Start, Stop, & Continue

There are a handful of coaches, business men, mentors and teachers that are of superb value to my growth personally and professionally. Alan Stein is one of those who does it the right way, which contributes to his success. So I thought I might share with y'all his most recent blog going into the new year.
Start, Stop, & Continue

Tear'a Laudermill

Pictured: left to right is Nebraska commit Tear'a Laudermill (2011 Ca) and ASU commit Arnecia Hawkins (2012 Az)


Just recently had a phone interview with Nebraska commit Tear'a Laudermill.
'T', as she is often affectionately refereed to is a dynamic, extremely athletic, fiery intense guard that has always been a steady at Arizona tournaments. So much so, most Sun Devil fans and locals were sold that come 2011 she would be sporting the maroon and gold. Tear'a is intensely fast and puts the ball on the ground in the full court at neck breaking speed and never lets up. She will challenge the help by beating them to the punch or finish over them with her great leaping abilities. She also can stop on a dime and pull up with a short jumper that is pretty and pretty consistent if the lane closes. Her length and athleticism allows her to maneuver around defenders with her dribble and steps without slowing down. Her game is transitional, & offensively explosive.

TRIFECABASKETBALL: "When did Nebraska come into the picture?"
TL: "It was actually Nebraska that first showed interest then ASU."

Tear'a had mentioned that with all the time she had spent on the ASU campus coming out here for tournaments, she became really attached and focused her recruiting on ASU and put Nebraska on the back burner.

TRIFECTABASKETBALL: "What was it that most pulled you to choose Nebraska?"
TL: "My family and I are very religious. We spent a lot of time praying. We sat down, did research on their history, record, other guards being recruited, and I had a good relationship with Coach Yori."

TRIFECTABASKETBALL: "What best describes what kind of player you are?"
TL: "Motivator, I love motivating my teammates, clapping and encouraging them. I run with my teammates who are running because they are in trouble or something."

Tear'a who was also recruited by Louisville, Vanderbilt, ASU, and KU didn't seriously start playing basketball till 12yrs old. Soon got involved with NJB then travel ball. Her dad played basketball for University of California Riverside and her brother is currently playing at Cal. State San Bernardino. She says her motivation for putting time in the gym is that she knows somewhere there is someone working as hard or harder. She told me that when she gets to Nebraska her focus is to be in the right mindset and make sure her grades are on point.

A New Number One

On 12/22/10 In Chandler Arizona Brea Olinda was crowned Queen of the Hardwood, overcoming a double OT game against a very good Bollingbrook, and handling biz against a dynamic Long Beach Poly. In the end they outshined the most glimmering of opponents, taking a huge step to win the most coveted of prizes, a national championship. Recently I was asked on a message board, "Are they as good as advertised?". So you might ask how do they do it. They don't out flash anyone at any position. Justine Hartman is their most skilled position player but they don't get it done by being better skilled or trying to outscore their opponent. Their reasoning is, 'If I can stop you more than you can stop me, we have a chance." That never proved more right than in the championship game. In the clutch, it wasn't how many points Hartman or Perry scored. It came down to Brea controlled the boards, led by Jeanier Olukemi, probably women's high school's best weakside rebounder. They didn't give too many second chance points. They kept the ball in front, limited penetration and played great help-side defense. Offensively, all tournament they didn't fluctuate. They didn't have those big ups & downs. They were solid and consistant all through out. They didn't relinquish much. They stayed true to who they were and did their job.

