Shane graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2004. From 2005-2007, he served two seasons as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Texas under Jody Conradt. Shane assisted the Longhorns' program in all areas, including equipment, camps, on-campus recruiting, and as an on/off-site practice coordinator for the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Tempe, Arizona native returned to his alma mater as an Assistant Coach with the women's program beginning in the 2007-2008 season.

Shane served as an Assistant Coach at the University of Texas at Arlington for four seasons under Samantha Morrow. He was in charge of all offensive strategies including transition, secondary break, and half court offenses and sets. He organized and coordinated the recruiting and worked on the court with the perimeter players.

He held the position of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Rice University under Greg Williams from 2012-2015. On the court, Shane worked daily with the Owls' perimeter players.

Shane began his work with Premier after having close ties to the PBR staff at UTA and Rice, as both schools were subscribers to the recruiting service. He and Joey Simmons have been familiar with each other for over 20 years through the club and AAU basketball scene.

• McDonald's All-American Committee
• Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors
• Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award through the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
• ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting and Top 100

I get asked quite frequently what I look for in players as an “evaluator”. I’m not much for “labels” I guess, because my experience is more than one who evaluates, but I understand the responsibility and influence that can come with the label, so I’m not saying I fight it either.  

First and foremost I’m a fan of the game and have pretty much been a basketball junkie since I shot my first shot at the age of five at Estrada Park in Tempe, AZ (you’re damn right I remember it..). So, early on, those are the eyes that I watch through. Who here loves the game? As I watch, simply who stands out? Why?  

I was fortunate enough to work hard, meet the right people, and spend 10 years coaching at the Division 1 level before working for Premier Basketball, so those are the eyes that I watch through second. I watch thinking about recruitment, different program systems, and potential of winning.  

Lastly, I watch through the eyes of an evaluator. Obviously, we now do the rankings and recruiting analysis for ESPN, so that is generally in the back of my mind at some point during the experiences at all of these events. We serve all levels of programs, so I am always thinking about “level” and potential based on class, age, etc. Finally, I evaluate based on the honor and responsibility of being on the McDonald’s All-American Committee and the Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors. (And now as part of the espnW content as well.)

A true “gym rat,” Jason has closely followed the DFW high school basketball scene for the last 20 plus years. He became involved with select basketball in 2007 when he helped found TEAM RISE, a developmental basketball program in Rockwall, Texas. Jason coached hundreds of players and teams ranging from 3rd grade developmental teams to high school travel teams, winning several leagues and local tournaments. Many of Jason’s former players are currently playing at both the collegiate and high school levels.

Joining the Premier Basketball program in December of 2012 allowed Jason to pass on his player evaluations to college coaches. Jason is a Premier Basketball National Evaluator, focusing on players from coast to coast all over the country. Jason lives in Forney, Texas and is the proud father of three: Alysha, Jaitlyn, and Jackson.

Jason is viewed as one of the most credible and vast resources in the country when it comes to player evaluation.

• McDonald's All-American Committee
• ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting and Top 100
• Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award through the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

I’m often asked what it is I’m looking for in a particular player when watching games. This is such an interesting question that I never know just quite how to answer. First and foremost, I’m a lifelong basketball head. I hear the word “evaluator” as the definition of what I do and sometimes chuckle because I’m more of a fan than anything else. I LOVE the game, l LOVE the lifelong opportunities the game represents & presents to so many young kids, and I LOVE the people that are as passionate about the growth of women’s basketball from the grassroots to professional levels as I am. When “evaluating”, the truth is I am watching to find out a player’s measurables (they DO matter), their athleticism (it DOES matter), their skillset (OF COURSE it matters), their IQ (the most underrated aspect of any player), and lastly their competitive feel for the game – which I probably value more than most. I’m watching to get a real feel for who a particular player truly is at their basketball “core”. The truly competitive players who value winning/competing with their team over individual stats and accolades invariably become the most productive collegiate and professional players. I also greatly value context – meaning whom a player is playing with and against, what (if anything) is on the line - it all matters to me. Please don’t take that as meaning I only value “high level” club games. I value a true leader attempting to overcome the odds while playing with an overmatched team just as much if not more. I certainly value High School basketball production more than most. Something Shane Laflin said to me years ago that always sticks with me and explains my basketball “values” the best in one phrase – “The game is played in fives, not ones”.  The players that play the games in “fives” particularly stand out to me.

Joey Simmons has been involved in youth and high school coaching for 47 years. He has over 2000 wins over the span of those 47 years. He has been married for 45 years and has three children and 15 grandchildren. His select basketball success includes sixteen National Championships as well as six National Runner-up Championships and four - Final 4 finishes. In five short years of coaching high school basketball he won over 127 games, with three Final 4 appearances in the TAPPS State Finals and two Elite 8 finishes.

In 2001 his Junior Olympic team traveled to Europe, representing AAU, to compete against European Olympians. The team went 4-0 in their travels around Europe. He is presently the owner of Premier Basketball Report, a national scouting service and runs the Premier Basketball Tournaments, which includes the Heart of Texas Showcase in April and  Super 64 National Championship Tournament in July. He is also formerly the Athletic Director and Girls Head Basketball Coach at St. Joseph High School in Bryan.

Joey Simmons is also on the  McDonald’s All-American Committee.  He is a representative for the State of Texas girls and serves on the selection committee of the McDonald’s All-American girls teams. Joey is also the Regional Director for adidas Grassroots Basketball. In just ten short years the Premier Basketball Report Scouting Service has become one of the leading scouting services in the country. Premier Basketball now is a Global Scouting Service that travels the world evaluating girls basketball.

• McDonald's All-American Committee\
• Texas Express, Texas Elite, Team Lex adidas Basketball Club
• Founder/Head Coach – AAU Girls Basketball Team – 1995-Present

Coach Katie Hensle has been coaching high school and grassroots basketball for over 20 years . In the high school arena she coached for 13 years, she led teams at John Paul II in Plano, Tx and Westlake High School in Austin, TX, to over 300 wins, two state final four appearances, three regional finals, and multiple district championships. As a club coach Katie worked in grassroots for over two decades, notably with Cy Fair EYBL, where she won Nike Nationals. During her time in grassroots basketball Kaite has coached highly elite players, having coached 18 McDonald's All-Americans, multiple Team USA members including an Olympic gold medalist, and four athletes who advanced to the WNBA. Currently, Katie is a McDonald's All-American Voter, Naismith Voter, and the head coach of Team Lex 17u 3SSB.

• McDonald's All-American Committee
• Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors