SPRING, Texas—As a member of the media it’s implied that I should remain objective and refrain from sharing “personal” opinions in my coverage of the various events we attend. Well, I also happen to be an old college coach too and served in that position for 25 years before moving over to the dark side. On that basis alone I’m going to tell you that the 40 – 40 Combine run by John Lucas and his staff this past weekend at the Legends Sports Complex was one of the best events I’ve attended over the past several years and would emphatically encourage all athletes, parents and coaches to seek out more opportunities offering the same high standards for instruction, effort and objectivity.
While there was an abundance of both established and evolving talent on hand, it was the no nonsense, focused and bang for your buck instruction that set the 40 – 40 apart from the overcrowded year round litany of other events that seem to be popping up almost on a weekly basis from a growing crowd lacking in basketball legitimacy. John Lucas needs no introduction (If he does you’re in the wrong sport) and the straight talk he offers participants alone is worth the price of admission. There are no long introductory speeches or coaching wannabees running off at the mouth wasting precious court time and trying to make up for the lack of a resume.
The daily highlight for those in the gym was the equal opportunity accountability offerings from Lucas himself. It’s not often that some of the nation’s top prospects hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth…particularly over a public address system in front of a gym full of people. Most of the event operators on our side are more concerned with a return visit in the future than risking a courtside reality check. Let’s hope we see more events like the 40 – 40 keeping the focus on the basketball rather than the self-promotion agendas that shortchange not only the athletes but the game itself.
Now that the Right Reverend Lewis has finished his sermon, we did see plenty of action both in halfcourt and fullcourt scenarios. The rosters featured 169 players representing 19 different states and the District of Columbia with just 10 percent of the participants coming from the 2016 class. Both mornings saw the work begin the moment the athletes walked in the gym with the intensity and efficiency of the drills revealing some less than impressive conditioning while exposing weaknesses in even some of the top tier talent on the floor.
Today we take a close look at some known and highly regarded recruits as well as a few promising players ready to leave their own mark. Later this week Lisa Bodine will follow up with plenty of Quickhitters from our two days in Texas and the 2015 40 – 40 Combine.
Anyone in the gym not starting with Chennedy Carter (2017 – Arlington, Texas) and Megan Walker (2017 – Richmond, Va.) missed the highlight of the weekend. This is one of those times you wouldn’t mind the other eight on the floor taking a Starbucks break just to watch these two uncommitted juniors go at it. Carter’s individual attack is aggressive, physical and a challenge for any defender. The ballhandling the 5-9 guard works with is one of the few skills the overworked description of “weapon” is actually very fitting. Her change of speed and direction is sudden, explosive and gets her deep in the paint time and again. Her very solid build serves her well when the contact comes and is well suited for the next level. Carter can elevate at the rim and also demonstrated the ability to rise up above the defense on her pull up. She’s a competitive on ball defender and has deceptively quick hands to exploit any sloppy ballhandling match ups she might face. On the weakside she could use a little more intensity and awareness at times but she still anticipates well.
Walker rose to the challenge and did nothing to harm her status as the 2017 class’s premier prospect.
While her skills and production speak for themselves, it’s almost more how she does things than so much what she’s actually doing. The 5-10 swing player has a smooth fluidity to almost anything she does on the floor. There are times she can accelerate and leave her defender in the dust without looking like she really had made much of an effort. Of course, in turn, that often catches helpside defenders serving as spectators rather than effective rotations. She struggled more with hand help from opposing guards rather than interior bigs coming her way. Walker is mixing up her game more and spent the weekend in the backcourt where she’s destined to reside in her college career. She’s still one of the most efficient scholastic players down on the block regardless of size but watching her evolve in the backcourt will be a lot of fun to watch…unless you’re on the other bench.
Coming off an impressive summer campaign, Aaliyah Wilson (2016 – Muskogee, Okla.) is poised to up the ante on a junior campaign last season that saw her named Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year. The 5-11 guard is strong and explosive with the tools to score the ball in a variety of ways. Her ballhandling continues to show more refinement allowing her create both in transition or out of halfcourt sets. The undeclared senior can get past an individual defender on her own or turn the corner hard and tight off a ball screen for some quality looks at the rim. There is a college ready aggressiveness to her attack that exploits defenders closing out too tight or foolishly overplaying one side or the other. Add some college strength training to an already impressive physical presence and you have an impact prospect in her freshman season. Even more impressive is an embrace of the defensive end of the floor in club and showcase situations telling you she’s ready to take on all opponents this season and beyond in a coordinated team defensive scheme.
