2. Erica Donovan-Jay/TeamXpress(2011)- Donovan is another player that improved in the club season. Her TeamXpress club lacked a true elite point guard to compensate for it's very competitive schedule to Donovan's benefit. Erica faced some of the best guards in the country while shouldering the burden of handling the pressure of leading a Top 15 team. She is poised to lead her team back to a potential state trip. Her performance last high school season versus Wagner in the Regional Final was legendary. She is easily the toughest player in the city. She dominates high school games on both ends with her physical style of play. Donovan can play.
3. Arielle Roberson-Wagner/TeamXpress(2011)- The 6 foot lefty for the T-Birds still has tremendous upside. She is poised for a breakout year as the head of the T-Bird attack. She is one of the best rebounders and defensive players in the city. She expanded her game this summer to play more on the perimeter and her feisty competitiveness makes her a major obstacle for opposing teams to overcome.
4. Danielle Blagg-Smithson Valley/ South Texas Hoyas(2011)- Blagg status sky rocketed this summer on a national level. The 6 foot wing has a strong sturdy frame and great athleticism. She is one of the few players in the city with a strong mid-range game as she elevates and shoots like a boy. Her handle has gotten increasingly tighter. Her strong body and great leaping ability allows her to finish in traffic while absorbing contact. When going well, Blagg can hold her own against anybody in this city.
5. Ebony Watkins-Wagner/Lady Rohawks(2011)- No player increased her status as much as the 6 foot guard for the T-Birds. She is hands down the best slasher in the city. Her sleek frame allows her to touch paint constantly and her handle leaves many with sore ankles. The floater is a main weapon but her 3-Ball has vastly improved. Watkins has a quirkiness about her that keeps defenders guessing on her next move. Playing the point with her summer club has helped her decision making ability.
6(tie). Niaga Mitchell-Cole-Roosevelt-Lady Rohawks(2012)- Niaga is one of the best defenders in the city. She can play either guard positions with ease. Her handle, athleticism and body allow her to penetrate at will. She can stretch the defense with a decent 3-Ball. The only knock on Mitchell-Cole is that she is not selfish enough. Mitchell-Cole seems to be content on being a facilitator at times when she should use her vast skill set to take over games. She is the best player in the Class of 2012 in San Antonio. When it is all said and done, Mitchell- Cole has the ability to be a great one.
6(tie).Alexis Govan-Stevens/TeamXpress(2011)- Govan is the best defender in the city. She can guard 4 positions effectively. She had the opportunity to improve this summer by playing some point guard. While not a true point guard, she got better playing on the perimeter, which will serve her well at the collegiate level. Govan long and wiry frame is deceptively strong. She plays with and edge and backs down from no one. She is a proficient scorer when needed.
7. Shana Holmes-Southwest/South Texas Hoyas(2011)- Holmes gets buckets! She is one of the fastest basketball players in the city. She has the ability to take contact and score despite her diminutive frame. She shoots the long ball and touches paint with the same effectiveness. Hopefully, she can recover from a ACL injury to take her place as one of the greatest scorers in the cities history.
8.Chamaya Turner-Canyon/Next Level(2013)- The state champion in the shot put as a freshman is just as strong on the court. She is a beast! She punishes guards off of the dribble and finishes at the rim against taller defenders. She uses her body extremely well to score. She can hit the open jumper with regularity. If ever there was a young female Charles Barkley in the San Antonio area, it is Turner.
9.Asha Hampton-Finch-Roosevelt/South Texas Hoyas- Hampton-Finch has the quickest second jump in the city. This allows her to utilize her long frame to gobble up rebounds and influence shots on the defensive end. The majority of her points still come from hustle plays but this is an important year for her to establish herself as an elite scorer. Playing in a very controlled system, it is difficult for her to put up eye-catching numbers. Her putting up 8 points and 8 rebounds is the equivalent to putting up 12 and 12 at other places.
