NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C.— Few events on the spring and summer club basketball circuit really tap into a players inner drive, competitive nature and willingness to leave it on the floor anymore. Maybe they’ve become so accustomed to game settings that it’s just not that tipoff is just not that special anymore. Maybe pride and self-satisfaction are now concepts that athletes don’t find important or motivating enough to go the extra mile to find. Or, maybe still, seeing hundreds of college recruiters courtside is commonplace and the sense of entitlement that permeates today’s youth figures that no matter what…they’ll get theirs.
Whatever the issue, one event that seem to bring out their best regardless of whether or not the scholarship squad is sitting courtside is Nike Nationals. Serving as the exclamation point on the summer recruiting period, the annual event held in North Augusta seems to be a prize all players deem worth chasing. If you doubt it watch the reaction of teams who make it into the Gold championship bracket but come up short in a nail biter. Nobody is looking for a bridge to jump off of but the disappointment is obvious.
And so is the joy in winning. Just ask the folks from Cy-Fair who have never made the trip back to Texas with a banner or bragging rights…until Tuesday. While the college coaches were winging and driving back to campus the final day of the Swoosh Summit featured Al Coleman’s highly regarded club and the newcomers of Kelly Sopak, the Cal Stars Elite in the main event for all the marbles.
Cy-Fair, coached by Katie Hensle, moved into the championship game by way of an exciting win over Kelsey Mitchell and her All Ohio teammates. The game came down to a single possession that saw All Ohio get the ball back with a chance to tie with under 10 seconds remaining only to turn it over on the outlet. Sopak and his Stars survived the last minute onslaught of Alexa Middleton and the Tennessee Flight to move into the final by just a two point margin. Middleton’s three at the buzzer would have clinched the win but was off the mark.
Nancy Mulkey, Cy-Fair’s 6-9 2016 post, rolled an ankle in the game with All-Ohio and was unable to play in the championship game which tipped off just an hour following the semis. What they did have however was Ariel Atkins. The dynamic guard from Duncanville, Texas has spent a large part of the summer playing with her nationally ranked high school team but rejoined Cy-Fair for the summer finale and may have saved the best for last. The Stars had no answer for the ultra-athletic inside-out threat as she paced all scorer with a 31 point performance in the 69 – 59 win. Brooke McCarty, who’s been the model of consistency throughout the summer chipped in 14 of her own to go with her usual steady playmaking and court management.
The Stars who had a great run with several high profile wins could not seem to find the same rhythm that made them one of the more impressive performers in any of the pools. Sabria Ionescu, a member of this year’s USA Gold Medal winning U16 team, struggled to get the penetration she enjoyed throughout the tournament. Her uncharacteristic five point effort forced others to step up but in the end no one could offset Atkins offensive explosion. Kelli Hayes and Mariya Moore led the way for the Stars with 14 apiece. Hayes, a long and athletic wing, had a couple of runs where she amassed most of her scoring. Moore was getting to the rim but found herself at the line repeatedly where she racked up 10 of her total finishing with just two field goals in the contest.
Things were back and forth early before Cy-Fair opened a small 26 – 20 lead at the 4:14 mark of the first half. With just under two minutes to play before the half it became the Hayes and Atkins show as they traded buckets and the lead until Atkins three point play provided the period’s final points and a 37 – 36 Cy-Fair halftime lead.
Kennedy Leonard’s lay up at the 10:37 mark of the second half provided Cy-Fair with their first 10 point cushion. The Stars got it back to just five with 4:58 remaining and then things got ugly for both teams with a series of turnovers, miscues and missed chip shots. With 2:01 on the clock the margin was just six but the Stars went ice cold missing multiple opportunities down the stretch including the chance to convert several Cy-Fair turnovers. At the buzzer the spread was back to 10 and Atkins, McCarty and company were celebrating their first crown.
Plenty more coming from Nike Nationals plus wrap ups and additional evaluations from many summer events. Keep checking back with Blue Star Media.
Standouts From Title Game Teams
It’s only logical to start with Ariel Atkins. The 5-11 guard has proven to any doubters that she is among the elite in the 2014 class. Those still doubting are evaluating the wrong sport. Combining explosive athleticism with strong, fundamental skills, she’s one of the toughest match ups nationwide. The threat and ability is there from the perimeter to force opponents to close out tighter than any sane mind would want to and at the same time the acceleration and first step are virtually impossible to react to in any effective time frame. On both the jumper and when she’s working around the basket she’s playing at the rim and embarrassing some posts who can call on plenty more in the height and reach department. Defensively she can guard #1 through #4 and play any spot in the press. The rebounding goes without saying and to top it all off, you can count on her being there for loose balls virtually every time. The drawback? In the eyes of most recruiters it would be the fact that she’s already committed and it’s not to them. Atkins is a future Longhorn for Coach Karen Aston at Texas.
