HAMPTON, Va.—What a difference a year makes. Last week’s round one of the 2015 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League offered some interesting results and some distinct contrasts to the performances from the same clubs in the inaugural campaign.
Last year saw five teams emerge from round one with unblemished records out of the gate while this time around just two teams escaped without a loss. Six more teams move on to the second round with just one loss while eight advance with two losses in their first five games. Four teams went winless in Hampton a year ago while just two failed to get into the win column last weekend.
The Cal Stars and the Philadelphia Belles both survived three cross divisional games and two conference contests to move on at 5 and 0 into round two. All Iowa, Cal Swish, DFW T-Jack Elite, Indy Lady Gym Rats, Kentucky Premier, and Team Elite all stand at 4 – 1 going into July. The Cal Stars stand atop the Skylar Diggins Division and have the Gym Rats right behind them. The Belles head up the Maya Moore Division and have both Swish and the Kentucky Premier chomping at their heels. DFW leads the eight teams in the Diana Taurasi Division while All Iowa and Team Elite are setting the pace in the Brittney Griner.
If you’re trying to gauge the road in front of the teams with five more conference games on the horizon here’s their combined records from round one. The Moore Division stands at 24 and 16, Diggins and Griner both check in at 20 and 20 while the Taurasi Division went 16 and 24 in their first 40 games. As a reminder, the top six teams in each division move on to Augusta and Nike Nationals leaving eight teams out of the summer’s most prestigious tournament.
As evidence of the first round needing to be taken with a grain of salt, last year’s EYBL Champion, Cal Storm / Team Taurasi, left Hampton with a 2 and 3 slate. Just for the record, they headed home with the same results this year. The undefeated Philadelphia Belles were only 2 and 3 after five games a year ago. North Tartan was undefeated all the way to Augusta last year but struggled out of the gate to a 1 and 4 2015 round one record. A year ago the New England Crusaders struggled to find the win column all year but posted three wins in their first five games of EYBL season two.
The next round will see half of the teams head to Nashville and the other 16 to Chicago for five additional divisional games. The Battle in the Boro will play host in Tennessee while the Nike Invitational will provide the setting in Illinois.
Follow the link below to our initial coverage and images from all 32 teams from last week’s EYBL round one competition.
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/index.php/component/k2/item/1207-nike-eybl-round-one
Below we offer a numbers “snapshot” of each team and their efforts over the course of five games last weekend at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton.
The Cal Stars went 5 and 0 in an impressive fashion winning all of their games by an average of 21.2 points per game. On the offensive end of the floor they produced at a 84.6 clip over the course of the 32 minute games. The 12 assists they averaged each time out are an indicator of their willingness to share the ball. Kat Tudor led the way at 17.4 points per game helped greatly by her 21 for 44 effort from behind the arch. High profile Sabrina Ionescu averaged 15.8 which included a 26 point performance against Cy-Fair. Post Mallory McGwire led the way on the boards with 8.4 rebounds a game.
The Philadelphia Belles took a different path to an undefeated record limiting their opponents to just 46.8 points per game. With just one player averaging double figure scoring and less than 15 turnovers a game their margin of victory was still at 12 points for the weekend. Dominique Toussanit put up 11.2 points a game shooting 48 percent from the floor. Andra Espinoza – Hunter added 9.4 per game while Sydney Morang offered up 8.8. Morang was 10 of 27 from long range as well.
All Iowa stumbled out of the gate with a three point loss to the Miami Suns before reeling off four straight wins by 15.75 points per game. As a team they shot 46 percent from the field and turned it over just 14 times a game. Rebecca Hittner shot 60 percent on her way to a 13 point average. Madison Treece, a 2017 grad, added 11 points and six rebounds from the post and classmate Jinaya Houston contributed 10.8 points on 53 percent shooting. Amanda Ollinger led the way on the glass at 8 rebounds per game.
After winning three in a row, Cal Swish dropped a one point heart breaker to the Belles before getting back on track with a win over the Georgia Metros to go 4 and 1. In their four wins Swish kept the margin at 16.25 per game while posting 10 assists a game to 14 turnovers. Reili Richardson was impressive form long range (37%) on her way to a 16.6 per game average. Danae Miller, 2017, chipped in 9.8 each time out and another junior, Cierra Hall, led the way on the boards.
