Breaking down Aaliyah Chavez, Bella Hines AAU performance
Cy Fair Elite took the court in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday night in day two of the third Nike EYBL Session of the summer. Cy Fair faced Missouri Phenoms on ESPNU in a game with several high-level prospects with double-digit power conference coaches in attendance, including Kim Mulkey and LSU assistants Daphne Mitchell and Kaylin Rice.
The three top LSU prospects in the game all played for Houston’s Cy Fair Elite squad with Aaliyah Chavez, Bella Hines, and Ayla McDowell. Having watched the game, here are my thoughts on their performances in what was eventually an overtime loss, and what it means for them as prospects.
Aaliyah Chavez, No. 1 player
Chavez dropped 36 points and was clearly the best player on the court and in the country, but what’s new? The top player in the class was once again incredible to watch even with Missouri Phenom throwing double teams, traps, and denials at her. She was ball-dominant throughout the game by design and she was able to get to her spots time after time, utilizing ball screens and either pulling up for three or using her change of pace to get to the rim. Some of the shots were insane.
Time after time, she came up with the big shots to keep her team in the game. On a team with several top players, the amount of work Chavez has to do on the court is staggering, but it speaks to how talented of a prospect she is.
She’s a good passer, but there were times she was uncertain or did not hit the open teammate in time. She’s an awesome scorer who will continue to round out her game on both the defensive end and with her playmaking. Overall, it was just the latest outstanding performance in a long line of memorable outings from Chavez this summer.
Bella Hines, LSU Commit, No. 24 player
Hines had just one bucket in the loss, but I didn’t leave the game worried about her as a prospect. With how ball-dominant Chavez is, it’s difficult for anyone else to really get in a rhythm in these games. Hines hardly had any spot-up opportunities, with most of her scoring chances being self-created and tough shots.
As a scorer, I still believe in Hines’ ceiling, starting with her shooting talent which is immediately translatable to the next level off the catch. She has a lot more potential than she showed in this game, where the rest of the Cy Fair team was relegated to an incredibly low usage and hardly any ball-handling opportunities. She also had this nice pull up jumper to end the first half.
Ayla McDowell, No. 23 player
McDowell is a 6-foot-2 wing with a fascinating game. The length on the perimeter is particularly intriguing defensively where she had a few highlight plays and was able to really swallow up the wings of Missouri Phenom.
Similar to Hines, I think McDowell has more scoring potential than she showed in this game, but I’m particularly intrigued by her ability in the open court and in transition where she clearly has the ball handling and coordination to be a quality project that’s worthy of a top 25 ranking in this class.
The rebounding and overall physicality needs work in the coming year, but in terms of tools, she certainly has the potential to grow into her body in the future.
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