Nike TOC 2012

Katie Lou & Karlie Sameulson w/ Jasmine Hotchkins

Karlie and Katie Lou Samuelson, the Orange County girls came out here and put on a show on the biggest stage.  They earned co-mvp honors, shooting an efficient 13-17 from beyond the arc combined and tallying 67 points combined of their team's 94 points in the championship game. The key word there is efficient.  They do it without demanding the ball too much and within the confines of their teams game plan and system.  Mater Dei gets great ball movement amongst each other and play strong roles in support of each other and team.  Great players and even greater kids and family.

Jayde Woods of Mater Dei, the freshman stepped up and filled big shoes.  First in the semi-final game of the G Division, Jayde drew the assignment of stopping UConn commit Courtney Ekmark and did she ever do so, limiting the sharp shooter's touches and the few times Ekmark did get the ball, Jayde's lateral quickness and length never allowed Ekmark to get to the basket or shot off. In the championship game Peyton Langston took a hard hit under the basket and subsequently suffered a concussion.  Jayde was called upon to step up, play some big time defense under the basket against Marshal commit and powerful 6'1 Maya Singleton. 

Gabby Williams, 5'11 guard from Reed (Sparks,NV) is a stud!!  Arguably the best athlete of the tournament has already cleared 6ft, 1.5 inches in the high jump and been invited to compete for spot on the U.S Olympic team.  She compliments her athleticism with great basketball skill and basketball IQ.  She is a lot of fun to watch and considered in the discussion of top 10 prospects in the 2014 class. 

Mikayla Cowling, 6'1, long, athletic junior has many tools that makes her game dynamic and exciting to watch.  She has range to her jumper, can make some great moves off the dribble and soars pretty with her long extension to the basket.  She is a very intimidating presence on defense at the tope of that Syracuse match zone.  Her wing span is incredible.  She has great hands and plays the game with the grace and finesse like former Pittsburgh Steeler great wide receiver Lynn Swan played his position in the NFL. 

Gabby Green, 6'2, junior can play 1-4 positions on the floor.  She is a floor general, scorer, facilitator, shot blocker and clutch!!!!

Chantel Osahor, 6'1 center, committed to Washington, is simply probably the best passer in the high school game.  Chantel pulls down rebounds and outlets text book and her ability to make precision passes from a top the key to cutting teammates is surgical. A crowd favorite, her ability to do the unexpected, like hit beyond the arc and take unsuspecting defenders off the dribble infuses the gym with energy.  

Kelsey Plum, south paw combo guard, future teammate of Chantel Osahor at Washington is a vicious competitior and can get buckets by the handful, two handfuls...  She is clever, savvy and makes quick on point decisions throughout the course.

Long Beach Poly, is loaded with talent and athleticism.  Jada Matthews is a solid forward, strong, athletic, can make moves off the bounce, has a great mid-range jump shot.  She is solid on every aspect of the game, a major prospect. 

Kristen Simon, 6' post, Windward, CA. is a skilled post that can play on the low block and in the high post.  She is great in the pick & roll combo. 

Britta Nordstrom, 6' wing player out of Pinnacle hs, AZ, is an aggressive, athletic wing with a great motor.  We have been seeing a lot out of this kid lately and she is a legitimate 4.5 gpa, D1 prospect who wants to find an academic institution of elite status.

Rock Bridge, is loaded with immeasurable young talent and very well coached.  Every varsity player is returning and arguably their best player for two more years.  Sophie Cunningham, displays leadership, communication, skill, basketball IQ and fundamentals beyond her years.  Look out for this squad next year and years to come. 

NIKE TOC 2011

Arizona, not necessarily known as a hot bed for girl's basketball but this year at the Nike TOC,  (widely regarded as the de facto championship for American girls' basketball),  Arizona saw 5 of it's own in 4 of the 6 division championship games. AZ's 2011 state champion St. Mary's won the top bracket (Smith Division).  As a result St. Mary's has earned the coveted #1 ranking by ESPN/Powerade FAB 50.

Probably not by design and some ways possibly as a result of misleading and innaccurate records the Nike TOC had Arizona's final four 5AI state teams all in different brackets, St. Mary's (Smith), Mesa Mt. View (Desper), Xavier College Prep (Gray) and Chandler (black).

