NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C.—It’s easy to get caught up in all the interest that has surrounded the first ever Elite Girls’ Basketball League and the Nike Nationals championship claimed last week by Team Taurasi. At the same time we’re still about the basketball and there were some outstanding efforts put forth at the hospitable Riverview Park Activities Center…or the “Ice Box” as those of us shivering courtside affectionately referred to it!
Rather than offer up another evaluation of Asia Durr, Arike Ogunbowale, Erin Boley, Taylor Murray, Marta Sniezek or any of the other big name standouts that were doing their thing, we’re going to look at a few others that had an impact as well. Mind you, these aren’t sleepers or unknown prospects. They are well established and highly regarded in their own right but maybe don’t grab the headlines quite as often as some of the teammates they play with or the competition they occasionally compete against. It would be impossible to include all the performances that caught our eye and this, or any of our coverage, is never a reflection in any way on those players not included in our analysis.
For our initial coverage from the EYBL Championship and Nike Nationals follow the link below.
The recovery from an ACL injury is a process that extends well beyond the actual return to play. Dijonai Carrington of the Cal Sparks is still taking those last few steps to put her ACL detour behind her. From the start of the club season until their final game last week we were able to see the 5-10 guard finally shaking off the final bits of rust and begin to catch up to the tremendous potential that has always been the hallmark of her play. She is playing with a much more assertive approach and looking to create at every opportunity. The 2016 standout brings an explosive power game to the perimeter and is a challenge for any defender hoping to contain her attack. The combination of speed and quickness that comes with advanced physical strength is an ideal recipe for success at the next level. That being said, it still appeared that there was some residual soreness and she took a hard shot to the face in one game early in the event. Here’s hoping she’s seeing less and less of the athletic trainers moving into her junior scholastic season.
Yes, we just recently wrote about Stephanie Jones of the Fairfax Stars. However the 6-1 wing offered up a performance in Augusta that was worth noting one more time. The Stars certainly didn’t play their best basketball last week but Jones seemed to find a way to continue to add to the body of work that she’s cultivated across the club season. Playing with productive teammates like point guard Marta Sniezek and text book post Kelly Koshuta often has her taking a backseat, but her place in the pecking order now seemingly requires much more focus from EYBL opponents. She’s looking more and more for her own options and seems to have grasped the need to exploit the advantages her skill set brings to the wing. On the break she’s getting out and running the floor with the smaller perimeter threats and is quick to attack on the early entry. In the halfcourt she appears much more intent at improving the looks she’s getting rather than settling for what is in front of her on the catch. Off penetration she was much more efficient at getting to the rim and handled the contact as she’ll need to do down the road collegiately.
The New Jersey Sparks took advantage of their first ride on the Nike bandwagon all the way to a runner-up finish in the Silver bracket featuring the third and fourth place teams out of each pool. A key component to their success was the play of Samantha Fuehring who is being recruited at the elite level without carrying the much over hyped ranking that some folks place entirely too much emphasis on. The 6-3 forward is a testament to productivity and effective play proving it by way of a consistent effort in Augusta. She has the versatility to work down on the block and posts aggressively looking for the ball. Her post moves have some refinement and allow her to take advantage of overplaying defense. Fuehring is also a threat at the elbows both on the midrange pull up and from the high post drive. There’s even a floater that is somewhat rare among most bigs that she called upon a couple of times. In the Sparks final two games she produced 38 points and 17 rebounds to wrap up her summer schedule.
Texas United, who claimed the mythical ninth place finish by way of the Silver bracket crown, had one of the most impressive front lines in club basketball. Lauren Cox is the spotlight player and deservedly so with a versatile and internationally tested game. Her running mate, 6-4 Jordan Moore, is beginning to shake off that impression that always left you wanting just a little more from her. The TCU verbal commit is an eye catcher physically. Beyond the obvious size, she’s got a frame and build that should make her transition at the next level a little less bruising. There are a few skills in place that indicate some coaching and instruction along the way that allow her to be effective around the rim. On the glass she’s a beast and has no hesitation about putting her strength to use defensively. Her productivity was highlighted by two double – doubles in the Silver semis and final producing 20 and 13 followed by a 16 and 12 effort. More impressive yet in those two games was her 14 for 23 combined shooting. Even with all her success and proven play, she may just be getting started.
OK, yes we’ve written about Kaylan Pugh recently but, again, sometimes a player gives you no choice but to include them one more time. This may be the ultimate compliment from an evaluator but Pugh’s approach to the game is something her peers in the high school and club basketball world should take note of. If you want to define “playing aggressively” take a look at this 2015’s effort. The Tennessee Flight Forward is the roundball equivalent of the old Tasmanian Devil cartoon. She’s the player nobody wants to guard, referees don’t want to officiate and stat keepers can’t keep up with. We often use the description “making plays”, however Pugh takes that assessment to a whole different level. She plays with a relentless attack throwing herself into the middle of the action whether it be getting to the rim from the high post or pursuing rebounds as if there were a winning lottery ticket taped to the ball. Even when the ball isn’t falling she’s going to get a second or even third look if necessary with no regard who has to pay the price for getting in her way. Don’t underestimate her skill set, she brings plenty to the table, but when it comes to passionate play…she has few peers.
