WASHINGTON, D.C.—More often than not most organizations celebrate a 25th anniversary with some type of elaborate affair or party. The USJN National Championships hit the quarter century mark this week and threw a get together the likes of seldom seen on the club basketball circuit. Mike Flynn and his USJN staff hosted a special get together of 282 teams of their closest friends representing 28 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. To mark the special occasion USJN even set up shop at a new venue right in the heart of the nation’s capital. Utilizing the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, USJN provided 30 courts under one roof taking a step into the future of girl’s non-scholastic basketball.
Joining the festivities were over 800 college coaches from all different levels identifying, evaluating and babysitting prospects in every class. With 30 floors of action within a five minute or less walk in any direction recruiters were treated to the equivalent of the Mall of America in looking to fill their future roster needs. Needless to say ‘window shopping” was at a premium and the players on hand had plenty of opportunities to market their skills.
Six divisions crowned winners in D.C. Bragging rights in the elite Diamond Division went to the Garner Flames with a 67 – 60 win over Exodus. The Philadelphia Belles grabbed Platinum honors by way of their 60 – 51 final margin in the title game with the New England Crusaders – Benzan. Drill for Skill – Miller had no trouble with the Cincinnati Angels while grabbing the Gold title. In the Silver Division Philly Triple Threat outlasted the GS Sharpshooters out of New Jersey while the Maryland Elite edged the Lady Shooting Stars, also from Maryland, for the bronze. Finally, the Carolina Basketball Club rolled over the Huskies – Ferdinand of Massachusetts to claim the Copper crown.
Complete pool and bracket results are available at usjn.com. Also, check back with Blue Star Media as we’ll be offering additional evaluations of some of the top performers on hand in Washington.
Flames Claim Top Honors
Every “mall” had its share of jewelry stores and nothing has a higher premium in their showcases than diamonds. The same was true in the Diamond Division of the 2012 USJN National Championships. Play opened with 48 teams in six pools battling it out for one of two opportunities to move into bracket play as either the championship or consolation representative. When the smoke cleared for Thursday afternoon’s semifinals some familiar names were still left standing with hopes of taking home top honors. One semi featured a resurgent Boo Williams Nike Elite squad taking on Exodus and their renovated roster including additions Marina Mabrey and Taylor Rooks who previously played with the New Jersey Demons. The Nike banner was also present in the other semifinal as the Georgia Metros faced the always competitive Garner Flames out of North Carolina. Unfortunately for the Swoosh contingent both Boo Williams and the Metros came up short setting the stage for an unexpected but ultra-competitive final.
Both teams entered the championship game unscathed as Garner posted an average margin of victory in seven wins of 13.0 points per game while Exodus claimed their seven contests by an average of 16.4. The Flames overcame a double figure deficit to edge the Metros 66 – 57 to move into the championship game while Exodus handled Boo 55 – 50 to punch their ticket to the final.
Things were slow out of the gate for both teams with the title bout being their third game of the day. Both teams had short runs early capitalizing on a generous number of turnovers both ways. When things settled down a bit Exodus was able to stretch the margin to double figures for the first time at the 3:49 mark taking a 26 – 15 lead. The Flames responded cutting the lead to just seven at the half, 31 – 24. The first 16 minutes saw both teams relying almost exclusively on zone defenses (this summer’s “epidemic”!) and struggling with ball control and shot selection.
Garner came out of the gate hard in the second with an 11 – 2 run taking their first lead since early in the game on a Jamie Cherry three at the 13:30 mark giving them a 35 – 33 lead. Exodus took the lead back by way of some sharp play from Bianca Cuevas as her one of two effort from the line gave the lead back to the New Yorkers 42 – 39 with 10:46 to go. Soon after Cherry went back to work converting a steal and following the next possession with a three to put the Flames back on top 55 – 49.
The deficit was still six for Exodus at the 2:06 mark. Lauren Williams’s offensive board and put back got Exodus within four with 1:40 to go. Garner got two back at the line and Exodus turned it over on the ensuing possession. The Flames gave it right back with a turnover of their own but Exodus went 0 for 2 from the floor and were forced to foul and begin the procession to the line. In the end the Garner Flames claimed the hardware in the Diamond Division with a final score of 67 – 60.
