Blue Star Basketball

Hello All,

I know I have been missed greatly from the world of blogging. The past two months have been spent traveling to watch some of the country’s top underclass players. Lots of college coaching changes. Coaches scrambling for the remaining top prospects in the class of 2010. A college junior skipping her senior year and turning pro. So much has transpired, important, future changing decisions. Nike dropping its men’s and more important to us, women’s grassroots directors. What does this mean, I’m not sure, but in these globally unstable economic times, most sports and ALL women’s sports are struggling. The WNBA and many of the top European women’s leagues are finding it difficult to meet payroll and deal with dipping corporate sponsorships. I am certainly not an economist, but I do know a little about women’s club basketball. So that is what I will talk about.

My perspective is one of a parent, coach and talent evaluator. I have been blessed with being around some of the top players, coaches and administrators in amateur women’s basketball. I hope I have learned well from them all. What I would like to bring up in this segment is the job of the summer club coach in the recruitment process. Most club coaches are volunteers who love the game. To many of us it has been a rewarding way of giving back. Yes there are some bad ones out there, but also some truly giving, caring people who want to make a difference in a child’s life.

One of the first things I try to make clear to the parents in the beginning is to offer any help I can give them. It is up to the PARENT to decide the level of involvement. Some may feel very comfortable with their knowledge of the process. Others may feel the high school coach is to be the point person, or what I think is the best solution, a combo of all three.

Reaching Out

It is important to have a working relationship with your player’s high school coach. Invite them to your practices; insist the college coaches include them in the recruiting process. Talk to them about the player’s weaknesses and how you can help improve them. Do not badmouth them, and then expect them not to do the same to you. Never undermine their authority during the high school season. SHARE SUCCESS WITH THEM!
Try to establish ground rules about when your season starts/ends. What are your rules about playing outside the club system during the summer. If your team practices 2-3 times a week, plays most weekends and incorporate skills training into practices, is playing 2 games per week for her high school team too much? Each team and coach may have different thoughts on this, but I can say through my experiences the better club and high school coaches have the same thing in mind. I have found that the most successful high school coaches and programs,(Germantown Academy’s Sherri Reteif + Tom Nerney, Peddie School’s Sean Casey, Cardinal O’Hara’s Linus McGinty + Chris Genther, just to name a few.) value the time, energy and exposure you can provide for their players and programs. I have had numerous conversations with all of them about how to work together to make the girls more complete players. You cannot pretend there is a perfect way of doing things. I have not always succeeded.

Preparation…

When meeting with players and parents I have a set of questions to ask them, about what is important. The level in which they play will be determined obviously by the colleges that are showing interest.
Most often players will know when they make an un-official visit to a campus if it’s a place they feel comfortable. The size of the school? Do you want rural or urban? Distance from home? Academic strength of school, and/or program you want to major in. Do you want to play for a male or female coach? Established powerhouse or up and coming program? Is the reputation of the coaching staff’s player and life skill development strong? These are all questions that players should be asked, they won’t have all the answers for you, but it will make them think. Finding the right fit for your player is not easy; it’s a huge investment for the schools and a major factor in your player’s happiness for the next four years. As the parent of 3 beautiful daughters, and the coach of over 50 d-1 player, believe me young ladies succeed when they are happy. What is the common factor in EVERY player that makes them more likely to find that happiness–playing time. It is of critical importance when picking a school to be realistic about future playing time. I have made mistakes; schools have made mistakes about predicting the future. Intangibles that have to be considered include, will a player commit to get better, will they hit the weight room, will they eat right, are they ultra competitive? Or are they talented girls who just want to enjoy the college experience to the fullest extent(party girls).I have never received a phone call from a player who was starting on her college team about transferring. Girls want their efforts rewarded; playing significant minutes is the reward.

Where do they Fit in?
Although a rarity, some players are good enough and academically strong enough to go wherever they want. Some have 5-6 choices and others have no choice, that’s where the hard work and salesmanship come in. I have had many players who only received one scholarship offer, and most turned out to be great fits. Why? Because they know they have no other choices, they have to make it work.

Remember you do have an important and often CRITICAL part of your player’s future. Playing time, knowing their limitations, putting them in position to be successful. They are all equally important. You have to make those decisions, and believe me; most parents will not understand that part of the puzzle. I have seen it work many times, when parents, coaches and players are all on the same page, success, happiness and a chance for a free degree work best. My favorite moment in coaching was not winning championships, but when a player with no scholarship receives an offer. That makes me happy!! THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!