Nike TOC (Joe Smith) Individual Awards

• Darling of the Tournament - Alexis Riley-Perry (2011 Brea Olinda): There was not a player on the court that played with us much heart and determination as Lexy Perry. This young lady has what it takes. She is tenacious, determined, and resolvent. In her her words, she is "the best unsigned guard in the country." One couldn't help but cheer for her.
• Defensive Player - Tajanae Winston (2011 LB Poly): After Kaleena Lewis erupted for 25 first half points, Winston drew the assignment of stopping Lewis. She is long, athletic, anticipates, and plays passing lanes tremendously. In the second half of the Mater Dei and LB Poly game she seemed to be two steps ahead of anything Mater Dei was doing.
• Impact Player - Justine Hartman (2011 Brea Olinda): Her presence on the floor draws so much attention she really opens things up for her teammates. When she is presented with the ball either on the low block or high post she makes good things happen. She is a superb passer, a confident scorer, and poised leader.
• Best Player - Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2011 Mater Dei): Is no doubt the best player in the country. There is nothing to argue. She has a refined skill set, basketball smarts, and big time play. She is at a whole different level than most. She is one of those elite players that will go on to do great things in women's basketball.
• Most Exciting - Ariya Crook-Williams (2011 LB Polly): Crafty and quick, Ariya will leave defenders stuck like in mudd with her AI like crossovers and in&out move. She knows how to get in the paint and make plays. She is listed at 5'7 which might be a little of an exageration. She reminds me of my favorite female basketball player, Dymond Simon.
• Board Queen - Jeanier Olukemi (2012 Brea Olinda): 6', long and extremely athletic, Jeanier jumps twice before other 6fters ever leave the ground, and twice as high. She anticipates well and has great timing catching the ball at highest point. She has great hands and secures the ball well.
• Most Athletic - Madison Cable (2011 Mt. Lebanon): She combines speed, leaping ability, hand-eye coordination, and balance as good as the best. She can cuts and drives to the basket with such ease and has great body control. Is able to get around help defenders with the step, dribble or in the air to finish. Shoots well, dribbles dexterously.
• Toughest Player - Bria Smith (2011 Christ The King): Who doesn't like to watch this young lady play. When she is on the take, it is fierce, aggressive, powerful. At 5'10, strong shoulders and muscular build, she gets everything out of it. She doesn't just box players out she moves them and if your thinking about tying her up with the ball, think again. I've never seen her lose a tie up, if she even gets tied up.
• Best Pure Shooter - Courtney Ekmark (2014 St.Marys az): With a 6' long frame, she can get shots off. She spots up well, knows how to set her feet and has a great release and finish. Opponents need to know where she is at all times. Is a high percentage free throw shooter.
• Hustle Award - Kennedy Cattenhead (2013 Bollingbrook): You don't have to tell her to get on the ball. I seen her fully lay out more than a couple times diving for a loose ball. She is a great defender and sprints every possession. She has a great demeanor towards working hard.
• Play Maker - Lauren Chase (2011 Riverdale Baptist): Can't take your eyes off the floor for a minute because you never know when your going to miss something spectacular. Whether it's a nifty no look pass, ankle breaking move or acrobatic finish, Lauren has the craft for excitement.
• The Leader - Ariel Massengale (2011 Bollingbrook): What sets Ariel apart from the rest of the PG's in America is her ability to lead. She has a much needed understanding of the game to be such a leader. She controls game tempo. She has the utmost respect of her teammates. She has the utmost respect for her teammates. She knows and understands her players, where to get them the ball, whether their hot or how to get them hot. She is a floor general.

First Team All-Tournament Selection as reported by me on http://www.shecanplay.org/index.php/topic,1514.msg2765.html#msg2765

DYMOND SIMON

Dymond Simon of ASU will always be my favorite player. She might be the single reason why my daughter plays basketball today and why it got my approval. Long before I got involved with girls basketball, I use to play pick-up bball at a local gym. The gym was always packed with the likes of Mike Bibby (current NBA Hawk), Negel Knight (former Suns), a young Richard Jefferson (Spurs) and Jaryd Bayless. My daughter, Jasmine Hotchkins, at the time was 8-9 yrs. old. She would often sit to the side in the corner and watch. One day she started shooting around and I was like "your pretty good", but at the time I was unfamiliar with the women's game. Then Dymond and her dad (James) came in one summer afternoon. Dymond just started tearing it up. She would get to the lane, draw contact and finish (against grown men). She would step beyond the arc and knock down jumpers. If one guarded her to tight, she would make a grown man look silly holding his ankle as she drove by them for the lay-in. This was all about when she was just 15-16yrs.old. I walked out of that gym saying to myself if a girl can play like that and my daughter wants to play ball that is just fine with me. After a while I got a hold of James and asked his advice on how to get my daughter started in basketball. The rest is history. Today I still stay in regular contact with both Dymond and James and it instills pride in me when I see her perform. Like tonight, when she led her un-ranked Devils against #14 DePaul with 24pts, 7a's, & 5rebs. I usually sit by James for the games but tonight I took in the action with colleague Brandon Clay of Peach State Hoops. In his words
"Every year Arizona State has the biggest team in the country, they are huge!!! But their senior PG Dymond Simon makes 'em go."
Well tonight is one of those proud moments when I reminese about when I would sport the green & white, while my daughter wore her green "future Knight" t-shirt and we would drive down to Chandler to watch Dymond play in the Nike TOC. I still have those white adidas shoes with the green stripes. My daughter never became a Knight, instead she plays for arch-rival Xavier College Prep that was coached by LA Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom her frosh year, who was in attendance tonight. Could it be? With the ups & downs of her college career, in the form of two ACL tears in the same knee, Dymond still has aspirations to play in the WNBA and no doubt has the skill, ability, and drive to be successful. Watching the WNBA as a scout and a fan I believe the league could use a player like Dymond. She knows and understands the game. It's in her blood. It's inherent in her. I think she would bring a breathe of fresh air to the leauge in terms of high guard skill and exciting play-making abilities. Good luck to you Dym! Your always in our hearts and in our prayers.
Here is a recent article by local by Jeff Metcalfe of azcentral:
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/jeffmetcalfe/111251
FOX Recap:
http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/pages/video?PID=v3at1OEIBcenP7qMv3fZ80VuA6EXOwki

