Forty-eight hours, three hundred miles, eleven courts, one hundred and eight teams was all it took for college coaches and evaluators watch the basketball talent from New York City and Washington, D.C. areas. The NCAA Fall Evaluation period is always an interesting mix of unsigned seniors, hybrid club teams, varsity squads and the rosters that look like a sudoko puzzle. Fortunately, this year I was pleasantly surprised with the level of play especially from the 2015 class, mostly likely a result of the new contact rules with college coaches. Juniors Taja Cole, Sydney Jordan and Brianna Jones all turned in stellar performances showing notable improvement in their overall games.
2014(Unsigned)
Lillybeth Garcia 5-5 (Bronx, NY) Riverbank Gazelles –great court vision…can pass from any angle while moving at full speed…solid mid-range game…has all the tools to be a floor general at the collegiate level.
Emmanuela Awobajo 6-0 (Philadelphia, Penn.) Philadelphia Belles – College physique…explosive first step…can make plays at the rim…plays through contact
2015
Passion Scott 6-1 (Landover, Md.) Cardinal Crusaders – conditioning has improved…more active on the boards…can finish around the basket
Nicole Enabosi 6-0 (Germantown, Md.) Germantown Lady Panthers – despite the kneebrace, she is full recovered from the ACL…has the speed and quickness to get by defenders in the paint
Dasia Harris 5-6 (Kenisington, Md.) Germantown Lady Panthers – she has matured into a standout point guard…handles the ball with confidence…pesky on-ball defender
Bianca Boggs 5-9 (Waldorf, Md.) – smooth athletic guard…can score the basketball in several ways…solid mid-major prospect
Taja Cole 5-8 (Chesterfield, Va.) Cap City Ballerz – Impressive as a ‘floor general’…did an excellent job of communicating with her teammates…scored within the flow of the offense …showed that she understands the point guard’s role of controlling the pace and tempo
Kelsey Scott 6-0 (Glenn Allen, Va.) Cap City Ballerz – Very steady on the court…can score in bunches very the perimeter…skill set translates well to the collegiate game
Madison Zdebski 6-2 (Alexandria, Va.) Cardinal Jr Elite – Very long and lanky but is fluid running the court…excellent footwork and good back to the basket moves…sprints out in transition with her hands ready for the ball…high ceiling
Sydney Jordan 6-0 (Manassas, Va.) Fairfax Stars Nike Maroon – She has become an aggressive scorer…the tools were always there but her game is maturing…versatility as a combo-guard
Misha Jones 5-8 (Manassas Park, Va.) Fairfax Stars Nike Maroon – Always solid running the point…very high IQ…handles ball pressure well
Kia Gillespie 6-3 (Meridan, Conn.) Yung & The Restless – Very effective passer from the post…can score the basketball facing or with her back to the basket…has all the physical tools but effort isn’t always there
Janelle Mullen 5-9 (Ozone Park, N.Y.) NY Belles – Solid set of skills…excellent court vision…makes relevant passes…can create her own shot when closely defended
Marina Mabrey 5-11 (Belmar, N.J.) Exodus NYC – Continues to impress with her ability to read-react and make the right play…perfect combination of basketball skill and toughness
Shannon Ryan 6-4 (Plattsburg, N.Y.) NY Belles – Showed a nice hook shot…uses her body well in the paint to rebound…needs to develop her left hand
Lauren Brozoski 5-5 (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) LI Lightning – Always exciting to watch…even when her shot is not falling she is always looking create score opportunities for her teammates…knows how to win games
Heather Foster 5-11 (Huntington, N.Y.) LI Lightning – Tweener post who can score from the elbow…can attack the basket with both hands…isn’t afraid to fight for rebounds
Amirra Dixon 5-8 (New Rochelle, N.Y.) Westchester Hoopers – aggressive 2 guard who can score the basketball…uses cross-over dribble to blow by defenders and get the rim…1-2 dribble pull-up against taller defenders
Brianna Jones 6-0 (North Babylon, N.Y.) Philadelphia Belles Nike – She is in excellent physical condition…her release is quicker and she can get her shot off against any type of defensive scheme…arguably the best shooter at the scholastic level…plays hard defensively
Ciani Cryor 5-4 (Philadelphia, Penn.) Philadelphia Belles Nike – racked up double digits in every game…plays bigger than her height…can break down defenders with her hesitation dribble…very feisty competitor who never takes a play off
2016
Kayla Robbins 6-1 (Mitchelville, Md.) Lady Terps – has all the tools to be a college wing…improved ball handling allow her to be more creative offensively
E’lexus Davis 5-8 (Hyattsville, Md.) Cardinal Crusaders – appears to be confident and comfortable on the court after being sidelined with nagging injuries…she understands how to break down defenses and make passes off the dribble
Jaia Alexander 5-10 (Baltimore, Md.) Maryland Pride – Big guard with a solid frame…very high basketball IQ…strong ball handler…tough defender…nice upside
Ceyanna Harrison 6-4 (Red Oak, N.C.) Carolina Elite – Size and athleticism…still raw but the effort is there…can develop into a major prospect
Jodi Ramil 6-1 (Binghamton, N.Y.) Iexcel 15 – Tough, gritty blue collar post…great hands really secures the ball…strong and aggressive on defense doesn’t shy away from physical play
Kamiah Smalls 5-10 (Philadelphia, Penn.) Philadelphia Belles Nike 15 – Aggressive athletic wing…hits the boards…can create off the dribble…showed 3-point range
Sydney Morang 6-1 (New Providence, N.J.) Philadelphia Belles Nike 15 – Lefty wing…handles the ball well for her size…sprints in transitions…active defensively can guard several positions
Niya Johnson 5-9 (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Exodus NYC – solid strong frame…excellent mid-range game…as the ability to split defenders and pull up for a jump shot
Isabella Aliare 5-11 (Bethesda, Md.) Germantown Lady Panthers – long lanky frame…moves well on the court…handles the ball well in transition…makes herself available to score…has potential
2017
Mikayla Boykin 5-8 (Clinton, N.C.) Team Carolina – Continues to impress with her overall game…appears to be stronger which allow her to play through contact.
Dazia Powell 5-8 (Raleigh, N.C.) Team Carolina – Tenacious defender with active hands and quick feet…can make plays in transition
Mikayla Stanley 6-3 (Glenn Allen, Va.) Cap City Ballerz – Has established herself as one of the premier post player in the class…very proficient at scoring from the low block…great balance and footwork
Megan Walker 6-0 (Chesterfield, Va.) Cap City Ballerz – She has set the bar very high for the 2017 class…smooth, confident and mature she can clearly play 1-4 at the collegiate level…she can be a game changer
Katherine Nelson 5-7 (North Attleboro, Mass.) Honey Badgers – Lefty point guard with a nice feel for the game..crafty floor general..can finish with both hands
Victoria Galvan 6-1 (Brielle, N.J.) Central Jersey Hawks – Understands the fundamentals of low post play, shows her hands and squares up to the ball…works very well in pick and roll plays
Millicia Reid 5-8 (Bronx, N.Y.) Yung & The Restless – Very mature presence on the court…solid form on her jump shot…very quick lateral…one to watch
Shanique Edwards 6-2 (New York, N.Y.) Riverbank Gazelles – Long athletic energetic wing player…uses length to be a disruptive defender…makes tons of hustle plays…has a natural feel for the game…caught the attention of many high major coaches
