Colorado Springs, Colo. – There is a more serious and determined atmosphere here as the USA Basketball u17 National Women’s Team Trials taking place over the Memorial Day weekend. It’s serious because until last year, the USA has never lost in the u16s nor the 3X3 u18s. The USA only does gold. And last year we didn’t get it.
A less than gold performance still enabled the USA to qualify for the FIBA u17 World Championships being held in Zaragoza, Spain at the end of June. The 3X3 u18s will take place next week in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Regardless, the focus here is to defend their u17 gold in Spain.
The shivers that ran through the youth girls basketball community after the USA team lost to Brazil and finished third at the u16 Americas event in Mexico was chilling. The discussion ran from poor play, to poor coaching, to poor selection, to poor players, to poor matchups. Sitting there watching those games last year showed that unless we send our best, there are no longer any guarantees of a gold medal. Canada and Brazil both finished ahead of the USA and Mexico produced its best team ever. Not just the world, but the Americas have caught up to the USA.
Last summer both the Women’s u19’s in Moscow and the u19 Men in Cyprus claimed gold but it was not the traditional rout or double digit victories. Both teams had to work hard to earn their championships.
A deep reflection on the entire youth operation was discussed quietly by a number of influential people in the community and it was noted that the game has changed for the American athlete. It’s not just what it used to be regardless of the depth and numbers of talented players we have. We still rule the sport because we have the anchor / power player to drive teams to the gold.
This exact problem was what faced the Women’s u16 Team selection last year and still does this year for the u17s World Championship roster here in Colorado Springs.
In the past, I’ve tried to list how each session and each player is competing at the annual USA Basketball Nation Youth Team trials from the u16 through to the u19’s. This year I did not. I am spending more time trying to build a team – do what the USA Basketball Youth Committee has to do – pick the perfect team.
Last year I selected a roster prior to the Team announcement and came up six short. In the past I’ve been able to get no less than 70% in a bad year. Last year I missed, so did the USA. This time, the returning players are here from the u16’s along with a new crop of very talented players.
“This is a very talented group compared to last year,” said USA Basketball Women’s Director Carol Callan. “The players are a lot more mature this year.”
The USA Basketball Youth Committee has to again select 12 players. They know they have to do a better job on not missing players and giving head coach Dory Oldaker a better roster than what she had in Mexico.
All the players from 2016 returned along with a number of invitees and those who wanted to try to make themselves visible. As the trials started there were 139 players broken into Group A and Group B. Drills, half court and full court play were the typical methods used to show who can plan and then who separates themselves from the pack over the Thursday evening (139), Friday (139) and Saturday (101 & 73) workouts and cuts.
The difference between last year and this year is more athleticism and more mature talent across the group but still the same problem that plagues this age level – no go-to star and no great point guard to start this trials.
The team from 2015 was here: Jayda Adams, Desiree Caldwell, Aquira DeCosta, Andra Espinoza-Hunter, Destiny Littleton, Lauryn Miller, Alexis Morris, Valencia Myers, Sedona Prince, Honesty Scott Grayson, Bexley Wallace and Jada Williams. If there was any issues with this group last year in Mexico, it was inconsistent guard play and failure to generate points from the wing and inside. At the 2015 trials I only had six players from this group on my team list.
What the USA Team wasn’t prepared to do roster-wise was compete against a very strong, athletic and determined teams Brazil which beat the USA 72-63. Canada took the gold with an amazing 72-71 OT win. Both teams were more mature than the USA last year. This search for picking a better 2016 team starts with athleticism, strength and aggressive play necessary to play the world’s best next month in Spain.
The biggest surprise from 2015 was the omission of big talented Rellah Booth from Ocala, Florida who everyone expected to make the team. This shock left everyone in the youth basketball committee questioning the veracity of the USA Selection group who picked a Bronze roster over this past basketball season.
Booth came back for 2016 even more determined and with the same uncanny ability to just score points despite not being the first down the floor on every possession. She did not disappoint as she made continued acrobatic and power moves for points all over the floor. It was easy to say by the start of Saturday’s morning session, she was a lock for the team. USA needs a beast point producer.
All of Friday and most of Saturday was about giving the 139 athletes in attendance a change to show their wares and to see if the 2015 Bronze team players were ready to come back and step up their game. The other talk was the playing exploits of some of the Trials younger talent from 2019 and 2020, players who will be back here next year for the u16s. The big gun wasn’t even a high school athlete yet as Sydney Parrish (2020) wowed the many onlookers from the Media area with continued three point scoring abilities. She made shots from all over the arch. Another Trials surprise was the future for local 6-5 Colorado Springs native Ashten Prechtel (2019) and (2020) 5-9 wing Te-Hina Paopao from Oceanside, CA. Both opened eyes with unexpected play and other members of the 2019 class such as Nyah Green, Zoe Young, Haley Jones, Taylor Jones, Kennedy Brown, Samatha Brunelle, Ashley Owusu, Isabella Baugh, Chloe Chapman, Anaya Peoples, Allyah Boston and Jazmaine Lewis made waves making to the second cuts into Saturday evening. All of the above will be back again for 2017 and herald a monster group of 2019s and 2020s, many of which are not even here.
