Monday, November 1, 2010

TOURNAMENT TIME OCTOBER HOOPFEST

By James Parker, talent scout/evaluator
Phoenix Az, 10/29-31/2010, Dobson high school
Tournament Time October Hoopfest


Many thanks to our wonderful Debbie Moulton for the hardwork and patience she puts into her tournaments, so the players, parents, coaches can have an enjoyable weekend. Her tournaments are some of the smoothest most well organized tournaments you coaches will ever enter. Be thankful.
Debbie, thank you to you and your husband for your accomodations. May God bless and keep you safe in your travels. Our hearts go out to you and your family in this time of transition.

Here it is folks. The long awaited, TrifectaBasketball player evaluation and tournament recap on girls basketball tournament here in Arizona. It was great to see all the talent and girls play hard. Their hard work and the dedication of their coaches and families is paying off.



ALL TOURNAMENT FIRST TEAM (8TH GRADE)
  • Dyesha Stahly (Az Lady Hoopers)~ Is a small 5'6 lightening quick guard who can get the ball up the court in a hurry and break any press. She is very exciting to watch. Simply put she breaks down defenses. Plays with her head on a swivel and has good court vision. Knows how to kick and dish. Play is very unselfish. Knows how to pass the ball into the low-post. Needs to establish her outside shot and ability to pull up short of the basket for mid-range jumper. Is going to need to strengthen the week hand and cut down the angles. Tends to cover too much east&west up the court. Angles need to be quicker and sharper to get the ball going more North and South.
  • Armani Hawkins (Az Elite)~ A 5'9 combo guard or shooting guard with nifty ball handling abilities, sound shooting mechanics, and good basketball IQ. Demands a lot of attention from opponents. Armani has established herself as one of the premier guards in this class not just here in Arizona but at least of the whole southwest region and she doesn't disappoint. She owns the pull-up jumper like it is her best friend, right or left. She has a silky smooth outside shot and has nifty handles. She is looking to be a solid college prospect in coming years. Armani's greatest plus side is what makes her successful now at this age translates well on the next level. What will elevate her game is strength and speed. She has decent speed in the full court but a more explosive first step and sharper quicker angles to get into the teeth of the defense will make her much more dynamic.
  • Sabrina Haines (Az Elite)~ 5'9 guard/sf that plays hard every possession. Simply put, she gets it done! Has great energy about her, lots of ambition and shows a great competitive fire. She can shoot anywhere on the floor and will attack the basket. She cuts and slashes to the basket very well and crashes the boards like no other guard her age. She owned the glass this weekend. Sabrina can play multiple guard positions and some small forward as well as defend those positions. She also is a great shot blocker and help side defender. She can handle the rock and bring it up with speed but needs to work on her ability to attack and beat the defender off the dribble or pull-up for jumper.
  • Emma Newman (Az Elite)~ 5'11 forward that aims to please. Emma would probably get my vote for surprise player of the weekend. She is tall and long, possess decent athleticism and has a nice stroke from the 10-15 foot range. She works hard on the court. She is the type of player that listens and wants to please. Will do what the coach wants from her, very unselfish. Will have to get stronger and play a more face up game, maybe all the way out beyond the arc depending on her growth. Can be a little unsure of herself at times.
  • Allies Fuller (Az Lady Hoopers)~ 6'2 post. Is a tall strong player that knows how to post. She has soft hands, a great drop step right or left, to the outside or middle. She keeps the ball high on post entry and makes quick decisions on post move. She is a great re-bounder and does a great job of keeping the ball high out of reach but will need to learn how to chin it in the future because there will be players who can pluck it out from on top of her head. Mobility is a factor, to get to bad passes or defensive rotations.

ALL TOURNAMENT SECOND TEAM (8TH GRADE)

  • Taylor Kalmer (Az Elite)~ 5'6 PG, is very fundamental in her approach. Good ball handling ability, good stroke. Is a great system player. Doesn't gamble too much. Is a very active on both ends of the floor. Plays with a lot of energy.
  • Kendal Perry (Az Elite)~ 5'7 guard that possesses an all-around game. Has a complete package of perimeter skills. Kendal plays on a very talented team and at times seems content to allow others to run the show but I would like to see her aggressively attack the basket more and work harder to get open to shoot. She has the skill.
  • Saylair Grandon (Team Bibby)~ 5'10 very aggressive, strong guard/sf. She can get to the basket and finish strong. possesses a lot of strength. Owns a decent mid-range jumper and ball skills. Conditioning and emotions can be a factor.
  • Courtney Christmas (Az Thunder)~5'10 sf, lean and long. What I like most about Courtney's game is her shot. She has potential to be a good shooter in this game and will get better as she elevates her game by stepping out to face up more. Will have to get better at putting the ball on the floor and get stronger.
  • Kristine Anigwe (Team Bibby)~ 6'2 long post player with a lot of upside. Kristine is a raw talent. She is a little behind in her basketball skills but has a great physique for the game. She is already turning into a great shot blocker. Needs to work on her footwork and ball skills. Lots of upside.

