PHOENIX, Ariz.— While Friday wasn’t “Black Friday”, it was the last shopping Friday before Christmas and it was also the last chance for some teams to punch a ticket into Saturday’s Nike TOC finals. While all teams are still in action daily, day three saw the right side of the bracket and semifinals take the main stage shining the spotlight on those undefeated squads still hoping to add a Nike Swoosh to their Christmas stocking. For a look at Saturday’s brackets and schedules, follow the link below to the Tournament of Champions web site.
https://basketball.exposureevents.com/141636/2019-nike-tournament-of-champions/schedule
Blue Star Media has been courtside from the opening tip Wednesday and will be on hand through the final horn Saturday. We’ve featured five players in our coverage each day who have had some strong performances or demonstrated the potential we love to see in young prospects. Keep in mind those players we highlight might not always be the best performance of the day, the highest scorer or even the “name” recruits in action. Many times they are, but other times we look at potential, growth in skills or somebody we simply haven’t had the chance to see play yet. Please don’t read anything into our selections. It’s not an equal opportunity process nor is it a reward anyone is entitled to. It’s just the thoughts and opinions of an old coach.
That being said, follow the links below to see our coverage from days one and two.
https://bluestarmedia.org/nike-toc-2019-day-one-featured-five/
https://bluestarmedia.org/nike-tournament-of-champions-day-two-2/
Today we feature five more standouts who offered up something interesting during Friday’s action. Tomorrow we’ll shift gears and take a look at championship action from the final day of the 23rd annual Nike Tournament of Champions.
La Jolla moved into the Joe smith final by way of a hard fought 62 – 54 battle with Archbishop Mitty. Senior point guard Te-Hina PaoPao was in rare form, which is to say “normal” for her, but she got plenty of help from promising post Breya Cunningham. Just a freshman, the 6-3 Cunningham has a great frame with a solid upper body and a fit and agile lower that allows her to get up and down the floor better than most athletes her size. Cunningham had some moments here and there in first and second round wins but really stepped up to the plate in Friday’s semifinal. She’s got a great set of hands and reels in pretty much any pass that comes her way. Keeping it high, she goes up strong and protects the ball effectively leading to a solid ability to finish. At La Jolla, she’s in a proven setting for skill advancement and teaching. The best is yet to come.
All everyone seems to want to talk about when you mention Hamilton Heights is Treasure Hunt and Kamilla Cardosa. Understandable given the elite status of the Kentucky and Syracuse signees. However, dynamic point guard Tineya Hylton is interrupting the conversation more and more with some outstanding play of her own. The 5-6 junior is a Canadian transplant who is right at home with Hamilton Heights and their up and down offensive attack. Hylton is quick and explosive with the ball and seems to get to the rim at will. Possessing an impressive vertical, she can finish at the rim but has a strong pull up to call upon if needed. In traffic, she shows off some strong body control and hang time allowing her make decisions at the last moment on occasion. In full court scenarios, she‘ll push the ball from makes, misses and turnovers, often kicking it ahead to the lane runners that Hamilton Heights seems to never run out of. She gets good elevation on her jumper and shows off a good touch from midrange out to the three point line.
We almost chose to post a milk carton image and ask if anyone had seen the missing Olivia Miles we’ve been watching the past couple of years. For the second week in a row something seems amiss with one of the premier playmakers in the scholastic game. We saw flashes and moments Friday and the effort is always there, but it was far from the relentless attack that lets her create and improve options for teammates like no other player in a high school uniform. The shot and form looks good more often than not but a completely uncharacteristic wide open air ball raised more than one set of eyebrows on the sidelines. Miles has instincts and skills that are natural and god given. She has the things that you can’t teach. It’s seemed completely out of character to see her so retrained in her attack. Granted the competition was elite…but then again…in the opinion of this coach…so is she. Looking forward to seeing her again!
Sierra Canyon has plenty of depth which has propelled them into the national rankings and a spot in Saturday’s Joe Smith final by virtue of their 58 – 52 win over Riverdale Baptist. While the backcourt may be out in front of the band and making some high profile plays, there is a quiet and consistent force that keeps their motor running. Senior forward Rosemary Odebunmi may not make the flashy plays but the 6-0 Pepperdine signee is steady and constant in her physical attack. Good agility allows her to work from the high post or out on the baseline creating some scoring options off the drive. Impressive physical strength helps her produce in a crowd of bigs getting a bucket, a foul or often…both. Odebunmi can get out and run the floor on the break and attacks the glass with a vengeance. Sierra Canyon’s success is a team effort but her contribution is far beyond what any first impression might lead you to believe.
Regina Walton may not bring a lot of size to the floor at this point in her career but the 5-5 Elizabeth Seton point guard brings enough game for a player a foot taller. Just a sophomore, Walton is a fiery presence in both transition and the halfcourt. Utilizing refined ballskills, she can push the ball and make decisions at speed while keeping defenders on their heels and guessing. The vision is there on the break or within the confines of a halfcourt set. Without the ball she’s active and cuts with intent to make herself an option. As we’ve seen in the past, Walton has the range and quick release to give defenders a nightmare. Defensively, the quick hands and feet allow her to harass and turn ballhandlers making them look to give it up much earlier than they may want to. Lots of impact on both ends.
