ATLANTA -- The 2009 Southern Premier Hoops Summer Classic tipped off at Georgia State University's Sports Arena by hosting 35 travel teams and several college coaches and recruiters. The tournament showcased the old and the new in grassroots girls' basketball. Here's a look at what players caught our attention during our stay at the event.
In the feature game on Day 1 the SC Lady 76ers took on the juggernaut known as Exodus NYC. The 76ers got a great shooting performance from Hephzibah (GA) 5-foot-7 guard Aarika Judge. She connected on three first half 3-pointers and did a great job of finding open teammates throughout. The slender Judge wore down late, but was by all accounts the only perimeter player up for the challenge that the Exodus group presented. She'll need to continue her physical development, but she was certainly one of the top shooters at the tournament.
Alicia Cropper is always a threat to drop 30.While her club teammates from Exodus NYC get more headlines and currently have loftier rankings, Exodus Elite guard Alicia Cropper is proving that she is a budding star in her own right. Cropper has a variety of offensive weapons and unlike most guards with her creativity, she takes and makes a large number of her shots. This can probably be credited to her ability to use the backboard on a large number of her shots. The bank shot has lost some of its luster, but Cropper uses it to elevate her team to great heights.
If physical players are what your looking for, we offer you Baton Rouge-native Ronneka Robertson. At 5-11, she has enough height to compete on the interior, both offensively and defensively. She often received passes at the high post from her Baton Rouge Amazon teammates and was able to drive past bigger, slower interior defenders. Once inside the paint, she uses her strength to power up high-percentage shots. Although she had trouble finishes at times, she still was active and aggressive in her approach.
Irmo (SC) forward Sarah Green stands at 6-2 and plays with a lot of energy throughout the game. She can often be seen battling for offensive and defensive position in the low block or providing the inside scoring for her SC 76ers team. Green is a versatile athlete who can also play in transition and defend multiple positions. A sleeper of sorts, Green is a very high quality prospect.
Point guards possessing good vision with solid passing and decision-making skills are usually coveted by coaches at all levels. Ashley Watts is that type of player. Watts was at her best making passes to cutting teammates throughout the GA 76ers early tournament matchups. When she was not hitting cutting teammates, she was nailing 3-pointers from all angles on the floor. She did have the tendency -- like most young point guards -- to over penetrate and turn the ball over. Hopefully this will not become a habit and allow Watts to become a more effective point guard.
Hayden Latham is a forward who won't keep your attention during the pre-game warm ups, but she will require it during the game. At 5-10, Hayden plays the forward position and can play it well. A very good decision maker, she can step away from the basket and hit the open jump shot if you back off of her. She can also dribble and pass, making her a triple threat on the basketball court. Hayden appears to be the type of player who will make the gym her home as she prepares for her latter years of high school play, before moving on to the collegiate ranks.
Exodus NYC has added an additional piece to the puzzle in 5-11 wing Brianna Butler. She is the perfect complement to the high-energy play of standouts Bria Hartley and Jennifer O'Neill. A big wing with a great shooting stroke from inside and outside the 3-point line. She moves well without the ball, making her an easy find for the exceptional back court mates. Defenders who view Butler as just a shooter were able to get a taste of her New York flavor as she left defenders at a stand still with a great in-and-out dribble move. Butler will surely be one of the top wings in the 2012 class.
We'll start it now -- the X-Woman. That is what you will hear a lot over the next decade as former NBA star Xavier McDaniel's daughter, Xylina McDaniel, stakes her claim as one of the games next game-changers. At 6-2 and powerfully built, McDaniel is already a defensive nightmare for opponents trying to score on the interior. McDaniel is a very quick leaper with great timing and she's only headed into the 10th grade. A truly special specimen now, we can hardly wait for the finished product.
The Southern Premier Hoops Summer Showcase was a coming out party for several players entering their first year of high school. One such player is Ivey Slaughter, a 6-0 wing player that single-handedly kept her Big South Dream Team from feeling the wrath of defeat. A very high-energy player, Slaughter was aggressive through the tournament and should be one of those players that gives maximum effort all the time. Her energy could be what keeps her on the playing court.
To say that a player who has not reached the 9th grade has the potential to be the best player to come out of a state maybe a bit pre-mature, but South Carolina's Tonisha Brown may be that player. Brown has the size and the skills that go a long ways in the game of basketball. She has a solid build with good mobility and she was involved in a high percentage of her team's offensive activity. She finished her shots often by initiating contact from the defense. Brown projects at the next level as a physical perimeter player, which is a scary thought indeed.
Team Unique's Jatarie White is as promising of a prospect as you will find in the 8th grade. At 6-3, she has of the most physically mature bodies for such a young player. She can face up now to 15 feet and hit the elbow jump shot with regularity. She seals the defenders with her strong frame and scores with a nice soft shooting touch. She needs to improve her free-throw shooting and passing, but time is on her side.