We’ve had the opportunity to watch JaTavia Tapley (2016 – Jacksonville, Fla.) across virtually her
entire career and it’s exciting to think about where the USC commit is about to take her game. The versatility the 6-1 forward is playing with now combines with a new found confidence that could allow her to reach heights even she might not realize. Tapley was creating her own options time and again off a lengthy first step with some effective ballhandling in traffic. Though not quite ready to make her living on the wing full time, she was a factor from there both on the break and in the halfcourt. The ability is in place to take it all the way to the bucket or to pull up anywhere from 15 feet and in with a vertical that negates most defenders hoping to contest her shot. The skills are serving her well but she’ll need some additional depth to her attack to keep the opposition honest and scrambling. Tapley has impressive lateral speed on the defensive end and the length to be an asset in virtually any trapping scenario. While highly regarded in the recruiting rankings already, this may be one that will be looked back on as underrated if she stays the current course.
While Tapley may be heading west next year Florida has another versatile forward that’s already made plenty of noise in the following class. LaDazia Williams (2017 – Bradenton, Fla.) has size, a work ethic and the ability to be productive in multiple ways. The 6-3 forward is agile and athletic making her a challenging match up for opponents. Add to that the fact that she’s seldom standing still and you’ve got an asset in transition or set plays. She played with confidence away from the rim but was also efficient down low with and without contact. Williams demonstrated a sharp ability to make reads on the catch and attack accordingly. She even delivered a couple interior passes that some backcourt players might be envious of. Her fame is the kind of things college strength coaches love and she seems to have no reservations about playing physical. That’s a nice combination for the near future and in the long term. On the edge of something special, watch closely.
One of the younger guards making an impression from the outset of the 40 – 40 was Brooklyn Mitchell
(2018 – New Orleans, La.). While a lot of players have a skill set that looks good in station work, many often see their game get lost in translation when the action goes live. Not so with Mitchell. All the ballhandling and passing found its way into transition drills as well as fullcourt five on five. The left hand is there and she uses it more than most but she’ll need to catch it up to her strong hand to keep defenders honest. Playing with lots of quickness and speed, the 5-8 point guard navigates traffic and creates opportunities for both herself and her teammates. Mitchell looks to push it from makes, misses and turnovers forcing her teammates to get out ahead of the ball and run the lanes. For the most part her decision making is sharp and the ability is there to deliver the ball to the block even with strong on ball pressure. Her form is sound but she appears to be more comfortable looking for options off the drive rather than spotting up. Defensively she got in a stance and was a strong on ball defender utilizing quick feet to turn opposing ballhandlers live and in breakdown drills.
Another sophomore making an impression was Jala Jordan (2018 – Marietta, Ga.). A great combination of size, athleticism and skills, this 6-1 wing is primed to take her game to the next level. She’s smooth and fluid on the catch and has some good instincts that are already serving her well. She is young and her youth did show at times but the reality of her productivity overshadowed those few moments of inexperience. Jordan is a challenging match up with her ability to score and the quickness that doesn’t often come with her size. Her jumper looked solid and is something that is going to force defenders to make decisions on their closeouts. The length that she has comes with impressive footwork potential on defense. The possibilities are there to be an impact defender in any scheme both full and halfcourt. She did appear fatigued at times and will need to be sure her conditioning doesn’t stop her from maximizing her potential.
The younger classes have all the evaluators and college recruiters looking forward to the future and the
next freshman class has already provided plenty of reasons just why they should. A new face on our horizon is Elizabeth Scott (2019 – Tomball, Texas). Currently a 5-11 wing / forward, she will more than likely make her living on the perimeter down the road. At this point however she’s effective both on the interior and perimeter depending on what the situation might call for. Physically strong for her age, Scott has an explosive first step and a vertical that many players much older wish they could call upon. The potential to create off the dribble is already in place and she’s getting all the way to the rim or pulling up from the 10 foot range with some consistency. She plays with an attacking mentality and has no reservation about taking it into the land of the bigs. Scott had her moments on the offensive glass and could be a challenge for defenses with her ability to get around box outs with that same first step. She will need to be more active without the ball and make herself an option off the cut just as efficiently as she does off the dribble.
