New England Jamfest

Nashua, N.H.– It was a hot Mother’s Day weekend in New England, but that didn’t stop 50 clubs located throughout New England and New York from putting on a show on the hardwood. The New England Crusaders annual JamFest event was well attended even though it was prom weekend for most of the players participating. Here are some highlights from the weekend.

2015

Molly Reagan (6’2 – Post – N.H. – NE Crusaders 11^th Moore) – Posts up hard inside…Holds her seal well…Foot work and hands are both good….Great touch around the basket…Had a few nice rebounds and put backs…Needs to continue to improve finishing with her back to the basket

2016

Madison Springfield (5’11 – Guard – N.H. – NE Crusaders 11^th Moore) – Good athlete…Some poor decision making when she gets off balance…Reads the passing lanes on D…Shoot the gap for the steals…Needs to work on her ability to finish with contact

Shannon Todd (5’8 – Combo – N.H. – NE Crusaders 11^th Moore) – Attacks the basket hard and takes hits…Handles with both hands…Court vision is good…Great passer….Smooth three point shot when her feet are set

Katie Benzan (5’5 – Point Guard – Maine – NE Crusaders 11^th Benzan) – Dynamic point guard…Does all the little things…Plays smart and hard…Strong but small…Not afraid to mix it up inside for defensive rebounds…Tight handle with both hands….Court vision and awareness are both good…Confident against on ball pressure defense

Amy Duggan (5’11 – Guard / Forward – Maine – NE Crusaders 11^th Benzan) – Strong body and build…Drives hard to the basket…Good elevation and extension for the rebound…Fundamental box outs…Has a nice three point shot…Needs to speed up her release…Made some questionable passing decisions…Needs to see the defense

Vanessa Udoji (5’10 – Guard / Forward – Maine – NE Crusaders 11^th Benzan) – Has improved her strength…Good presence on defense with length…Penetrates and dishes well…Draws defense to her…Explosive first step…Elevates for rebounds…Needs to improve her form and be a consistent finisher inside

Alex Maund (5’11 – Forward – Maine – NE Crusaders 11^th Benzan) – Great body and strength…Nice stroke on her jump shot…Needs to speed up the release….Puts her head down and drives hard to the hole…Keeps the ball high on rebounds…Communicates on defense with her teammates in an effective manner…Passing decisions are just OK…Tries to be too fancy when the simple play is called for

2017

Shania Osborne (6’0 – Post – Conn. – Premier White 9^th) – Big body but undersized right now…Catches well…Rim runs hard every possession…Holds her seal…Can finish inside with both hands…Efficient on back to the basket drop steps….Foul prone…Uses her hands too much on defense…Needs to improve her free throw shooting

Amanda Towey (5’9 – Guard – Conn. – Premier White 9^th) – Long and lanky…Good athlete…Solid finisher off the drive…First step is explosive from wing…Handles it well…Three point shot is sound…Makes her presence known defensively with length…Stays ahead on defense…Understands how to help on the drive…High basketball IQ

Abigail Field (6’1 – Post – N.H. – NE Flames 9^th) – Good body and size…Very active in the post on defense…Moves her feet to get around defensively in the post…Good mobility…Posts hard…Wants the ball on offense…Provides good target for her guards to see…Needs to improve her finish inside

Amanda Wetmore (5’10 – Combo – N.H. – NE Flames 9^th) – Nice three point shot…Feet set on the catch…Can attack the hoop with both hands…Plays hard…Average finisher…Can handle it some…Long with medium build…Great size guard

Amaya Finklea (6’3 – Post – Maine – NE Crusaders 9^th Benzan) – Athletic and young…Still raw…Quick off her feet…High release on her shot…Finishing skills need to improve…Knows what she is doing…Pursues boards hard…Loves going to the middle with right…Uses the glass…Reactions on D are a bit slow

Jonathan Parsons is a National Evaluator for Blue Star Basketball.  A former college coach, Parsons served on the staff at Brown University, New Haven and Sacred Heart.  His passion for the game started at the grassroots level as part of the Connecticut Breeze organization.