PoPoTV: Patosha Jeffery – Photography

Patosha Jeffery talks about how she accidentally got into photography, what it brings to MemphisGirlsBasketball.com and the impact her dad plays.

Amber Braxton (Houston) Transfers to State Fair

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Rodrea Echols 3 Point Skills Stand out at Elite 32 Summer Jam

Prospects Nation was in the gym checking out the talent at the Elite 32 Summer Jam in Augusta, GA.

Check out what they had to say about Overton's Rodrea Echols:


Rodrea Echols of San Antonio, Texas, was an offensive specialist this tournament. She is one of the strongest guards, physically, in the 2016 class and put on a shooting clinic from beyond the arc. She knocked down countless 3-pointers off the bounce and defenders had a hard time guarding her because she is so powerful going to the basket. Echols really has turned the corner this summer.

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Myah Taylor PG Skills Stand Out at Basketball on the Bayou

To give you an idea of the magnitude of this tournament, 268 teams were playing in front of over 300 colleges and close to 400 college coaches and scouts from all over the nation.

Prentice Beverly of  BlueStarMedia was in attendance at the Basketball on the Bayou in New Orleans, LA.. Check out what he had to say about Myah.

Love good PG play checkout 17' 5-8 Myah Taylor @BlueStarMedia1 #TeamBallN pic.twitter.com/KzcfXbSDgK

— Prentice Beverly (@PBevBallNPrep) July 24, 2015

Myah Taylor 2017 5-7 PG AL Southern Starz 2017
It's always good to watch good guard play and Taylor, from Olive Branch, Mississippi caught our attention.  At 5-7 she’s very athletic and does a great job attacking and creating off the bounce. Taylor finishes at the rim and has a nice midrange jumper as well as a sweet three point stroke. Taylor, a 2017 prospect, responds well to adversity. She did a great job navigating through pressure defense and involves her teammates.  Being a solid on ball defender makes it all worth watching.

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Memphis Area 2015 Class Signings

Please email popo@girlsbasketballtrainer.com commitments/signing updates and pictures.

