OREGON CITY, Ore. - Caroline Doty of Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pa., started her summer off with a bang with a solid showing last week at the Nike Girl’s Skills Academy followed by a great week at the End of the Trail in Oregon City. Doty’s club team, Fencor, is missing star Elena DelleDonne, yet continues to win because its other star – Doty – is emerging as a leader and a standout player on her own.
“I learned so much at the (Nike Skills) Academy – from all the coaches there and even the players,” Doty said. She showed improvement and credits much of it to the Skills Academy that preceded her leading Fencor to the End of the Trail finals against the Cal Swish. Yes, that’s right – Boo Williams and the Fairfax Stars did not square off in the finals in Oregon City. It was Doty and her New England-based squad against the Southern California-based Cal Swish Black, which claimed the championship.
As emphasized at the Skills Academy, Doty is using her body more on dribble penetration. What sets the elite guards apart is their posture with the ball and how they attack the defenders. Last year Doty played a little more upright, but kept her body lower most of the time during the End of the Trail. She also used her improved strength to drive her should into the hips of the defender and go by them rather than around them. Plus she’s also not thinking about the game as much, she’s just reading and reacting.
Doty also is being more aggressive shooting the basketball and has got one of the nicest strokes around. She gets good elevation on her shot and has a consistent release. She uses it off the dribble nicely, too. What’s fun is that she attacks the basket regularly and plays the game in the air. She’s got hops and goes at taller players.
Caroline Doty jumps over 6-4 Ashley Cimino |
With the emerging success comes attention from the opposition, especially with DelleDonne out. This was obvious during Fencor’s exhibition game against the tall, strong and uber-athletic West Coast Elite-Black squad. After a couple of early scores WCE used a combination of players, all over 6-feet to bump, press and deny Doty wherever she was on the floor. “I guess I got a taste of what Elena goes through on a regular basis,” Doty said.
This all is great for the rising 2008 prospect from Doylestown, Pa., as she can learn to take her lumps and battle through it as the team’s leader. Doty came back the next morning after suffering a strained quadriceps muscle and a hip pointer against West Coast Elite, showing her toughness and desire to compete. If she can maintain this high level of play when DelleDonne returns it will likely result in another AAU National Championship for Fencor.
Despite her emergence as a legitimate first option, Doty trusts her teammates to get the job done as well and doesn’t feel she has to jack up shots no matter what. She says she doesn’t feel any extra pressure “I know I have my team behind me and I know if I’m struggling they’ll come through,” she said. She has also not allowed her teammates to lower their goals with DelleDonne out of action, they came out here to win regardless which articulates just how tough a competitor she is.
Doty’s personal goals are to apply herself consistently, especially on offense, so the team isn’t so dependant on DelleDonne.
The recruitment of Doty is really picking up too with most of the nation’s top programs coming to see her play in Oregon. In addition to Connecticut’s Geno Aureimma and Tennesee’s Pat Summitt, Maryland’s Brenda Freise, Duke’s Gail Goestenkors, Stanford’s Tara VanDeveer as well as UNC assistant Andrew Calder were regulars at Fencor games. “Definitely the way they’ve been coming to games and showing interest is a big part,” Doty said of what she’s looking for in her future college, “and the way they run their programs, every single one of them are such great coaches.”
Doty has gone to the college elite summer camps at Maryland, Penn State and Tennessee and was going to go to Connecticut as well, but took the opportunity to go to the Nike Skills Academy instead. She’s also been to Notre Dame for an unofficial visit. She’s been to UConn before and went to their senior game this past year, so missing their camp this year was not an indication that she wasn’t interested in the program. Doty also is looking at Michigan State, but isn’t sure if she wants to travel that far from home for school and the same consideration is true for Baylor who she is also looking at. She hasn’t been on campus for camps or unofficial visits yet for either Baylor or MSU but that could change this summer or next.
Not taking anything away from the rest of the Fencor squad, but in Elena DelleDonne’s absence, Doty who is taking on the role of team leader. Sarah Acker, Rosie Tarnowski, Chelsea Shine, Christine Matera, Renee Womack – heck, the entire roster has stepped up as evidenced by their advancing to the finals. Doty also had an air about her last week – an indication that she is starting to really figure out how good she is. If having Geno Auriemma and Pat Summit each come to watch you play isn’t an indicator of your abilities then I don’t know what else is for a prospective college athlete.
Chris Hansen is the National Director of Scouting for Women's Basketball at HoopGurlz.com and Scout.com. Chris leads the panel that evaluates and ranks girl's basketball prospects nationally for HoopGurlz, Scout.com and Full Court Press (www.FullCourt.com). Chris has been involved in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He can be reached at chansen@scout.com.
Our Complete 2006 End of the Trail Coverage Menu:
Singularly Sensational
In the absence of her team's superstar, Caroline Doty has emerged as an elite player in her own right.
EOT Watch - July 8
Who is this girl, Melissa Jones, and why are all those coaches following her in Oregon City?
Team to Watch: CenCal Elite
Courtney Collishaw and her CenCal Elite teammates make a splash at the End of the Trail.
EOT Watch - July 7
Breakdowns of players, including Kayla Standish, from the second day of competition.
EOT Watch - July 6
Breakdowns of players, including Kelsey Bone, from the first day of competition.
Team to Watch: EBX 15s
Alex Cowling and the East Bay Xplosion Black are poised to do damage on the viewing circuit.
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