Unfortunately no scoring or statistics were available but both teams benefited by some standout play from several athletes. Here are just a few who had a hand in their team’s run to the championship game.
Often those athletes who commit very early in the recruiting process lose a little of the attention that usually comes the way of high level prospects. Jamie Cherry (2014) verbaled with the folks at North Carolina clear back in her freshman year but that doesn’t mean she went off the radar. The 5-6 physically strong point guard is playing some of the best and most confident basketball of her career adding to the Garner Flames success along the way. Her attack with the ball in her hands is challenging and the low, quick skills she utilizes makes it difficult to stay in front of her. Making things tougher yet for defenders is her seemingly more consistent perimeter shooting including those from longer range. Her acceleration after getting the outlet triggers the break on make, miss or turnover plus keeps opponents on their toes from tip to final horn. While she does give up some size on the defensive end, she has the strength to compensate and the quickness to contain. This event was one of her stronger performances over the years.
Early in the championship game athletic Rydeiah Rogers (2015) was giving the backline of the Exodus zone some serious headaches. Her quick first step and ability to slip between defenders got her some good looks at the rim and earned her several trips to the line. Rogers also showed off an ability to put it on the floor from the high post and get herself deep in the paint for some higher percentage opportunities. The elevation the 6-0 forward plays with as well as the quickness of her attack should challenge opposing match ups and force them to decide whether to go big or go small and gamble on the tradeoffs. Still plenty of work in front of her but she had some moments in D.C.
Every team who finds some success is reliant upon having a player who “just makes plays”. Jazmine Jones (2014) has good size at 6-1 and a diverse skill set. She can be effective down low and has shown the ability to work effectively further from the rim. In the championship game she took several drives from the elbow that were instrumental in loosening up a very stagnant Exodus 3 – 2 zone that wasn’t in the mood to share. Jones is active with and without the ball and knows what she’s looking for in specific situations offensively. The willingness to get out in transition makes her an option that could see the occasional mismatch. Additionally she got a hand on several balls defensively and was quick to the boards at both ends.
Sometimes just the addition of some “new Blood” on a roster can stir things up for a team…or even an individual. Bianca Cuevas (2014) brought a more consistent and much more aggressive attack to D.C. than we saw just a while ago in the ‘Boro. The dynamic 5-6 point guard seemed to pair well with both Marina Mabrey and Taylor Rooks racking up plenty of assists as well as exploiting her own opportunities more often than in recent performances. She went to the rim with more assertiveness and called on the floater much less while navigating the traffic in the lane. Her timing on passes in transition is sharp and quick often waiting till the last second to deliver the crisp pass once the defenders have committed. Her jumper, for the most part, served her well and necessitates tight closeouts from opponents. Defensively she’s quick and aggressive on the ball but does tend to come out of her stance on the weakside of the floor. At her best she can be one of the top point guards on the high school level and it’s good to see that “best” more often.
Taylor Rooks (2014) has had a solid, productive spring and summer to this point with the New Jersey Demons and didn’t seem to miss a beat slipping on the Exodus colors. Rooks is becoming more and more effective as a scorer and produces near the rim out to 15 foot range consistently. The physical strength is there to mix things up with those who bring more size to the floor but the mobility is there as well to leave them standing. She adapted and played efficiently with new teammates and was a factor both on the break and in the halfcourt. The versatility this 6-0 swing brings to the floor is a commodity difficult to find.
Marina Mabrey (2015) has had a challenging summer and it was good to see her back on track with Exodus. She appeared to be enjoying herself more and played with a renewed attack and enthusiasm. Her penetration is aggressive and she has the physical frame to handle some of the beating and banging that comes with taking the ball to the rim. The 5-11 Mabrey has always been a threat from long range and the additional focus on the drive will only keep defenders guessing and provide her even more options. While not always the most physical player on the floor, she appears more willing these days to mix things up defensively and when the shot goes up.
Again, please check back with Blue Star Media for more insights and profiles on standouts from this year’s USJN national Championship.