This morning the USA Basketball 16u group came together for their last session of competition. I had nine player on my list already, I was still looking for three more. I noted to some staff members that at the end of the evening session last night I had 18 names on my possible list and only seven names that were not going to make it.  It would be easier to pick a team that had a smaller final list to select from but that’s how level or equal the talent was or, you coudd say that no one was able to outplay the other one to make the team.

Kevin Lynch emailed me before the start of the event with the names that he had from the 27 listed. His team looked like:

GUARDS: #22 Carter, #26 Massengale, #27 Standish, #55 Lewis WINGS: #54 McDonald, #73 Laney, #37 Burdick POST: #10 Stewart, #75 Tuck CENTERS: #77 Hollivay, #76 Williams

My final listing would include the following names:

GUARD: #23 Jefferson, #25 Loyd, #26 Massengale WINGS: #55 Loyd, #37 Burdick, #34 Adams FORWARDS: #75 Tuck, #38 Graves, #59 Hartman POSTS: #10 Stewart, #74 Stokes, #76 Williams.

The players started the morning session with outside shooting which has been the major issue during the entire event. Within five minute the players broke down into teams and started playing again. This time the committee had the players going on two courts and only an hour of playing time to make the team. I stood with Bob Corwin of Full Court (most of the other evaluators left) and we started to count the number of made shots on both courts. We tried to track as many as possible. I know the USA Committee and the USA Team Coaches had stats available for their use to determine who should stay (after the team is announced to practice). We counted a number of players who did make shots and a few who came up big on the last day.  The standouts were #57 Bria Smith NY, #37 Cierra Burdick NC, #10 Breanna Stewart NY and #55 Kaleena Lewis CA.  Smith had her best session of the trials and hit a running three point jumper at the end of one game just before the end of the scrimmages. #27 Alexia Standish TX, #28 Alexyz Vaioletama CA both very quiet during the middle sessions (Friday, Saturday) hit shots during this session.

The team was collected and brought together to meet with final directions given by Carol Callan, USA Basketball Women’s Director. The team was to be selected immediately and those picked would meet at 11am for paper work and come back at 3pm for team practice. It was noted that an additional player would be selected for the team because of the injury to #75 Morgan Tuck who was probably going to make the team.

Players statred to filter back to the gym to meet parents and coaches as the selection was made. Most of the people in the gym moved outside as the announcemts were being made in a building down the walkway from the gym. Those who were not selected were given a packet with their travel arrangements to leave today for home while those who made the team were talking to their parents and friends outside the gym.

The USA Basketball 16u National Team is:

GUARDS: #27 Alexia Standish, TX; #26 Ariel Massengale, IL; #34 Jordan Adams, CA

WINGS: #37 Cierra Burdick, NC;  #55 Kaleena Lewis, CA; #73 Betnijah Laney, DE

FORWARDS: # 28 Alexya Viaoletama, CA; #38 Bashaara Graves, TN (alt); #59 Justine Hartman, CA; #75 Morgan Tuck, IL

POST: #10 Breanna Stewart, NY; #76 Elizabeth Williams, VA; #74 Kiah Stokes, IA

Commentary and evaluations on the selection process and players will be covered in a later blog later tonight after I drive back to Devner tonight.

The usual suspects showed up for the last big day of play. Tomorrow the team would be named. The numbers were not good. I had at least eight spots selected but it was beyond hard to figure out the next four. After watching a small group for two days non-stop its easy to know and notice the players of impact. I decided to again film the morning session and just watch instead of keeping stats or constant game notes. I took out my blue Sony video camera and proceeded to film the entire session just stopping to note a great play or even more important a made shot. At this point it would not be off to say this group can not shoot the ball against hard comp without a struggle. Some of these players are well known scorers on their high school teams or even their travel programs, but not here.

I took notes on the morning session and noted #34 Adams, #23 Jefferson, #60 Hartman, #8 Taylor Greenfield IA, #22 Andraya Carter GA, #57 Smith, #61 Swain and #56 Alexis Prince GA making shots.  #26 Massengale made a shot and then followed with a layup to create some separation from the guard line and move onto my make list - that now makes nine slots covered. The tough part of the session was when #75 Morgan Tuck went down with a twisted knee and did not play the evening session. She was almost a lock to make the team as her play pushed her onto my probable make list before the injury. Graves and Tuck gave the USA a tough twosome who could move in or out. This could allow Hartman to slip onto the team despite the feeling by some that she’s a great high school player but not an international one. Regardless, she’s a scorer in this environment and besides Lewis, there was no other consistent outside scorer and a probable.

