UNION, N.J. – It all wasn’t quiet on the women’s basketball recruiting front this weekend. For three days, the NCAA coaches flocked to events nationwide for evaluations.
Because starting Wednesday, the fleeting “live period” will end.
Enter “quiet period” for nonscholastic women’s events until July 6 when for 10 days the coaches are back on the scent of fresh recruits.
Over the weekend, the USJN East Coast Classic at Kean University’s Harwood Arena gathered 24 teams of various age groups from six Eastern states. No championships were contested but teams played four games against opponents with equal or better talent before couple dozen coaches.
Benefiting from the ECC was the NYC Lady Warriors U16, a fourth-year club coached by Queens native Mike Kotrozos.
“We’re young and playing up; plus we have new players,” said Kotrozos, who is a men’s and women’s assistant coach at Hunter College in Manhattan. “Playing in front of coaches is vital. I tell them [the players] not to do anything they aren’t good at. I stress play to your strengths and things will take care of itself.
“We’ll play 50 or 60 games this summer plus practices. Events like this allow us to work on things without the pressure of winning a tournament. It was a local event for us and run well.”
The Lady Warriors feature seven players from the five boroughs and Long Island at the event: 5-10 sophomore Arelis Cora of Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn); 6-0 Brittany Henry and 5-11 Tanasia Blake, both juniors from Bishop Ford (Brooklyn); 5-4 freshman Kiana Clark of Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn); 5-4 freshman Emily Hiltunen of Bishop Kearney (Brooklyn); 6-0 freshman Lorraine Hickman of Floral Park; and sophomore Nyasha Irizarry of Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, N.Y.).
“The April live period is good for all players,” said Henry, an honors student being recruited by Princeton. “You need to face good competition to get better and coaches need to see you play that competition.”
The roster is composed of mostly Division I prospects but some may wind up at a Division II institution.
Besides two more events in New Jersey and high powered tournaments in the Bronx, Cincinnati, Chicago and Washington; the Lady Warriors will compete in the Rose Classic during May at Junior HIgh 113 and Bishop Ford High against New York’s top club teams such as Exodus, Long Island Lightning, Bulldogs, New Heights and Positive Direction. The league’s championship is in early June.
“We went 3-1 this weekend; we lost Saturday on a 30-foot shot at the buzzer, but it shouldn’t have come down to it. The more we play with each other, the better we’ll handle game situations,” Kotrozos, who played at Baruch College, said.
The Lady Warriors are considered a serious team this summer but there was more at the ECC.
10 Weekend Warriors
Here are 10 players from the ECC to keep an eye on as the summer circuit unfolds (players are listed alphabetically with their high school):
Alyssa Alston, Career Magnet (New Haven, Conn.): The 5-5 dervish is a standout point guard with above average skills across the board. She dominated Saturday’s games but missed Sunday for the most part with after suffering a concussion. The rising sophomore plays for the Da FAM Club U15 in Connecticut. She was first team all-conference at Career Magnet and the top point in state.
Tanaya Atkinson, Career Magnet (New Haven): The first thing that stands out is her keen sense of anticipation. Whether it’s stealing a pass or threading a pass between three defender, Atkinson has it. There’s a good reason why the 5-10, freakish athletic guard has been recruited by high majors after her sophomore year. Plays for Da FAM Club. She was also a first team all-conference performer.
Lexi Bruno, Sacred Heart (Vineland, N.J.): A smallish rising junior point guard (5-4), Bruno is a prototypical floor general with excellent court vision and refined ballhandling skills. So far she’s attracted interest from Siena, Fordham and Wagner but that list should grow by the end of the summer. She plays for the Philadelphia Belles U15 and was a third team all-state selection.
Arelis Cora, Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn): Several low Division I schools have sent letters but she’ll end up playing at a higher level. First, she plays for a nationally ranked high school program and is improving weekly with the NYC Lady Wildcats. The rising junior sees the floor well, plays the 2 or 3 and has an aggressive game.
Nicole Daniels, Stoughton (Mass.): An intriguing, 6-4 long-legged prospect. Daniels is long but raw. The rising senior has several college suitors but needs to become more physical and aggressive to thrive in the post. Plays for the Boston Showstoppers U16.
Dana Direnzo, St. Joseph (Hammonton, N.J.): The 5-10 rising sophomore is the complete package, as a deadeye spot-up shooter, fleet footed and a tenacious rebounder. Direnzo might have been the top prospect here. Her suitors include West Virginia, Villanova, Drexel, Saint Joseph’s and Delaware but that will quickly expand. She has athletic bloodlines, her grandfather played in the NFL for the Eagles.
Meagan Eripret, Salisbury (Allentown, Pa.): The 6-2 post plays for the Lehigh Valley Fever U14 after completing her freshman season at Salisbury. For a young player she’s still learning the game but still makes intelligent decisions. She uses her length outreach players for the ball and uses an effective pump fake to reach the free-throw line. Shows above average activity on defense in the paint. Scored a career-high 22 point twice for her Class AA high school team. Eripret’s best days are ahead.
Nyasha Irizarry, Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, N.Y.): She started varsity as a sophomore at the New York City Catholic High School Athletic Association Class AA powerhouse, earning all-borough honors. Irizarry was one of the top-three players here and is a 5-9 combo guard. Her coach thinks she’s a natural 2, but running the show is also in her repertoire. Court vision, work ethic, high basketball IQ and team-first attitude are attributes. She had plenty of local Division I attention but with her ability, recruitment should soon explode. Plays for NYC Lady Warriors U16.
Kathryn Johnson, Ocean City (N.J.): At 5-4, she’s a pass-first point guard and a rising senior. Has played three years of varsity, averaging 5 assists per game. Not much of a scorer but will defend the opposing 1-man and break the press with effective dribbling for the Wildcats Cape-Atlantic AAU. Needs a big summer to attract higher offers.
Janay Smith, Buena Regional (N.J.): Also plays for the Wildcats. Smith hit for 11 points and nearly 8 rebounds as a junior at the South Jersey school. At 6-1, she’s a solid post who runs the floor well. According to her bio, Smith maintains a 4.4 grade-point average with a 1520 SAT score. She’s likely ticketed for a high-academic college in 2013.