Hoopfest Tournament MVP (8th grade)~ Sabrina Haines

The best of the rest at Hoopfest:
Cassidy Brumby (Az Elite)
Micaela Clayton (Az Elite)
Thisa king (Team Bibby)
Juwanna Milton (Team Bibby)
Ozario Fisher (Az Thunder)
Tatum Brimley (Az Thunder)
Michaela Palladino (Az Thunder)
Clarrissa Sabadera (Az Thunder)

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM (HS Division)
  • Alex Gilligan (Chapparral)~ 5'5 PG, very quick in transition, pushes the ball up the court very well. Plays a true pg position, possesses above average outside shot. Needs to work on change of direction dribble, is very linear in her dribble and doesn't change hands smoothly or direction.
  • Casey Rarrick (Chapparral)~ 5'8 combo guard, long and athletic with decent ball handles. Is great in transition and can knock down the outside jumper. Especially likes to take the open shot when in transition with plenty of time in a nice spaced fast break offense. Doesn't play as well in a slow downed game. Does a great job of putting the ball in a triple threat position on the catch but doesn't really anticipate the shot and in many ways looks to be too passive. She also tends to take her catch a lot further out from the arc, out of range. The space is great to help facilitate an offense for cuts and screens away from the ball but often leaves her without a real shot. Likes to put the ball on the ground but too often without a plan and doesn't really have any go to moves to finish in traffic. Can be more dynamic if she learns to use finishing moves because of her length, like a strong spin move, euro step, up&under, Hakeem turnaround, Kobe reverse pivot, crow-hop, tear-drop shot, etc.
  • Monica Turley (Az Bam)~ 5'10 (W), Attacks the basket aggressively and gets to the line. Makes plays for her team. Shows a lot of fight and competitive spirit. Tends to play too up-right and can sharpen up her ball skills and outside shot.
  • Jenna Savaya (Chapparral)~ 5'10 (F), scorer, very fierce competitor. Can knock down a variety of shots and knows how to get it off quick. Knows how and when to drive. Uses on-ball screens well, comes off aggressively looking to score either with the pull-up or take. Shot can tend to be a little flat and game falls off due to exhaustion. Key for Jenna will be to get in top condition to maintain stamina and high level of play and lots of extra shots, especially on tired legs. Needs to be as present in the 4th quarter as in the 1st half.
  • Paulina Bledsoe (Gilbert Black Hawks)~ 5'10 (F), smooth mid-range and outside shot. Strong physique and decent athleticism. Knocks down big shots and knows how to carry a team. Above average defender and great re-bounder. Will get better with conditioning, agility training. Has to stay aggressive.
  • Batabe Zempare (Chapparral)~ 5'11 (P), powerful, strong forward with big shoulders. Possesses decent footwork in the low-post and has a fatal knock down 10ft-15ft jump shot. Rebounds with authority and is strong with the ball. Needs to learn how to control emotions out on the floor. Allows too many things to get in her head. Want to see her put the ball on the ground from the high post and drive. She is strong and can get by most defenders with a quick first step.
  • Rachel Jaworowicz (Chapparral)~ 5'6 (G), Very quick guard with good court awareness. Keeps her head up and has good vision to find open players. Moves well without the ball, owns a decent outside shot and handles the ball. She is a pesky defender and makes a lot of deflections, very active and hustles after loose balls. Rachel has a small frame, is tough but can benefit by putting on a little more lean muscle mass. She might be able to get pushed off her dribble to easy and take a beating going to the hole.
HOOPFEST HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION MVP~ Jenna Savaya

HOOPFEST (6th & 7th Grade Division)

I would love to give a shout out to Az Elite 6th graders for being such competitors and playing their hearts out. They played in a very tough 7th grade division and showed so much poise. Watch out for these girls in the years to come. There is no doubt we will be talking about them in the near future as some of Az's finest. Stick with it ladies and never doubt yourself or your potential.
Georgi Pregulman
Courtney Knecht
Jacquelyn Ries
Marjorie Glenn
Sarah Barcello
Jennifer Wirth
LeeAnne Wirth
Lizzy Newman




CONGRATULATIONS TO AZ PURE, WINNERS OF THE HOOPFEST 7th GRADE DIVISION!

This is fine assembled team of elite athletes and great basketball players. They like to press, run and gun. If they don't get something in transition they keep coming at you with half-court sets and execution that many high school aged players cant reproduce. Most of these young ladies are multi-sport athletes, and if or when any of them begin to specialize in basketball, WATCH OUT. They can be on the takeover.

Led by coack Ben Boyd, here is Az Pure (7th grade):

  • Leah Goodman~ Made a strong showing over the weekend, great ball handles, gets the ball out and up the court quick. Plays great on-dribble defense. Already shows good basketball IQ. Plays great help side defense. Has a great first step. Look for a lot from this basketball player over the next couple years.
  • Khalia Lanier~ Daughter of NBA Hall of Fame player Bob Lanier. Already about 6'+ and athletic. Loves to take it off the bounce to the sauce-pan from the high post. Gets by most easily and finishes strong. Strong re-bounder, runs the floor, blocks shots. Can be a phenom.
  • Sierra Jarriel~ This young lady is as competitive as they come. She is athletic, fast, and has decent size. She can shoot the ball very well and get to the basket in transition. Extreme athlete.
  • Addie Buzas~ Grabs rebounds with authority. Strong looking player. Great defender.
  • Sydney Kilburg~ Tough as nails competitor. Plays aggressively. Attacks the glass and is a great passer.
  • Kayla Shaw~Good in transition, unselfish, team-player, smart.
  • Reece Benally~ Stonger taller guard. Is a great defender. Good rebounding guard.
  • Page Nash~ Good shooter. Fundamental player. Runs the floor well.
Look for update on 4th & 5th grade division updates in coming days