AUGUSTA, Ga.—With the onslaught of tournaments seemingly finding comfort on the coattails of Nike Nationals each July, it’s nice to know that, in its seventh year, Blue Star Nationals easily sets itself apart from the crowd. Utilizing the convenience of the Augusta Convention Center and proximity to the temporary address of hundreds of college coaches, the invitation only event has become a “given” in the homestretch of the July evaluation period for recruiters.
This year 48 teams representing 21 different states filled out the brackets. Looking around the floor you would have seen Nike EYBL teams, club circuit icon coaches like Jerald Davis and James Anderson as well as Hall of Famer Clarissa Davis. Add to that a lineup of other established club rosters featuring prospects representing virtually every level of recruitment and it’s obvious why coaches and teams alike make Blue Star Nationals a priority. Over half of all NCAA Division-I programs had a coach in the gym at some point with in excess of 300 recruiters on the sidelines across the course of the event for the second consecutive year.
The Fairfax Stars claimed top honors among the pool one and two seeds running through four bracket games to take the title. In the final they kept the Colorado Rockies from following up their USJN D.C. success edging them by a narrow 55 – 53 margin. The Stars beat the Georgia Metros, Texas Untied and Cincinnati Angels to set up their win in the championship game. Blue Star Oklahoma and One and the CSS Bison both claimed hardware with their bracket success as well before wrapping up their club circuit summer tour.
For complete results, participating teams, pool All-Stars, college coaches in attendance and more…follow the link below to the post event page.
http://www.usjn.com/xtm_post_event_new.php?which=332
Charlie Collier – 2018 – 6-4 – Post – Texas United – Length that stretches around the world…Nice lean body…Runs like a deer when motivated…Blocks shots. Good hands…Must learn to finish consistently…Already established future is bright. Easily a top tier player and more with adequate motivation
Kathleen Doyle – 2016 – 5-10 – Guard – Chicago Hoops Express– Above average athlete…Versatility to play all three guard positions…Scores off the bounce…Has three point range…Must develop consistency…Rebounds from the perimeter…Finishes her drives. Might develop into a solid big point guard…Committed to Nebraska
Jada Ford – 2016 – 5-9 – Guard – Oklahoma Blue Star And 1– College body right now…Has a street game in her but loves the three…Very athletic…Potential to be a star with added discipline and better decision making…Has the tools to evolve to a higher level with continued work
Jenna Giacone – 2016 – 6-0 – Guard / Forward – Blue Star Upstate New York – Versatile player…Fluid with the ball…Creates off the dribble…Good vision and unselfish…Can score and has solid range…Could play in a lot of different systems…Can be what you need her to be…Injured late in summer but should be good to go this fall
Cassidy Hardin – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – Indiana Flight 15 Thunder– Very intense…Focused on winning…Rare “pure” shooter…Very quick release…May determine her shot a little too soon (Not unlike a guy named Curry in the NBA)…Not a great athlete…Intensity offsets on the defensive side of the ball enough to be adequate at a high level…Has the shot to be a commodity at any level…10-13 from deep in one game this summer
Abbey Hoff – 2016 – 6-0 – Forward / Post – Blue Star St Louis– Nice versatile inside – outside forward…Has three point range (See Mo. State Semi last season)…Straight line drives to basket…Lefty…Unselfish…Must gain strength to defend in post as stretch four….May needs quicks to be small forward…Still has a lot of upside…From well coached program at Incarnate Word….Committed to Miami of Ohio.
