INDIANAPOLIS — Tessy Onwuka’s individual goal for the summer was to show college coaches she is capable of taking, and making, shots from the perimeter.
But the 2016 forward for the Illinois All In Athletics 17 squad showed late in Saturday’s title game for Pools A-D of USJN’s 2nd Annual Midwest Summer Showcase that she remains dangerous off the dribble.
Onwuka’s pull-up 7-footer in the lane with 6 seconds left gave All In a 57-55 victory against Chicago Hoops Express 17 in a much-anticipated showdown between talent-laden teams.
“My coach (Matt Truding) has been yelling at me that I have a good shot and I need to have the confidence to take it,” said Onwuka, who will play at Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy this winter. “I just don’t take it. Normally I don’t shoot but I took some shots today, and he was telling me to keep taking them.”
The deciding shot wasn’t from the perimeter but it showed that Onwuka has no trouble putting the ball on the floor. When her defender backed off of her to help inside against All In post Jeannie Boehm, Onwuka had plenty of room. From the wing, she drove into the lane and rolled in the 7-footer for the lead.
Kathleen Doyle’s halfcourt shot at the buzzer didn’t fall, and All In had avenged a loss earlier this summer against Chicago Hoops Express.
If Onwuka continues to develop her perimeter shot, she will be the complete package.
“She’s actually got a nice shot, she just won’t shoot it yet,” Truding said. “We’ve been working really hard because that’s what every college wants to see right now. She’s good on defense, she can rebound, she attacks; it’s a matter of whether she will take those shots.”
The benefit for All In, however, is that Onwuka’s unselfishness reflects the team’s winning culture.
“Every one of our kids would sacrifice their own shots to make sure we’ll be successful,” Truding said. “That’s why I love this group.”
Point guard Madie Kaelber is a good example. She’s a distributor first but Kaelber will make teams pay for not being honest in defending her. Late in Saturday’s final she drilled two crucial three-pointers, including one with 48 seconds left that gave All In a two-point lead.
“I’ve been coaching her since the sixth grade and she’s always been like that,” Truding said. “She’s a passionate, passionate kid who loves the big moments. For some reason, at the end of big games, she’s always hit big threes for us.”
Kaelber is a 5-foot-8 uncommitted 2016 product who plays at Indian Trail in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Playground Elite doubles up
The Wisconsin Playground Elite sent two teams to Indianapolis and both emerged with titles.
The 15s defeated Indiana BGC Fire 15 70-59 to capture Pools I-L, while the 14s rolled past Kentucky Shining Stars 15 Stoll 85-62 for the title of Pools M-P.
That both squads earned titles wasn’t much of a suprise; Playground Elite seems to make that a habit at many USJN events.
“We’re hoping this is one of those teams that will be a mainstay,” said Ray Hubbard, who coached the 14s on Saturday. “Hopefully this is what we need to push us over the hump, and next year we’ll be off and running.”
The 14s were mostly 2018 recruits with a few 2019s, most notably guard Shemera Williams (5-7, headed to Milwaukee Riverside), whom Hubbard said has already drawn attention from colleges.
“This is a group that we just brought together,” Hubbard said. “There’s a lot of talent; we have everything across the board.”
The 15s aren’t much different, although that squad had only seven players available in Indianapolis.
“We’ve been having our ups and downs,” coach Tony Davis said. “But they gut it out. It’s pretty hard to do this with seven girls.”
Two of them, however, are uber-aggressive, ultra-quick guards in 5-5 Amazshea Lee and 5-4 Albany Dodd, both 2017s.
“Five-five and 5-4? Where do you find that?” marveled Davis. “They can play with anybody. Guts and heart. It’s just unbelievable.
“It’s natural with these guys. We play an uptempo game. We want to push people into doing things that we want them to do.”
Gym Rats finish off impressive run
The Indiana Gym Rats 14 Duncan squad rolled through its competition all weekend, beating the Illinois Knockouts 14 team 70-32 in the title game for Pools Q-T
The Illinois Predators 13 Fetter took home the title for Pools U-X with a 55-53 overtime win against Sky Diggs Elite 13 Parrish.
The championship in Pools E-H went to Ohio Cincy Swish 17 Gramke, which received a forfeit win in the final.