Tomorrow will be the last session. The play starts at 8: 30am and goes to 10am when the team will go back to the dorms, eat and come back for the team announcement at 11:30am. The official team release will come to the media by email. The players selected to the team will come back to the USOC gym at 3:00pm for their first practice. This group was suspposed to go to Mexico City on Thursday after practicing the next four days. Now that the event is moved to August the staff will still practice with the team until Thursday. I will post after the morning session with the final three names for my team list and also post Kevin Lynch’s names.

The day would be divided into two sessions - morning and evening to allow proper recovery for athletes competing against each other and also agaisnt the elevation which is a subtle factor in play here. After each session members of the media are allowed to speak to the players and ask them questions. In speaking with 6-4 sophomore Malina Howard (OH) it was obvious that for her the altitude of the USOC site and the competition were impactful in the beginning but something that she got used to. “It’s a lot better than the competition I see in high school,” said the Twinsburg high sophmore. “It’s just not an individual here or there but everyone.” 

The morning session stated out with a lot of drills and some sets of drills that were geared to give the player more offiensive structure. This was the most boring part of the entire event as people who were there to evaluate talked about the merits of each drills and each player. Mark Lewis from HG, Bob Corwin from FullCourt and Brandon Clay from Peach State spoke to me about who shined in their eyes during the session. We were all mostly in concensus about the top players and those who showed they belonged to be considered on the final day. I noted a number of players during the six games in the morning session as #37 Cierra Burdick NC, #27 Standish TX, #38 Graves, #58 Courtney Williams TX, and #75 MorganTuck played well. Great matchups were #24 Alexis Jones TX vs. #25 Jewell Loyd IL at the guard line, #38 Graves playing against #75 Tuck inside and out, #76 Williams going against #74 Stokes in the post and later Stokes again versus #10 Stewart NY.  This was also the session where #34 5-11 frosh Jordan Adams CA also came to life and #59 Justine Hartman CA continued her scoring inside and out. The two outstanding players in this session were Lewis and Stewart.  

After this session I was able to add three more names to my list: #34 Jordan Adams CA (which replaced #27 Standish on my make it list), #37 Cierra Burdick NC as she was the only big wing, small forward to do enough to separate herself from the pack despite inconsistent scoring. The last addition was #76 Elizabeth Williams who struggled in the first session, came to life in the Day Two morning session with better defense but still not enough scoring to be impactful. Regardless, she’s too big not to make this team.

After this session I spoke to #37 Cierra Burdick about the event along with #74 Kiah Stokes. I asked Burdick about the competition and her position on the floor at this event. ”It’s not easy moving from inside to outside but I’ve been doing it all my life.” said the Mathews, NC native. “I’ll be a 3 here but during the high school season I’ll move from the 2 or even the post position. If I am not a four, I can step outside to the 3.”  For Kiah Stokes who is probably the biggest impact player from Iowa since 6-4 Nina Smith from Waterloo West HS (1999 POY) this was the first time I was able to actually see her in action. Later in the evening I talked to Waterloo West coach Tony Pappas to ask about Stokes. He said she lit his team up during the season. In watching Stokes, I see a player of great athletic ability and upside but still not the skills of a Nina Smith (the closest to that is Breanna Stewart without the strength of Smith). “It’s a lot different,” said Stokes from famed powerhouse Linn Mar high school. “I am usually the tallest player on the floor. It’s really different here and more difficult to be noticed with so many other tall players and all this top players.”

I came back for the second session and decided to tape the night session as it would be easier to remember each player again on digital stick (not on tape anymore). I took some notes and noticed that this evening the players were looking at zone defenses and forced to make shot. If there was any issue with the team and their play so far it was the inability of players to string together two or three shots in a row, especially threes instead of layups, to separate themselves from the pack of talented players. In this evening session the players of note were #37 Burdick, #25 Loyd, #38 Graves, #59 Hartman, #24 Jones, #10 Stewart, #23 5-7 frosh Moriah Jefferson TX, #26 Massengale, #55 Lewis and #57 Bria Smith NY. There were a few great matchps during competition as each team played each other at least three times.

At the end of the day #34 Adams, #37 Burdick and #76 Williams were able to make my list was #27 Standish fell off. I would spend the thrid day looking at people to fill  in final spots such as #60 Hartman, #75 Tuck, #23 Jefferson, #57 Smith, #61 Kacy Swain CA, stepped up their games.  No matter what, the selection committee, the media and this team was still looking for a consistent shooter besides Lewis to provide firepower. The inside was finished, rounding out the team at guard and wing was still up for grabs.