Normally Teniya Page’s play would be a given but injury slowed her summer pace. Lacking her usual explosiveness, the 5-7 Page still revealed an impact presence that speaks well to the depth of her game. While not quite yet 100 percent, she was able to set the pace in transition and create opportunities for her teammates and even a few for herself. A testament to her basketball knowledge and court concepts was her decision making. The lid was on for Page throughout the Midwest Elite’s five games where she shot just 24 percent from the floor (13 for 53) but she was still able to distribute the ball and keep defenses honest. Shot selection got a bit interesting for the senior to be when things were frosty but that might be understandable to a degree. On the defensive end she was still a strong contributor particularly on ball. Along with top tier lateral speed she also isn’t hesitant to put her quick hands to use getting touches and a few steals to disrupt the opposition.
The great thing about watching Breanna Fraser across the summer has been the growth in the intangibles of her game. The choices she’s making with the ball are smarter now than they were just a few months back. An emotional player, the 6-3 forward for the Lady Choz was much more under control and ultimately played with more consistency over the course of the event. She shot 43 percent from the floor but more important got herself to the line multiple times a game and converted at a 73 percent clip. Her first step creates opportunity after opportunity for her to work in the paint and challenges defenders who may not have the agility that she possesses. Add to that some imposing physical strength and even the helpside rotations have their hands full. The Maryland commit has a vertical that gets her good looks at the rim even in traffic and makes her a presence on the boards as evidenced by her 6.3 a game in Augusta.
The Miami Suns had the misfortune of having to take the floor without the presence of Beatrice Mompremier who was off training with the USA U18 squad for the FIBA America’s Championship. While three other teams had players missing for the same reason, it’s likely no other roster was impacted in the same way. Stepping into the gap for the suns was 5-11 guard Crystal Primm. With lots of athleticism to call on and some sharp individual skills she was able to be a catalyst for making things happen. The Suns claimed just one win in the course of their five pool games but the 2015 Primm was able to produce 13.4 points per game. That average was a bit misleading with two 20 plus games skewing things a bit but the moments she had were something that were worth noting. She can create and get to the rim but at the same time has a smooth pull up from mid-range with good elevation. The consistency will have to come particularly from the floor as 34 percent over five games won’t make the most of the potential Primm might ultimately tap into.
The Cal Stars came out of the gate slowly in Augusta but found their stride enough to win the final two pool games including an impressive win over a strong North Tartan squad. Field Goal shooting was the thorn in their side coming in at 33 percent or less in their first three games. With the exception of game three, 2016 guard Kat Tudor did her best to help keep the ship righted. In the other four contests she was 17 of 45 from the floor but even more impressively 10 for 30 from long range. The 5-11 guard is active both with and without the ball in her hands. She’s got a good understanding of spacing and is one of those rare players on the high school level who grasps the value of aggressive cutting. Her reads and shot selection are strong and the release is quick necessitating tight close outs. Tudor’s form is somewhat odd with both elbows flying to a degree but it’s hard to argue with her effectiveness. Defensively she’s got good size on the perimeter and has the footspeed to contain. She’ll need to add some strength down the road but there’s lots of promise in place.
DFW T-Jack was another one of the teams missing a key roster member as Teaira McCowan was on call with USA Basketball. Stepping up on the interior was 6-4, 2016 post Ciera Johnson. Legitimate size with a strong build makes her an impact presence down low. Offensively she can work around the rim and looks comfortable out to mid-range. She’s not the high post threat she may evolve to be down the road but the ability to get up and down the floor is there in transition. Some of her attack is still more of a thought than a reaction but it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time until things are happening on the catch and defenders are paying a price. While not getting a lot of looks on a guard oriented team she still went 12 for 24 from the floor and averaged 5 rebounds a game over the course of the tournament. Johnson is well suited for the next level and will be just coming into her own when it comes time to move to campus.
Team Taurasi utilized the luxury of depth to claim EYBL top honors and bragging rights in Augusta. Standing out not only in terms of production but future promise as well was 6-0 guard Valerie Higgins. Possessing both size and ball skills, Higgins has the tools to be an option at almost every spot on the perimeter. She can play the point but she’s a better option at the two or three spot. Over the course of their run to the title the 2016 Higgins averaged just 4.5 points per game but shot 57 percent from the field in the process. For good measure she chipped in 6.6 rebounds and shared the ball to the tune of 3.2 assists each time out. Her size and length makes her a difficult match up and her speed makes her a factor in the full court game. That same size and agility gives her the tools to be an impact defender in both halfcourt scenarios as well as trapping schemes at any point on the floor. That kind of consistency and productivity from such a versatile prospect is providing plenty of options at the highest level.
The Indy Lady Gym Rats are another team that played with the luxury of depth. They claimed the number one seed out of their pool but fell to eventual runner up Tree of Hope in the quarterfinals. Helping them along the way was talented 2016 wing Lindsey Corsaro. At 6-0 she may epitomize the prototypical wing that the college coaches are scouring the gyms for. The ball skills are in place allowing her to create and improve both passes and shots. She’s a strong threat spotting up and can’t be given time. There’s no quick release but any hesitation defensively comes at a price. Over the course of six games she produced 8.8 points on 43 percent shooting while hauling in 6.1 boards per contest. Her court concepts are sharp leading to good choices both on the break and in the halfcourt. The future Kentucky Wildcat has been well coached and should fit in nicely with Matthew Mitchell’s program down in Lexington.