The task at hand, selecting the perfect team, started off better than last year as the USA Youth Committee was on point getting 85% of the same names that I watched over the first seven sessions. What was obvious is the simple fact most of the 2015 roster members are not ready to make the team again. Players were either out of shape, slower, failed to defend or score consistently, coming off an injury, or ineffective against this new crop of athletes.
Picking a group of player from an individual process of games and drills is by far easier than picking 12 players who can beat not only Canada and Brazil but also the other best Euro teams like Czech Republic, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Latvia and the standards China and Australia. The USA roster will have to contend with stopping foreign players who’ve gotten better and want nothing more than to beat them.
While the “star-lacking” USA Trials started with plenty of opportunity, it was apparent by Saturday evening that besides Booth, two others also stood out enough in my mind, to claim slots: 6-4 NyLyssa Smith and 6-7 Sedona Prince both from Texas. Smith was amazing with her speed and aggressive play to the basket. She was easily the first player besides Booth who made the biggest, earliest impression. Prince, a ’15 returnee, who grew more and got stronger since last summer, stood out with her inside play against the other big inside players. With the participants down to 73 it was easier to see who could claim the rest of the spots on Sunday.
I would expect the final list of players to come from: Adams, Kiana Williams, Jordan Nixon, Rennia Davis, Aquira DeCosta, Maya Dodson, Zarielle Green, Morgan Jones, Kayla Wells, Alaysia Styles, Jordyn Oliver, Zoe Young, Parrish, Madison Williams, Mckenzie Forbes, Smith, Breanna Beal, Kennedy Brown, Boothe, Brunelle, Charlie Collier, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Prince, Lewis, Janelle Bailey and Celestine Akoro.
I have skipped over most of the 2015 guard line feeling that this 2016 edition needs to be more aggressive, more athletic and defensive while still pushing to the basket and shooting the ball. Except for the show put on by Parrish, most of the guards and wings have failed to be consistent. Sure, there are some players who’ve hit a few three’s in a row but that was one session or another, not across session after session.
The block of players I’ve chosen would be some of the most amazing athletes here. All of them are capable of getting to the basket with a passion. After watching the u16 European Championships last August in Portugal, I know we need speed to the basket and to the defense.
The USA Youth Committee smartly chose to have a camp of players after the final workouts on Sunday and announcement at 8am on Monday. This will enable the Coaches to look at a bigger group, maybe 15-18 to make sure the chemistry is right and the talent matches the competition ahead. Could some more of the 2015 roster make it to the camp? Sure, if they compete on Sunday and run and make shots – the same requirement for everyone.
If I was picking without the full Sunday look I would go with this 25 (Shown with their USA trials roster numbers):
G: (51) Williams, (57) Nixon, (121) Williams, (142) Wells, (150) Oliver, (151) Young
W: (19) Adams, (70) Davis, (71) DeCosta, (72) Dodson, (76) Green, (148) Styles, (224) Forbes, (237) Williams, (244) Smith, (246) Beal,
B: (244) Smith, (247) Brown, (276) Brunelle, (277) Collier, (284) Nelson-Ododa, (289) Prince, (290) Lewis, (292) Bailey, (293) Akoro
As for the final post-trails camp team – again – without looking at the last full workouts and cuts….
5- G: (51) Williams, (57) Nixon, (121) Williams, (142) Wells, (150) Oliver
6- W:, (70) Davis, (71) DeCosta, (72) Dodson, (148) Styles, (237) Williams, (246) Beal
5- B: (244) Smith, (272) Booth, (277) Collier, (289) Prince, (292) Bailey
Follow the link below to the USA Basketball website and numerical rosters as they have unfolded thus far.
http://www.usab.com/womens/u17/roster.aspx
This is a big selection the USA National Team program as USAB can ill afford another poor selection as the USA always goes for the gold. A roster that will compete hard and quick against the world’s best should be the focus of this very important selection.
No matter what, if this group is the perfect pick we all expect then the gold at the 2017 FIBA world championships will not be in doubt. I will be there in Zaragoza, Spain to watch the games and competition unfold.
NOTES: The USA Team will face the 2015 u16 Euro champ in the Czech Republic (June 24th), a very big and talented team and 3rd place Italy (June 25th) in Pool C. Brazil heads Pool A with a tough Japan. Pool B is the toughest with Australia, China, France and Mexico while Brazil heads Pool D with Portugal (2nd Euros) and Spain (4th Euros). Finals are on July 2nd just in time for players to return for summer travel team competitions starting July 6th.