A small group of 34 high school freshman (13) and sophomores (21) arrived Thursday evening to collect at the US Olympic Training Center for the first 16U USA Basketball trials in Colorado Springs.  This is the first venture of USA Basketball into the world of junior basketball with all high school students. In the past there have been many USAB trials with high school students but they were mixed with rising college freshman and sophomore. This was to be the first totally high school event.  The staff was comprised of a former high school coach now at Wingate College in Barbara Nelson who coached high school star Koneka Drakeford (Virginia, J.C. Smith College). The assistants are Mike Armstrong, long time Blue Star staffer and high school coach out of Perry Meridian IN and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska fame.  The initial invitations noted on the USAB site listed 27 players, just prior to the event seven more names were added. 

I’ve been here quite a few times to view various USAB events, the last being the 18U women’s trials last year.  Four high school seniors made the team. This time it would be all underclasswomen from 2011 and 2012. The shame of this event was that the class of 2010 which wasn’t old enough to make an impact on the 18U trials last year just got skipped over for this new 16U event cycle. I’ve had to tell many a rising senior (rising junior, class of 2010) that they are sheer out of luck. No USAB trials for them, not even Regional Nike Skills Academys as they too moved to the  younger players of 2011, 2012 and even 2013 for talent ID for the USAB process. There were plenty of names that were passed around from the NRSA’s to the USAB staff. The best the class of 2010 can count on is the Nike National Skills Academy being held in Beaverton, OR at the end of June.  A few sophomores and maybe a frosh will make the cut for this event.

The task ahead of the selection committee was to pick 12 players to represent the USA in the FIBA Americas qualifying event that was scheduled to be held about a week after this event in Mexico City. The flu of many names from the host country of Mexico made the event unholdable until the dust settled on this sickness and an acceptable date could be found in August for it.  This is really a stop over for this group as the main focus is the World 17s next year (this year’s 16s) to be held in France. This age group is a new focus for FIBA to market the game to a younger group. There will also be a special Youth Olympics for 2010 to be held in Singapore next summer with the focus of basketballl being three-on-three because of the lack of facilites, coaching, equipment, staffing and especially money, to bring 10-12 member teams and staff for a Youth event. Look for that process, selection and players to be even more interesting as that game (3-on-3) requires a different player and strategy.

The players for this event were divided into 21 sophomres and 13 freshman. My first job was to divide up the list quickly from the provided roster into four groups, Guard, Wing, Forward and Post. This breakdown enabled me to key on players as they work though the drills in the opening session. It didn’t take long for a few players to stand out immediately. The big names in this group were 5-10 Kaleena Lewis and 6-3 Elizabeth Williams being the number 1 and 2 in the class of 2011. There were some other notable names including high school duo 5-6 soph Ariel Massenglae and 6-1 frosh Morgan Tuck of Bolingbrook HS (IL).  I asked Kevin Lynch who’s been doing the Regional Nike Skills Academy circuit (this weekend he’s at the Dallas event) across the US for Blue Star evaluation to look over the list and give me who he thinks would be making this team and who was missing. When I get to the last day of the event I’ll post his choices and along with my own before the committee selects their choices on Sunday at 11:30am.

Kevin noted that some of the missing names (after looking over who was missing from the original 27 names) 6-4 Krystal Forthan OR, 6-4 Amber Henson FL, 6-5 Alex Cohen WI and 5-5 Whitney Holloway IL who could have been in the mix to make the team along with 6-3 Kayla Hirt MN, 6-2 Kalpana Beach OH, 6-1 Mariah Smith IL and 6-2 Morgan Jones FL.  Bonnie Samuelson (6-1, CA) was one of the seven last minute addition with 6-4 frosh Breanna Stewart (NY).

It didn’t take long to pick out those who would make my first list. Even though #55 Lewis did not play well in the first session you knew she is the big gun in this group and was my first selection. The second was just as simple as #10 6-4 frosh Breanna Stewart, who was almost an unknown super talent before Boo Williams, made a big impression challenging all shooters and grabbed a slot. Next was the two surprises for me in this entire group, #74 6-4 soph center Kiah Stokes (IA) and #25 5-8 frosh Jewell Loyd (IL).  #38 6-1 frosh Bashaara Graves was my next choice as she was able to move from her typical inside spot to be effective as a small forward and in the future even as a three player. My last choice was a carryover from seeing her at the East Nike Skills in Philly where #27 5-6 soph point guard Alexis Standish (TX) made a splash with her shooting and quickness. She was able to hit a shot and move the ball up and down the floor against tough defense.  This made six players after the first session on my list to make the team. Some big names didn’t do enough in this first session to get on my list but it was just the first day.

Since coming back from the Final Four in St. Louis, I’ve been thinking about how readily some people regarded the whole event – and the college season as well – as an anticlimactic bummer.

