UNION, N.J. – Think basketball has borders. Better take a look at some at some of the burgeoning talent with the Quebec-based DVBBALL Elite 17.

Coach Danny Vincent needed to challenge his players and found the perfect venue at the seventh USJN Big Apple Challenge, contested Saturday and Sunday at Kean University’s Harwood Arena.

“Many of our girls want to play college basketball in the United States,” said Vincent, who previously coaches at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), a French-speaking university, but since now runs a skills academy (DVBBALL). “We look all over the region for events to get the team ready for the summer.”

Canadians have three years of high school and two more of collegiate prep for those headed to the university level. That’s why graduation years can be deceiving according to American standards.

Vincent’s team was “thrown together recently and practiced one once,” before leaving the Montreal area early Saturday morning for the seven-hour trip to northern New Jersey. The French-Canadians arrived than an hour before taking the court and it showed but so did the lack of chemistry. Obviously the unfamiliar parts needed time to mesh but their showing was vastly improved from the opener.

In their final game Sunday evening, DVBBALL beat Springfield (Mass.) Ballers, 43-39. Anie-Pier Samson, a heavily recruited guard, buried four free throws in the final seconds to help seal the win.  DVBball went 2-2 this weekend, with a return to the States planned during the live period in July.

DVBball was the lone international team, joining several others from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Nine players, most who train with DVDBALL, made the trip from hockey-centric Quebec but here are the top ones says Vincent. That might change this summer.

Oui en effet.

Here’s a scout.

Annabelle Charron, 2018, 5-9: No surprise she’s track and field athlete who will likely stay in Canada for college. She’s learning the game at a rapid rate and is a true athletic swing. Overall work ethic and quickness are her key attributes. Attends Cegep de St-Jean and trains with DVBBALL.

Rachel Clouatre-Trudeau, 2017, 5-7: She attends Cegep de St-Jean and is an extremely high-level competitor. Her presence and leadership on are evident and she’s ticketed to be a physical guard. She regularly trains with DVBBALL.

Stephanie Guinois, 2017, 5-7: Stephanie will attend college in Montreal at McGill University. She’s still worth checking out.

Anie-Pier Samson, 2016, 6-2: She’s already committed to Duquesne—a very good get for the Dukes—and is an honors student who also attracted interest from Maine, American, Hofstra and Princeton. She totaled 30 offers. First, she’s a versatile player who has tremendous upside. Anie-Pier (commonly known as AP) is a 2 or 3 with great court vision and better than average defending skills. She preps at Dawson College but this summer will play for TW-Bluehounds Community Team on the circuit. The Bluehounds will travel to an event in Pennsylvania (July 6-10) and U.S. Junior Nationals in Washington, D.C.

Dahomé Forgues, 2018, 5-11: Until four years ago she was a figure skater. It shows in her athleticism and crafty footwork. She has a high basketball IQ and is a tall combo guard who can easily defend a 3 or 4. So far Hofstra is only NCAA school to contact her but more will follow. Her coach thinks she is a “cold-blooded shooter.” She plays for Team Quebec and wants to play collegiately in the United States. and

Éléanore Marciczewski, 2018, 6-0: This is one talented player who is scratching the surface of her potential. Sounds cliché but she is tall and sees the court, threading the needle with passes and knowing when the skip pass is necessary. A true 1 (she also plays 2) with solid on-ball defending skills, the U16 National Team pool player could favor a southern climate for college. She attends De Mortagne in Ste-Julie.

Other players from DVBALL included Jessica Rousseau, 2016, 5-6, St-Jean Prep (St-Bruno-de-Montarville); Chloe Bourque, 2018, 5-9, Marcel-Landry; and Sara Bazinet, 2018, 6-2, St-Jean College.

The Future is Now

Undoubtedly the top rising player this weekend was Ashley Owusu of the PSPA Rams (Va.), coached by Dennis Marshall.

Owusu, a 5-11 eighth-grader, is the team’s go-to player and gaining a following on the summer circuit. She has a high basketball IQ and always seems to have the ball in her hands. PSPA ran a 1-4 set with Owusu isolated to break down the defense, which she did. A facilitator and scorer with a quick first step, she gains separation at will. Marshall is really high on this rising freshman and his opinion counts (he also coached his son, Kendall Marshall, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks).

She’s headed to national powerhouse Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) in the fall.

Quick Hitters

Throughout the weekend, there were hundreds of games, some competitive and others lopsided. Here are eight players that stood out for various reasons on the three courts in Harwood Arena.

Alison Criswell, Vogues 17 (Va.), 2016, 5-6: In the face of suffocating halfcourt trap, Criswell remained calm and advanced the ball. Instead of panicking her quick decisions were solid as was her offense. Possesses good handle running a structured offense. Probably would fit in at a Division III or junior college. Entering her senior year at Yorktown (Arlington, Va.).

Jasmine Forte, PSPA Rams 15 (Va.), 2018, 6-2: The long, wiry Forte plays at C.D. Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.) and has generated interest from Atlantic 10 and ACC schools. Simply put, Forte is an ace defender. Her coach, Dennis Marshall, says her rebounding and shot blocking are ahead of her offensive skill set, but expect the gap to tighten up this summer.

Ahyana Green, New York Castle Lady Knights 17, 2016, 5-11: Green was playing way too deep, hoisting shots from the Hinterlands. Once she moved closer to the rim the shots dropped with more frequency. Her mid-range game is solid and her physicality creates mismatches on the blocks. Also has a quick first step. She attends Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.), playing in the ultra competitive New York Catholic League Brooklyn-Queens Division.

Olivia Gumbs, Philadelphia Belles 17, 2016, 6-1: When you have five teammates with high-end Division I commitments, it may be hard to standout. The Delaware resident and post player is coming back from ACL surgery on her left knee and is playing possessed to prove she is back. Right now she’s under the radar but that will soon change. A physical player and hard-nosed defender, Gumbs is an above average rebounder and attacks the offensive glass. An honor roll student, it’s easy to see why the Ivies and Patriot League schools are all over the St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Del.).

Adrianne Hagood, PSPA Rams 15 (Va.), 2017, 5-9: Adrianne is a solid 3-point shooter and will guard the opposition’s main offensive threat. That’s a rare combination stretching the floor at one end and locking down at the other. Her handle needs sharpening and her court decisions continue to point upward. She’s a rising junior at Elizabeth Seton (Bladensburg, Md.), a top threat in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, considered an incubator of talent.

Iyanna McCurdy, Philadelphia Belles 17, 2016, 5-10: She’s a face-up player with very quick first step. She has surprising range, anticipates well defensively (oodles of steals), attacks the rim and scores at the hoop with either hand. Right now she’s a 3 but would like to be a 2. She’s just starting to get letters with Southeast Missouri closely monitoring. Attends Friends Central (Philadelphia).

Candice Taylor, Maryland Pride 17, 2016, 5-9: The combo guard has range. Taylor was launching long WNBA 3-pointers all afternoon. She has a quick release and creates well off the bounce. Main contributions come from the wing.

Uchechi Ufochukwu, Maryland Pride 17, 2016, 6-4: This long Nigerian is a raw talent who is blossoming each time she’s on the court. Coach Tony Gorham said she arrived at Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) last September. Her high post presence sent red flags at first but watching her pass and beat double teams negated them. Once she’s in the blocks her deft footwork kicks in. A defensive beast and standout student in the classroom, Ufochukwu has the likes of Wake Forest, Virginia, Georgia, Louisville, Florida and James Madison in tow.