The Kentucky Premier was the only team to get by the DFW T-Jack Elite last week. The folks from Dallas posted four wins by a margin of 14 points while averaging 65.2 per game. Their assist average of 9.4 was offset by 15 turnovers per contest. Aaliyah Wilson averaged 11.6 along with 5 rebounds while Cierra Johnson put up 10.4 more on 58 percent field goal shooting. Zarielle Green averaged 10 a game and had a 25 point outburst against the New England Crusaders.
Along with their win over DFW, the Kentucky Premier chalked up three more against just one loss after falling to the New Jersey Sparks by five on Friday. Their margin of victory in those four consecutive wins was 10 per game. While their turnovers were limited (12 per) they registered just 6.5 assists each time out. UConn commit and former Tennessee Flight point guard Crystal Dangerfield led the way with 15.4 a game including two 21 point efforts. Notre Dame commit Erin Boley produced 15.2 points including 23 against DFW as well as a team leading 6.8 rebounds.
The Indy Lady Gym Rats had just one loss sandwiched between two wins on each side. Despite just a seven point margin of victory they move on to round two at 4 and 1. They took care of the ball giving it up just 13.2 times a game while averaging 58.2 points per game. Sydney Shelton was 12 of 24 from three point range on the weekend on her way to a 13.8 average. Junior Karissa McLaughlin was lethal deep as well (10 – 24) averaging 11 points while 2017 point guard Dana Evans added 8.5 of her own.
Rounding out the 4 and 1 programs was Team Elite whose only loss was to Boo Williams by nine. In their four wins their margin of victory averaged 15.75 points per game despite having no individual scorers averaging in double figures. A transition team, they averaged 15.2 turnovers across five games. Shooting 65 percent from the floor, Chassity Carter led the way at 9.6 points per game. Quanniecia Morrison added 9.4 more and Khayla Pointer followed at 9.0 each time out.
Boo Williams had two losses at the hands of the undefeated Belles (20) and Stars (14). They claimed their three wins by a combined total of just 16 points for an average of 5.3 points per win. Megan Walker continues to elevate her already elite status. Posting a 16.2 point average and pulling 5.6 rebounds, she finished with 18 or more in four of five games. Gadiva Hubbard was in double figure three games and averaged 9.6 points
The Cal Sparks opened and closed the weekend with losses but posted three wins in between. The average margin in each of those victories was 19.6 points per game. Turning it over an average of 18.6 times they also shot 37.2 percent as a team from the field. Dijonai Carrington averaged 14 points including a 23 point production against Essence. Brittney Reed shot 45 percent leading to 11.2 points per game while Celeste West led on the boards at 8.8 a game. West also shot 55 percent and had a double – double against Essence.
The Carolina Flames won their last two games to go home 3 and 2 on the weekend. Their wins came at 9.5 per game but the losses were by an average of 18.5. Standout guard Mikayla Boykin is still limited (knee) in her participation. Despite shooting just 29 percent from the floor, Jocelyn Jones averaged 13.8 points per game including her 23 point effort against the Miami Suns. Kionna Jeter added 9.6 points per game and post Janelle Bailey contributed 7.0 more.
Cy-Fair may have had the most nerve racking weekend with the margin in ALL games being just 7.8 points. In the end they lost two games by 12 and claimed three wins by just 5.6 per game. Averaging 20 turnovers to just 4.6 assists may have contributed to the tight finishes and 3 – 2 record. Junior Chasity Patterson led the scoring at 17 a game including 15 for 33 shooting from deep. Dynamic Joyner Holmes shot 51 percent to average 16.4 points while snagging 7.4 rebounds in the process as well. Chelsea Dungee contributed 9.8 on 55 percent shooting and DiDi Richards added 9.6 and 5.2 rebounds.
Essence went 0 and 5 last year in Hampton but finished 3 and 2 this time around. They opened with a win, lost two then claimed two more for themselves to wrap up their first round. Their losses were by 8 and 22 to Team Elite and the Philly Belles respectively. Turning it over 18 times a game might have contributed to those outcomes. Post / Forward Nadia Fingall averaged 12.6 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds. High flying Maya Dodson averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 boards as well. Inconsistent Ja’Tavia Tapley averaged 7.2 points as did Kornelia Wright.