Jaeylan Jones

Katia Polk

Phenicia Howard

Dianna Flippen

Jerica Isom and Dynesha Echols

Shaynece Clemons

Brittany Peoples

Carrie Hatchel

Andrea McElvaine

Oreona Brown

Alexus Bryson

Breounna Humphrey

Eryn Foster

Kendra Boone

Tierney Paylor

Taylor Hayes

Kierra Caswell

Mirrahkohl Johnson

Alaneshia Bullock

Jasmine Rhodes

Kendra Boone,  Ridgeway (Signed with State Fair CC)
Oreona Brown, Ridgeway/Memphis Elite-Williams (Signed Barton-Kansas CC)
Alexus Bryson, Ridgeway/Memphis Elite-Jones (Signed Barton-Kansas CC)
Alaneshia Bullock, Sheffield (Signed with Rust College)
Lyric Douglas, Overton (Signed with Kirkwood)
Dynesha Echols, Raleigh-Egypt (Signed with Arkansas Baptist)
Brenda Fields, Raleigh-Egypt (Signed with Walters State)
Dianna Flippen, Martin Westview/Lady Silver Foxes (Signed with Jackston St. CC)
Eryn Foster, Ridgeway (Signed with UT-Martin)
Kierra Caswell, Craigmont/Team Memphis Elite-Jones (Signed with Martin Methodist)
Shaynece Clemons, Greenfield/Lady Silver Foxes (signed with Jackson St CC)
Shanequa Foster, Craigmont/Volunteer State (signed with Tougaloo)
Abria Gulledge, HW Byers (Committed to Murray State)
Alexis Hamlet, West Memphis/Memphis Elite-Williams (Committed to Arkansas State)
Carrie Hatchel, Dresden/Lady Silver Foxes (Signed with Freed Hardeman)
Taylor Hayes, White Station/Team Memphis Elite-Jones (Signed with Motlow CC) 
Brynn Holden, Briarcrest/M33M (Committed to North Alabama)
Elise Holden, Briarcrest/M33M (Committed to North Alabama)
Phencia Howard, Munford (Signed with Shawnee CC)
Breounna Humphrey, Ridgeway (Signed with Walters State CC)
Jerica Isom, Raleigh-Egypt (Signed with Arkansas Baptist)
Mirrakohl Johnson, Arlington/Team Memphis Elite-Jones (Signed with Westminster College)
Jaeylan Jones, Bolton (Signed with Dyersburg State)
Jalisa Jones, Overton/Team Holmes (Signed with Barton CC)
Victoria "Torri" Lewis, MHEA/TN Flight (Committed to Ole Miss)
Rodneyshia Martin, Horn Lake (Signed with North Carolina Central)
Andrea McElvaine, Woodale/Memphis Elite-Jones (Signed with Rust College)
Lindsey Owen, Munford/M33M (Committed to CBU)
Sara Owen, Dyer County/Memphis Elite-Jones (Committed to CBU)
Tierney Paylor, Ridgeway (Signed with Central Arkansas)
Brittany Peoples, Greenfield/Lady Silver Foxes (Signed with Jackson St CC)
Katia Polk, Whitehaven (Signed with Southeast Missouri)
Kaylan Pugh, St. Mary's/TN Flight (Committed to Ohio State)
Jasmine Rhodes, Whitehaven/Team All In (Signed with Motlow College)
Emanye Robertson, White Station/Team Penny (Committed to UT Martin)
Lanecion Soward, Whitehaven (Signed with Shawnee CC)
Shayenne Stevens, Manassas/Team Holmes (Signed with Barton CC)
Alexyse Thomas, Horn Lake/Team Penny (Committed to Wright State)
Morgan Walton, Whitehaven/Team All In (Sign with Lindenwood University - Belleville)
Kourtney Waltson, Trezevant (Signed with Lincoln Trail CC)
Bailey Wilkes, MHEA (Committed to Union U)
Marcee Williams, Trezevant (Signed with Lincoln Trail CC)
Andrea Willis, Trezevant (Signed with Mississippi Delta)

Memphis Athletic Ministries Hiring 6 academic assistants for homework help program

Great job for college students who love Jesus and have a heart for helping boys and girls!

Start date: August 10, 2015

Hours:
• After school hours between 2:30-6:00 Monday-Friday.
• Approximately 20 hours/week.

Brief Overview of Position:
• Student assistant will be responsible for conducting MAM homework help program for all elementary school students.
• Student assistant will also be responsible for implementing reading interventions with students (materials and training provided).
• Student assistant is expected to set high expectations for students’ achievement.
• Student assistant is expected to create a safe and conducive learning environment and a joyful and fun classroom culture.

If interested in the position, please contact Ginny Windsor via email at gwindsor@mamsports.org or by phone at (901) 484-3342.

Jayla Hemingway makes Battle in the Boro All Tournament Team

Swish Appeal was in attendance at the 2015 Battle in the Boro event. They put together an All Tournament Team and Jayla made the list. Congrats!

Here's what they had to say about her:

Jayla Hemingway of TN Flight Silver (by Joe Fenelon)

Jayla Hemingway, 5-8, shooting guard, 2019, TN Flight Silver/Houston (Collierville, Tennessee) Hemingway is very advanced for such a young player taking a lead role on a team of older players. She aggressively attacks the basket but can also hit the perimeter shot. She still needs to improve her shooting percentage as it times she takes a high volume of shots to score her points. Regardless, this youthful talent can't be denied.

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Social Media Background Screening Is Real and Serious

I’ve been talking about this for the past couple of years at my Pre-Season Show Off Camp.

I am Twitter and Facebook friends with Memphis area players and I have to shake my head with some of the things that I see.

When college coaches are evaluating you to play for their college programs, they not only look at your basketball talent. They look for the type of person you are and social media is the best place to see the real you.

This week during SEC Media Day for football, Arkansas Football coach, Bret Bielema, broke it down on how he uses social media background screening and why.