Nike TOC Off Day

Brea Olinda's Chanelle Di Croce, Justine Hartman, Lexy Perry, Jeanier Olukemi, Perry Arin

Bollingbrook's Ariel Massengale, Morgan Tuck, Nia Moore, Annaya Moore

Mater Dei's Khalia Lark, Kaija Powell, Jordan Adams, Kaleena Lewis, KiKi Alofaituli

Taking in an off day @ Nike TOC. Chilling with the some of the top players in the country. Evaluations and tournament team selections coming at the conclusion of 1st session 12/22/10.
updates, player performance evals and profiles can be found @ www.shecanplay.org

Az HS Girl's Top Ten 12/13/10

My top ten high schools as reported on Crash The Boards message board as of 12/13/10
http://crashtheboards.hoop.la/displayForumTopic/content/185088186388478604

Holiday Hoopla & Christmas Classic

Evaluations & All-Tournament selections on boy's Holiday Hoopla & girl's Christmas Classic to be posted this week as soon as I recieve rosters on participating teams.

HIGHLAND THANKSGIVING BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Final Four All-Tournament Selection

First Team:

• Alyssa Heeman (pg) 5'4, Highland (2011) At 5'4 and not necessarily fastest or quickest with sick handles, Alyssa will not wow anyone out of the gym but simply put she gets the job done. She gets by her defender cutting off the their angle and getting them off balance using a stop&go again dribble. She has the capability of lighting it up from outside. She plays with a lot of poise and discipline. She makes the right, simple pass. She makes the right reads and controls the games tempo. Even without flashy handles she knows how to get into the paint and create for her teammates, always with her eyes up making smart plays. Alyssa is already a senior and doesn't have the luxury of years to work on a whole lot. She is better suited for smaller colleges.
• Kenna McDavis (sf) 6'1, Pinnacle (2013) Kenna is probably the most pure shooter on the court this weekend. She possesses a silky smooth stroke and with her size can get it over most guards. She is extremely athletic and plays with a lot of moxy. Love to watch her play because she just has that 'it'. One never knows when she will catch fire and start dropping bombs from beyond the arc every trip down the court. Kenna possesses all the natural qualities to become great but will become even more versatile and dynamic as she gets a better economy of motion on her drive. Her first step tends to be too wide of an angle. Shorten that angle and she will get to the basket quicker and in better position to finish or create for others. She is just coming into her game at the perimeter having mostly played a post on her club teams at a younger age. Kenna is going to continually grow as she learns to become a more versatile wing & develops more perimeter skill set. Right now she sometimes falls into a rut and becomes too one dimensional as a shooter but with her athleticism and height she can be much more.
• Syerra Davis (g) 5'8, Tolleson (2011) Already signed with UTEP this fall. Had an offer from ASU but ASU rescinded. Syerra has a smooth game, a great mid-range pull-up where she rises high above defenders to get off. She is very gifted athletically and can be a great defender. Syerra's problem is she doesn't always show how good she is or can be. She often feels too content to play in the shadows even when she should be the one shining and taking over for her team. It seems she has to hit some big shots to get going and turn it on rather than just pouring it on from the get go till it gets right. I hope Syerra finds that swagger and confidence. Tolleson is going to need it this year from her and she will need it in college.
• Kaile Magazzeni (f) 6'1, Highland (2011) When the ball touches Kaile's hands good things happen. She is a fierce competitor. She is Highland's director and leader on the court. At only 6'1 she doesn't back down from bigger centers and will post aggressively herself. She is very difficult to guard in the low post because she gets great position. She goes at her defenders quick and early on the low block, gets opponents in foul trouble by getting great position and going up strong to the basket. She doesn't have an array of moves with her back to the basket, mostly relies on good positioning. She does however have a great turnaround jumper that she hits with precision. It is her go to move. She has range at about 15ft but definitely needs to increase her range out to the arc. She is a great defender against multiple positions and anticipates off the ball well, reading passing lanes. Oh, by the way, she is a fierce rebounder and slick passer. To be a strong DI prospect she is just going to have find a better perimeter game and face up more.
• Aley Rohde (c) 6'5, Pinnacle (2011) Already committed to UofA Aley has a lot of upside. She is a south paw 6'5 post and has always conjured up a lot of interest from college recruits. She does show a lot of capability when her team finds her. She likes to get the ball on the low left block and go to her left hand baby hook shot. Sometimes shots come to easy to Aley whether she is on or off and I rarely see her go to an array of counters that might get her a higher percentage shot. She does have a nice release on her jumper which she is capable of hitting from 10-15ft and occasionally might knock down a 3 but does have somewhat of a hitch to her shot. Confidence is key for Aley and possibly with maturity and in the right environment she will flourish. My advice to Aley to have a successful college career would be to forget she is 6'5, train like a under 6'3 post, get stronger, get the advantage by playing for position before she gets the ball and demand the ball, make good things happen.