The utter lack of suspense associated with Connecticut’s dominance has been quite obvious, and it’s the topic that frankly bored media types, even me, to a degree. It’s nothing against Geno and his fantastic players and their unbeaten season. We all offered this as a disclaimer.

A month later, I’ll go further and suggest this: It’s really about everybody else. And why none of the teams that could have given the Huskies something of a run in March (and April) even got to take the court against them.

This has less to do with the continued dominance of UConn (and Tennessee) than it does with the stunting of some elite programs that seemingly have everything they need to join the top of the heap. Either they haven’t managed to do it, or they have not demonstrated true staying power.

If you look at the recruiting landscape over the last decade, you honestly can’t say that the wealth isn’t being spread around rather generously. There’s no recruiting stimulus needed in this sport, despite the riches that keep rolling into Storrs and Knoxville. Kids are going to play at places where they can get playing time, develop their game with the pros in mind and maybe even start a new tradition.

More resources, better facilities and higher expectations are being handed to BCS-level women’s programs than ever before. Yet in that same decade, UConn and Tennessee have won seven national championships.

Even as powerhouse programs have been built, maintained or revived at places like Maryland, Baylor, North Carolina, Duke, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, LSU and Ohio State, they all remain firmly in a tier below The Big Two.

Instead of complaining only about how the sport is the domain of two programs, wouldn’t it be better to ask this: Why are they still in a league of their own?

This isn’t the same scenario as the early 1990s, when very few women’s programs had the institutional backing that exists now. There’s also an incredible amount of media and TV coverage and a professional league that didn’t exist then. As well as a grassroots game that is developing superbly athletic, talented and polished players for the college game in greater quantities than before.

And yet as this season rolled along and UConn’s inevitability became apparent, TV analysts and writers tried to explain that this was a “down” year in the women’s game. But aside from Tennessee’s struggles, should this have been the case?

Not many people expected the Lady Vols to be Final Four-worthy this season. That there’s a crisis of confidence now, and that Pat Summitt called a “Come to Jesus” meeting after their first-round NCAA loss, was a real shocker.

But is it any more surprising than what has transpired at Maryland since the Terrapins won the NCAA title in 2006? That group, which is now gone following the departures of Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman, never got back to the Final Four. Never.

How does a team with those players, plus Shay Doron, Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper, not get back to the Final Four? And please don’t throw the “parity” word at me. That concept is still a mirage.

After Toliver’s colossal three-pointer in overtime against Duke in Boston, I was sold on the idea that Maryland had all the essentials to crack The Big Two. Brenda Frese demonstrated she was as good a recruiter and program-builder as anyone in the country.

So is Sherri Coale, and when she reeled in Courtney Paris and then a terrific supporting cast to go with her, I was convinced Oklahoma could get to the promised land.

The Sooners finally did reach the Final Four – in Paris’ last season – but like Maryland got ensnared in the Louisville buzzsaw.

I’m still flabbergasted by this, no discredit to Jeff Walz and his team.

I fully expect Maryland and Oklahoma to remain elite programs, but they have missed golden chances to become something more than that.

I’m flabbergasted that North Carolina and Duke have had plenty of opportunities to become juggernauts beyond the ACC, and haven’t closed the deal (the Tar Heels’ NCAA title was in 1994). Ditto for Rutgers, which may become best known for how it weathered the Don Imus flap.

I’m still flabbergasted that in this 10-year period under review here, LSU went to five Final Fours in a row, and never won a game. And that Duke has gone to four Final Fours without winning a title.

If you look at how widely this fall’s incoming talent is being dispersed, you’ve got to believe that this two-note tango can’t play on forever. While UConn and Tennessee aren’t going anywhere, there’s plenty of room at the top, if any of the following questions, among others, can be answered in the affirmative:

– Can Baylor, which had the best recruiting class of anyone, get back to where it was in winning the 2005 NCAA title? And stay there?

– Can Cal, which also has a great class following the most successful stretch in program history, do more than give Stanford a challenge in the Pac 10?

– Can UNC, with another outstanding group arriving in Chapel Hill, do better than pile up amazing talent that underachieves in March?

– Can Notre Dame, which welcomes Skylar Diggins, return to the heights that her idol and role model, Niele Ivey, scaled in leading the Irish to the 2001 national title?

– Can Ohio State, with Jantel Lavender, Samantha Prahalis and now Tayler Hill, get Jim Foster back to the Final Four for the first time since 1993?

If the answer is “yes” — and not just for a year or two but for the long haul — then perhaps we can put to rest the question that’s constantly asked but that isn’t the right question to ask.

