RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.– The West Coast Premier Spring Invitational has become a staple of the non-certified club basketball circuit leading up to the NCAA July Evaluation period. Once again over 100 teams made their way to Southern California as did plenty of evaluators, media and non Division – I coaches. Players from five different states competed in seven divisions of play in the eighth annual showcase.
When all was said and done in the top tier Brianna Gilbreath Division, DFW T – Jack Elite grabbed their second title in a row claiming a few Nike EYBL bragging rights along the way. The defending champs from Texas got by the Cal Sparks in a physical and hotly contested semifinal match-up before edging Team Taurasi in the final by a 50 – 48 margin. Taurasi made their way to the championship game by virtue of their win over a talented, young Arizona Select squad that’s going to have recruiters tailing their every move the next several years.
For complete pools, brackets and results from the 2015 West Coast Premier Spring Invitational follow the link below
http://www.quickscores.com/Orgs/index.php?OrgDir=wcpremier
As always plenty of talent was on hand and while we would love to include them all, we’re limited on time and space. Today we offer up a look at just a few of the standouts who were on hand in Ranch Cucamonga
On their way to the title DFW got plenty of production from several players on the roster. One of the standouts who continues to show her college ready game is Muskogee, Okla. native Aaliyah Wilson. The dynamic 5-10 guard is playing an explosive and attacking game that is challenging for virtually any defender at the scholastic level. She has the ability to create her own looks off the dribble and has no reservations about taking the ball inside and challenging whatever rotation might come her way. Wilson elevates on jumpers, pull ups and at the rim even with contact hanging off of her. On the opposite end she’s a staunch defender on and off the ball and for good measure rebounds with authority for a perimeter player. The 2016 class member may well have been the most productive all-around player for the weekend.
If you want your point guard to attack and create and push the pace you need to find you someone like Team Taurasi floor general Aarion McDonald. The only thing small about her game may well be her diminutive stature. Beyond that she has the speed and quickness that many only dream about and, more so, the ability to put them to use with the ball in her hands. From makes, misses and turnovers she’s pushing the ball and creating numbers situations that lead to marginally contested looks time and again. While the Fresno, Calif. product can deliver the ball when the opposition collapses around her she’s more than capable of taking it to the rim and finding her own results. On ball she’s a challenging defender that will exploit careless ballhandlers.
An evolving work in progress, 2018 Nalyssa Smith of Converse, Texas is beginning to become a more consistent contributor for Ray Caldwell and San Antonio’s Finest. It’s not that she’s not been there, anyone with half a clue would pick her out from the crowd in warm ups. The long, lean forward is playing with more and more confidence and that’s not good news for opponents. The ability is there to create off the one dribble drive and her floater was the model of consistency on Sunday. Physically, the combination of her wingspan and vertical make her a presence on both ends. The rebounding effort is beginning to create second looks offensively and trigger transition opportunities going the other way. The only limits she faces are the ones she puts on herself.
While youth wasn’t specifically the trend among the talent, another 2018, McKenzie Forbes of the Arizona Select was enhancing her already established profile. The native of Folsom, Calif. has the combination of size, athleticism and developing skills that’s going to give her a shot at mixing with the elite of the class. At 5-11 she’s a challenge for smaller defenders and the quickness combined with perimeter skills makes her wishful thinking for bigger opponents. There’s an authority to her penetration and she can handle the contact or loft up a floater based on defensive reactions. The decision making is coming around and she’s making herself a factor. Once the consistency comes she’ll start causing headaches on the opposite bench each time out.
It’s always exciting to see a player across the years develop her game and continue to advance the skills that have made her a highly regarded prospect. Celeste West of Bakersfield and the Cal Sparks has been on the radar for several years now and the growth has always been there in her play. However, it’s been this past six months or so that have seen her future evolve from possibilities to realities as she approaches her senior year. She’s making herself a factor on both ends of the floor on a more consistent basis and this past weekend she became a go to force down on the block. There’s still plenty of refinement to work on in many aspects of her offensive arsenal but West has found a new stride and is taking her game to the next level. She appears more “fit” and is playing with the intensity that lots of folks watching have been hoping for. Defensively she’s got to avoid the careless fouls that make the occasional bad calls by an official more of a factor. The key this summer will be to continue working on her game and avoiding the dreaded “plateau” that snares so many seniors.
