WASHINGTON, D.C.—With 30 courts and 282 teams all under one roof, the 25th annual USJN National Championships may have set a new standard for basketball sensory overload. Turn any direction in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and you were going see older teams and younger teams, point guards and post players, wings and combos and some players we’re still not real sure about. A lot of those individuals you’ll be hearing more about for years to come, others are just making beginning to make their mark in the eyes of recruiters and others still should simply enjoy the moment and look forward to intramurals at the next level.
While this year’s event was the recruiting equivalent of Black Friday in the Mall of America, it was physically impossible to take in all the action and check out the full extent of promising talent on hand. We’ve already profiled some of the individuals who participated in the Diamond Division championship game won by the Garner Flames (follow the link below) and now we do a double take and look back at a few more of the prospects who stood out on the “big stage” in D.C.
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A lot of players get themselves on the recruiting radar early and ultimately it seems as if you’ve been watching them play forever. The plus to that is that you often get to see an athlete and her skills mature right in front of your eyes and that’s exactly what we’ve seen with Kysre Gondrezick. The Benton Harbor, Michigan native switched club teams this year and landed with highly regarded Ralph Gesualdo and his Midwest Elite. Despite still being just a 2016 prospect, Gondrezick seems almost rejuvenated and playing with a new enthusiasm for the game. The 5-9 guard has the ability to create her own looks and is doing so on a much more consistent basis than in the past. While the perimeter form, range and touch are all top tier it’s much more accurate to call her a scorer rather than just a shooter. She reads the floor well on the attack and is making more and more mature decisions both in terms of shot selection and passing. Gondrezick is consistently out on the break and from early in the month to the end demonstrated much more active play without the ball. Deceiving speed makes her a much more effective defender and her anticipation one and two passes away allows for plenty of touches or steals.
Another player who has logged plenty of time out on the club basketball trail over the years is Asia Doss of the Michigan Crossover. The 5-8 standout from Detroit has always been up tempo and high energy in her play (Couldn’t stomach using “high motor” on a kid from Detroit!) but is now picking her spots and exploiting defensive breakdowns in a much more efficient manner. In the past it was almost as if she had her mind made up on the attack regardless of what the defense offered or presented her with. Her hesitation and change of speed combined with some refined ball skills make her one of the more difficult players to contain on the scholastic level. Add to that a crossover that is lethal and you’ll see why defenders are giving her a cushion wide enough to drive a truck through. This rising senior is a capable and productive scorer both off penetration and from the perimeter. The pull up is serving her well these days and demonstrates some impressive elevation. On the drive she’s more than capable of delivering some interior passing that should keep high school and future college post teammates happy. Doss has the lateral speed and quickness to be an assertive on ball defender as well as the aggressive approach to make an impact forcing turnovers.
It’s not often you see the college crowd grow in size for an already well known prospect over the course of a single event but that’s just what happened each time Canada Drive and combo 2014 guard Kia Nurse took the floor in D.C. At 6-0, the Hamilton, Ontario native is skilled, knowledgeable and more so than anything…productive. Her ability to create is not limited just to shots nor is it on display only in halfcourt play. From makes, misses and turnovers she’s pushing the ball with vision and court concepts that few on the high school level can call upon. The ball skills are sharp and the acceleration is exceptional on any move that she might make. Nurse navigates traffic like a D.C. cab driver and can score at the rim or adeptly pull up anywhere from the 5 to 10 foot range on a dime. Additionally, her relentless attack often leads to simple opportunities for her or her teammates when opponents make the mistake of relaxing even for a second. She’s very active on the defensive end and anticipates in a manner that says she’s been well coached. Easily one of the premier performers of this event or any other this summer.
As mentioned earlier, watching a player from a young age allows you to see the refinement of their skills as well as the additional depth they add to their arsenal over the years. Entering her junior year this fall, Lauren Brozoski has been an established, national level point guard for some time. Better known simply as “Boogie” the 5-5 Cambria Heights, New York native is a dynamic presence on the floor when the ball is in her hands. She’s going to push the ball at opportunity ably providing both scoring and passing in both numbers situations or moving into halfcourt scenarios. The ability to change directions is something NFL running backs would be envious of and she adds the caveat of varying her speed as well to keep defenders guessing. Occasionally her limited size makes finishing deep in the paint a challenge but the pull up is hard to read and comes with a quick release. Further out on the perimeter Brozoski is calling on a step back that is equally hard to anticipate and providing plenty of room to get her good looks at the rim. On the ball defensively she’s quick and active with her hands. On the weakside she can be a bit ball oriented and take some chances but every once in a while they will pay off for her.
Kia Nurse wasn’t the only neighbor form the Great White North to make some noise. Also playing under the Canadian flag was Eternati Willock of A-Game Tdot. This 2015 prospect has more than her share of the attributes that college recruiters are looking for on the wing these days. Legitimately 6-1, she has a long, lean and athletic build that makes her a challenging match up physically for opponents. Throw in some sharp ball skills and a quick, lengthy first step and you’ve got your basic worst case scenario for hopeful man to man defenders. Calling Scarborough, Ontario home, Willock has made a name for herself in the past and is now living up to the potential and expectations that came out of those previous performances. There’s plenty of speed to go with her size and that first step plus she’s going to get out in transition both with and without the ball. While a solid scoring threat in her own right, she is a capable passer as well with plenty of snap on offerings threading the needle. The physical nature of the game still seems to be something that could use a tighter embrace from Willock, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.
