NAPLES, Fla.—With the ever expanding landscape of holiday tournaments it can be a challenge for recruiters and evaluators to plot out their travel between Thanksgiving and the start of the new year. For the past 17 seasons it’s been a safe bet if you booked a trip to south Florida you could count on seeing some high profile teams and talent. The 2015 Naples Holiday Shootout once again provided the chance to see some teams making noise on the national stage as well as some prospects who have charted a course for the top tier of college basketball. Signees were on hand from the likes of the SEC, Big – 10, ACC, and the Big East as well as many younger prospects already under the watchful eyes of college coaches at every level. This year 16 teams made up the two bracket field that competed across the three day event held at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples. Programs from 10 different states took the floor beginning the 29th and wrapping things up New Year’s Eve with a double overtime party to send 2015 out with a bang.
Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), a consensus top three team nationally, held off a battle tested Miami Country Day squad to claim top honors in the American Division of play. MCD outscored the eventual champs by five in the final period of regulation to force the first overtime. Raven James (2016 – Vilanova) got an easy backdoor lay up to put the Lady Panthers up three with 47 seconds on the clock but freshman standout Maria Alvarez answered with a long ball for the Lady Spartans to knot things up and lead into a second extra stanza. Things went back and forth across the final four minutes until MiMi Collins (2018) connected on two free throws with just 10 seconds remaining to make it a two possession game and another win for Paul VI.
Fellow sophomore Kate Klimkiewicz led the way in the win with 25 points on 8 of 16 shooting. The 5-11 wing also snagged MVP honors with her consistent play across the event. Collins had 18 in the final while grabbing 9 rebounds while Pitt bound senior guard Jasmine Whitney contributed 11 more points to the cause. Junior guard Kelsey Marshall had 20 in the loss for Miami Country Day. Alvarez finished with 17 that included a 5 for 8 effort from behind the arch.
Paul VI shot a combined 48 percent from the floor and an even more impressive 21 for 23 from the line. The Lady Spartans were 23 for 58 (39%) but fell short at the line going 11 of 18 for the game.
The National Division championship game was just a little less exciting with the Wenonah Dragons easily taking out Lake Highland Prep by a somewhat more substantial margin of 28 points. The final gap was precipitated by a 38 – 22 halftime score largely the result of Wenonah’s 10 point edge in the second period. The third and fourth got no better for the Lady Highlanders ultimately leading to a 70 – 42 final score.
Wenonah junior forward Alexus Dye had a double – double with 25 points and 10 boards in the final. Ole Miss signee Kaitlyn Rodgers added 14 more plus 9 rebounds of her own. Dynamic junior guard Jayla Morrow finished with 12 and flashy sophomore guard Faith Reynolds added 11 more. Junior guard Tyra Cox had 20 for Lake Highland in the loss. Alabama signee Jordan Lewis who had scored effectively in earlier games found the going cold against Wenonah’s aggressive defense managing just 9 points on 3 of 13 shooting.
The Lady Dragons shot a red 51.6 percent as a team while holding LHP to 24.5 percent and forcing them into 25 turnovers.
PAUL VI
MiMi Collins continues to show a new comfort level and confidence each time out for the Lady Panthers. The 6-4 sophomore is playing with a more assertive approach at both ends of the floor and is demonstrating a focused effort in advancing her game. Her work on the boards and patience offensively were key in Thursday’s double overtime championship game. Collins is gradually moving from the “thought” to “reaction” approach offensively. Defensively she’ll need to watch the carless fouls to keep herself on the floor throughout. Kate Klimliewicz’s MVP performance began day one and finished in the title game. The 5-11 wing is looking for her own options and has the tools to create some looks off the dribble. She’s got good length and solid athleticism that allows her to get to the rim and navigate effectively among the bigs. There’s almost a two hand look to the start of her perimeter shot but all is well at the release and she’s capable of getting it off quickly on the catch. Lots of tools are in place and she may well be just scratching the surface. Senior guard Jasmine Whitney has evolved into a “jack of all trades” and anyone knowing basketball understands that is quite a compliment. Her decision making is much sharper and she’s setting up teammate’s looks while capitalizing on her own options when they come her way. Defensively Whitney reads the floor well and is playing with the maturity you would expect from an experienced veteran. The 5-9 guard will be instrumental in Paul VI’s ultimate legacy this season.