Most notable, St. Mary's, came off a superb summer where as a club team (AZ Warriors), they crushed national travel teams.  They got off to kind of a slow start at the EOT.  They would win their pool but lost horribly in a exhibition game to Team Concept, who ended up winning the EOT.  Also they didn't look great against the NW Blazers.  Although after the EOT they really begin to roll, winning their pool in Chicago, putting on a clinic as they faced Boo Williams.  They got to the semis but fell a possession short to the #1 team of summer DFW.  Their next stop on the summer circuit was USJN (Washington D.C.), where they got to the championship game.  The Warriors/St. Mary's played mid-west elite to the wire but ultimately ended up falling 51-46.  It was from there the Warriors went on to win the Fila Nationals, beating teams like Cal Sparks, that feature Jordin Canada and Erical McCall in the semi's, and Lady Fire (Illinois) in the championship.  They did this as a team that features all the same kids that play at St. Mary's.  It was expected to see them high in the preseason rankings as a high school team.  The one concern going into the season was depth.  St. Mary's had two girls, Lindsay Leikam and Aliyah Dickson transfer out.  They did get Chloe Johnson of St. Mary's, the lone player who didn't travel with the Warriors this summer but jumped over to play with the Warriors this fall after spending the last couple years with GSB.  Overall St. Mary's seemed to get over the proverbial hurdle this summer and grew tremendously as a team.  Going into the high school season, rested and with a full head of steam, St. Mary's was the focus of much national media attention.  

They did not disappoint as they ran through the Smith bracket in defining fashion.  In the end, all that was in their way was an athletic, mature, experienced #3 Riverdale Baptist, that was highly regarded themselves and dominated their competition as well.  

SMITH DIVISION

St. Mary's seemed in the driver seat early as RB failed to convert on many drives and lay-ins, while SM's was executing timely back cuts and outside shooting.  

Cortnee Walton of SM's, after only playing a few minutes in the 1st half found herself sitting most of it in foul trouble.  Without Leikam, SM's found themselves in a peculiar spot with Walton sitting, as they had only one solid player left who could defend inside in Chantel Osahor.  To give Osahor rest at times Coach Ekmark went with a smaller line-up and for the first time in like 8 years I saw the SM's/Warriors group deploy a zone defense.  That is about when RB Coach Richardson went down after being knocked unconscious.  One of her players was shoved in a play near the sideline and the player's arm caught Coach Richardson in the chin.  There was about a 20 minute delay as Coach Richardson was checked out by the athletic trainer on-site and also Chandler paramedics.  This bid well for St. Mary's.  For it allowed Osahor to get the rest she needed to finish the game after Walton fouled out in the 3rd.  Riverdale Baptist fought hard to the end but were in too deep a whole to dig themselves out of by the time expired.  Chantel Osahor and Shilpa Tummala were named to the all-tournament team.  Shilpa also got MVP honors.

DESPER DIVISION

Preceding the Smith Championship game, Mesa Mt. View squared off against Pinnacle for the Desper Championship.  Pinnacle was somewhat of a surprise team to get to the championship, having to fight and claw their way through an athletic Canyon Springs and disciplined Highland's Ranch.  
Pinnacle lost the inside presence they had from a year ago in Aley Rohde (UofA).  They were looking to fill the spot with senior Emily Whalberg, but Whalberg decided to leave the team just weeks prior for personal reasons.  Pinnacle also lost junior small forward Britta Nordstrom.  Who also left the team for personal reasons.  That left Pinnacle short handed for the most prestigious girl's high school tournament of the year. 

MMV, my preseason AZ #2, has been playing up to their expectations.  They have lost only one game in the preseason, and that was to the eventual Anderson bracket champs LJCD, who beat MMV in San Diego a few weeks prior to the TOC.  Mesa Mt. View did get a close contested game against Xavier 46-40 on December 12th, but other than that, have been rolling through their competition.

MMV would be without the services of Arnecia Hawkins (ASU commit) for the final due to a sprained ankle.  Pinnacle implored their go to junk defense (diamond & 1), face guarding MMV starting point guard Renee Coggins and zoning the other four players on the floor. The defense proved to be effective.  Although Renee is not known for her scoring prowess, she is their general and not having the ball in her hands seemed to leave Mt. View with more questions than answers.  One could only assume the defense was intended for Arnecia Hawkins but with her out of the game Pinnacle still kept to their game plan by focusing on Coggins.  MMV is also a very systematic team that largely relies on Coach Pennel's infamous 'circle motion offense' and half court sets.  Pinnacle's diamond and one was forcing Mt. View to make adjustments they weren't prepared nor wanted to make.

The game was exciting, tightly scored and came down to a last second shot by Kenna McDavis that rimmed in&out but Mt. View reigned victorious on this day.  Wiese did poor in 24 pts in the loss but took 26 shots to do so.  No doubt Pinnacle could have used their other slinger in McDavis who was forced to sit a lot with foul trouble. 