The Cal Ballaz have a deep and talented team and Leroy Hurt has plenty of weapons to call upon when needed. Forward Iimari Thomas, a 2017 grad, is providing Hurt and her teammates plenty of options from her small forward spot. At 6-1, she’s solid and strong with the tools to be a factor inside. At the same time she can step away from the rim and deliver off the drive or with a soft touch on her jumper. Her first step is very deceiving and creates plenty of space for her to get around slow footed defenders. Her shot selection is sound and she has plenty of range to force the opposing bigs to close out much further from the paint than they want to. While she delivered a few sharp passes it’s imperative that she make it an impact part of her game as she’s going to attract more and more defensive attention. With lots of impressive talent on the Ballaz roster she should be racking up the assists as well as the points.
Taylor Turney is the type of guard you want to play with. She’s going to make good decisions with the ball and sees the floor both in transition as well as on the break. Her ball skills are sharp and she puts them to use with confidence. The ability is there to create her own shot off penetration or to utilize a step back to get a clean look at a fifteen footer. There were a few occasions where she forced the issue on the break or was careless with the speed of her pass, but all in all, you want the ball in her hands. Turney is a solid on ball defender and anticipates well on the weakside of the floor.
So, what hasn’t been said about Ayanna Clark before? The power forward / post for the So Cal Select has all the tools and the potential to be as good as she wants to be. Her physical approach inside makes her deceiving match-up when she steps up to the high post. Clark can knock it down from the trail spot but is just as adept at putting it on the floor and taking it to the rim. Her first step is lengthy and she puts a body on the defender she’s leaving behind to keep her out of the play. The 2017 early USC verbal elevates in the paint and releases the ball at full extension making it a tough shot to get a hand on. Several times she pulled some monster boards that did some attention getting from the opposition around her. That kind of play will have to become more consistent for her to make the impact she has the potential to make every night.
The West Coast Premier is having their ups and downs this spring but one of the more reliable ups is the play of 2017 Jayda Adams. The 6-0 guard is playing with a much more aggressive approach to her game. She’s making herself a factor on the break and in the halfcourt she’s putting it on the floor and getting deep in the paint. Adams is showing more speed running the lanes than in the past and is capitalizing on options that are the result of sheer effort. Even in traffic she appears more focused on navigating the crowd and finding a good look at the rim. She’ll need to make the perimeter shot a consistent and long range threat to keep defenders closing out and allowing her to continue to create off the drive. Defensively her length makes her a strong option in multiple defensive schemes.
If Jaelyn Brown ever finds that elusive consistency that so many players to struggle to find these days there’s no telling just what she might be able to accomplish. The 2016 guard / wing is among the elite in the class when she’s at her best. Her worst isn’t bad either but it is dramatically apparent because of the high profile play that she’s noted for normally. The left hander is explosive off the dribble and can pull up on a dime both at the rim and from the 10 to 12 foot range. The quick release on her jumper is sound but the form on her spot up shot from deep still has the ball coming back beside her head. Several go in, but several don’t as well. Defensively she has the tools to lock up 1 through 3 and can even cause nightmares for some 4’s.
While Aaliyah Wilson may have stood out this weekend, it wasn’t like Alexis Morris wasn’t a major factor in the DFW win. The multifaceted point guard offered up moments of distributing, moments of defending and when needed, plenty of moments scoring. She’s the worst thing a defender can see in transition if they’re hoping to stop the ball. Her change of speed and change of direction get her good looks at the rim and improve opportunities for her teammates. Morris reads the floor and makes sound decisions about when to push or when to settle things down and work for a better option. Defensively she can control opposing ballhandlers and has the tools to jump into the lanes to take away options.
