Everyone has a goal when they agree to participate in the USA Basketball U16 Trials in Colorado Springs. For some, it is making the team. For others, it is making it through the day or even a cut.
Saturday was first cut day with two in store with the first roster moving from 124 to 95 and down to 71 by the end of the day’s third session. Since this was a quasi-open event (some invited, most open) there were a lot of players here based on a decision to apply, send the fee and pay to get there. Those who could did, those who didn’t know or couldn’t, didn’t. This game is about information and these trials were in way about those who were informed.
The first cut came after the first session which ended just before noon. It was a simple house cleaning of the players who should not have spent the time or money to come. Sure it was an opportunity to learn and play and if that was a goal, it was realized. The committee that selects the team was generous keeping more players than a lot of the evaluation observers were expecting. The Blue Star Media crew though the 124 could drop down to at least 60. Instead the next session presented us with 95 still in two groups. At this point I selected my own Top 10 players: Group 1: Tea Cooper, Kennedy Burke, Natalie Chou, Katie Lou Samuelson, Lauren Cox. From Group 2: Taylor Murray, Jaelyn Brown, Asia Durr, Kalani Brown and Tori McCoy. If there was a team selection today I thought that these where the major contenders with space for one guard and one big.
If you my viewed Day one list where I had 34 players in contention, it changed Saturday as I decided to select my Top 40 before the afternoon session started. As the second set of games progressed it was easier to look at key players and view how they separated themselves from each other through their play. What was difficult was that about 30 players had similar abilities making it hard to choose decide cut or stay. Again, the committee had to trim the roster after this session. We thought it would get down to 40-50 but instead it moved from 95 to 71 at this point for the day’s final set of games. From my Top 40 list, 39 players advanced with my only choice Bridget Herlihy missing the cut.
With the night session still in two groups of 37 and 34 respectively, it was way easier to see players who were battling for a slot instead of viewing too many watered down teams on the floor. Players like Paris Lawson, Leleanne Smith, Janaya Hines, Symone Starks, Teniya Page, Amber Ramirez, Lauren Brozoski and Kysre Gondrezick all started to play hard and compete at a high level in the guard lineup. Since there was a shorter list of bigs, the competition got decidedly tougher. The two late evening surprises were the play of Dominique Toussant and even more exceptional, the effort of Kelly Koshuta.
In my view at this point looking at the top five players from each Group (5 and 5) there are probably 10 slots accounted for leaving only two. If you take Taylor Murray, Te’a Cooper and Asia Durr as three guards, then Kalani Brown and Tori McCoy as two posts you have five slots left with Kennedy Burke, Natalie Chou, Jaelyn Brown as three wings then Katie Lou Samuleson as a swing, then Lauren Cox at big forward this would leave openings for another guard and a forward/post or two more big combinations.
There were a lot of very good small forwards playing well as the evening session progressed but probably still not making the team unless the committee went into a different lineup direction. The Top10 were the more dominate players. The next batch are good, but not this good. If any player is vulnerable of the 10 it is Kalani Brown who could be challenged by Joyner Holmes, Krystaline McCune, Celeste West or even a smaller, quicker forward.
At the end of Saturday evening it was looking like this 2013 USAB Trials was going to be better than first expected but it is still not a “loaded” group of talent like past U16 Trials. I believe there are two great players here in Durr and McCoy with another 12-14 really big time players. However, no Diamond DeShields or Breanna Stewart franchise players have emerged so far.
The next cut comes at 8:30am Sunday and then another full day of competition. The final roster will be announced Monday morning.