The Midwest Elite opened with a bad 27 point loss to Team Elite but rebounded to win three of their next four. Those wins came by the slight margin of just 7.6 points per game. Ali Andrews was in double figures four of five games averaging 10 points across the tournament. Mia Starks added 9.4 more including her 19 point effort against Exodus. Sidney Cooks chipped in 7.2 points and led the way in rebounding.
The New England Crusaders averaged fewer points (44.8) than their opponents (45) but still finished with a 3 and 2 record. Their wins were by a margin of 9.3 per game. Impressive when just a year ago they couldn’t manage a single victory. Across all games they shared 9.2 assists and turned it over 18 times. Point guard Katie Benzan averaged 15.2 points hitting double figures in all five games. Amaya Finklea, a junior post, put up 6.0 points and led the way with 5.4 rebounds.
Texas United had their share of California last week. They did beat West Coast Premier as one of their three wins but their losses were to the Cal Stars and Swish. Their wins were by an average of 13 a game despite turning it over 21.8 times each contest. Lauren Cox produced a double – double average of 15.8 points and 11.6 rebounds, including a 24 / 20 effort against the Fairfax Stars. Jade Williams, 2017, offered up 8.6 points resulting from 61 percent shooting from the floor. Ana Lianusa, also a 2017, added 8.2 points and Charli Collier (2018) provided 7.6 more.
Defending EYBL champs Cal Storm / Team Taurasi opened and closed with wins but lost three games in the middle by an average of 9.6 points per game. While nobody averaged in double figures, defensively the Storm gave up just 51 points per game across the first round. Jasmine Jones led both scoring and rebounding producing 9.4 and 5.6 averages respectively. Leaonna Odom contributed an average of 8.2 points per game as well.
The Central Florida Elite went 2 and 3 losing their first, winning two then dropping two more. The 14.6 margin of defeat is distorted by a 31 point loss to All – Iowa. Dynamic point guard Jordan Lewis averaged 18.2 points opening with games of 26, 23 and 22 but finished with back to back 10 point efforts. At 5-8, Lewis led the way on the boards as well at 7.6 rebounds. Tatiana Thompson followed with 8.4 points and Kyla Allison added 7.4 more.
Last year the Fairfax Stars went 5 and 0 in Hampton but this year came home 2 and 3. They lost their opener and alternated between wins and losses the rest of the way. The wins were by a 9.5 average and the losses at a 10.6 deficit. Stephanie Jones, a Maryland commit, went for 20 or more in three of five games averaging 18.2 in the end. She also posted two double – doubles. Jada Graves added 8.7 points per game while Mikiyah Croskey was a force on the glass grabbing 9.2 rebounds each time out.
The Georgia Metros’ 2 and 3 is a step forward over the 0 and 5 effort last spring. Their losses were much more competitive than the 14.6 average margin as a 32 point loss to Swish skews the numbers. The Metros get bragging rights on the Big Apple with wins over Exodus and the NYC Lady Choz. Jenna Staiti, another Maryland commit, averaged 12.6 points and 9.6 rebounds to lead in both categories. Sarah Myers shot 47 percent from the floor leading to 9.8 points per game.
The Michigan Crossover lost their first two games but claimed two of the next three including an impressive Sunday win over Cy-Fair. Their three losses came at an average margin of defeat of 13.3 points per game. Siyeh Frazier led the scoring at 13.6 a game highlighted by 24 against the Midwest Elite. Kysre Gondrezick contributed 12.4 per game despite some uncharacteristically cold shooting. Destiny Pitts added 9.4 and Keasja Peace 8.4.
The New Jersey Sparks won their first two games but saw their last three get away from them by an average of 15.6 points each. Their opening win was the only loss for the Kentucky Premier. Honesty Grayson, an elite 2018 combo, shot 53 percent from the floor on her way to a 17.5 point average. Against Essence she erupted for 27. Raven Farley – Clark added 6.5 points and led the way with 7.8 rebounds, grabbing double figure boards twice.
Team Takeover went 2 and 3 as they did last year in Hampton. Their three losses came by an average of 15 a game while their wins were by 16 and 4. Their 19.6 turnover average didn’t do much to help their cause. Kaila Charles set the pace scoring with a 15.8 average and completed the double – double by averaging 11.6 rebounds as well. Highly regarded MiMi Collins added 7.8 points per game and Lindsey Pulliam chipped in 7.6 more.