GRAY DIVISION

In the Gray Division, AZ had a slew of teams that were all capable of getting to the 'ship'.  In a lot of ways it pendulummed on bracket placement, match-ups and momentum.  St. Mary's and Mesa Mt. View are AZ's obvious #1 & #2 but the next six spots for an elite eight is pretty much a crap shoot between Highland, Hamilton, Xavier, Pinnacle, Chandler & Desert Vista.   All of whom are very familiar with each other.  Xavier, Hamilton, Chandler and DV all played in the very tough Fiesta Region last year and faced each other twice in the regular season.  All except maybe DV have St. Mary's on their schedule each year.  Xavier two years in a row had to go through Highland in the quarters of state as well as play them twice in their regular season schedule.  All of which can lead to some of the misleading records.   Last year Xavier drew two time defending Florida state champions Dillard in the Nike TOC.  Xavier won that game but had to follow it up against Edison with Bonnie (Stanford) and Karlie Samuelson.  After falling to Edison the road didn't get easier for Xavier as they had to face Carondelet, which featured Erica Payne (Stanford). 
Both Hamilton and Xavier seem to be struggling finding their indentity this year, with Hamilton graduating some key components, short a true point guard and post.  Xavier is adjusting to their third coach in three years.  Highland is steady.  They always come on strong and develop more complexity throughout the year and strength.  Pinnacle and Chandler have had their issues with personel, Chandler loosing Newton to a knee injury, Westbrook for 9 games, and Pinnacle had two starters quit this year. 
The cinderella of teams has to be Desert Vista.  A team that always seems to be around but lacked the punch to be considered with the heavy hitters.  DV did retain some key components from a year ago but still nothing on paper that would wow anyone.  They have to be considered a tough oponent but not expected to be a contender.  Although they have seemed to found something this year.

DV gave Pinnacle a scare in the first game of the season, only loosing 68-75.  They also ended up loosing to Highland but by only a possession, 60-63 in their second game.  Since, they have been riding a 6 game winning streak going into the Nike TOC.  They extended that winning streak to 9 getting to the finals of the Gray bracket.  They gave a good fight in the championship but Centennial (Corona, CA) proved to have too many weapons. 

COAST2COAST

COAST2COAST

I’m a big proponent that fall basketball should belong to the high schools.  I also understand that most high schools don’t run fall programs that cater to the elite but for the high schools that do, I enjoy seeing them get out there on the hardwood early developing that chemistry and bond that will be so vital down the stretch into state.  It’s no coincidence that the programs that make these opportunities available for their athletes are the ones that continually have success year after year.  On that note, Coast2Coast featured plenty of top notch high school teams and clubs, boasting some very talented young ladies, many of which will be bidding for that CIF supremacy.

1. Tia Dickson 5'7" G 2012 (San Diego HS, CA) *San Diego State commit*~ Has great change of speed and direction moves, definitely more of a scoring/playmaking PG.  She does play off the ball a little, possesses a decent jump shot, uses a great hesitation move to set up her crossover that she uses effectively. Tia sees the floor real well, the smallest of passing lanes, and knows how to set up her teammates.  Even though she is only 5'7 she is a good rebounding guard, pretty good hops for a smaller guard.  She doesn't always seem to give every possession her all, especially on defense and needs to quit watching her passes so much, cut and move better.
2. Aniya Baker 5'9" G 2012 (Perris, CA)~ is a very speedy guard, great defender with range.  Aniya gets many deflections, moves her feet well while pressuring the ball and reads passing lanes well.  She is a game changer with the ball in her hand, has range and capable of hitting big shots.
3. Destini Price 6' G 2012 (Antelope Valley, CA)~Remarkable 1/1 skills and size to take advantage against smaller guards. She can be more than a handful for most opposing team's guards, creates mismatches and can fill rolls at the 1-3 slots.  Decision making can be questionable and works too often outside the framework of the team.
4. Tanjunique Ajeto 5'7" G 2012 (Foothill, NV)~ uber athletic, possesses great open court speed and bounce.  Ajeto is best in the open court uptempo game cutting/slashing or with the dribble.  She is a superb defender and great rebounding guard.  Ajeto plays hard and gives everything every possession.
5. Jeanier Olukemi 6' SF/G 2012 (Bre Olinda CA)~ one of my favorite players to watch, extreme athleticism and mad bounce to her game.  She is a board queen from the small forward position, will easily give any team 7+ boards a game.  She is long and quick coming up with numerous steals a game. She can guard multiple positions.  Bre Olinda's Hartman and Perry got their just dues but Olukemi consistantly gave double/doubles w/ never demanding the ball, on her own never taking away from the other's game.  Her jump shot has seen much improvement.
6. Bryn Stark 6' G/F 2012 (The Bishops School, CA)~ *USF commit*~ displays not only strong perimeter skills at 6' but leadership qualities, accountability and responsibility in leading her team.  Bryn can bring the ball up in the back court, put it on the ground to attack the basket, attack off the dribble, shoot it from deep or just inside the arc.  She moves great without the ball and never stops working.  She has a great motor, never lets up and displays strong work-ethic.  She is very assertive and takes over games.
7. Imani Littleton 6'3 2014 (The Bishops School)~ Littleton is a very versatile big who is showing a varried array of skills at a young age.  She can play in and out.  She is athletic, long and strong for just being a sophomore.  She is a good rebounder and has the ability to be a good shot blocker.  As she matures, grows in her game and develops cosistency with her shot she will be a BCS prospect.
8. Jalen Carpenter 6'2" F/W 2012 (Bremerton, WA)~ Jalen has great hands and touch around the basket.  She can play outside and in.  The Carpenter twin displays decent athleticism from the wing, can be a monster on the boards, defend multiple positions and create mismatches.
9. Kourtney Carpenter 6'1" F 2012 (Bremerton, WA)~ On paper doesn't appear to be as active as her twin Jalen but Kourtney does all the dirty work.  She bangs inside, rebounds, blocks shots and shows great interior defense.
10. Jadea Brundidge 6'2" F/C 2012 (Emerald Ridge, WA)~ At 6'2 Jadea is a big that really motors up the court.  It's not just the fact she is a mobile big in the open court, it is how she does it.  She pushes herself, digs in and runs with a purpose and that leads to many points because she just out runs opponents bigs.  Jadea plays hard, plays solid defense inside and rebounds strong for her team.
11. Raychel Stanley 5'11" G 2016 (Faith Lutheran Jr. high)~ an athletic quick guard that can play lock down defense on opponent's ball handlers, also has the length and quickness to frustrate shooting guards and other perimeter players.  Raychel is a combo guard that saw more action as a cutter/slasher than with the ball in her hand but no doubt has the time to refine her perimeter skills.
12. Christine Saldana 5'10" SG 2012 (Perris, CA)~ is a great spot up shooter for her team, that also plays solid defense against opponents shooters.  Christine plays consistant and solid on both ends of the courts.  She is an efficient scorer.  She will quietly put up 15+ points being selective with her shots and making smart decisions.