10. Destiny Amezquita-Jay/Lady Mustangs(2013)- Destiny is one of the brightest young players in the city. She can shoot it consistently from 25 feet. Her handle is tight enough to keep over aggressive defenders at bay but her strength is her major weapon. She is power forward strong with elite guard skills. What she may lack in lateral speed, she more than makes up for with I.Q. and toughness. When it is all said and done, Amezquita will average at least 25 points a game in a high school season. Let's hope that she fully recovers from a recent knee injury so she can fulfill her promise.
11.Taylor Calvert-Steele/DFW Washington(2011)- It is finally Calvert's time to be the one. She transitioned from the post to the wing last summer and exhibited an ability to knock down the open three. Her handle has improved and she has always been a tenacious defender. Calvert moved this summer to one of the Top 20 teams in the nation for summer ball and played with a high school All-American and a few other major D1 prospects. Playing with all this talent either raised her level to compete with the best or robbed her of the opportunity to carry a team . This season will see which was the case as she has to play a major role in keeping the Steele Knights as one of the cities best.
12.Erica Hernandez-Floresville/South Texas Hoyas(2012)- The sweet shooting guard for Floresville had a monster summer that included two D1 offers. Hernandez can score in a variety of ways. She can hit the open three and put it on the floor to get in the paint with ease. She is a scorer in the point guard body. She happens to play for one of the best high school coaches around and her ability is allowed to shine.
13.Elena Gumbs-Steele/TeamXpress(2012)- The quickest guard in the city is poised for a big year. The undersized point guard has a scorers mentality and will have plenty of opportunities to score this season. With the graduation of Meighan Simmons, Gumbs will inherit a bulk of those shots for the Steele Knights. Her defensive ability and high school system will allow her to lead the city in steals and score a lot of points in the process.
14. Shaneesha Clayton- Holmes/Sophia Young Elite(2011)- If Gumbs is the quickest guard in the city, Clayton is the quickest guard in the city with the ball in her hands. Her yo-yo handle leaves defenders grasping for air while trying to stay in front of her. She lives in the paint and finishes well in traffic. She has yet to show a consistent three ball but teams still have a tough time keeping her out of the paint.
15. Leslie Vorpahl-Churchill/SA Heat(2013)- I love smart and savvy point guards and Vorpahl fits the bill. Her skill set is very refined. She is one of the few players in the city to understand the importance of changing speed to attack defenders. Her handle is tight which allows her to make plays with her great vision and knack for setting up scorers. Vorpahl has not played a varsity game due to school of choice last season. She will show the city why she must be considered as one of the best we have to offer. She is that good! She reminds me of one of my favorite San Antonio former high school guards, Liz Boyd.
16. Chatavia Boone-Fudge-Southwest/SA Rebels(2011)- "Baby" is anything but that on the court. The 6'0 power forward owns the boards and is not afraid of contact. Her go to move is a drop step that utilizes her strong build. Her offensive scoring ability is limited to 12 feet or so but she makes up for her lack of range with good foot speed. Southwest has a dynamic 1-2 punch with her and the scoring machine, Shana Holmes
17.Brooke Allemand- Champion/SA Finest(2013)- The best spot up shooter in the city will open a lot of eyes this season. As a freshman, she led the city in three point percentage while playing off of the ball. She will be the head of a potent Dribble Drive Motion attack for Champion this season. She will be able to exhibit her tight handle and proficient mid-range runner. She capped off an impressive summer campaign by lighting up zones across the nation. For Champion to hope to duplicate last years success, Allemand will have to facilitate as well as score.
18. Ebony Easter- O'Conner/TeamXpress(2012)- Easter gets it done. She has played out of position in both high school and club ball. At 5'09, she has been played in the post but has been very effective in the process. She has great instincts and scores well over bigger defenders. She can knock down the 15 footer with regularity and can put it on the floor going right. This will hopefully be the season that she steps away from the basket and is allowed to grow into her college position as a guard. She reminds me of her club teammate, Alexis Govan in terms of development.
19. Kiarra Taylor-Jay/Lady Rohawks(2011)- After being one of the best on-ball defenders in the city for the last couple of seasons, KiKi found her niche as a scorer this summer. After a season with the South Texas Hoyas and a brief stint with TeamXpress, Taylor found the right fit with the Lady Rohawks. The constant pressing, open post and free shooting offense allowed Taylor to blossom. I viewed a few games this summer where she hit more than 5 three point baskets against major opponents. Her increased range has helped establish her as a scoring threat to go along with being a good defensive player.