Atkins has an obvious chemistry with Cy-Fair point guard Brooke McCarty and it’s a good thing. McCarty is headed to Austin as well following her senior year. The diminutive League City native is one of the most efficient and productive floor leaders on the scholastic level. Add to that an intense competitive streak and good things are bound to happen. In North Augusta she was attacking and finishing more consistently in traffic while handling plenty of physical play on her way to the rim. The range and touch are there on the perimeter and her pull up seems to be getting the call more and more often. It could be self-preservation. McCarty will get bounced around at times and was dropped once by an uncalled blind screen that put her on the floor. She shook it off and continued to play but made it clear to teammates that communication had to improve. Defensively she’s competitive and intense almost seeming to take any attempt to exploit size mismatches with her personally.
While Nancy Mulkey did not suit up for the championship game it’s worth noting the steady improvement over just the past few months for the 6-9 Cypress, Texas resident. From the USA Basketball U16 Trials back in June (Mulkey was named an alternate) to her play in North Augusta her progress is evident and very promising. At Nike she was running the floor more efficiently and playing with a much more assertive mentality. There are aspects of the game she impacts now as a result of sheer size but other areas are evolving and allowing her to contribute on a skill basis at both ends of the floor. One game saw her score on three successive possessions with two defensive boards coming her way during the sequence. That kind of productivity should be more commonplace by this time next summer.
Sabrina Ionescu wasn’t an unknown before the club season but not many east of the Mississippi had her on their radar. Following her earning a roster spot on the USA U16 team her game and her reputation have taken off. That roster spot was earned the hard way as Ionescu was one of just two who made the team as “open” participants in the trials. If you watch the 5-10 combo play it shouldn’t surprise you that she found her way into the red, white and blue. The versatility and textbook style of play she brings to the floor is constantly on the attack and creating both shots and passes. An efficient scorer herself, she’s plenty willing to give it up to a teammate with a better look. Since the first of July her role with the Stars has involved a lot more ballhandling chores with the unfortunate knee injury to standout point guard Natalie Romeo. While somewhat upright at times on the drive, there are others where she’s lower and keeping her body between quick handed defenders and the ball. Her size is an asset at the #1 or #2 and it serves her well on the defensive end just the same. Her footspeed is sound and the effort is there that keeps her in and around play from tip to horn. The loss to Cy-Fair wasn’t her best but it’s a safe bet if they played again tomorrow she would have found a way to already improve from it.
While Ionescu may be just now getting some national recognition, swing player Mariya Moore has been in recruiting data bases for years. The 6-0 product of San Pablo, California is playing with the experience and maturity that recruiters like to see as an athlete moves into their final high school campaign. Moore’s game is ideally suited for the much more physical college level and if she picks up where she left off against Cy-Fair her possibilities could expand. Tuesday’s game saw a much more aggressive effort on her part to create her own looks and the result was multiple trips to the line. With her size and strength comes a good first step and no reservations about physical play. She’s more than willing to share the ball and actually made several sharp deliveries on the break as well as in the halfcourt. Perimeter consistency is essential for a player like Moore and while she didn’t take many from beyond the 10 foot range, the form appears to be there to keep folks honest. On the other end she plays strong and is also a presence on the boards. Her skill set has the versatility that coaches covet come game time.
Consistency seemed to elude Kelli Hayes at Nike nationals. That doesn’t mean she played poorly, in fact she had more than her share of highlight moments. The issue seemed to be the ability to sustain that level of play. The long 6-1 guard, at her best, belongs among those approaching the higher tier of the 2014 class. She’s got length, speed, quickness and a first step that will get her by most any defender. The individual skills are there and she can create her own looks getting to the rim or utilizing a high flying vertical that gives her clean looks. Hayes also connected on several spot up perimeter shots reminding defenders that, yes, you do have to close out. While the ballhandling is sound it could stand to be sharper and her move off the dribble both lower and quicker. They already leave opponents standing but the defense at the next level is a whole different ball game. What makes this San Jose native even more intriguing is the possibilities on the defensive end. Her length, agility and reach give her the tools to possibly be just as much of an impact as a stopper as she can be as a scorer.