Taylor Kissinger – 2016 – 6-2 – Forward / Post – Nebraska CSS Bison– One of the better forwards in the upper Midwest…Plenty of Big 12 and Big 10’s courtside…Three point range and solid athleticism suggests the three or four and maybe even be a bigger shooting guard…High Basketball IQ…Needs some strength but high motor suggests willingness is there…On the edge of the top tier of her class
Braxtin Miller – 2018 – 5-10 – Guard – Cincinnati Angels– Solid college physique…Good athlete…Solid three point shooter…Compliments her ability to drive it…Could play the two or three but could also develop as a big point guard…Solid Basketball IQ suggest a big time player with continued work.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa – 2018 – 6-4 – Post – Georgia Metros – Could be a rising star…Lean athletic shot blocker…Soft touch suggests a high level with more work…Needs more strength but runs like a deer…Moved up from Metro15 team late in the summer due to another’s injury…More than held her own…Keep an eye on her
Kayana Traylor – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – Indiana Flight Strike – Solid and versatile guard…Good body…Lefty…Strong…Demonstrated some three point range…Nice athlete as well…Might project as 1/2/3 depending on the program…Top 100 type
Prentice Beverly
Kendall Fisher – 2018 – 4-8 – Point Guard – The Family – Fearless guard with handles…Low to the ground and uses that to her advantage to squeeze inside and get her shot off…Pretty good floater that she gets over taller defenders…Deep range…Fun to watch
Evangeline Hodgson – 2018 – 5-9 – New England Crusaders 15’s – Excellent at working the baselines and getting into the painted area…Creates for herself and her teammates…Works the high pick and roll to create easy buckets…Plays at a great pace…Always appears to be in control
Shania Meertens – 2017 – 5-8 – Guard – Blue Star Florida Elite – Strong pull up jump shooter…Dribbles hard at defenders who are not sure if she is going to try and drive or pull up and shoot…Elevation and quick release make her even more dangerous…Off the drive she explodes up through defenders
Tyrah Mcclendon – 2018 – 5-9 – Guard – Kentucky Legacy Elite – Strong and athletic – Contact has no impact on her ability to finish – Seems to enjoys it – Uses her strength to body up and pester her match up defensively – Impacts the game in several different ways…Will need to extend her shooting range and add to her offensive skill set
Mckenna Montgomery – 2016 – 5-11 – Guard – Blue Star St. Louis – Lefty with really sweet stroke from deep…Uses her shooting to set up dribble drives…Knowledge of the game helps her make good decisions…Good in pick and rolls and because she can put the ball on the floor…Effective from the triple threat position
Angelique Ngalakulondi – 2019 – 6-3 – Forward – New England Crusaders – High energy player…Effective in pick and roll situations…Gets into the open spots…Good hands… Makes tough catches in traffic….Seals well and keeps defenders on her back…Attacks the glass well…Believes that every rebound is hers…Continued work on offensive skills will make her tough to guard
Madisen Smith – 2018 – 5-5 – Guard – Georgia Metros 15’s – Blur with the ball in her hands…Ggets up the floor in a heartbeat and doesn’t give the defenders time to get established…Effective in the paint and at the free throw line
Alexis Tucker – 2019 – 6-0 – Cal Sparks 15 – Tuckers has a huge upside…Strong on the glass from the small forward spot…Difficult matchup…Can get around bigger players and overpower smaller guards…Dribbles and pivots well with her back to the basket and in traffic
Rouna Uklusiaba – 2017 – 6-3 – Post – Georgia Metros 15’s – Built to protect the paint…Has a solid body and is long and agile…Directs traffic on back end of the defense…Gets her guards in the right spots…Goes up with both hands to secure rebounds…Protects the ball from smaller guards…Does a lot of her damage on offense…Strong finisher on the offensive glass…Evolved back to the basket game will advance her game
Naomi Yim – 2018 – 5-7 – Guard – Cal Sparks 15 – Great guard play…Court vision is second to none…Distributes the ball well in open and half court situations…Gets in there with the trees and passes and finishes in tight space…Can knock down jumpers mid and long range
Tom Collen spent 32 years as a coach on the Division I level, most recently serving as the Head Coach at the University of Arkansas. He began his career as an assistant at Miami of Ohio, Utah, Purdue and Arkansas before accepting his first head coaching position at Colorado State University. Collen led the Rams to a 129 – 33 record and post season appearances in all five of his seasons in Ft. Collins. His next stop was the University of Louisville, a 42 and 19 slate and two more post season bids. Fayetteville, Arkansas and the Razorbacks were next and with Collen going 132 and 90 across seven campaigns including four more post season appearances. He, his wife Nikki and three children reside in south Florida.