USJN's ELITE OKTOBERFEST

By James Parker

On-The-Trail

To play or not to play, that is the question. The fall can be a tricky period for evaluators, players and coaches. Great players are well into their fall conditioning, strength training, haven’t played a lot of basketball with or even without their club team in over 60 days. Team chemistry is sometimes affected by the different personnel on the teams. Club practice time can be limited because of these new additions, high school open gyms getting started and club tryouts. Some players are almost on a complete break from the sport because of playing other sports or just getting the R&R before high school season gets on the way. Some seniors play, some do not. But, given the evaluation period in the fall, where there are tournaments coaches and scouts will scour, players will come to play to impress. Even though one might not see the kids at their peak performance, many things can still be taken away from the fall events, like a kid’s maturity, leadership, toughness, work-ethic and some new skills developing. So, to play or not to play, is still the question.
This years USJN Oktoberfest took place at the American Sports Center Anaheim, CA. Oct.7-9.

All Tournament Selection


Dominique Williams 5’8” PG (AZ2013)~ Though Dom can struggle at times putting the ball in the basket, create for herself or teammates, no other point guard ran their team more flawless. Starting in transition no PG in the American Sports Center got the ball on the move and into the front court off the pass faster and better than the Warrior guard. Dominique’s unselfish play is the catalyst to the unselfish play and passing game of the Warriors whether in transition or ball reversals. Anyone who has had the pleasure of watching the Warriors knows and understands how that unselfish play and passing game is the heart and soul of the team. Her physical defense and ball pressure is second to none and like her ball movement in the AZ Warriors offense, her defense is the precept to the Warrior defense.


Ariel Bostick 5’3” PG (AZ2013)~ Like a magician Bostick, the bay area kid, always seems to have a bag of tricks. She always keeps defenders back on their heels with her ball skills. She can pull from well beyond the arc. Defend her too close and she will get in the paint where she is deadliest. She sees the smallest of openings in passing lanes and delivers passes off the dribble seamlessly. This weekend I saw Ariel take the ball off the dribble and deliver on target a one handed pass through three defenders to a cutting teammate across court from just beyond half court, jaw-dropping.


Courtney Ekmark 6’ SG (AZ2014)~ Can be as consistent a shooter as they come. One is always waiting for the game where the shots are just not going to fall for her, but she displays continually that teams can’t leave her side. She is deadly from outside and you have been warned, hand down/man down!


Karlie Samuelson 6’ SG (CA2013)~ A point guard’s best friend. If Joe Montana is your point guard, Karlie is Jerry Rice. She spreads the floor, allows for some play making and knows what to do with and without the ball. Karlie is a very coachable young lady with great demeanor. She can shoot it from outside with the best of them; put it on the floor for the take and finish. She can help bring the ball up the court, displays strong skills at the 1 and 2 positions.


Katie Samuelson 6’2 SG (CA2015)~ Like Bonnie and Karlie, Katie is of that same shooting pedigree. We all have the feeling Katie is going to be something special to watch in years to come. Having yet to play a high school game, Katie is well on her way to shooting the ball as good as her older sisters and seems to possess more fluidity and athleticism at 6’2 on the wings than her predecessors. She is a franchise player and right now programs should be preparing a spot for her.


