GILBERT, Ariz.—For the 19th consecutive year the royalty of girls high school basketball has gathered in the Valley of the Sun to compete for bragging rights at the Nike Tournament of Champions. The primary setting has moved east just a bit to Gilbert but the stakes and prestige remain the same. This year 96 teams representing 21 different states fill out the brackets to compete for six different division titles. Blue Star Media is out in force and will be offering nightly coverage and evaluations, photos and social media content.
For brackets and results follow the link below to the Nike Tournament of Champions website.
Mark Lewis
One of the better round one match ups in the high profile Joe Smith Division featured Good Counsel (Maryland) and Mater Dei (California). With 28 players on both rosters there were just five seniors in action and the underclassmen stepped up and left an impression. Good Counsel’s guard Lindsey Pulliam has been a known commodity for a while now but it appears she’s added additional depth to her already honed game. A highly regarded shooter, the 5-10 junior proved to be the consistent offensive threat that found multiple ways to crack Mater Dei’s vaunted defense. Pulliam is looking to create more off the dribble but also is demonstrating a refined shot selection in the process. Physically strong, she has the size and strength to handle contact on the way to the rim while not backing down from opposing bigs as they rotate her way. Even without the ball she’s cutting with more authority and doing a better job of reading options along the way. Good Counsel’s reward for the win is a Saturday match-up with Archbishop Mitty.
Chaminade had no trouble getting past Patterson Eastside in round one grabbing a convincing 65 – 33 win. Instrumental in the win was the consistent play of USC signee Valerie Higgins. The 6-0 senior was in constant attacking mode and offered up the approach on both ends of the floor. Offensively she was effective both from the perimeter and off the drive to the rim. Her fluid stroke served her well spotting up and off the pull up when helpside defenders came her way. Higgins got to the rim multiple times and had no reservations about taking on the extraordinary front line size of Eastside. While always impressive in her effort, Higgins provided an example of how to defend at any level. She’s scrappy and assertive on ball while seeing the floor efficiently on the weakside. She also took the wind out of the opposition hitting the floor on multiple occasions to force turnovers or held balls. Higgins and her teammates move on to round two and a date with Centennial Saturday.
Prentice Beverly
It’s always good to watch good young talent and Windward’s Charisma Osborne caught our attention. At 5-7 she’s very athletic and does a great job attacking, rebounding and creating off the bounce. Osborne finishes at the rim and knocked down two clutch three point buckets to help cut her team’s fourth quarter nine point deficient. A 2019 prospect, she responds well to adversity. She did a great job navigating through pressure defense and involves her teammates. Being a scrappy on ball defender makes it all worth watching. If Osborne continues to develop her skill set she has a very bright future.
Good guard play was the theme for the day and 5-8 Kiara Jefferson fit the bill nicely. The 2018 West Campus guard is a long athletic combo with excellent command of her dribble. Jefferson loves to use her elite speed to push the rock and attack the defense. She also showed the ability and toughness to finish with contact in the paint. She has a shooting touch that extends out beyond the three-point arc. Defensively, she used her long arms to create havoc leading to turnovers and conversions out on the break. Jefferson is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Lisa Bodine
Lack of defensive fundamentals seems to be the norm in high school basketball, so when a player puts forth effort and execution on that end they definitely will stand out. Sacramento High freshman guard RyAnne Walters displayed a focused approach to defensive details, like stopping the ball in transition and being in the proper weak side stance. At 5-5 she isn’t afraid to get inside and fight for a rebound or even take a charge. As a young player she is confident handling the ball and communicating with her teammates, fitting perfectly into her team’s up-tempo style of play.
Point guard Kyara Frames is clearly the floor general for the Bishop McNamara. In a 16 point win over Etiwanda(Calif.) in the Desper division, the 5-4 junior did an excellent job of keeping the offense moving for the Mustangs. She rarely turned the ball over even under pressure. Her court vision allowed her to find teammates in the open floor and deliver it to their sweet spot especially during a fast break. Although she is capable at creating her own shot during most possessions, Frames picks her spots to attack the basket or knock down a 3 pointer. McNamara relies heavily on their pressure defense to win games and she made life tough for the Etiwanda backcourt during crucial stretches of the game. Fighting through third quarter fatigue she handled the ball under pressure and split a double team hitting a floater off a crossover move, which not only broke the tie break but gave the Mustangs energy they need to eventually win the game 60-44.
Mark Lewis is a national evaluator and photographer for Blue Star Basketball as well as the lead columnist for Blue Star Media. Twice ranked as one of the top 25 Division I assistant coaches in the game by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), he logged 25 years of college coaching experience at Memphis State, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Western Kentucky and Washington State. Lewis serves as a member of the prestigious McDonald’s All-American selection committee as well as the Naismith College Player and Coach of the Year committees.
