FRANKLIN,Tenn.—While the NCAA may have taken away 30 percent the previously available summer evaluation days for Division I coaches, their short sightedness still couldn’t diminish the stature of the 10th annual Battle in the Boro. In fact, the event actually grew from 340 to 370 teams this year and added representation from several more states with participants coming from 36 states and the District of Columbia last weekend. Further validating the ‘Boro’s well-earned reputation would be the presence of 854 individual college recruiters roaming the sidelines of 36 different courts over the course of the tournament.
Seven divisions offered up competition in pool play and ultimately moving to brackets with the championship games actually occurring on the July 13th, one day following the completion of the first segment of the NCAA’s summer calendar. Gold and silver brackets followed pool play in both the Showcase Divisions (16/17 and 15) culminating with nine teams going home on a winning note.
In the high profile Showcase 16/17 gold final the Tennessee Flight held off the Cal Sparks Gold by four in an all Nike final. The Showcase silver saw the Mac Irvin Black squad get a three at the buzzer to put away the Georgia Hoopstars Black. The Showtime 16/17 bragging rights go to the Indiana Elite Fox as they got by the Miami Suns Elite Red. In the Premier 16/17 bracket top honors were claimed by the North Carolina Spartans Elite as they took down the Bay State Magic Elite.
Just like the older Showcase title the Tennessee Flight claimed the 15’s handling an impressive Best Choice 2016 squad from Indiana. The silver bracket in the younger Showcase division went to the Texas Prep Elite as they came out on top of another Lone Star competitor, the Texas Fire Red. Primetime 15’s have the Maryland Elite as their champions by way of a final round win over the Tennessee Team Pride Black.
The Fabulous 14’s crowned the Indiana Elite Bailey entry as top dog following their championship game with the Kentucky Blast. Despite that loss, the Bluegrass State claimed top honors in the Elite 13U division by way of the Kentucky Premier’s win over the Georgia Pearls.
For complete pool and bracket results follow the link below.
http://www.nationalexposurebball.com/uploads/WEBSITE_Master_Schedule.pdf
With their Showcase win in the 16/17 age group the Tennessee flight of Tom Insell claimed their fifth Battle in the Boro title in the 10 year history of the event. It didn’t come easy as their championship match up with Elbert Kinnebrew’s Cal Sparks Gold went down to the last two possessions of the game.
Flight opened up two double digit leads that both disappeared quickly before the end of the first half edging their margin back to nine at 27 – 18 on MeMe Jackson’s three at the buzzer. The second half saw more of the same with Flight extending their lead and the Sparks closing the gap again and again.
Things got interesting with 1:49 remaining as Sparks guard Caila Hailey got a three point play the old fashioned way knoting the score at 50 with her made free throw. Crystal Dangerfield reclaimed the lead for the Flight with her high arching floater with just 15 seconds on the clock.
The Sparks couldn’t convert but weren’t done yet as they sent Alexa Middleton to the line for a one and one opportunity with just seven seconds. Just as the Sparks hoped she missed the first and just as the Sparks feared, they gave up the offensive board to Keianna Gilbert and were forced to foul once again with just three ticks left. This time the Flight got the margin they needed with both makes leaving the Sparks four points short, 54 – 52, at the horn.
