Alexa Middleton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) - Riverdale HS - 2014

The 5-foot-8 junior combo guard has grown her game leaps and bounds over the past year. With the graduation of Shacobia Barbee, Middleton is now the alpha now for a Riverdale team sure to start the season with a national ranking. Whether they finish with one and repeat as Tennessee Class AAA state champions will be largely based on the play of Middleton and if she can become the primary scorer that her skill set would suggest that she can be.

The two-time Elite Basketball Academy All-American showed the ability to make plays off of the catch of off of the bounce. Our Assistant Director of Scouting, Jonathan Hemingway @JLHemingway, noted Middleton’s willingness to talk on both ends of the floor as a sign of her progress. In one sequence, the sharp-shooting guard hit a hop back 3-pointer then followed that up with a hard denial of a passing lane, finishing the play with a transition jumper. Her overall growth has led to offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU and Vanderbilt amongst others.

Emily Eubank (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) - Oakland HS - 2014

'14 guard Emily Eubank.
*Photo by Ty Freeman.

Eubank is a joy to evaluate. She plays the point guard position with poise and consistency. To use a quarterback reference, the 5-8 guard can “make all the throws.” In basketball that means Eubank can make the open shot, hit the pull-up jumper off the dribble all while delivering her teammates, like Samford-signee Ellen Riggins, the basketball in a position where they can be successful. She has offers from the majority of the Division I schools in the state and after this showing, that list should only grow as more head coaches put their eyes on her.

Sally McCabe (Old Hickory, Tenn.) - Mount Juliet HS - 2014

In an age where the NBA is eliminating the center position off of the All-Star ballot, McCabe is a throwback. She’s a 6-3 junior center with the skill set to score with her back to the basket or face up and knock down the open jump shot. Her willingness to defend the lane is an area that she has shown continued growth in as she’ll be counted on to do just that at the collegiate level. In a late-afternoon matchup with fellow junior, Brooke Copeland, McCabe showed that she can compete with any post player in the Volunteer State.

Riverdale changed coaches in the off-season as Cory Barrett has taken over at the helm for John Wild. They have also added 2013 guard Tiffany Lewis as well as 2014 prospects Brandy Alley and Shaniqua Heard to the fold giving them a depth that they didn’t have last year.

Keep an eye on Christian Academy of Knoxville this season. They have added 2015 prospects Anna Hammaker and Cheyenne Hooper to go along with fellow 2015 forward Kelsey Naler.