Odyssey Sims
Odyssey Sims of DFW Elite.
HAMPTON, Va. - There were a lot of teams, and a lot of great players, at Boo Williams'’ Battle of the Best, and this is by no means an exhaustive accounting of the standouts -- but of the players we saw, the following stood out from the other competitors.
Katie Rutan of the Philly Belles.
Elan Brown, Georgia Metros Nike Travel (Woodward Academy, Ga.), a lean 6-0 guard, is stronger than she looks and quicker than she has any right to be. She also can shoot it, and makes shots when they matter the most. And she'’s one of the few guards, who will gladly give the ball up if nothing'’s developing.
Bianca Lutley, Team Breakdown (Pensacola HS, Fla.), showed she can do just about everything Saturday, making threes, finishing with her off hand, blocking shots and handling the ball. And at a very athletic 5-10, she can defend as well.
Katie Rutan, Philadelphia Belles (Springside School, Pa.), isn'’t the most impressive looking player on the team, but she’'s a deadly 3-point shooter and has a great grasp of the game. When the Belles were making a comeback (that fell just short) against the Michigan Crossover, after a late timeout after a Rutan three, the 5-8 sharpshooter was motioning the defensive subs to the scorer’'s table before the coach had a chance to.
Chelsea Gray, California Storm (St. Mary’'s (Stockton) HS, Calif.) -- At 5-10, Gray is tremendous wing player, who can not only shoot threes, but go inside and bang with the big girls. She showed great defensive chops as well, and showed why she’s' one of NorCal'’s top 2010s.
Unlike Homer'’s hero, it doesn'’t take Odyssey Sims, DFW TJack Elite (MacArthur HS, Irving, Texas), 20 years to go coast to coast -- she'’s there in a blink. Though everyone knows she wants to go left, it’'s hard to stop her, and her 25 in the championship game was proof that even the top players in the country can'’t keep her from going off.
Deanna Calhoun, U14 Cal Ballaz (Albany HS, Calif.), might be closer to 6-1 than the listed 6-3, but she's strong, agile and motivated in the paint. She also has tremendous hands, and helped the Ballaz dominate inside.
Kaleena Lewis, West Coast Premier (Mater Dei HS, Calif.), has to be an early favorite for one of the top spots in the Class of 2011. Playing up with West Coast Premier Black, against the top U16 teams in the country, Lewis not only held her own, she was one of the best players on the court. She shot threes, rebounded, scored inside and helped WCP into the final four.
Zora Stephenson, U14 Fairfax Stars Gold (Oakton HS, Va.), a 5-9 guard, is long and plays hard. She has quick hands but, as John Wooden advised, she’'s never in a hurry. She’'s an outstanding defender, solid close to the hoop and even banked in a three to show her versatility.
Chelsea Jennings, U13 DFW Elite (Keller Central HS, Texas), showed athleticism and the ability to score inside. Her length made her a force on the boards, and she also displayed a knack for the defensive side of the ball.
