Saturday, November 15th. (Written by Coach Al, photos by Chenwrah Barnard)

The Girls Middle School Showcase made a stop in York, Pennsylvania to see what the area has to offer in terms of girls basketball talent. We came away very impressed and we are looking forward to returning to the area to monitor the progress of the players we saw. The event was co-hosted by the York Lady Raiders AAU program. I want to commend Coach Kevin Glover and his brother Kerry. It looks like they are dedicated to building a quality program and they truly care about the kids. All of their supporters and parents we met were very welcoming and we enjoyed our time at Hannah Penn Middle School.

We opened the doors for registration at 3:30pm but we had a nice sized crowd in the gym by 3:15pm. DJ Cashmire was in the place doing his thing and I was pleased to see that he was using vinyl, the sign of a true DJ.

 You could feel the tension and excitement building as the players started to fill the gym. The players received their jerseys and customary publicity photo and started to shoot around and mingle amongst themselves. By 4:30pm we were ready to begin. Coach Kerry Glover ran the girls through some stretching and warm up drills and then the 7th grade (2020) participants prepared to take the court. Each player was introduced to the crowd and then they met their coaches at their benches. Coach Missy Glass of the York Thunder took the Black team while coach Carol Durkee of the Columbia Ravens handled the White team.

 The White squad easily won the game because I randomly selected the rosters instead of relying on the coaches to give input.That's a  lesson learned the hard way for me. I thought the girls played hard and quite a few of them from both teams made a name for themselves, which is why we were there. The 8th grade game (2019) was up next and it turned out to be more competitive. Coach Mike Horton of the Baltimore Starz guided his team (White jerseys) to a 48 to 46 win over Coach Kevin Glover's Black team on the strength of a buzzer beating jumper from the corner by Kiyana Jefferson.

I drove back to Baltimore thinking that I had just witnessed some seriously talented players who are ready to make an immediate impact in high school programs. We had players from Maryland, DC, New Jersey and of course Pennsylania participate.Shout out to Tameka Addison for helping with the evaluations. We are looking forward to returning next year. Let's take a look at the players...

Sabria Royal, 5'9" Guard, Dallastown Middle School 2020

This looks like a franchise player in the making. Sabria is big guard with a nice handle and a slashing forward all in one. She displayed good mobility and agility and a nice mid range jumper. Her wing span makes her an above average defender who can guard the ball and deflect passes. She made some penetration and dish off moves that would make Rondo proud. Excellent vision and decision making.

Amanda Galentine, 5'7", Forward, Eastern York Middle, 2019

Amanda is strong player with some nice post up moves and footwork. She is a natural scorer with a nice shot. I was impressed with how she got her shots off in traffic.

Jayla Galbreath, 4'11" Guard, Southern York Middle, 2019.

Jayla is a GMSS veteran so she came prepared. Last year she was a crowd favorite because she was the smallest player on the court. This year she was crowd favorite because she was one of the best players on the court. Her handle put a couple of defenders on skates and her jumper was wet all day. She nailed some 3 pointers and pick a few pockets on defense as well. This was a great all around showcase for Jayla.

Alayna Harris, 5'9", Forward, West York Middle, 2020.

Alayna was very impressive. She is athletic with a healthy vertical that allows her to cause havoc on the offensive glass. She has solid footwork and she made a nice twisting reverse layup that set the crowd off. She is a serious threat in the paint.

Samantha Miller, 5'10" Center, Dallastown Middle School, 2019

Samantha is a solid post prospect. She has soft hands and can finish with both. She is a good rebounder and I saw step outside and shoot a nice  jumper. She will contribute right away to her high school program.

Kiyana McGill-Jefferson, 5'7" Point Guard, Lancaster Mennonite, 2019.

She said before the game to call her "Kiki" so that's what it will be. She is a pass first guard that sees the floor and makes good entry passes into the post. She brings a strong court awareness and she has good leadership skills. She helped keep her team in the game and when the game was on the line I watched her take over. Some players shy away from the game winning shot but there was no hesitation on her part as she delivered the dagger. Call her "Kiki" when you see her.

Sunshine McCrae, 6'0" Power Forward, East Pennsboro Middle, 2019

When She came in I noticed that she has the ballers name and the ballers look. I was happy to see she has the game to match. She is a strong rebounder on both ends and she understands help defense. She has a nice, soft touch and scored on post moves and put backs.

Ta'Shonna Wright, 5'7", Forward, Governor Mifflin Middle, 2019

Ms.Wright is a ridiculous athlete. She made her presence felt on defense with two emphatic blocked shots and a series of hustle plays. She is very active defensively and played although she was battling a bout of pneunomia.

Kaniyah Harris, 5'8" Guard/Forward, Walker Mill Middle (MD) 2020.

Kaniyah is one of the most sought after players in the DC area for the class of 2020. She has a nice pull up jumper and a nice array of finishing moves inside. She showed off a nice Euro step finish that we had not seen before. Another strong showing in her third GMSS of the year.

Ramazjah Ramsey, 5'3' Guard, Bel Air Middle, 2019. Along with her usual tenacious defense, Ms. Ramsey showed that can she score buckets as well.

Kiera Baughman, 5'2" Guard, Donegal Junior High, 2020. Strong, skilled combo guard that was deadly from 3 point range. She showed a nice midrange game as well. Great IQ and floor leader. Tremendous potential if she keeps developing.

