MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—For the sixth consecutive year teams from around the Midwest have found a stop in the Twin Cities to be a competitive weekend as well as great tune-up for the July NCAA evaluation period. The 2013 Summer Jam, run by Bill Larson and the folks with North Tartan Basketball, hosted 180 teams from seven surrounding states last Friday through Sunday. Utilizing the multi-court facilities of both Jefferson and Kennedy High Schools, 12 divisions crowned champions on Sunday with the All Iowa Attack taking home bragging rights in the high profile Lake Minnetonka bracket.
Sunday’s championship contest saw the AIA battle from tip to wire with the Cornhusker Shooting Stars from Nebraska. Led by the standout interior play of Florida commit Haley Lorenzen as well as the long ball effectiveness of Annie Penquite and Samantha Waldron, the eventual champs won their quarterfinal match up by three, their semifinal by just one and ultimately took home the hardware by way of a 63 – 61 win. The Shooting Stars rolled through the bracket with their closest margin being 19 prior to falling in Sunday’s final. All Iowa forward Audrey Faber sealed the win with two free throws with just 1.9 seconds on the clock. Nebraska commit Jessica Shepard provided her continually advancing and versatile high level of play in the loss. Teammate and Illinois verbal Chatrice White struggled to finish throughout the weekend but still was instrumental in the run to the finals as was long range shooting fellow future Illini Brooke Kissinger.
For complete bracket results, please follow the link below.
http://www.aauevents.com/Documents/AAU%20Summer%20Jam%202013%20Schedules.pdf
Plenty of promising talent was on hand and here are just a few who appear primed to make the most of their upcoming summer schedule.
2014
Iowa State has the verbal commitment of Bryanna Fernstrom (Center City, Minn. – Minnesota Stars) and it’s easy to see the promise they’re envisioning for her future. Playing with a solid frame to go along with her 6-5 height, she’s more than a hand full for opposing defenders and is a presence herself in taking away scoring options. While not overly assertive in creating her own opportunities, Fernstrom can finish looks at the rim, call on a hook and offered up some sharp interior passing. There’s a deceptive element of mobility and speed that allows her to be a factor in transition as well as the halfcourt. Her own attack will need a more assertive approach down the road to capitalize on the defensive attention a player of her stature commands. The willingness to give it up is just a bit too comfortable for her at this point. On the defensive end she tends to play behind but in scholastic and club ball that might be the smart approach for maximum efficiency. Matched up with her own physical peers she’ll need to be more active at the next level but the effort and potential are already in place.
Over the course of her scholastic and club basketball careers Haley Lorenzen (Iowa City, Iowa – All Iowa Attack) has shown a constant and steep advancement curve that should have Amanda Butler and her staff at the University of Florida anxious to get their future Gator on campus. This 6-3 post continues to add to her game even as she enters the homestretch of her preparation for SEC basketball. Looking more “fit” than most she takes the floor with and against, Lorenzen is as constantly active at both ends and more than willing to mix things up, get on the floor and generally outwork the opposition. On the catch she’s playing with more confidence and scoring with more midrange efficiency. The perimeter looks are going down but the forward motion still might raise some concern about long term consistency. There’s not a coach in any gym who would ever take issue with her effort and productivity both defensively and on the glass.
Over the years North Tartan has produced plenty of high profile and successful talent. A lot of them have been obvious from a young age and others still evolved over time. While not unknown, Tonoia Wade (St. Paul, Minn. – North Tartan) is just now emerging as a prospect that has the tools to compete at the highest levels. Physically, the 6-0 forward is on par with any athlete on the floor. Her skills are providing her some options to go with her strength, speed and quickness. There’s still some rough edges to her attack but more and more it’s apparent that she’s going to be hitting her peak once she moves on to the next level. Despite the advancements, there’s still some hesitation in her play that will dissipate over time ultimately making her more of a reactionary threat that opponents will have to contend with. The explosive mobility and physical strength make her a force defensively as well as a viable option in fullcourt and halfcourt trapping scenarios. The best is yet to come and up to her as to just how far she’ll take her game.