Keitra Wallace 5’11 SF/G (CA2012)~ Was all business this weekend. A recent commit to Pepperdine, one would think she was still on the board with how hard she played. No player played with as much determination and sense of urgency as Keitra. Definitely not a finesse player Kietra was definitive when driving to the cup, plays with emotion and passion.


Nyasha Lesure 6’ SF/W (NV2012)~ A recent commit to Nevada Nyasha is an athletic, long, 6’ wing or small forward. She really cleans up on the boards, has great bounce and length. Nyasha is speedy for 6’, navigates through traffic in control and has the jump to finish high at the basket, a great rebounder, cutter/slasher defensive specialist.


Bayli Mcclard 6’ SF/W (CA2013)~ A 6’ small forward/wing that can knock down the three, owns the mid-range can create mis-matches and defend multiple positions. Mcclard has a great feel for the game and when her team struggled would consistently infuse energy with her play and ability to step up and knock down big shots.


Chantel Osahor 6’3 C (AZ2013)~ One of the most fun to watch players on the circuit, with the absence of Shilpa Tumalla (Harvard commit) & Cortnee Walton (Louisville), Chantel made the most obvious difference in games with her play making ability from the center position. She can and will, without hesitation now pull the outside three with her funky set shot. Because she plays with such poise she always surprises with quick definitive moves and is deceptively quick as bigger player, whether she spins on a defender on the block, jab steps you off and pulls back for the three or throws a behind the back pass. She is nifty, unassuming, therefore deceptive and creative in her ability to create from inside or out. I believe led her team in assists from the 5 position in their state championship game.


Cheyenne Greenhouse 5’10” G (CA2014)~ Is stepping up where Teara Laudermill (Nebraska) left off for her high school and club team Canyon Spring Cougars. Great size at 5’10” and long at the PG position. She possesses a smooth between the legs crossover that allows her separation from her defender. She has great handles. She can pull up off the dribble and rise over defenders for the jump shot, has great athleticism. Decision making is going to be key for her success.


Mariya Moore 6’ G/W (CA2014)~ Get’s it done. She plays with a reckless abandon, maybe too reckless sometimes but she finds a way, whether pretty or not, to get it done. Mariya creates a lot of mis-matches because at 6’, rugged and big, she can bring the ball up, attack off the dribble, post inside and shoot outside. She plays like a true competitor and like she truly loves playing the game. She doesn’t back down from anyone. Matter of fact her newly formed club team NorCal Future Elite came into the tournament facing the AZ Warriors (ESPN #11 Best of Summer, arguably higher, they beat #1, #8, #10 in front of them) first game, her play along with the quick play of her sister Minyon upset the AZ Warriors. WOW! They have only one upper classman in the bunch. Watch this group.


Michelle Miller 5’10 G (CA2012)~ Showed the most maturity in her game from the last time I saw her. Cal Storm Taurasi without many of the other senior players, Miller stepped up and filled shoes. She really let her game loose and without the other big names in front of her, she shined.

NIKE GRAND OASIS INVITATIONAL

 

Sat, July 22-25, 2011

DAY 1

Players that stood out on this first day, that were the driving force for their team and that made substantial impact on the games played:

Arielle Bostick 5'5" PG CA13- What she might like in size she makes up in huge plays.  She showed continually the ability to break down a defense with her ball-handling.  She can get into the paint no matter what the defense is.  She splits traps with ease.  She can set her defender up for the take or get them back on their heels for enough space to pull a deadly jumper. Arielle rarely picks up her dribble un-warranted. She knows what she is going to do far in advance.  Sees the open player with ease and knows how to deliver on target passes off the dribble.

Kendall Cooper 6'3" PF CA13- Tremendous upside to this young ladies game. Still in the building stages, especially with consistency but she is showing a varied skill set inside and a stroke from the high post and short corner areas.  Was being a force and taking control of a game when her teammates were able to find her. 

Oderah Chidom 6'3 SF CA13- An athletic long post that can really run the floor. She is great in the open court and attacking the basket off a dribble or two.  Her length and quickness allow her to cover a lot of ground on the defensive end.  Didn't see her take the jumper enough to get a clear evaluation of her shot.  Did see her at the line a number of times, which she is good at getting to, to get a gander at her mechanics there, nice high release but can soften her release a little.  Other than that the mechanics are there. Question is how she sets her feet and gets her shot off in the flow of an offense. 

Candice Agee 6'6 C CA12- The Penn State commit shows so much promise.  I think it's just a matter of time for Agee's upsize to be really realized.  Her length is undeniable.  She has skill.  She needs repetitions, touches, more time and given more opportunities and I feel her game will start coming along. A little seasoning goes a long way. 