WENONAH
Athletic 6-0 forward Alexus Dye has the physical tools and developing game to make an impact at the highest level. She’s active baseline to baseline and plays with an emotional approach that keeps her in the middle of the action. The vertical is there to allow her to play above the crowd on either end. Offensively she can finish at the rim and gets clean looks in the mid-range with a true jumper. That jumper, however, needs some attention and refinement before she can count on it consistently. Defensively she can play virtually any spot in any scheme both in the halfcourt or pressing scenarios. Junior point guard Jayla Morrow is strong, assertive and in charge. At 5-7 she’s both quick and physical challenging defenders with an relentless attack. Off the drive she can deliver some sharp passing among the rotations or handle the contact herself and finish. She can spot up on the perimeter but has a slight twist in her jumper. Since we have power forwards it’s only appropriate we have a power-point and Morrow fits the bill. Defensivly she digs in and takes pride in her on ball effort. She’ll put a body on any opponent big or small while holding her ground. The real workhorse for Wenonah is 6-2 Kaitlyn Rodgers. She’s not only got the size but the physical strength and frame to match up with any opponent on the scholastic level. Saying that she’s a presence on the boards is an understatement. Rodgers works hard at limiting opponent’s looks and triggers the Lady Dragon’s break with some long, crisp outlets. She’s efficient passing the ball within the offense and can finish the opportunities that come her way. She’ll need to expand her ability to create her own shots on the catch down low.
While just a freshman Miami Country Day’s (Florida) Maria Alvarez has begun to establish herself among the better recognized shooters on the high school level. The slightly built 5-7 combo is lethal given time and is showing a quicker release than we saw from her just this summer. There’s good quickness and speed to go hand in hand with some sound and advancing ballhandling skills. She has the benefit of being a kick out option to junior teammates and strong penetrators Channise Lewis and Kelsey Marshall. The three present a challenging backcourt match up for any high school defense.
Holy Innocents (Georgia) has a strong roster that is led by North Carolina State signee Erika Cassell. The 6-1 forward is smooth, strong and plays with plenty of effort. There’s some ballhandling in place and she has some good ball control but she’s legitimately a #4. Cassell can spot up as a trailer but is an effective passer from the high post as well. The jumper does have a somewhat low release point. She can hold her own on the block and knows how to finish inside with contact. Lots of promise and well suited for the next level.
One of the highlights of any event is the young talent on hand. Former Western Kentucky Coach Mary Taylor Cowles has sophomore Jordyn Cambridge on her Ensworth (Tennessee) roster who has already begun to make a name for herself. The 5-8 guard is athletic and strong plus shows the promise of some more growth. The ball skills are there to allow her to create both scoring opportunities as well as improve passing options. She can slash into the paint and has the strength to go up strong inside. Her floater and pull up both look to be emerging options. Cambridge’s vertical serves her well both on her shot and on the glass.
Coach Lamar Smith has had his share of talent over the years at Toledo Rogers (Ohio) and he has several more young ones coming up through the ranks. Zia Cooke has been a well-known entity for a while but now that she’s on the high school main stage she’s giving credence to the attention that’s been coming her way. Wiry built at 5-8, she’s got speed and quickness to burn. What’s more is she’s that rare guard that has speed WITH the ball in her hands. While that’s not always a good thing, it’s becoming quite a weapon for the freshman and allowing her to dictate the pace of play at times. She’s an efficient and diverse scorer with the ball in her hands plus distributes the ball well on penetration. She’ll still need to be more productive without the ball and learn a better means of attacking a zone than forcing things off the dribble. The sky is the limit.
Warren Easton (Louisiana) senior Kechelle Figueroa has the tools to be something special at the point. Her ball skills and passing are on par with players much older and more experienced than her. She plays with an aggressive approach and a physical style well suited for the next level. The 5-5 Figueroa sees the floor and can distribute the ball both in transition or off the drive. She sets up her passes and keeps defenders guessing before delivering them with more velocity than a minor league pitcher. Off the dribble, her change of speed gets her past defenders and to the rim almost at will. She can finish in traffic or make the difficult pass when rotations come. You want the ball in her hands because she’s going to make plays.