Check out the video and article at PatoshaJeffery.com

Marneisha Hamer and Tesia Thompson stands out at 2015 Montgomery Basketball City Fest

This is a late post, but better late than never!!!!!

Back in May, Memphis Diamonds traveled to Montgomery, AL to participate in the 2015 Montgomery Basketball City Fest.

Ball'n Prep Girls was in attendance and this is what they had to say about Marneisha and Tesia.

Marneisha Hamer with basketball

Marneisha Hamer Memphis Diamonds/Kirby (TN) ’16 6-0 F has a nice high-post game with catch, turn and shoot abilities out to 15 feet.  Demands the ball in the low post, where she uses her fast and mean spin move.  Can face-up and attack off the dribble.  Good rebounder who runs the floor well.  Nice foot movement on both ends of the floor.  Has get-it-and-go coast-to-coast abilities.  Anticipates well.

Tesia Thompson Memphis Diamonds/Hamilton (TN) ’17 5-8 G is a slasher with decent handles, who is good off the dribble.  Loves/prefers to go left and cannot be denied getting to the hoop.  Once there, she finishes well.

Read entire Ball'N Prep Girls post

Nina Davis (Central) and USA Teammates Claim Gold

Proof that she brought home the gold. Proud of you Nina Davis. #SicEm pic.twitter.com/90O0sZq8JW

— Baylor Lady Bears (@BaylorWBB) July 16, 2015

Read entire Baylor story

Ask Po Po #13: What are the Requirements to be Academically Eligible to Play College Basketball? New Eligibility Standards start in 2016

View Ask Po Po #13 at PatoshaJeffery.com

Rodrea Echols shine at 2015 Big State Flava Jam

Blue Star Media was in attendance at the Big State Flava Jam. This is what they had to say about Overton's Rodrea Echols:

Another player we’ve watched over the years is finally on her final summer tour is Rodrea Echols.  The Memphis native has been playing up since a young age and her time has definitely arrived.  A 2016 “power” guard for the Sophia Young Elite, she has the attention and BCS offers that reflect the level of her game.  You would definitely categorize her as physically strong and playing with a maturity that is beyond a lot of her scholastic peers.  Echols doesn’t get the “college ready” banner quite yet with the need to find more consistency and a greater focus off the ball defensively.  However, at her best, she’ll challenge any backcourt opposition with her ability to create looks off the drive and the pull up.  The stroke and touch are there as well to necessitate a quick closeout creating a decision on the lesser of evils for defenders.

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MAM Hiring Part Time Coaches

Memphis Athletic Ministries will again partner with Up2Us, an accomplished, nationally-respected organization that supports youth development programs that use sports to improve the lives of kids across the country. We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the opportunity to hire seven (7) new coaches beginning this Fall. 

Coach Across America (CAA) is a program launched by Up2Us to provide the support needed to train and host highly effective coaches in sports and youth development. CAA’s mission is to lead the United States in training and supporting expert coach-mentors in the nation’s most under-resourced communities to promote health and nutrition, educational success, civic engagement, and positive personal and social development in youth.

Now we need your help! MAM must secure seven coaches by August 1st. In order to meet that goal, we need lots of help finding talented individuals who want to share their love of sports while helping kids learn and grow.  

General Position Information:

The Coach position will begin on August 1, 2015 and will end no later than July 1, 2016 (1 year commitment required).

Training will include an all-expenses paid training retreat to Boston, MA from August 14-18.

·         Coaches will work with middle school students 20-25 hours/week, typically during after-school and evening hours.

·         Salary: $10/hour for 900 hours during the one-year employment period.

·         Receive a $1,000.00 Award upon completion of the CAA program.

To apply: Please send an email to explain interest in this opportunity and include a current resume with 3 professional references to: Rajah Brown (rbrown@mamsports.org).

Please contact Rajah Brown at 901.461.6269 for more details.