Elyse Hight  6'2 F OK12- Committed to play soccer for Notre Dame this girl made her presence known on the hardwood for her team.  She is a steady worker.  Consistent in most areas of her game.  Not overly dynamic or explosive but she is there when her team needs a rebound, a defensive stop, a bucket.  She plays her game within her gauge.

Brianna Barret 5'7 CA12- USC commit, Solid PG, that possess good speed, vertical leap, ball control, leadership and a good outside shot.  Brianna's game is effective in several areas, her ability to lead and facilitate from the pg position, create shots with her dribble, and she is solid on the defensive end.  She is a PG that will also give you 4-5 rebounds a game.

Amanda Lovely 6'2" CA12- Verbal to Pepperdine. This kid is not afraid to do it all.  She mixes it up in the paint, on the wing and can handle the ball in the back court.  She plays strong, fierce and with a lot of energy.  She is a difficult match-up because of her versatility on the offensive end and can guard multiple positions on the defensive end. She is also a great facilitator  with the ball in her hand in the middle, knows how to find the cutter and shooter. 

DAY 2

Jessica Washington 5'8" PG OK13- A legit D1 point guard with a smooth way about her.  Plays the game under control and seems to glide into her change of direction moves.  Her play seems effortless but decieving.  She gets by her defender with ease on one mistake.  So defenders have to give her space which allows her good room to execute entries or time to pull the jumper. Once inside her defender she does good to keep them on her hip and deliver an accurate floater, pull-up or step back.  She does like some physical strength.  She can break her defender down a lot but she rarely gets in to draw contact and get to the line or finish in traffic.  If the lanes begins to close she pulls out her dribble or kicks out before making any real contact. Like to see her take it harder to the rack, finish or get to the line more.  Strength may be the key to her success in a BCS conference. 

Jasmine Smith 6' F CA12- Nice solid build with broad shoulder and muscular frame that can support more strength.  She is very mobile and athletic.  Plays hard and is not shy of physical play.  Can bang hard inside and move bodies away from the glass to secure rebounds.  Can score in the open court but would like to see her refine and build on her offensive skill set.  All she needs is some simple tools but seems to lack those go to moves.

Jasmine Jenkins 6'1" F CA13- Very mobile, athletic forward the gets up and down the court.  Very active on defense. Comes up with a number of deflections and steals.  She has great hands and really cleans up the glass well.  Her shot is a little strong.  Like to see her get her wrist through a little more and have a softer shot.

Jaime Swan 6'2" F AZ12- Extreme athletic 6'2 frame, slim hips and broad shoulders. Built like a professional basketball player hopeful. Has good speed and vertical ability.  She pulls down boards, secures the ball well and finds the outlet well.  Rarely gives up a board once she has her hands on the ball. She is a good shot blocker, mobile and gets over to help in a hurry. Supplies a lot of energy and passion on the floor, is vocal and leads her team.  She communicates and directs well.  Is a little stiff on offense but has the tools to improve.

Arnecia Hawkins 5'8" G AZ12- ASU commit is very comfortable in a leadership role and taking over games.  Possess a great mid-range game.  Hits big shots for her team.  Stays low on her dribble, takes care of the ball and doesn't seem to get frazzled.  She can knock down the three but not as consistent as her pull-up. Shot can seem a little flat.  She has a healthy demeanor and no doubt a very coachable kid. 


Destiny King 5'10 W CA12- Has a great quick stroke and nice release on her shot, can hit it from a variety of spots on the floor, nice turnaround.  Not sure how consistent she is from beyond the arc but the mechanics are there.  Uses her body well to gain position on smaller guards in the post.  Not super quick on her feet moving laterally in front of smaller quicker guards but uses her strength and size to keep the ball in front of her.  Plays with good energy and is a strong rebounder.  I think she can actually be more assertive and confident in her play.  She seems to be a leader type and big sister to her teammates.  Though, probably not the primary scorer on her team, how she goes reflects on how her team goes.

** REMEMBER A FULL ARRAY OF EVALUATIONS ON PLAYERS SINCE THIS SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL WILL BE POSTED IN SHECANPLAY'S DATABASE.  **

ON THE TRAIL IN OREGON

DAY ONE

Every year the NCAA evaluation period of July starts off with one of the biggest, most prestigious tournaments in the country, hosted in Oregon City, Oregon and surrounding areas. It is a mecca of talent for young high school female basketball players. Though a large number of teams and players are from the west and northwest region of the country, teams travel from all over the country to participate in the Nike EOT Tournament and this year even boasted teams from British Columbia, Hawaii and New Zealand.  The tournament is limited to 224 teams that were divided into  two divisions, National and American. The National division had four brackets of which the winners of each would make up the final four for the National Division Championship. The American had three divisions of which the winners of each bracket would make up a semi-final and final game for the overall American Division Championship. 