2015
Coaches, evaluators and media types often refer to a physically impressive prospect as one who passes the “eye test”. That would be an individual who walks into the gym, through the airport or into a hotel lobby and simply looks the part. Meredith Burkhall (Urbandale, Iowa – Kingdom Hoops) might not just pass the test but could well get some extra credit to boot. The 6-2 forward has a long, lean athletic build plus a reach that eliminates the need for a stepladder around the house. Add to that a fluid stride and graceful agility and suddenly you’ve got more tools to work with most players ever dream of. Burkhall has a sound skill set that’s simple at this point yet still effective in both productivity and diversity. Around the rim she keeps it high and elevates to provide herself with clean looks at the rim. She’s still avoiding contact in an effort to get the shot off rather than taking the hit but is in no way “soft” in her play. The release on the perimeter shot is at full arm extension above the head but the follow through is straight and true. At times, there’s still a somewhat mechanical element to her play yet at others still there’s a quick, assertive attack. Defensively her mobility, size and wingspan allow her to change shots and the potential is there to even eliminate touches if she makes the commitment.
Accomplished, versatile, improving, growing, pick an adjective and it most likely will fit Jessica Shepard (Seward, Neb. – Cornhusker Shooting Stars). At 6-3 she has the size and build to play the interior at either spot but can just as effectively line up at the point, off guard or wing position as needed. Jack of all trades, master of none…hardly. The Nebraska player of the year racked up plenty of individual recognition this past season and also led her high school teammates to a state title. Oh, by the way despite having two remaining high school seasons in front of her she’s been committed to the University of Nebraska since August of 2011. Few players have the depth to their game physically and in terms of skills that this future Cornhusker has. Her height is legitimate plus the frame and physical bulk she has puts her in a position to handle contact, post and seal plus defend opposing bigs. On the perimeter her ball skills are refined and allow her handle it on the break, attack in the halfcourt and improve passing angles. The form and stroke are text book from the rim to deep and a soft touch reliably goes hand in hand. Her assertive approach gets her into traffic repeatedly and there’s no hesitation about taking some blows and getting to the line. Already an elite player, she may just be tapping into her potential. Bad news for the Big 10!
TT Starks (Brooklyn Park, Minn. – North Tartan) may still be wearing a brace on her injured knee and knocking some rust off her game but the talented guard is showing flashes of the play that previously put her on the national radar. Having returned to play for her Hopkins High School run through the Minnesota State Tournament, Starks is again demonstrating some of the athletic explosiveness that makes her difficult for opponents to contain. While her scoring is still sporadic at times she had several moments that would make any coach feel comfortable that production and consistency are well on their way back. Appearing physically stronger, she’s attacking the rim at opportunity and utilizing that strength to deal with opposing bigs as they rotate her way. The perimeter shot was not on display much in the North Tartan games we took in but the form and elevation were there on the pull up and her stroke at the line was sound. Defensively that same strength serves her well on ball and her lateral speed puts her in a position to dictate to ballhandlers. Additionally the 5-9 Starks provided her interior teammates with plenty of help on the boards from the perimeter.
2016
College recruiters are always excited when they find skilled guards that play with athleticism and power. Finding one in a younger class is the equivalent of striking gold and Andrayah Adams (Minneapolis, Minn. – Charity Warriors) has a game that is “rich”. Standing 5-9 she’s cut and mature in her build in turn challenging defenses to go bigger in their match ups or to choose to go zone. Even with a physical peer defending she calls on a change of speed and change of direction that creates off balance and overreacting opponents and leaves them struggling to recover. Those individual skills create both shots and passes while getting her deep in the paint time and again. More than adept at finishing at the rim, she also provided plenty of looks at both her pull up and long ball. The pull up has plenty of elevation and the three point range is well behind the arch. There are still occasions where maturity and experience will need to sharpen her decisions but the potential is limited only by the commitment she’ll make to it.