2015 MAYB Tournament Schedule for This Weekend

Tori Sewell, Teal Battle, Jasmine Carson, Lanetta Williams and Jayla Hemingway standout at 2015 Run 4 the Roses

Premier Sports Group Media was in attendance at the Run 4 the Roses tournament in Lexington, KY.

Check out what they had to say about several Memphis area players:

2016

Tori Sewell, 5’10 wing, Memphis Elite-Williams (Arlington HS, Millington, TN) – Tori is a long athletic wing that shoots the three ball with deep range. She has the ability to attack from the wing, but also does a great job of seeing the floor and dishing off when needed. Low to Mid D1.

2017

 Teal Battle, 6’1 foward, Team Penny (Olive Branch HS, Memphis, TN) – Teal is an athletic forward that plays extremely hard. She plays outstanding defense and is all over the floor diving for loose balls. She is very solid around the basket offensively and is capable of shooting the mid-range. Mid to High Mid D1.

2018

Jasmine Carson, 5’8 guard, Team Penny (Central HS, Memphis, TN) – A very savvy guard with great vision of the floor. She did a great job of running the baseline and knocking down the three from the corner. Carson is an above average athlete and continues to get better each time we see her. Mid-Major prospect.

2019 

 

Lanetta Williams

Lanetta Williams, 6’3 post, Team Penny (Central HS, Memphis, TN) – Basketball runs through the veins of the Williams family as her dad plays pro ball overseas. The lefty post has big time athleticism and is fairly skilled. The potential upside of her game is what truly intrigues those that watch her play. BCS prospect.

Jayla Hemingway

Jayla Hemingway, 5’10 guard, Tennessee Flight 15u EYBL (Houston HS, Memphis, TN) – A strong athletic guard with good court vision. Hemingway does a very good job of getting to the basket by using her size. She rebounds the ball well and understands how to play in transition off of the rebound. Jayla is one of the more sought after players in the 2019 class and should be no stranger to coaches at the top BCS schools.

Check out the entire post

Lady Silver Foxes #2 at 7th grade AAU Nationals

Team members are:(front) #33 Alexis Anderson, # 00 Chloe Moore-McNeil, #11 Tristan Trevathan, (standing) #23 Kyla Taylor, #25 Madison Johnson,  #2 Yasmine Pankey, #32 Sadie Williams, and coaches Tory McNeil, Stephanie Williams, Cam Pankey, and Richard Trevathan.

The Lady Silver Foxes recently traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to represent West Tennessee while competing at the 2015 AAU 7th Grade DIII National Championships June 28 - July 3. The team brought home the silver ball after going 6 -1 in the tournament. They defeated KY Legacy Elite 47-27, OH Cincy Royals 54-19, TN Team Pride 57-46, IN Garden Sparks 62-42, OH Cincy Swish 51-36, and TN Trotters 45-33 before falling 39-46 to TN Team Pride in the National Championship game. The Lady Silver Foxes finished the spring/summer season with a 27-4 record.

Great Job Ladies!!!!

Memphis Adds Transfer Ashia Jones (Covington)

The University of Memphis women's basketball team has signed transfer forward Ashia Jones it was announced by head coach Melissa McFerrin, Monday.

Last year, Jones was an Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree as a sophomore at UT Martin, also garnering Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and OVC Female Athlete of the Year honors. The Covington High School graduate finished fourth in the country in scoring in 2014-15 with a 23.4 points per game average, becoming the third-fastest player in Skyhawk history to the 1,000 career point mark (57 games). She also set single season records at UT Martin last year in points (772), field goals made (287) and 30-plus point games (10).

The 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, Jones also tied the UT Martin single game scoring record last season with 44 points in a game against Murray State on Jan. 31, 2015.

As a transfer, it is likely Jones will have to sit out the 2015-16 season and will be a junior on the Tigers' roster in 2016-17.

"Ashia expressed a very strong desire to be at the University of Memphis," McFerrin said. "She saw an opportunity to compete at a national level and is fully embracing that challenge. Ashia brings a unique combination of defensive passion, competitiveness and scoring ability to our program. She understands our expectations. She is not fearful of the responsibility to produce for her team. She grew up in the shadow of Memphis and is excited to be a Memphis Tiger. We are confident she will be impactful and will continue to grow and mature on and off the court."