Destanni Henderson may still be a sophomore but she’s already a well established prospect among the top tier recruiters. Few players on the high school level are as smooth and fluid with the ball as the 5-6 Fort Myers (Florida) point guard. She mixes up her attack and creates situations improving her own looks as well as those of her teammates. Her acceleration with the ball leaves defenders standing and her awareness of the floor often leads to some eye catching assists. At the same time her own stroke is text book and has both the range and touch to force defenders to close out on the catch. Defensively she’s strong and quick on the ball but often turns her head when on the weakside of the floor.
Northwestern signee Bryana Hopkins provided some strong play for her William Fremd (Illinois) teammates. A 6-2 forward, Hopkins has some length and agility that allows her to be active both with and without the ball. She created her own looks off the drive from the high post on several occasions and made herself an option off the cut several times as well. Her first step is lengthy and allows her to leave bigger defenders scrambling to recover. The 15 footer appears to be there and it’s obvious that she reads the floor well while on the attack. While she was adept at getting into the traffic she’ll need to add some strength to be more efficient with contact as she moves on to the next level.
Two out of three games Alabama signee Jordan Lewis had her way. The Lake Highland Prep (Florida) point guard was the model of efficiency with and without the ball especially in the Lady Highlander’s round two game. The long ball was falling and her diverse attack off the dribble was serving her well. Game three, however, saw a bullseye on her back as she was well scouted by a strong Wenonah defense leading to a less than memorable performance in the final Thursday. At the same time the awareness that she’s playing with and the constant attack are the kinds of things that will smooth her transition to the SEC next year. Lewis pushes on makes, misses and turnovers and is making stronger decisions than ever. Her own touch is much improved but still needs that additional consistency to keep defenders playing her straight up.
Grace Marko of Boca Raton (Florida) seems to really be finding a comfort level as a small forward with perimeter skills. When her teammates were struggling with pressure she was the answer demonstrating a sound skill set with the ball in her hands. At 6-0 she has a solid build and a good frame for the college level. There are no reservations about playing physical and some sharp instincts are in place. On the attack she reads the floor well and often took it to the rim and exploiting lazy or carless transition defense. Marko is more than willing to give it up and can make some effective passes off the drive to the rim. She was able to knock down some perimeter shots but there is a forward motion as she gets deeper on the floor that might lead to consistency problems at times. Nothing but upside.
We’ve seen Kelsey Marshall and her Miami Country Day (Florida) teammates in four national caliber tournaments since Thanksgiving. One consistency has been the play of this 5-8 junior guard. Against some of the stronger competition on the high school level she’s shown the ability to develop her own looks off the dribble and finish at a solid percentage. She’s making good choices with the ball and works well with backcourt mates Channise Lewis (2017) and Maria Alvarez (2019). Marshall is reading defenders better as she squares up and seems to be attacking smarter than she was a year ago. The touch on her perimeter shot is becoming refined and she’s not an option that defenders want to close out slowly on. Additionally, just since November she appears to be cutting more effectively and with intent.
Edgewater (Florida) won just one out of three but had some strong moments. One of the standouts for the Lady Eagles was shooting guard Cheyenne Patrick. The 5-9 guard provided a look at one of the better shooting touches we’ve seen so far this season. Patrick was able to zero in time and again from long range with deadly accuracy. She has a quick release and has a good sense of shot selection. While it’s obvious her preference is to spot up, she was able to put it on the floor and offer up some diversity to her attack keeping defenders guessing. She’ll have to be more active without the ball in her hands to keep helpside defenders occupied as well create some looks off the skip.
Dayton has an early verbal commitment from Butler (Kentucky) junior Jaelynn Penn. A wiry, athletic guard, Penn has the tools to attack even the quickest of defenders. Her individual skills allow her create both shots and passes off the dribble. The left hand could use some attention but she’s penetrating from both sides of the floor getting all the way to the rim or pulling up from the 10 to 12 foot range. She has an impressive vertical that gets her some nice clean looks as well as makes her a potentially strong perimeter rebounder. Penn is very active without the ball and seems to have a good instinct as to what she’s looking for off the cut. The vision and ability are there to pass the ball well but the 5-8 standout is one who may be giving it up just a little bit too often.