It’s not about how UConn and Tennessee roll, but how – and even if – any others can really roll with them.

. . . is being placed in the context of its precarious economic situation as it begins its 13th season.

Will 13 prove to be unlucky for the WNBA?

Perhaps, but news that once might have been viewed as evidence of the league expanding its business footprint in a mainly positive vein is now seen as a possible sign of impending doom.

On Monday the Sports Business Journal reported that the WNBA is looking to sell ad space on team uniforms.

Added to the heap of other developments in the league — such as Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper being contacted by USC about its vacant women’s head coaching position — this continues an unsettling pattern of events.

Getting some new corporate sponsorships on board — in the form of ads on uniforms — would add some money to WNBA coffers. And although this wouldn’t solve all of what ails the league, it would send something of an upbeat signal.

Will increased attendance this season really make that much of a difference? Certainly David Stern would take note of a such a development. But this matter isn’t as simple as getting more fannies in seats.

The fate of the WNBA ultimately rests with what will happen with its benefactors, the NBA. The impending economic future of that league isn’t all that rosy.

Niche leagues like Major League Soccer appear poised to weather the economic storm better because of scaled-down business models. The WNBA is a niche sport with a reasonably-priced business model, with estimated operating costs per franchise per season of around $2 million.

But it’s also tied to the NBA, whose business model, like that of the NFL and Major League Baseball, is under severe strain. The NBA will borrow nearly $200 million to assist nearly half of its teams in paying for operating expenses. The future of the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings — which also run WNBA franchises — is among the concerns for the NBA.

But the larger concern comes two years from now, in 2011, when NBA’s labor agreement comes up for renewal. Super agent David Falk is already predicting doom. Beyond his interest in the financial prospects for player contracts, he believes that that the very business model of the NBA simply cannot sustain itself.

If that’s the case, then the WNBA could very well be seen by enough owners as a subsidized luxury that has had a nice run, but is no longer affordable.

That would be a short-sighted plea, of course, but it’s one that surfaced several years ago during some contentious WNBA labor talks that had the league skating on thinner ice than has been publicly acknowledged.

Stern was able then to convince enough NBA owners to stick with the WNBA, and the league expanded its ownership model to allow non-NBA management of teams. It’s been a positive step for the WNBA, one that until now has been seen as ensuring some longer-term prosperity.

2009 Nike Skills Academy Southeast

The first of five Nike Regional Skills Academy’s began this week in Georgia. Nike grassroots girl’s basketball has decided to involve younger players by not inviting rising juniors to the enormously popular skills event. Directed by Mary Thompson, of Nike’s Girls High School basketball, the program is intense, informative and challenging for the participants. Gannon Baker is a hyper-active skills instructor. If you yawn, you get called out. If you are late, you get lectured; Gannon’s motto is “be responsible”. The inclusion of the younger players, at least in this the first of five regional academy’s caused the overwhelmed youngsters to be a little passive on the first day. This certainly changed by Sunday morning when after a brief warm up period a spirited scrimmage ensued. The class of 2013, yes 8th graders, may have been the most impressive. A trio of 6’2 athletes,wing guard Diamond DeShields (Ga.Ice), wing forward Kaela Davis(Ga. Ice) and raw but powerful Gisele Bailey(NC) were impressive. Add to this trio 6’0 Rebecca Greenwell (Tn.Flight) a nice feel for the game and a sweet stroke. Makeyla Epps (Ky.Blue Chip) is a strong point guard who can run a team. The most impressive guards were Andraya Carter (Ga. Elite) a 5’8 2012 point guard who all the counselors loved, and Brianna Banks 5’8 2011(Fla.Essence) a smooth athletic lefty who spent so much time on the floor hustling after loose balls, she was like a human mop. Forward 6’2 2011 Cierra Burdick (Team Unique) excelled at all of the skill work, her footwork, and calm smooth style stood out. The other top forwards were 6’2 Morgan Jones 2011 (fla.DEBO) who combines power and skill and a high basketball IQ, and Brenna McDonald 6’1 2012(Ga. Wallace Prather Celtics) who has deep range on her shot and finish inside as well. Post players who excelled were 6’4 Amber Henson 2011(Fla.Orlando Comets), 6’4 Rachel Hollivay 2012(Ms.Fla…Essence) who both can run, jump and score, and are intimidating defensively. Kayla Brewer 6’2 2011(fla.Ga. blazers) is q quick, powerful post she can score with contact, and punish guards who venture into the lane. Guards Shalethia Stringfield 5’7 2011(Fla. Jacksonville Rams), Jasmine Camp 5’7 2011(Ga. Metros), and 2012’s Marjore Butler 5’8(Tn. Flight) and January Miller 5’8(Fla.Orlando Comets) played with passion, skill and control. Alexis Prince (2012) is a talented wing from Fla. (Essence). I heard allot about her, but her slow start on Saturday surprised me, but Sunday morning she picked it up and showed me more of what people expect of someone of her talent. I will also attend three of the remaining four academies’ to really get an idea of most of the nation’s top talent.

Boo Williams Nike Invitational.

The Boo Williams Nike Invitational is the annual rite of spring; nothing gets the hoopahalic going like this event. It is the beginning of the club ball season, the first test for those who wish to rule the world of summer girl’s club basketball. If you are a veteran of this event, now in its 24th year, you really appreciate the Boo Williams Sportsplex. This is an eight court, multi-purpose facility that has everything you would want in a tournament building. (Except enough parking). Before the “BooPlex” was built you had to navigate the winding streets of Hampton and Newport News, The main gym was at Old Dominion University, which is east of a gridlocked tunnel on Route 64. It was not fun. The 2009 version of this event did not match the 2008 tournament in terms of individual talent, overall depth or team strength. There were some outstanding teams, and very good individual players. The same team won this event for the third time in the last five years. The home team Boo Williams Summer League (BWSL), rebounded from a second place finish last year to reclaim the title they last won in 2007. Last year’s winner was Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) from Texas. DFW was led by the immensely talented Brittany Griner, who put on a dunking show before each game, and drew huge crowds. The year was not without a sideshow either, although this was much different. By the end of the tournament the biggest crowds were drawn by a bunch of players not even in high school yet. The Georgia Ice, a team based out of Roswell, is full of professional athlete’s kids. The Head Coach is former NBA player Antonio Davis, the assistant coach is former NBA player Dee Brown, both have daughters on the team. Basketball is not the only sport represented by former professional athletes. How about Ken Griffey Jr, and Delino DeShileds daughters as well. Not too bad of a gene pool there. Diamond DeShields is a future star as is Kaela Davis. Both are about 6’1, and tremendous athletes. I attended a game early in the tournament with Mary Thompson, Director of Nike Grassroots basketball; there were only four college coaches in this far away gym in a tough neighborhood. South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley, Illinois Head coach Jolett Law, Vanderbilt coach Lisa Cermigiano and South Carolina Assistant Lisa Boyer. I know this team will be in good hands with Mr. Davis, after two minutes his team was down 10-2, he calmly called timeout, replaced all five starters, including his own daughter, Brown and DeShields, and sat them the rest of the half. They came back and won by 20 plus points, lesson learned.

The top bracket was between Boo Williams and Tennessee Flight. The Flight is based in Shelbyville, but it’s recruiting is basically nationwide. Their top player is from California; their 2nd best is from New York and a starting guard from Washington DC. This was their first tournament together, and they will get better as the season goes on, a scary thought for the rest of the teams. Boo Williams’s team is led by Sophomore Elizabeth Williams (no relation) she is 6’3 and an intimidating defensive presence. Boo’s team won in OT 51-48. No one could pull away. Boo was up three, but Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis tied it with a catch and shoot three ball from the top of the key with 23 seconds left. Elizabeth Williams put the game away with 2 free throws after getting fouled while rebounding a potential game tying foul shot with five seconds left.

I’m not sure whom I envy the least in the emotional saga of replacing Kay Yow at N.C. State:

– New head coach Kellie Harper, the gritty former Tennessee point guard Pat Summitt called the “toughest girl” ever to have played for her?

– Wolfpack athletics director Lee Fowler, who wanted to hire someone with proven head coaching experience but had to contend with Yow’s wishes that her longtime assistant, Stephanie Glance — who didn’t meet that standard — succeed her?

– Glance, who did an admirable job several times in recent years leading the program as Yow’s health deterioriated and who clearly wanted the job in her own right?

– The N.C. State players, who’ve been absolutely gutted this season in losing their beloved coach and wondering what will come next?

There’s plenty of disenchantment from those who believe Fowler should have honored Yow’s request, first expressed two years ago. Did she hang on and hold out for that to happen? We may never know.

Trying to move beyond this gut-wrenching backstage drama was going to be dicey with a program on a steady decline since N.C. State’s only Final Four appearance in 1998. (Ironically, that was the same Final Four, in Kansas City, where Harper led the Lady Vols to a perfect 39-0 season and a national title.)

Fowler, who said virtually nothing during the hiring process, tried to address the delicate nature of his task after a Thursday news conference to introduce Harper in Raleigh — on Kay Yow Court at Reynolds Coliseum. He said he made it clear to Yow and Glance two years ago that he would prefer a head coach.

According to Fowler, Glance interviewed to become the head coach at Charlotte around that same time, but that school wanted a clause put in her contract preventing her from leaving directly for N.C. State. (Glance has refrained from commenting at all on the entire episode, and issued only a written statement in response to the final outcome.)

So Glance appeared to have been stuck, trying to get the head coaching experience that Fowler required but unable to use it for the purpose she had in mind.

This only complicated the inevitable events at N.C. State.

So did a women’s basketball community that didn’t make a concerted rush to apply for the job, out of respect for Yow’s backing of Glance. Fowler said a 14-member search committee forwarded to him the names of 20 candidates, and he interviewed six of them. He said he was quite impressed with Harper, the Western Carolina coach for the last five years, during a three-hour interview, and a glowing recommendation from Summitt didn’t hurt either.

He also addressed the issue that figures to rankle Yow and Glance supporters for years:

“I’d love for David Horning [N.C. State's longtime senior associate AD] to replace me when I leave here but I’m not sure you’ll get that because I ask for that…it’s always a feeling. Kellie would probably like to name her replacement at Western, but the people that are there and trying to move the program ahead…I think you’ve got to do what’s best for the program. I think Kellie is the best fit, and the best to move ahead with the program.”

“We really tried to keep it on who would be the best coach to move us forward.”

Was Harper, who turns 32 in May, the best of what might have been a limited pool of candidates? Only her results on the court in coming years will tell. She signed a five-year deal with the same $247,000 base salary as Yow and N.C. State men’s head coach Sidney Lowe. That’s a sum that’s in the middle of the pack among ACC head coaches.

It’s been 30 years since N.C. State has had to make a coaching change, and obviously the game is so much different now. Fowler’s point about wanting a head coach is understandable, but two ACC programs that have climbed out of mediocrity and surpassed N.C. State in recent years — Florida State and Georgia Tech — are doing so with Sue Semrau and MaChelle Joseph, respectively, both of whom had never been head coaches before. Neither had Sylvia Crawley, the former North Carolina standout and assistant who just finished her first season at Boston College.

As for current ACC coaches with previous head coaching stints, neither Cristy McKinney at Clemson, Katie Meier at Miami nor Beth Dunkenberger at Virginia Tech (Harper’s predecessor at Western Carolina) have been able to lift those programs out of the bottom of the league.

But the greater question about Harper is recruiting. Can she make the jump to competing for, and signing, players in one of the most athletic and talented conferences in the country? Harper is likely to add her husband, Jon Harper, her assistant at Western Carolina, to her staff at N.C. State. How she fills out that staff — which had been populated with former Yow players — will be the key.

Former Wolfpack point guard Debbie Antonelli, who’s now a leading women’s TV analyst for Fox Sports Net and ESPN, is among those incensed with what came down, and how. On her “Shootaround with Beth and Debbie” podcast released Monday on the WBCA Web site, Antonelli said she was the only basketball person named to the search committee, and she let it be known that she felt Glance wasn’t given a fair chance to compete for the job.

A few snippets from what Antonelli said would be her only public comments on the matter:

“I’m not happy. I’m very disappointed in my university. . . . Stephanie was in my opinion the right fit right now for what those kids needed.

“This is no reflection on what Kellie Jolly [Harper's maiden name] is capable of doing.

“Two weeks, three weeks, a month from now, I’m not going to hold that against Kellie. . . . But honestly, I don’t think Joanne McCallie, Brenda Frese, Sylvia Hatchell, Debbie Ryan are shaking in their boots this morning. I don’t think they’re thinking, ‘Wow, that’s a scary hire.’ “

The Wolfpack’s lone senior last season on a 13-17 team was leading scorer Shayla Fields, and there is some decent returning talent to help get the new coaching regime started. Harper’s second gargantuan challenge is to help comfort and lift up a group of players who handled themselves well in playing through the devastation of Yow’s death. Glance did an amazing job keeping them together while tending to Yow in her dying days. She was the essence of grace and dignity and loyalty, and those are rare qualities in the present college sports landscape.

As a player, Harper was someone I enjoyed watching as much as anyone. While Chamique Holdsclaw rightly earned the headlines as the Lady Vols won NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998, Harper, was heart and soul of those teams. She was never flashy, didn’t always look to score, but personified leadership, confidence and the absolute will to win. In other words, she was Summitt on the floor more than most players who ever played for Summitt. And that’s saying something.

Harper will need all of those qualities and more in Raleigh. None of what transpired before her arrival was easy, and neither will what’s to come as she tries to follow a legend.