Named the TSWA Women's Basketball Player of the Year last season, Jones played her prep career at Covington High School under coach Dion Real. She helped her team to a 34-3 record and a state tournament quarterfinal appearance in 2012-13, the program's first state championship appearance since 2002. She was a Commercial Appeal Best of Preps honoree and was a TSWA Class AA all-state honoree.

The daughter of Wesley and Angela Jones, Ashia was also a member of the National Honor Society at Covington High School. With Jones' addition, the Tigers now have a full 15-scholarship roster. Jones will be the fifth newcomer to a Memphis roster that had no seniors last year. She will be joined by freshmen Milena Bajic and Brianna Porter, and junior college transfers Loysha Morris and Alexis Robinson.

Nina Davis (Central) and USA Squad Cruise to Win

Read entire article on Baylor's women's basketball site

Academics lure Ridgeway's Beasley to Illinois

From Commercial Appeal

Ridgeway basketball standout Brandi Beasley committed to the University of Illinois for all the usual reasons. She liked the coaching staff and she felt like part of the family when she took her official visit.

But the Illini can offer Beasley something that no other school can and that’s the main reason the senior will be playing basketball in Champaign starting in 2016.

“The thing that actually sold me is they have the top civil engineering program in the world,” she said. “I work out with (local AAU coach) Javonte Holmes and his father is a civil engineer and that’s what got me interested.”

On the court, Beasley has done a solid job engineering the Roadrunners’ up-tempo offense for the last three seasons. She was one of three AAA Miss Basketball finalists this past year after averaging 16 points, five rebounds and six assists for a team that won its first 26 games and was nationally ranked before losing to Arlington in the AAA sectionals.

She said her skills should translate well to college.

“I love the style they run,” she said. “They’re a fast-break team and a lot of their offense runs through the guards. They have high expectations for me to come in and play right away.”

Another area player who shouldn’t have to adjust her game to fit in is Central’s Miyah Barnes, who recently committed to UAB. Barnes stands just 5-3 but has the requisite long-range shooting stroke and skills the Blazers need.

“Not just shooting but coming in as a point guard,” she said. “They’re looking for me to be a leader and be part of a new beginning.”

Barnes, a three-time all-metro player, chose UAB after her recent official visit. She chose the Blazers after considering Louisiana Tech, Houston and Southeast Missouri.

“On my unofficial visit, it was just (things like) watching practice,” she said. “But then when I had my official visit, they made me feel like I was already on the team. We had a barbecue. ... I felt like I was part of the family.”

Barnes is the second area player to commit the Blazers this summer, joining 5-10 DeSoto Central post player Imani Johnson.

Arlington standout headed to Wake Forest

From Commercial Appeal

Arlington’s Raegyn Branch is as serious about her work off the basketball court as she is on. And she’ll be getting the best of both worlds now that she’s made her college choice.


Branch — a 6-2 post player who helped lead the Tigers to the AAA state tournament for the first time in school history in March — announced Tuesday that she has verbally committed to play at Wake Forest. She chose the Demon Deacons after receiving interest from Minnesota, Louisiana Tech, UNC-Charlotte and Seton Hall.

“They have a (good) medical school and I want to go into medicine,” said Branch, who hopes to be an orthopedic surgeon. “And it’s the ACC; there’s good competition, playing against a lot of the top schools.”

Wake Forest — which finished 13-20 this past year in a league that produced eight NCAA Tournament teams — will be getting a player with a nice game around the basket along with the ability to step out on the wing and the passing skills to find open teammates on the perimeter.

And with her decision out of the way, Branch will now be able to focus on helping the Tigers build on the successes of least season, which ended with a loss to Morristown West in the state quarterfinals that left them with a 26-10 record.

“It (the recruiting process) was fun,” Branch said. “At times, it was stressful to think about where I was going to go but I enjoyed it.”