The Tennessee bound Middleton and Dangerfield shared MVP honors and led an impressive All Star Team as selected by Bob Corwin and his committee. Fellow Flight teammate Alexis Jennings also claimed all tourney accolades as did UCLA committed point guard Jordin Canada, Lajahna Drummer and Kristen Simon of the Sparks. Joining those six were the following. (Alphabetically)
Ariel Atkins – 5-10 – Duncanville Pantherettes
Dekeiya Cohen – 6-1 – Georgia Metros
Taja Cole – Boo Williams
Napheesa Collier – 6-1 – Red Knights
Sophie Cunningham – Missouri Valley Eclipse
Katelynn Flaherty – 5-7 – New Jersey Demons
Lashann Higgs – 5-9 – Texas Preps Elite
Myisha Hines-Allen – 6-1 – New Jersey Sparks
Dominique McBryde – 6-1 – Indiana Elite Bailey
Brooke McCarty – 5-3 – Cy-Fair
Tory McCoy – 6-4 – Mac Irvin Fire Godfather
Beatrice Mompremier – 6-5 – Miami Suns Team Fowles
Christa Reed – 6-0 – South Mississippi Elite Black
Taylor Rooks – 6-0 – New Jersey Demons
Middleton and Dangerfield give the Flight a diverse and dynamic backcourt. At a time when top tier players often plateau, Middleton continues to sharpen her game and refine her skills. The assertive attack is constant and the consistency in both her spot up looks and pull ups is beginning to serve her well. Dangerfield works the change of speed and direction like someone with many more years under their belt. She pushes the ball off makes, misses and turnovers and, for the most part, makes good decisions in numbers situations. The speed and quickness are a given and with three more high school seasons to add to her game the future is beyond promising. The 6-2 Jennings offered up more of the impressive play she began to show this spring and seems to be on the fast track to join the upper echelon of interior players in the 2014 class. Her physical play and judicious use of a nice jump hook will translate well to the next level.
There’s little left to say about Jordin Canada of the Sparks that hasn’t been repeated over and over in the past. She is still dictating the pace on the break and in the halfcourt and gets to the rim with ease. Drummer seems to get closer and closer to that fully recovered mark each time out and the aggressiveness that was her trademark prior to the knee injury is becoming the norm once again. You can still see some jumping off two feet rather than one at times but even then she still rises above the crowd. Simon is looking more fit and physical than at any time in the past and it shows in her game. She’s looking to create her own looks more often and still maintains that willingness to go inside and take a hit from defenders on her way to the glass. There are flashes of ballhandling but it would be surprising if anything but the forward spot is in her future. Then again, nobody ever said that was a problem…other than opponents.
Here are a few thoughts on a few other selections from this year’s Battle in the Boro All Star Team.
One of the more complete and college ready players on the club circuit this summer is Dekeiya Cohen of the Georgia Metros. Standing 6-1 and built like she’s been in a college weight room already, this Charleston, South Carolina 2014 wing/forward is everywhere on the floor. You wouldn’t play her at the guard spot offensively but the tools are there to match up defensively in the backcourt and she would be a dream in any pressing scenario. Cohen is more than adept at putting it on the floor and creating her own looks, especially on the early entry in transition. In the halfcourt she’s constantly active and her contributions on the offensive boards immeasurable. She’ll mix it up with the bigs and run with the guards, what more could you ask for?
If the basketball thing doesn’t work out (fat chance of that!) 6-5 Beatrice Mompremier could easily make the transition to Volleyball. Combining length, agility, speed, quickness and a major league vertical, the Miami Suns – Team Fowles 2015 center is the prototype recruiter’s dream in the post. That being said, Mompremier still has a ways to go to capitalize on all of those tools. There are times you can see her rushing in an effort to capitalize on an opening or having her mind made up regardless of what the defense in offering. It’s obvious that she knows what she’s looking for and has been the beneficiary of some solid on floor instruction. The Miami native is quick to exploit defensive breakdowns but will need to work on creating her own looks when defenders line up straight behind. Of course with her ability to get off the floor, she may just be shooting over them in the future!
The Texas Preps Elite roster looks like a branch campus of the University of Texas with all the verbal commitments heading to Austin but there’s little doubt that 5-9 Lashann Higgs is at the head of the class…and she’s just a 2015! Dynamic and attacking, Higgs now seems to be more comfortable in traffic and taking the hit from rotating defenders and rather than just looking to get her shot off. Making that even more enjoyable to watch is the consistency that is there both around the rim and from deeper on the perimeter. She utilizes a stop and go attack that is more than just a hesitation move. To defenders it a legitimate mystery as she draws them out of their stance time and again in turn leaving them scrambling with her explosive acceleration. The jumper and range are smooth, fluid and coming home at a high clip forcing opponents to close out and pick the lesser of evils when defending the pride of Round Rock, Texas.