I arrived early Wednesday morning to PDX, Portland airport and with barely taking a breathe I jumped in the rental car and raced my way to Oregon City high school, not wanting to miss a moment of the action. Throughout the day I jumped around from gym to gym taking in what the teams had to offer taking special notes of particular players, teams and programs. Many of the kids I have seen first hand but there was more than a handful I've only heard or read about that I needed to see in action.  The teams expected to dominate did just that the first day but there was one game in particular that I had special interest in. It had the billing of a heavy weight match-up and was a perfectly arranged exhibition game between two top notch teams with some of the better young talent coming up, AZ Warriors and Team Concept (heat).


The AZ Warriors have only two players going into their senior year of high school and Team Concept has only three. Team Concept has four players from the class of 2013 and the Warriors have five. TC also has two 2014's, Jaime Nared and new addition Lexi Bando, while the Warriors have Courtney Ekmark as their lone 2014. The game was held at Old Oregon City high school at 5pm, the summer sun still beaming on the old gym making it warmer than usual and the smell of old wood and old finish filled the arena. The setting was perfect and the one sideline and one baseline of the court was lined with college coaches. Being from Arizona I have seen my share of the Warriors play.  I have also followed Team Concept the past couple years but had yet seen them with their three new additions in Russell, Scott, and Bando that weren't with  them on the recent trip to Arizona at the AZ Elite Classic in April.  I had a feeling it was going to be a great game.  Team Concept had the size, skill, athleticism, while the Warriors had experience, a relentless pressing back court and unique way of playing that deciphers defenses with the passing game. Team Concept had no problem with the Warriors press and the Warriors did their usual passing till they found a cutting player in the gaps created by their ball movement or underneath the zone.  No team having favorable momentum, it was a tight game that often exchanged leads but by never more than a possession or two. It wasn't till the last minute of the first half that Team Concept seemed to gain a favorable push. The new additions made their presence known, as Russell blocked shots inside and out on the perimeter and Scott and Bando Knocked down open shots helping TC take a 42-36 lead into half.  In the second half, even with Shilpa Tummala knocking down her patented big shot after big shot, TC's length, athleticism and skill was proving to be too much for the Warriors. As TC kept gaining momentum and a sizable lead the Warriors looked more and more defeated and they were facing an uphill battle. In the end Team Concept would prove to me and the others in the room that they were no longer the young kid on the block. As quoted in the Oregon Live, Michael Abraham said, "But we've paid our dues. This team has taken beatings in this tournament.” Well, now might be their time and this game was sending a message.

DAY TWO

Sorry to change the note on you. Just know that I was everywhere on this day in every gym watching, taking notes and appreciating the effort and play of so many. I took most my notes on day two. I like to give a shout out to so many, but too many and too many that with all my effort still didn't get seen. So how can I give a true objective opinion of an all-tournament team if I couldn't see every player and every team. My evaluations will be submitted to She Can Play. Contact Coach Billy Carson for access to player profiles. Give time for all content to be input.

DAY THREE

Day Three is the day where the rubber begin to meet the road and no more easy passes. Semi's and finals for each bracket started early Friday morning. My final four were all still in the race but the Platinum had a big question mark. In my opinion there was no clear favorite. The bracket could go to EBX, Tree of Hope, Minn Metro Stars or WC Premier (valley). Here my first bracket got busted as a EBX team minus Gabby Green, who left to play for Cal Storm (Taurasi), fell to a Katie Collier led Tree of Hope. Metro Stars took care of the athletic play of miss Lopez and WC Premier behind the steady play of Scherber and Johnson. My favorite, Team Concept kept steam rolling through the Daniels bracket not even faded by the tough play of the Hood sisters and Plum of the Wiggin Waves. TC showed in the Daniels Bracket Championship that they are not just all offense and fluff. They showed their versatility, using their length and athleticism to shut down the shooting of Kelsey Plum and team defense to stop the attack of Maya Hood. My favorite to win the tournament, Cal Swish never seeming to be firing on all pistons, would scratch their way atop the Gold bracket but not after getting a good scare from the Gonzalez twins, Dakota and Dylan. The two sisters Dakota and Dylan do it all and play with no hesitation but are always on the attack mode. In the silver bracket Jaime Weisner became a household name receiving the praises of many as she blazed the nets for 33pts against Oregon City Elite, followed by another stellar performance, 28pts against the AZ Warriors. I told you people in my last post that she is clutch, a scorer and is as strong if not stronger in the 4th late in a tournament as she is in the very 1st quarter of the first game. She gets it from the line, mid-range, three and all kinds of off-balance shots. NW Blazers did surprise me. I had the AZ Warriors getting out of the silver bracket. I didn't think the Blazers were equipped to beat the Warriors relentless pressure. So the final four was set for the overall National Championship:

Minnesota Metro Stars
Cal Swish
Team Concept
NW Blazers

DAY FOUR

Championship Day!

