. She can shoot it, she can get to the rim, she’s a willing and good passer, and she just gathers steals like it is nothing. It seems like she is one step ahead of the game when she is on the court. Parks is always processing the game and you can see that she doesn’t get too high or too low as the game progresses. She impressed me a ton this weekend with her play and you can quickly tell why she’s a high major commit.
Makenna Shaffer – 5’10 W – 2022 – New Mexico D1 2022
If I had to pick one player from the weekend that had the gym buzzing, it was Shaffer. She was all over the court this weekend on both ends just flat out making plays. She’s a long and wiry athletic wing who can play any spot on the floor. She’s a player who can make shots through contact or hit a stepback 3-pointer. I lost count of how many coaches asked me how many offers she has this weekend. She has quite a bit of DI interest but no offers yet. I anticipate that changing very soon after her stand out play this weekend.
Maleighya Estes – 5’7 G – 2022 – Unity Basketball (WA) 2022
Estes was one of my favorite players that I watched this weekend. You don’t think she is going to do much and then she will go and score 30 points against you. She’s very unassuming but once you watch her it is easy to see her skill. She got to the rim and finished with ease this weekend but she didn’t score all of her points at the rim. Estes shoot the ball as well as anyone and in the game against New Mexico D1 it seemed like she could not miss the basket. Just a high level all around player for Unity who works her tail off.
Eris Lester – 5’9 G – 2024 – FBC Nightmares 2023
Say the word explosive and the first player that comes to my mind is Lester. You just can’t imagine the quickness and speed she has with the ball until you see her in person. She’s deadly off the bounce and if the defender lets her get even, Lester is just going to blow right by her. I was glad to see a lot of Lester’s game this weekend, not just her scoring ability. She’s a solid defender with quick hands and she has an underrated basketball IQ. Lester is going to develop and turn into a very good player.
Bailey Gilmore – 6’3 F – 2023 – FBC Nightmares 2023
Gilmore was intriguing to me even before she played as she stands at an athletic 6’3. Then you see her get on the floor and you can’t help but to think of the potential that she has. Gilmore is a very good rebounder and can actually turn and take it up the floor if needed at times. She’s a scrappy and overall very solid forward who is going to pick up a ton of college interest as she continues to develop. Gilmore is going to be a very good player once she becomes more confident in her ability to just let loose and play.
Mckenzie Mathurin – 5’9 G – 2025 – Oklahoma Swift 2023
Mathurin is another 2025 that stood out a ton at this event. If you saw her and didn’t know who she was, you would think that she’s an upperclassman. She plays with toughness, skill, and a solid motor. Crafty ball handling guard who can get to the rim at will and can finish in multiple ways at the rim. There is so much potential wrapped up in Mathurin’s frame that once she taps into her ceiling she’s going to be among the best in the country. She already has high major offers and as she develops that number will only climb. (Featured photo)
Logan Reed
Logan
Reed
6'1" | SG
Godley | 2024
State
TX
– 5’10 G – 2024 – Platinum Basketball 2023 Alexander
Reed was one of the most unknown and intriguing players that I saw all weekend long. She has a ton of length and strength in her frame. Reed moves really well on the court and is just so fluid with the ball in her hands. Reed has so much potential and it is yet to be realized. She makes the game look effortless on the floor and she makes it seem so much easier than it is. Once she realizes how good she can be it will start to really click for her. College coaches are going to start taking notice soon.
Rylee Verduin – 6’2 F – 2023 – Platinum Basketball 2023 Walker
Verduin is a very well built forward who can move really well all over the floor. When I watched her I thought she played the best in the mid-post but she can also handle herself on the low block or in the high post. Versatile forwards are hard to find and Verduin can play all over the floor. Very good rebounder as she doesn’t need the ball to fall off the rim to her for her to get it. She reads the ball well off the rim and goes and gets it for the rebound. Really high ceiling for Verduin as she develops.
Camiria Cole – 5’6 G – 2024 – South Arkansas Hoopsters 2023
I really enjoyed watching Cole this weekend play. She’s a really dynamic guard who can space the floor but I thought that she was at her best when she had the ball in her hands. Cole can get to the rim with it but can also shoot the ball well from beyond the arc. I thought that she looked very comfortable with the ball in her hands. Cole is a very smart point guard and showed that this weekend as she was scoring the ball all over the floor and was making others around her better.
Seleh Harmon – 5’9 G – 2025 – Team Trae Young 2023
Harmon is a very intriguing player who played excellent all weekend long. She’s a well built guard who can get to the rim and score but she also sets up her teammates really well too. She’s a great passer and was seeing some angles that not many other kids her age can see. She plays very hard and knows how to angle herself to get to the rim. Harmon has next level decision making in stretches where she’ll continue to get even more consistent with that. Really high level player.
Keeley Parks – 5’11 G – 2025 – Team Trae Young 2023
Parks jumps out at you quickly right as you enter the gym. She’s a 2025 but plays up with the 2023 group — which, by the way, has all 2025’s on it. She’s a long and lanky guard who had probably the highest ceiling in the gym all weekend long. Parks finishes really well at the rim with her long arms and has great body control going to the rim. Her length and size is intriguing by itself, but when you watch her with the ball you just can tell she’s high level. She’s a dynamic and high level player on both ends.
Leeschelle Sohappy – 5’5 G – 2024 – Unity Basketball (WA) 2023
Besides having a steller name, Sohappy is a stellar guard who can really shoot the cover off the ball. She is a guard who showed this weekend her craftiness and savviness with the ball. She’s a quick guard who showed the ability to score off the bounce and beyond the line. She’s a kid who has deep range so you need to guard her beyond the 3-point line. Really enjoyed seeing her play this weekend multiple times where she play outstanding each time.
Daizy Winningham – 5’10 G – 2024 – Pro Skills Oklahoma 2024
Before I even saw Winningham play I knew that I would be intrigued by her as she is such a long and athletic kid. I was more impressed than I thought I would be as soon as I saw her scoring ability. She’s a lefty with a pretty smooth stroke and will become even better as she gains confidence and strength. Winningham moves well laterally for her size on defense and multiple times was able to get into the passing lane and deflect the ball. I am excited to see where she is developmentally a year from now.
Brooke Bettis – 5’5 G – 2025 – EYG
Bettis really surprised me this weekend and played exceptionally well. If you didn’t know what class she was in you would have a hard time believing she hasn’t hit high school yet. She’s an extremely solid ball handler who has it on a string. Uses her shiftiness to create space for herself and is not shy about making plays for others. She is poised and smart with the ball for her age and you can just flat out trust her with it. she can score the ball as well making her an all-around player.
Gracee Cooley – 5’5 G – 2025 – Platinum Basketball 2025 Bodus
At a glance you wouldn’t think that Cooley was 5’5 with all the length she has. She has long arms making her really tough to score against. I was also impressed with her rebounding ability as she crashed hard from the guard spot. Cooley also showed me that she can score the ball at a good pace as evidenced by her multiple double-digit point games. She’s going to be a kid who will really blossom if she grows a few more inches and continues to gain strength.