Tina Charles
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HoopGurlz Publisher
Posted Jun 18, 2006
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The real USA Basketball U18 team will be announced early Monday morning, but we take a crack at picking our own, including Tina Charles of Jamaica, N.Y. Our team is big, versatile and would not be stopped in the FIBA qualifying tournament.
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STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
Kayla Pedersen of Mesa, Ariz., and Jasmine Thomas of Vienna, Va., go after a loose ball |
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The USA Basketball U18 team is chosen by a selection committee. We're not a member, of course, but that doesn't stop us from taking a shot at picking our own 12-girl roster.
This team will represent the U.S. in next week's FIBA Americas World Championships qualifying tournament, also here, so criteria for international competition apply - primarily the bigger foul lane and relatively easy three-point line.
By the time many of you read this, the real team will have been announced (early on Monday), but that doesn't stop us from making our own picks:
Jayne Appel
6-4 Post (2006)
Pleasant Hill, Calif.
What She Brings to the Team: The McDonald's Game MVP has the best post offense in the group. That includes the most trustworthy passing out of double teams. Appel also can venture outside the lane and drill jumpers.
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Victoria Baugh
6-4 Swing (2007)
Sacramento, Calif.
What She Brings to the Team: Didn't you just read the position line? She's a 6-feet-4, forward/guard. Yes, you read that correctly. Baugh is especially electrifying in the open court.
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Tina Charles
6-3 forward (2006)
Jamaica, N.Y.
What She Brings to the Team: The consensus national high-school player of the year is a demon on the blocks, in transition, on the boards and on defense. She also can handle the rock a little.
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Quanitra Holliingsworth
6-5 Post (College)
Chesapeake, Va.
What She Brings to the Team: Doesn't really do anything great, but has one year of college under her belt, offering a level of comfort for coaches. She's also focusing on rebounding and defense.
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Jantel Lavender
6-4 Post (2007)
Cleveland, Ohio
What She Brings to the Team: Second to Appel in post offensive skills, but probably the best one-on-one post defender in the bunch. She is big, strong and often relentless.
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Italee Lucas
5-8 Guard (2007)
Las Vegas, Nev.
What She Brings to the Team: A scorer everywhere else, she's packed her lead-guard mentality with her here. Her quickness, vision and setup ability has been nothing short of a revelation.
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Maya Moore
6-0 Forward (2007)
Lawrenceville, Ga.
What She Brings to the Team: She hasn't been tearing it up here, but she's most everybody's No. 1 in 2007, and she's so athletic and competitive as heck - as well as a player who rises to the occasion.
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Kayla Pedersen
6-4 Wing (2007)
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
What She Brings to the Team: Not as explosive as Baugh, but maybe a little more solid in a halfcourt setting. Tweaked her knee late on Saturday, so health could be a concern.
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Khadijah Rushdan
5-10 Guard (2007)
Wilmington, Del.
What She Brings to the Team: Toughness, for starters. She's turned her left ankle twice already and keeps playing. She penetrates and finishes easily, sees plays and can hit the three.
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Sydney Smallbone
5-10 Guard (2007)
Granger, Ind.
What She Brings to the Team: On a team starved for shooters, it doesn't matter that she doesn't have the best size or athleticism. This Hoosier can stroke it, and that matters big time.
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Jasmine Thomas
5-9 Guard (2007)
Vienna, Va.
What She Brings to the Team: Likeliest of the three points to move over to shooting guard as she has the smoothest delivery. She's also great at seeing plays and making deliveries.
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Monica Wright
5-11 Guard (2006)
Woodbridge, Va.
What She Brings to the Team: She hasn't handled or shot the ball as well as we've seen her, but her combination of athleticism and work ethic makes her an ultra-disruptive force.
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Overall Analysis
Missing three injured sharp-shooters in Angie Bjorklund, Elena DelleDonne and Jacki Gemelos, this team is going to be zoned about every minute of every game. Their size and overall athleticism should make their wayward shooting besides the point. They will rebound, defend and run. This hemisphere's best young talent may not know how to comprehend wings as long and athletic as Baugh, Moore and Pedersen, or the overall holy terror that is Charles. The versatility of Baugh and Pedersen also allows the luxury of carrying Smallbone as a zone buster. And even if Wright does not regain her offense, she can be unleashed at the defensive end with great results.
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Glenn Nelson is the publisher of HoopGurlz.com and the editor-in-chief of Scout Media (www.Scout.com), an online sports network and magazine-publishing company and subsidiary of Fox Interactive Media. Glenn also founded and coached
the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girls basketball teams. He previously was a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle
Times. His work also has appeared in several national magazines and books. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002).
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