By Jonathan Parsons
Today we take a look back at a lead up event to the recent NCAA Spring recruiting weekend. The 9th annual Blue Star Spring College Showcase took place on Friday, April 25th at the Waukegan Field House in Waukegan, IL. The individual showcase featured 100 players from eight different states and was a great preview to the USJN Windy City Classic. Over 100 college coaches were courtside to take in the action and see some of the following standouts.
2015
Kaylee Allen (2015 5’9 G – Ohio) – Can’t leave her open. Strong body. Has a smooth stroke on her jump shot. 1 dribble pull up jump shot is very nice. Drives hard to the basket, loves the baseline. Finished pretty well. Needs to make better passing decisions off the bounce.
Emma Bockrath (2015 5’9 G – Ohio) – Stretches the court with passes up the sideline. Had a nice give and go to the hoop but needs to improve her finishing skills. Reads passing lanes on D. Good understanding of the game. Needs to improve her speed and quickness. Handle is very left handed and predictable.
Brittany Marts (2015 5’7 PG/G – Ohio) – Plays very hard and smart. Understands the game. Had a pick pocket steal in the open court, but couldn’t finish the lay up in transition. Medium build with good athleticism. High defensive pressure can frustrate her 1 on 1.
Sydney Powhida (2015 5’7 PG/G – Ohio) – Great hustle player – is everywhere on the court. Really digs in when she is defending the ball. Crafty player on offense. Handles defensive pressure well. Takes contact but keeps attacking. Has a nice stroke and her jump shot range extends past the three.
Kiana Thomas (2015 6’4 C – North Carolina) – Very raw inside player, but has great size. Fights for rebounds when she is in position and keeps the ball high. Hands are solid. Needs to improve her finishing ability around the basket and be able to adapt better to physical play on the block. Still learning.
Arianne Whitaker (2015 6’2 F – Ohio) – Athletic lefty. Pursues the ball hard for rebounds. Relentless on the offensive glass. Had a couple nice put backs. Posts up hard inside. Hands are pretty good. Scored with some nice LH finishes.
2016
Tanaya Beacham (2016 6’1 G/F – Ohio) – Athletic wing/slasher. Nice catch and drive to the hoop with athletic off balance finish. Uses her body well to protect the ball. Had a nice And 1. Likes to dribble, sometimes too much. Likes physicality.
Hannah Blake (2016 5’8 PG – Ohio) – Pass first guard who pushes the tempo. Court vision is very good. Always sets her teammates up in positions to score. Can handle through the defensive pressure. Plays very hard.
Morgan Mattimore (2016 5’8 PG/G – Ohio) – Deceptive guard who plays very hard. Has a smooth three point shot. Nice catch, rip thru and drive with finish inside. Can rebound and push with dribble. Needs to improve foot speed on D.
Sydney Petty (2016 6’2 F – Ohio) – Good body and strength for this young forward. Good feel for the game around her. Takes contact inside, but needs to improve her finishing ability. Can stretch her jump shot to the three point line. Had a nice shot block in the paint.
Kayla Ross (2016 5’7 PG/G – Illinois) – Nice crossover. Uses it to attack right to left and get to the rim. Solid body, allows her to fight inside for defensive rebounds. Reads passing lanes on D. Plays hard. Needs to improve her right hand and not always go left.
Nia Staples (2016 5’8 PG/G – Ohio) – Athletic guard. Attacks the basket very hard. Explosive first step on wing drives. Court vision is very good, knows where her teammates are and how to set them up for a bucket. Can score in different ways and, when she turns it on, can score when she wants to.
Mikaya Wilson (2016 5’7 PG/G – North Carolina) – Quick guard with explosive crossover. Slight build, but a good athlete. Court vision is very good. Draws the D and kicks well. Crashes hard and fights for offensive rebounds inside. Needs to look to score more on her drives to the hoop. Raw in some areas but should develop.
2017
Andrea McCormick (2017 5’8 PG – Pennsylvania) – Skinny guard with a nice handle and tight crossover. Jabs and goes on her drive. Nice elevation and finish on the defense in transition. Gets herself in trouble when dribbling in the open court, needs to see the defense in front of her.
Christina Passerell (2017 5’11 F – Ohio) – Physical 4 player. Likes to bang inside and fights for defensive position in the post. Nice dribble drive from the high post. Squares up and makes her move. Had an And 1 on a nice reverse layup on a drive in transition.
Jonathan Parsons is a National Evaluator for Blue Star Basketball. A former college coach, Parsons served on the staff at Brown University, New Haven and Sacred Heart. His passion for the game started at the grassroots level as part of the Connecticut Breeze organization.