Second Team:

• Anne Marie Holter (pg) 5'8, Seton Catholic (2013) Anne shows high basketball IQ and is an exceptional passer. She finds open players and gets them the ball where they can score. She does a great job of controlling the tempo of the game and displays a lot of poise. Is not going to wow anyone with her skill set but knows how to use what she has to get the job done. Really does a good job of getting the ball up the court, dribbles N-S and doesn't over dribble.
• Kayla Bustos (g) 5'4, Seton Catholic (2011) Kayla heated up from outside this weekend and scored 27pts against a very tall athletic Pinnacle high school. She gets her shot off quick but defenses might be able to control her ability to get open looks by putting taller defenders on her. Not sure she has the ability to create her own shot.
• Sydney Wiese (g) 5'8, Pinnacle (2013) Sydney can be one of Arizona's deadliest shooters from outside. She has unbelievable range but Pinnacle has to use her as their primary point guard limiting their chances to get her open looks in transition in open court. She has a little razzle dazzle to her ball-handling abilities but tends to over dribble, dribbles with her head down and her lack of strength allows her to get bumped farther out of the driving lane forcing her to take much more difficult lay-ins. She often fails to see traps coming and forces turnovers because her head is down and she tries to engage the defender with too much dribbling. She is also very predictable which is why she probably gets picked off so much. Over the three games I have watched her play this fall she is averaging near 10 to's a game. Not a good stat to have. As advanced as her offensive game is her ability to lock down other guards is hazardous and led to many open looks on the perimeter for the opposition because of the penetration allowed. Also Pinnacle's bigs tend to get in foul trouble a lot which can somewhat be attributed to the lack of perimeter defense. Sydney no doubt has a lot of up-size and will go very far but definitely has some kinks to work out which have been exposed as of late. Sydney's offensive skill set easily has her on my 1st team but her turnovers lack of control of team's offense and defense puts her on the second team.
• LaQuese Garrett (f) 5'11, Tolleson (2011) LaQuese plays with great energy, plays bigger than she is and can still step out and put it on the floor for the take. She is extremely athletic and poises problems for bigger slower forwards guarding her on the perimeter. Her shot is in need of some desperate help. I say it like that because if she were a sophomore or maybe even junior, one can look at working on it but high school season has already started and this is her final season.
• Theresa Wirth (sf) 5'11, Seton Catholic (2011) Theresa is more suited for a perimeter game and as such is an exceptional shooter but for her high school she has to take the load of the work inside. She has a nice athletic build, is no doubt dedicated to being in shape and did a great job of rendering 6'5 Aley Rohde ineffective in their match-up. I was shocked to when I saw Theresa have to handle the ball in the open court. Her handles are very inferior of where they should be at her level and other abilities. She no doubt is an exceptional guard/sf but really needs to sharpen her ability to handle the ball even to play in the SunBelt conference which is where she will be next year for University of Denver.

All-Defensive Team:

• Anne Marie Holter (pg)
• Cassi Damyanovich (g)
• Britta Nordstrom (f)
• Theresa Wirth (f)
• Kaile Magazzeni (f)
• LaQuese Garrett (f)

Best of the rest:

Briana White

Susan Spinner

Madi Rinehart

Emily Wahlberg

Jordan Hagen