20.Karissa Cantu-MacArthur/SA Heat(2011)- An unfortunate ACL injury sidelined Cantu for her last summer season. However, the very polished lead guard is set for a major comeback. She has a flair for the game with nifty passes and adept ball handling. She scores baskets in transition as well as being able to stretch the defense by knocking down open threes.
21. Sabrina Berry- Reagan/Austin Elite(2012)- She is better than a hand full of kids that I have rated higher than her. She was stuck playing JV last season due to transfer rules. Berry has a wingspan that does not stop and a first step to match. She plays a lot bigger than her 5'11 height. If she continues her terrific summer play, the Rattlers will have a tremendous season. She should be a Top 10 player come December when she has solidified her status on the Varsity level.
22.Victoria Villareal-Incarnate Word(2012)- The lefty shooter can play! Injuries have kept this strong guard out of the spotlight as one of the cities best. This season can be the year that she takes her rightful place.
23. Raven Reyes- Jay/South Texas Hoyas(2012)- "Rae Rae" is space eater. She controls the board with her 6-2 and very solid frame. Reyes has come a long way in terms of development and still has a long way to go. She has gotten more polished on the offensive end and has developed a solid go to move with the jump hook.
24. Mo Zuniga- Antonian/SA Roadrunners(2011)- Zuniga is as calm and collected at the point guard position as it gets in the city. She is more of a scorer than a set up guard but she does both well. She is one of the few kids who can knock down the 3 ball off of the dribble.
25(tie). Marissa Rodriguez-Reagan/SA Roadrunners(2011)- Rodriguez has gotten better every year. Playing for one of the best high school coaches in the city, she has grown as a facilitator. She has become a good leader to go along with her nice shooting range.
25(tie). Laquisha "LB" Brown- Judson/SA Finest 2013)- One of the most athletic kids in the city. The Dennis Rodman of the group. She out rebounds bigger opponents with great instincts, leaping ability and timing. She can score in the post and has extended her range to 15 feet on her jumper. As she continues to sharpen her handle, she will be a star.
Knocking On the Door:
-Two players that are easily in the Top 10 players in the city but not on the list are Recee'Caldwell(Johnson/SA Finest) and McKenzie Calvert(Steele/DFW Washington). Both 2014 guards have put in work on a national level and are regarded as two of the best in their respective class by numerous ranking/scouting sources. Both Calvert and Caldwell have gotten the better of numerous girls in the city Top 10 in head to head battles. Caldwell single-handedly outscored 5 of these Top 25 players while leading her very young club team to a victory over them this past spring. I would be very surprised if Calvert was not the leading scorer for the Steele Knights this season. Calvert, a Baylor commit, is a freak of an athlete and will feast on defenders this upcoming season. If petty jealousy and high school politics do not hold these two back, the sky is the limit. I did not rank them because they have yet to play in high school just as I did not rank Amezquita, Vorpahl and Turner going into their freshman seasons.
-Another young player that will shine this season is Wendy Knight(Reagan/SA Finest/2014). The big strong guard is a legitimate Division 1 player already. Knight can do it all, inside and outside.
-Aleeya Harris-(Jay/South Texas Hoyas)2013- Very athletic young post. Blocks a ton of shots and is a physical presence. May eventually choose volleyball over basketball.
-Ashley Bryand-(Smithson Valley/SA Heat)-Big strong forward with good touch around the basket.
-Ashley Ross- (Wagner/South Texas Hoyas)- Will open a lot of eyes this season. As physically gifted as an athlete as any in the city.
-Alison Salmon-(Smithson Valley/South Texas Hoyas)- If she can finally put it all together, Salmon will be a Top 25 kid. She can shoot as good as any in the city and can defend effectively.
-Carly Truesdale- (Churchill)- Effective young scorer with a good feel for the game.
-Claudia Gayton-(East Central)- Can flat out shoot it.
