CHANDLER, Ariz.—With two days of competition in the books, the 2013 Nike Tournament of Champions has championship pairings set in all 11 divisions. Beginning Saturday morning a final day of games will culminate after 125 contests with the seven pm premier Joe Smith Division final between Mater Dei and Long Beach Poly. Below are the match ups for each division’s championship game.
John Anderson Division
Chaminade College Prep vs Rock Canyon
Black
Chandler vs South Mountain
Blue
Windward vs Nazareth
Mike Desper
Grandview vs Miramonte
Gray
Archbishop Wood vs Highlands Ranch
Green
Horizon Christian Academy vs Cherry Creek
Purple
Bradshaw Christian vs Marlborough
Red
Castle View vs Marcos de Niza
Silver
Indio vs Pueblo County
Joe Smith
Mater Dei vs Long Beach Poly
White
Desert Vista vs Dobson
For complete brackets, schedules and results please follow the link below to the official Nike Tournament of Champions web site
http://www.niketournamentofchampions.com/events/pdfs/TOCbb13_results700fri.pdf
When you consider the 84 teams participating in this year’s TOC, it easy to imagine the vast amount of talent and number of college prospects competing in Chandler. While it’s a given that those teams above who have earned their way into the title games of their respective divisions have plenty of firepower in uniform, plenty of other teams take the floor with their share of go to players as well. After day two we take a quick look at four teams who have plenty of options to call upon when the game is on the line.
Etiwanda – Etiwanda, California
Competing in the blue division, the Eagles feature five Division I signees on a roster of 10 seniors and three freshmen. Leading the way is power guard Amy Okonkwo. Bound for USC and the Pac-12, the 6-0 Okonkwo is a challenging match up for any defense with size, explosiveness and a solid perimeter skill set. She can score around the rim and isn’t hesitant to capitalize her options from the perimeter. Two others are headed to the Pac-12 as well. The Arizona Wildcats will enjoy the services of speedy point guard Cherice Harris while athletic Kynzie Fort will be suiting up for the Ducks up in Eugene, Oregon. Daeja Smith will take her 6-3 frame and interior game to Cal State Fullerton next season and the folks at UNLV will be welcoming Alyssa Anderson and her versatile skills on the wing. Etiwanda won their first game Thursday but were knocked off Friday by Nazareth by a score of 58 – 50.
Regis Jesuit – Aurora, Colorado
Head Coach Carl Mattei has had his share of talent and success over the years and this year’s squad has more than its share of future collegians as well. Diani Akigbogun, a 6-0 wing/forward, is explosive, strong and attacking. Heading for Texas next year, she’s got a power game that should translate well to the next level. Out on the wing long, lean Justine Hall can slash to the rim and create but is at her best out in the lanes on the break. She’ll be taking her fullcourt attack to Purdue University and the Big 10 after graduation. Interior presence Jordan Molyneaux continues to evolve and could see her best basketball come to fruition a few years from now suiting up for Seton Hall. Another senior, 5-9 Kelsi Lidge is set to take her game to Drexel. Regis dropped a two point opening game to finalist Long Beach Poly but recovered on day two with a 59 – 53 win over Riverdale Baptist.
Southwest Dekalb – Decatur, Georgia
With a 15 player roster that features just four seniors, Coach Kathy Richey-Walton leads one of the youngest teams on hand this year. Fortunately for Richey-Walton the promising young Panther squad has a bright future and plenty of depth. Eye catching junior Tynice Martin leads the way on the perimeter. At 5-11 she’s strong, explosive and plays and active and attacking game. The jumper is evolving but some sharp passing is already in place. Sophomore Daisa Alexander has a beautiful stroke to call on and at just 5-7 has the speed to force bigger defenders to chase her down. Freshman Jada Walton appears to have good size when you look at her long, lean build next to her teammates. However, she’s actually just 5-9 but there’s plenty of agility and a willingness to get out and run the floor with the best of them. A catalyst for the folks from Georgia is 2015 grad and 5-5 point guard, Davion Wingate. Quick and dynamic, Wingate makes plays using impressive speed with the ball in her hands both in the halfcourt or transition. SW Dekalb got by Sacramento High in round one but came up short against Jordin Canada and Windward Friday afternoon.
St. Mary’s – Stockton, California
Another promising young squad in the uniform of a traditional power would be the roster of ultra-successful coach Tom Gonsalves. Senior power guard Charise Holloway is bound for the University of Arizona next season but the Rams have plenty of underclassmen to maintain the competitive standard. Junior Brijanee Moore is impressive both physically and with the ball in her hands. Strong, quick and attacking, the 5-6 guard will challenge even the best on ball defenders. Junior 5-11 Sydney Fadal has a physical presence and elevates to take her game up to rim level. Two freshmen are opening eyes already. At 5-6, Naje’ Murray has strong individual skills and can create both passes and shots. Another diminutive point guard, 5-4 Sierra Smith, utilizes sharp ball skills to make plays. Add a team wide focus on aggressive and physical defense and you’ll see the college folks continue to make Stockton a regular stop on their recruiting trail. St. Mary’s was impressive in their first round win over Riverdale Baptist and battled Long Beach Poly to the wire in a 72 – 64 loss Friday night.
A Pair of Prospects From Prentice Beverly
Tynice Martin, a 5-11 wing, plays for Southwest Dekalb High School in Georgia. She’s a very athletic wing with explosive leaping ability and plays with a ton of energy plus has a high motor at both ends of the floor. Martin attacks the paint with her dribble drive and a reckless abandon. She is a tenacious defender and crashes the defensive boards with the same vigor that you see on the offensive end. Martin’s outside shot is still a work in progress but already demonstrates the ability to knock down long range opportunities. Her skill set is beginning to match her athleticism, which explains all of the attention Martin is garnering from college coaches around the nation.
Versatile players are always a good get and San Diego State Coach Stacie Terry got just that when she signed 6-0 Rock Canyon guard / forward Lexy Thorderson. Thorderson played extremely well Friday showing herself to be a low post presence at both ends of the floor. There is a nice interior game and she also showed a nice face up attack with an effective midrange jumper that extends out to the three point line. She has the ability to put the ball on the floor and does a great job initiating the fast break. Thorderson hit the go ahead three pointer giving her team the lead for good late and also contributed game sealing free throws. She should fit in quite nicely with Coach Terry’s Lady Aztecs.
