Colorado Springs, CO – In less than eight hours the next international cycle of u16 USA Basketball representatives will be announced. I’ve seen quite a few of these and this was unique on it’s own because of the bigs and smalls.
When the 149 candidates gathered here on Thursday it was the dream to make the 2015 USA u16 team that will compete in the FIBA Americas u16 Championship for Women in Merdia Mexico next month. The USA Youth Basketball Women’s Selection Committee has the duty to pick the best team to compete internationally now and next year with it’s the FIBA Worlds.
This might be the best year ever for American basketball when it comes to post players. This group comprised of 26 guards, 68 wings, 30 forwards and 23 posts. The latter featured at least seven bigs: 255 Secona Prince, 6-7, TX; 257 Kasiyahna Kushkituah, 6-4, GA: 259 Jessika Carter, 6-4, GA; 260 Charli Collier, 6-4, TX: 261 Lindsay Jarosinski, 6-4, IL: 265 Unique Thompson, 6-3, AL; 270 Jade Williams, 6-3, TX; 285 Ayoka Lee, 6-5, MN giving the USA it’s best youth crop in years. By the second day it was apparent that Prince, Collier and Williams were heads above some of the others. And, the list of posts has a number of players who, at the level, would be more suited to play a forward position.
The guards were a different story. There were a ton of players cut from this group on the first cut. Afterwards the quality was better but it was hard to distinguish who the best were after the three skills sessions. In the past everyone knew who the top guards were. This year it was going to be this event to make that determination. When the first cut came it was obvious the best point here was 137 Cloe Chapman, 5-7, MD followed by 153 Alexis Morris, 5-6, TX. When the second cut came it was down to 16 players who could play point. It took to the last day of cuts to whittle this down to six including Chapman and Morris. (134 Destanni Henderson, FL; 138 Chelsie Hall, FL; 151 Mykasa Robinson, KY and 154 Desiree Caldwell, TX).
The wing position comprised of a number of combo guards, wing players, big wings who are usually high school forwards with a desire to find shooters.
This group was cut down to the final day to 13 with 209 (UConn verbal) Andra Espinosa-Hunter, NJ being the leader. This was one of the most brutal positions to pick with so many players having either an up day or a down day from the day before. Just when you saw someone on Friday play great, another player stepped up today. At least seven players moved back and forth on my selection list for this position. The last day consisted of constant matchups to create separation. It was still hard as there was not much from game to game. Some of these combo guards even had to move out front for some point guard duty to check their handle.
Any number of the players (116 Taylor Mikesell, OH; 189 Destiny Littleton, CA; 193 Jenna Brown, GA; 196 Taya Robinson, VA; 211 Jayda Adams, CA; 212 Madison Johnson, CA; 214 Shannon Titus GA; 215 Kaitlyn Gilbert, IN; 217 Christyn Williams, AR; 219 Abigail Prohaska, OH; 220 Honesty Scott-Grayson, NJ and 230 Christianna Carr, MN) could be on the final list. There were some intense play between Littleton, Johnson and Prohaska. Another series of matchups had Brown, Robinson, Gilbert, Williams and Scott-Grayson facing off with Mikesell and Adams going at it. Each mini-game had battles.
At the forward spot it was clear there were to players of note: 275 Aquire DeCosta, 6-2, CA and 263 Rellah Boothe, 6-3, FL. These two could play big scoring wing to inside offensive threat. By the last day there were 10 at this position for me but the best were the battles between 177 Alexis Gordon, TX; 182 Didi Richards, TX; 184 Taylor Kissinger, NE and 277 Taya Corosdale, WA. Sometimes 209 Espinsoa-Hunter, NY and 230 Carr, MN were matched up with these players too.
Even with a lot of big talent and a lot of decision making and position separation needing to be done I felt the best talent got to the last day, even some who shouldn’t have made it. Before the cut to 40 was made this morning I felt I had at least 9 of the position filled. And with that it depends on how the Committee wants to look at the team composition and size.
It is important to note that the last cycle had issues that led to almost half the u16 team from 2013 turning over for the u17 last year which had the USA team almost losing to Spain in the FIBA World Championships. There is better overall talent here but no “known” star leader as there has been in previous Youth cycles.
The opinion here is to select some of these great bigs, get athletic wings who can score and defend and take our guards with an eye to upgrade a few positions next year if possible.
MY PICKS:
137 Chapman, 153 Morris, 209 Espinosa-Hunter, 275 DeCosta, 263 Boothe, 255 Prince, 260 Collier, 270 Williams, 220 Scott-Grayson,
These last three spots are the hardest: 217 Williams, 177 Gordon, 116 Mikesell. Don’t be surprised if they pick a different big wing, forward or even a different post. It was this hard.
The OFFICIAL team list will be announced in the morning.