Not many players can make that cross between small forward and the wing these days and most often when they do their skill sets lean more towards the perimeter side. That would be the case for Courtney Frederickson (Shorewood, Minn. – North Tartan). This talented 6-0 standout is one of those players who simply makes plays. Physically strong with a solid build, she’s a demanding match up for most opposition backcourts. The ballhandling is there to create her own looks and while her first step isn’t anything exceptional, her instincts and reads exploit sloppy defenders. This left hander is attacking on the catch and has the depth in her arsenal to knock it down away from the rim or make some noise in the paint. She’ll need to be more active off the ball down the road to keep defenders honest and occupy helpside to benefit her teammates. Defensively she can be physical and is assertive on ball. However, like most high school sophomores, on the weakside she could be more active and stay in a stance ready to rotate.
The era of the “big guard” seems to be eternal…and for good reason. Players like Taylor Koenen (Savage, Minn. – Minnesota Fury) remind recruiters of what an asset it is to have both size and skills on the perimeter. Long and lean at 6-1, Koenen is maturing both physically and as a basketball player. Over the course of the past year she’s refined her skills and is mixing up her attack while keeping defenders guessing. The first step is even lengthier now and provides plenty of clear drives to the rim. Her hesitation dribble will draw virtually any opponent out of their stance and her reads of their reaction leads to plenty of good scoring options. We saw the pull up more this time around and the elevation and release on it makes it challenging to defend. While a strong cutter and most often active without the ball in her hands, Koenen did disappear a couple of times. Elite players have to be an impact even when they’re the focus of opposing defensive efforts. It’s a backhanded compliment but at the same time a challenge of which she’s more than capable of responding.
Sometimes simple textbook guard play is the key to successful basketball. That’s not to minimize the high flyers, long range bombers or acrobatic penetrators, but sometimes you simply want to get the job done. McKenzie Meyer (Mason City, Iowa – All Iowa Attack) does just that for one of the All Iowa Attack’s younger teams. Versatile and skilled at 5-8, she plays a smart and assertive game. She creates tempo pushing the ball in transition or by forcing defenders to get back with her effort running the floor. Whether handling it herself on the break or getting out in the lanes, Meyer makes good choices and can be productive scoring or passing the ball. The form and stroke are there serving both a midrange pull up and the spot up three from deep. There’s a court awareness in place that’s advanced for her age that she calls upon on both ends of the floor. She’s a strong defender on the ball and anticipates well from the weakside of the floor.
There are times with some recruits when you just have to wait and see just what position will end up being “home” for them long term. Jamie Ruden (Rochester, Minn. – Minnesota Fury) currently lives in the land between the wing and the forward spot and shows plenty of talent leaning either way. Standing just over 6-0, she’s physically strong but active and mobile at the same time. There’s some solid ballhandling in place that allowed her to attack from the elbows off the drive but also helped her improve passing options within halfcourt and transition sets. Ruden demonstrated a smart, well thought game, making good choices both with and without the ball. She’s a legitimate threat shooting the ball from the high post or off the pull up plus finishes with efficiency down low. On the defensive end she was physical around the rim but also showed some lateral speed in defending on the perimeter. Versatility is a commodity and Ruden has plenty of it.
2017
Annika Jank (Edina, Minn. – Metro Stars) is one of those athletes you look forward to seeing four years from now. Entering her freshman year next fall she’s already bringing to the table size, skills and effort that could set her apart from the crowd down the road. The 6-1 forward runs the floor well and looks as if there may even be some additional height in her future if Mother Nature cooperates. She has a good understanding of the game and already works well both down on the block or from the high post. Jank also has the ability to put it on the floor and take it to the rim as well as to improve her shot or passing options. Defensively she’s active and pulled more than her share of boards over the course of the weekend. Keep watching, the future is promising.