One of the better club seasons so far belongs to Taylor Rooks of the New Jersey Demons. If you define player’s success by productivity, this is your girl. Though barely her listed 6-0, the Bridgewater, New Jersey product is contributing in the scoring column, on the boards and even on the defensive end of the floor. Her strong build allows her to work effectively when giving up size and at the same time use that same strength to overwhelm smaller opponents. Sound footspeed is in place but not the kind that will allow her to match up with the ultra-quicks at the point or off guard spots. In turn that leads to the question posed by several coaches courtside. Just where do you play her? The tools are there be a strong #3 but she has the potential in some four out sets to go to work as a small #4. The challenges would be more on the defensive end than offensive in terms of matching up with more speed or more size. One coach said it best…”who cares, I’d worry about that after I got her on campus”!
One of the toughest breaks of the spring and summer was the concussion suffered by Tory McCoy during the USA Basketball U16 trials. Despite missing the final sessions of the trials, McCoy was still an obvious choice for the squad and found herself destined for Mexico with Uncle Sam’s best…almost. Returning to Colorado Springs for training a few weeks later, McCoy was forced to withdraw as a precaution due to recurring symptoms. The 6-4 2016 post from Champaign, Illinois suited up for the Mac Irvin Godfather team in Franklin and offered up evidence that she’ll have plenty of other shots at wearing red, white and blue in the future. While it wasn’t her best basketball and a foot issue forced her to miss the last few games, what she did do stood out among any of the posts on hand. Physically strong with agility and speed, McCoy can simply make plays and for most recruiters, that’s a commodity these days. In the Fire’s exhibition win over the eventual Showcase champion Tennessee Flight, her clutch defensive plays and subsequent conversions in transition sealed the win for the Chicago based program. No doubt McCoy will be looking forward to less time in the training room…her defenders…not so much.
Bedford, Indiana’s Dominique McBryde has refined the recruiting process and made it simple. Last month she calmed the storm by not really letting it get stared and committing to in state Purdue University. Long and versatile, the 6-1 swing player can find herself at home both on the wing and at the forward spot. The ability is there to spot up and shoot the ball on the perimeter but at the same time defenders closing too tight will pay as she slithers her way into the paint for a better look at the rim. On the drive she can seem a bit upright but she’s more than efficient in getting where she wants to go and finishes at a high percentage. The ability to navigate traffic once in the lane serves her well at both positions and gives coaches flexibility in their approach and attack. She’s an ideal fit with her young and talented Indiana Elite teammates which also includes Notre Dame verbal and fellow Indiana 2015 Ali Patberg.
Even though she’s finally entering her senior year next fall it feels as if we’ve been watching Cy-Fair point guard Brooke McCarty for an eternity. If you’ve seen her play, and most have, you know that watching the 5-3 League City, Texas native is not a bad thing at all, unless of course you happen to be sitting on the other bench. Despite seeing her in action time and again, it’s still a pleasure to watch her play and appreciate that she’s not been content with her game and continued to sharpen and refine her skill set. McCarty, already committed to Texas, is the kind of point guard you want to coach and more so, the kind you want to play with. Her decision making is on par with virtually any point guard on the scholastic or club level. The feel she has for when to run and when to pull back on the reigns is something you can’t teach. The future Longhorn reads the floor well and makes good choices on both passing and her own scoring opportunities. Size will always come up when talking about McCarty but it’s not a factor if you can’t catch her.
The very definition of versatility may have a photo of O’Fallon, Missouri’s Napheesa Collier next to it. The 6-1 2015 swing player can handle the point to the forward spot against most opponents. Her natural and most effective position may be on the wing and it’s a given that you would want her catching entry passes rather than making them. However, she can handle the ball on the break and is equally skilled at creating her own looks in the halfcourt. The size and length go with advanced skills to challenge most perimeter defenders and at the same time exploit less agile hopeful opposition forwards. Her first step is explosive and covers a lot of ground but there is a small detour in her game…literally. Often her attack is wider or more lateral rather than off the shoulder of the defender she’s just broken down. On occasion that will give a quicker opponent an opportunity to recover. Notice I said on occasion, more often than not she’s halfway to the rim before they know what hit them. Off the drive she can deliver the smart pass, elevate for a pull up or take it deep in the paint. Good results usually follow regardless.