Emily Durkee, 5'1" Point Guard, Our Lady of Perpetual Help(MD)2021. Emily is a 6th grader that held her own. This was her second GMSS of the year and she played very well. She has solid ball handling skills and showed off some smooth pull up jumpers. She really understands the game.

Marissa Sanchez-Henry, 5'1" Guard, Ellicott Mills(MD) 2020. Marissa is a great ball handler and she has some nice pull up moves. She can makes threes and her midrange moves keep defenders off balance.

Alexandria Hoffman,5'5" Guard, Spring Grove, 2020. Ms. Hoffman is a solid scorer. She showed some nice midrange moves, good ball handling and she can shoot. She made a real nice left handed finish.

Kirstan Gregory, 5'5" Guard/forward, Spring Grove, 2020. Kirstan is a tough on ball defender. She launched some long threes and moved well without the ball.

Gabrielle Coley, 5'10" Center, Dover Area Middle, 2020. Ms. Coley had a very impressive showcase debut. She was active all over the court, rebounded well on both ends and blocked shots. I love the way she runs the floor, beating smaller players up the court. Very energetic player with potential to be a strong contributor in high school.

Jaden Walker, 5'7",Southern Middle School, 2019. Jaden is a great athlete with an impressive wing span. Her long arms are an asset on defense and she has great lateral movement. She made a great block and had a couple of steals. She settled down late and made some shots too.

Lillian Harris,5'10" Center/Forward, West Middle School, 2020. This was Lillians second GMSS of the year. She is a strong rebounder and a good post defender.

Grace Day, 5'10" Guard/Forward, Lower Dauphin, 2019. Long and lanky shooter with with soft hands. Displayed good movement without the ball.

Rain Green, 5'3" Guard, Roland Park, 2020. Athletic guard that penetrates and creates opportunities for herself and her teammates. Showed off a nice step back shot this time out.

Sydney Lewis, 5'10" Forward/Center, The Mclean School, 2020. Sydney is a strong, athletic post player that scores in bunches. She is getting more comfortable pushing the break as well.

Aislyn Riggs, 5'10" Forward, Lake Elkhorn Middle (MD) 2019.This was Aislyn's third GMSS this year. She is a power forward with some post skills and she is developing nicely.

Jazmine Washington, 5'4" Guard, Meade Middle(MD), 2020. Nice guard that sees the floor well and made some nice passes. She made a nice floater and played good on ball defense.

Ellie Glass, 4'11' Point Guard, Spring Grove, 2020.  Ellie is a crafty point guard but she can also play off the ball. She moves well without the ball and has a nice form on her shot.

Aniya Matthews, 5'11", Center, Dallastown Middle, 2020. Excellent shot blocker who knows how to use timing and her length. She runs the floor well and finishes. She sees the floor well and made some nice passes. Tremendous potential here.

 Brooklyn Naylor, 5'9", Forward, 2019. Brooklyn was in the house for her first GMSS. She has good ball handling skills, good court vision and she made some nice entry passes into the post.

Morgan Winter, 5'4" Guard, Eastern Middle School, 2019. This was Morgan's first GMSS. She is a tough player that likes to mix up. She made some nice hustle plays.

Ellie Jones, 5'0" Guard, Dallastown, 2020. This was Ellie's first GMSS. She is a smart player that can shoot. She made threes and midrange shots as well.

Tian Addison, 5'4" Guard, Lake Elkhorn (MD), 2019. This was Tian's third GMSS this year. Fiesty player that can defend full court and she is perfecting her step back jumper. Another strong showing.

Tori Schrader, 5'9" Center, Lower Dauphin, 2020. Tori has good size and lenth. She is an active defender with a nice shooting touch.

 Haley Wagman, 5'2" Guard, Spring Grove, 2020. This was Haley's second GMSS. She has a very good handle with both hands and showed off her scoring ability this time out. Solid fundamentally with a lot of potential.

Dajahnae Brannon, 5'9" Forward, Camp Curtain, 2019. Ms. Brannon can rebound on both ends of the court. She is an exceptional athlete with a nice wing span which helps her defensively. She scored in the paint off put backs and showed a nice drop step move. Great upside here.

Aubrey George, 5'7" Forward, Red Lion, 2020. Aubrey is a skilled offensive player who showed some strong right handed drives to the hoop. She can also shoot the three. This was her second GMSS.

Treasure Valdez, 5'3" Guard, Holy Angels(MD), 2019. Treasure is a GMSS veteran. She is an active and affective defender who will attack the ball full court. She makes plenty of hustle plays every game and can score as well.

Ariyon Bailey, 5'6" Guard, Haddon Heights (NJ), 2020. This was Ariyon's first GMSS and she did well. She is a strong guard that showed us a nice drop step on a post up. Attacks the basket and gets to the line.

D'erra Townes, 5'8" Guard/Forward, White Oak Middle, 2019. This was D'erra's third GMSS this year. She is an explosive and gifted offensive player. She has a tremendous upside and should be a major contributor in high school.

Keeley Suzenski, 5'9" Forward, Fleetwood Middle School, 2019. Talented offensive player with good size. She has a nice mid range jumper and she attacks the hoop aggressively. Looking forward to seeing her again.