An uncharacteristic 2 and 3 weekend saw the Tennessee Flight lose three games by 11.3 points per game while winning just two by 11. Virtually a complete line up change, including the departure of Crystal Dangerfield, makes the Flight a work in progress. Ultra athletic Anastasia Hayes shot just 39 percent but still put up 13.8 points per game including 24 against the Carolina Flames. Emily Lytle averaged 8.8 points while Keondra McKinney contributed 6.6 points and a team leading 6.2 rebounds.
The Albany City Rocks opened up with a win over the Fairfax Stars before dropping four straight by an average of 19.5 points per game. Scoring just 54 per game, the fact that not one player averaged five rebounds became a bigger issue to overcome. Kathleen Ryan shot 40 percent from three point range and paced the scoring at 12.2 per game. Danielle Rauch, a talented 2018 point guard, averaged 11 points per game hitting double digits three of five contests. Abby O’Keefe contributed 10 a game including 17 against the Fairfax Stars.
Exodus went 1 and 4 for the second consecutive year in Hampton. Although they beat winless All Ohio by one, they dropped four games by an average of 25.5 points per game, including two by more than 40. The 23.4 turnover average would be a good place to start looking for changes that need to be made. Kaala Haliare averaged 13 points a game while Niya Johnson added a 12.2 total. Jayla Jones – Pack contributed 5 to the scoreboard and led the way in rebounding with an average of 5 as well.
The Miami Suns opened up with an impressive four point win over All Iowa before proceeding to drop their next four in a row by a painful 7.5 points per game. Three of their four losses were single digit margins. Jacaira Allen paced the scoring for the Suns at 16.4 points per game. Allen’s 7.4 rebounds set the standard as well. Mikiah Harrigan added 10.8 points while shooting 67 percent from the floor. Harrigan had 22 against the Carolina Flames.
The New York Lady Choz dropped four straight before getting by the resurgent New England Crusaders in their final game. Just one of their losses was single digit as the average margin of defeat ended up at 20.25 per loss. Point guard Shalix Hines averaged 10.6 points per game as did junior Sydney Lowery. Rebecca Riley contributed 8.6 points as well as a team leading 5.8 rebounds per game.
Like Flight, North Tartan has a largely reworked roster. They opened EYBL year two 0 and 4 before claiming a Sunday nine point win over Team Takeover. The losses were the kind that cost you sleep as their margin of defeat in all four games was just 4.5 points per game. Courtney Fredrickson topped the scoring at 15.6 per game on 51 percent field goal shooting. She had 23 against All Iowa. Abi Scheid averaged 8.0 points and led the on the boards with 6.2 per game. Scheid had a double – double in the win over Takeover.
Last year’s EYBL runner – up Tree of Hope suffered through four losses by an average margin of just 6.5 points per game including a two point loss to the undefeated Philadelphia Belles. Their single win was a convincing 40 point blowout of the Albany City Rocks in which they connected on 11 three pointers. Taya Corosdale, a 6-2 junior, led both scoring and rebounding with 10.8 and 5.2 averages. Jessica Blakeslee added 8.6 more and shot 10 of 24 from three point range for 41 percent.
All Ohio’s five losses came with an average margin of defeat of just 10 points per game including a one point loss to Exodus. Shooting just 29 percent as a team from the field and chalking up just five assists per game leaves plenty of room to change their fortunes when the second round rolls around in July. Someone will have to step up in the scoring department as not one player averaged in double figures. Amani Burke put up 8.4 points per game. Junior Cierra Hooks produced 6.6 and Destiny Perkins added 6.4. Combined the three shot just 27 percent from the floor.
The West Coast Premier felt the same frustration as All Ohio dropping all five of their matchups by 10 a game as well. While it’s no consolation, all of their opponents finished round one with winning records. Even more promising is the fact that they turned it over just 6.4 times a game. The dark cloud would be the 27 percent shooting from the floor as a team. Junior Destiny Littleton led the scoring with 13.4 per game and rebounding at 5.0 each time out. The scoring drops to 5.8 a game from 2017 Kiara Edwards and Sophia Song’s 5.6.