Watching Team Takeover in action you naturally gravitate to watching some of the higher profile prospects that dot their roster. If you really understand the flow of a game or the catalyst behind just what allows those big dogs to do their thing, then you appreciate the play of 6-0 swing player Taylor Dodson. A native of Harrisonburg, Virginia, the 2014 Dodson in neither flashy in her play or eye catching in her build or skills. What she is, however, is smart, consistent and productive. She’s going to be there in transition or act as an integral part of the halfcourt effort. On the catch she is deceptively quick in her attack and slashes into traffic on a regular basis. Her play is intelligent and well thought often leading to the creation of better options for teammates. Dodson plays with a lean build but appears comfortable bouncing around among the bigs off the drive or the cut. Her length makes her a good defensive option both in man and zone.
Often it’s not always the oldest team in a program that has the athlete who catches your eye. Sure Ring City has Aliyah Huland El and others that offer up some impressive performances but in one game we caught a member of their younger team providing some eye catching moments. Olivia Ramil, a 6-2 post, was the epitome of interior play over the course of the action we saw. Her size is legitimate and the build she has is both solid and powerful. First look might give you an impression of a thicker build but look closer you realize the 2016 prospect is fit and physically strong. Ramil is more than willing to put those tools to work and she does so with some surprising agility. The skills she has down on the block reveal some fundamental coaching somewhere along the line. She’s patient on the catch and reads her defender effectively before attacking. Her drop step was quick, long and impossible to recover from. Ramil, of Binghamton, New York, even offered up a jump hook that kept her defender at arm’s length and featured almost full extension. The same physical strength serves her well defensively and she’s assertive in her efforts on the glass. A sister, Jodi-Marie, is on the older Ring City roster and provides plenty of impressive moments as well.
Bridget Herlihy is the kind of prospect that college recruiters like to follow. The 2015 swing player has taken her already established game and continued to add to and sharpen her skill set across the summer. Just over the past couple of months the advancements in her play are evident and demonstrating that she’s not content to rely on something simply because it’s worked for her in the past. The versatility the Braintree, Massachusetts product brings to the floor is a commodity in the eyes of those at the next level and a nightmare for those on the other bench. As noted in the past, she can create her own looks and in D. C. did so both in transition and in halfcourt sets. While she can get to the rim and develop her own looks, Herlihy is just as content to improve passing angles, draw defenders and distribute the ball. That being said, she also grabbed a rebound and went coast to coast a couple of times just to put defenders on alert. There are times where she tends to be somewhat upright penetrating with the ball which could become an issue down the road facing quicker and stronger opposition at the next level. If she continues to avoid the “plateau” syndrome the limits she faces will be up to her.
Quickhitters
Jayde Woods – 2015 – Cal Swish – 5-11 Wing – Athletic with good speed and length…Scraps…Slashes with effectiveness…Makes plays
Justine Hall – 2014 – Colorado Rockies – 5-10 Guard – Has length…Creates off the dribble…Playing with lots of effort
Jazmine Jones – 2016 – North Florida Elite – 6-0 Guard – Athletic with size…Ball skills are there…Should continue to grow
Tatyana Calhoun – 2015 – Georgia Metros – 6-2 Post – Size and build…Keeps it high…Finishes…Cuts hard…Still awkward at times
Lindsey Corsaro – 2015 – Indiana Elite – 6-0 Guard / Wing – Size with skills…Active…Lots of tools…Overshadowed
Amari Carter – 2015 – Maryland Lady Terps – 5-8 Guard – Athletic guard with lots of acceleration…Elevates…Strong change of speed and direction
Amira Collins – 2018 – Team Takeover – 6-3 Post – Physical tools…Has good hands…Posts strong…Shot is off the shoulder…Major potential
Rayna Sherow – 2014 – Minnesota Suns – 6-2 Post – Just coming into her own…Will post…Had mid-range shot…High post drive is there
Amber Richardson – 2015 – Carolina All-Stars – 5-10 Guard – Strong and athletic…Penetrates with authority…Active on ball defender
Cierra Dillard – 2014 – City Rocks – 5-8 Guard – Strong one on one skills…Interior passing…Makes plays
Dominique Ward – 2014 – New heights Blue – 5-10 Guard – Athletic guard with speed…Sharp individual skills…Elevates
Shannon Coffee – 2015 – Dayton lady Hoopstars – 6-5 Post – Much leaner build…Plays with effort…Skilled but methodical
Ariana Gray – 2018 – Lady’s 1st BKB Academy – 6-0 Forward – Athletic…High post attack…Active and Aggressive…Can finish
Aneah Young – 2015 – Philadelphia Belles Bamford – 5-11 Wing – Athletic…Slasher…Good in traffic…Gets to the line…Runs the floor
Kyra Lambert – 2015 – Texas Xpress – 5-8 Guard – Dynamic guard…Ball skills…Can create her own…Pushes it…Appeared to tire
Taja Cole – 2015 – Boo Williams – 5-7 Point Guard – Elevating her game…Seeing a bigger picture…Strong Scorer…Beginning to share the ball…Plenty of effort
Taya Robinson – 2017 – Boo Williams 15’s – 5-9 Wing – Individual skills…Gets to the rim…Real potential
Tyra whitehead – 2016 – Boo Williams 14’s – 6-2 Forward – Will play physical…Posts up…Midrange jumper
Mackenzie Wolf – 2015 – Wisconsin Lakers – 6-3 Post – Good size and frame…Strong and active…Keeps it high…Effort