Team Concept and Minnesota Metro Stars would be the first to hit the floor for a 9am tip off.   TC wasted no time taking control of the game from the tip.  It was evident from the beginning the Stars were going to have their hands full trying to defend the high/lo offense of Kailee Johnson and Mercedes Russell.  TC would often throw Jordyn Peacock into the high post, who demonstrated from that vantage point with her size and length to be a meticulous passer. Jordyn is also well versed in knocking down the 15ft shot from the high post and short corner areas.  If that wasn't enough to consider, when TC flashed Jaime Nared to the middle, her athleticism and quickness was too much for Metro Stars. The Metro Stars didn't go down without a fight. Coach Meinhardt of the Stars strategically used timeouts to try and stifle TC's offense and settle his troops but on the defensive end TC was too long and quick.  The Stars got nothing easy and several times were called for shot clock violation. Team Concept would go on to win by a sizable margin and await the winner of the Cal Swish/NW Blazers game. 
Cal Swish had a couple games where they had seemed to be struggling putting the ball in the net and were earnestly waiting on that game they know so well to come to them.  Finally in the Gold bracket championship against the Cal Stars Elite, Swish seemed to have found their way.  Now if they could just reproduce another game like that against Cal Stars, the National Championship would be in their grasp.  NW Blazers who implement a variety of defenses primarily chose to go man against Swish, really sticking on their shooters and never allowing them to get comfortable.  The Blazers scrambled and covered each other but never allowed for an uncontested shot.  Then the Weisner show begin.  Weisner a 5'9 athletically built shooting guard who plays the game tough as nails was stroking it from everywhere on the court. One word that can identify Jaime is "Scorer".  She simply knows how to put up points and she does it in a variety of ways. Her output along with her back court partner Karlee Wilson would prove to be too much for the Struggling Cal Swish team.  The championship game was set North West Blazers vs Team Concept, familiar foes.


It was  a nice warm afternoon in Oregon City, Oregon about 2:15 pm as I made my way to the gym at Oregon City high school one last time during this tenure of the EOT 2011.  As I made my way to the bleachers my first thought was, "where are the 224 teams that participated in the Nike EOT?".  In the day, if you didn't make the championship or play at the same time you brought your behind to the game.  It is a respect thing and a sincere desire to see the best of your class compete in a game you so passionately wished you were in.  Now days it seems if teams don't make the "Chip", they are on the first ship out of town.  I honestly believe it's only the right thing to do, to pay homage to the players that worked hard to get to where all players should want to be.  OK, I will get off my soap box now.  
There was no need for note taking in this game.  I've seen both teams before and a number of times this year and this tournament.  If anything stood out to me I would just make a mental note.  I was here to purely enjoy watching great young talent, decipher the game and admire what separates the best from the rest.  I hate to always state the obvious, but evident every game for Team Concept is there abundance of skill, talent, size, length and athleticism.  On the other hand, even though the NW Blazers don't always awe you or pass the look test, they consistently outplay teams in effort, smarts and they have a great scorer in Jaime Weisner.  Early in the game it was evident the Blazers were going to have a hard time stopping the high/low offense of TC, with Russell, Johnson and Peacock down low.  TC could play big with any of the three before mentioned playing intermittent roles high or low.  TC can also go a little smaller and faster using 6'1 Nared as their small forward.  One jaw breaking moment, to give you an idea of the versatility of Team Concept, is when 6'5 Russell started a break seamlessly, dribbling in the back court and kicked it up to a 6'4 Johnson who was running the wing.  The Blazers would fight to stay in the game, and in previously match-ups were able to stay in games against more talented teams with the relentless scoring ability of Weisner.  This day was not to be, as it was the first time I saw Weisner without an answer.  The length of Nared and Reynolds gave Weisner fits. Team Concept would run away with the championship game in a lopsided 62-40 win and Reynolds would get MVP honors.

Team Concept Nike EOT National Champions 2011

R-L: Rachel Mendelsohn, Kailee Johnson, Abby Scott, Mercedes Russell, Anjenae Torregano, Jordyn Peacock, Lexi Bando, Jordan Reynolds, Jaime Nared

EOT 2011

It's that time of the year again. I'm looking forward to getting in the gym and watching the crop of young talent that will be competing in this year's EOT.  Follow me as I cover the EOT for SheCanPlay July 6-9 in Oregon. I will post daily updates here on my blog as well as the minute by minute updates at TrifectaBasketball Twitter. You can email me any questions about players and teams at mailto:TrifectaBasketball@gmail.com%20or direct message me on twitter.

Most games playing out the way I would expect in the National division. No upsets yet. Platinum division is up for grabs but I might expect EBX (blk1) to win it. Expect Team Concept to win the Daniels bracket. Cal Swish are destined to win the Gold Bracket and Warriors should roll through the Silver.
Final Four Predictions are set:

1. EBX
2. Team Concept (heat)
3. Cal Swish
4. AZ Warriors