Main Event Watch - July 23

Sunday afternoon play at the Las Vegas event showcased a great amount of 2008 and 2009 talent, including Joslyn Tinkle of Missoula, Mont.

STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
LAS VEGAS - Primarily a West Coast event during the first two years of its existence, the Main Event for girl's this year has a more national flavor, likely an offshoot of its location, plus the tradition its director, Vision Sports, has enjoyed on the boy's side. It even had its share of a basketball-celebrity sighting, former NBA great and current Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, in town to watch his daughter, Lauren. It wasn't Lebron and Chris Paul at the Big Time, but it's a start.

After the first two days of competition, it appears three teams are feeding off their success at the Nike Summer Slam in Chicago, with Tree of Hope from Seattle, Clutch Players from the Portland, Ore., area, and the younger New York Gauchos Orange all collecting a pair of victories. The older Gauchos team, with Iasia Hemingway, one of the top 2007 prospects in the country, also has mowed down two straight opponents and looks now to be the class of the field.



Nia Jackson, a 5-7 guard out of Seattle, Wash., is one of the fastest players in the country with the basketball and is strongly built, helping her on finishes and penetrations. She is far more refined as a defensive player, using her quickness and fast hands effectively, and gets a lot of her offense from fast breaks started with her own steals. Her high-school team relied on its abundant athleticism and didn't use much structure, so Jackson will need work on her decision-making and jump shot to play the point at the next level. Even so, she is an exciting backcourt performer.

Regina Rogers, a 6-3 post from Seattle, Wash., has been the biggest force in Washington state high-school basketball the past three years because of her great size, strength and determination. When she decides to, she absolutely can take over games with quick, simple power moves in the post. Even when not that focused, she is devastating on the offensive glass, making a missed shot an effective play for her team. She is improving on reading defensive stunts and finding open teammates with passes out of the post, though sometimes takes a bit long to develop her moves on the blocks. Because she has thrived with her power, even against bigger and taller players, Rogers can take a leap forward with improved footwork and variety in her inside arsenal. She also has struggled with conditioning, though is addressing that by working out with a trainer.

Alexandra Hurley

Candace Chambers, a 6-1 forward from Seattle, Wash., has a good combination of size and mobility and has extremely good hands, catching long passes on the dead run and holding onto rebounds in traffic. With Tree of Hope, a Seattle-area based team, she is paired with Rogers and is playing power forward and mostly at the high post. She shows reliability with her jumper from elbow to elbow, reads double teams on Rogers in the post and makes dive cuts at the right times. She can defend the low post and has good lift off two feet and long arms, making her an effective shot-blocker.

Alicia Kopp, a 5-11 wing out of Evansville, Wis., is coming off a stress fracture injury and is just regaining her explosiveness, though you wouldn't really know it. She is slinky - long and fast, but not yet filled. She runs the floor extremely well, attacks the rim and doesn't shy away from shooting over defenders, and has range out to the three-point line.

Alexandra Hurley, a 6-foot wing from Anaconda, Mont., stands out for her relentlessness in working the offensive glass, pulling 2-3 boards in single sequences. She also is aggressive in attacking the rim off the dribble, showing equal adeptness with the right or left hand on the attack and finish. She runs and jumps well and quickly fills lanes and gets down the court. Her jump shot is a little flat, especially off the dribble.

Alyssa Shoji, a 5-6 guard out of Issaquah, Wash., has picture-perfect form on her jump shot, with good use of legs and nice, high release. She may not shoot enough, though she hit three three-pointers in a game against Big Sky on Sunday. She is a reliable ballhandler, with improving decision-making, and can break down defenders off the dribble, staying low and has the strength to turn the corner. She is a very good on-ball defender, exerting harassment while keeping the ballhandler in front of her.

Becca Schemmer

Katherine Harry, a 6-1 forward from Columbia, Mo., has a huge wingspan which makes her look and play several inches taller than her listed height. She is gangly and not filled out, but already is an effective deterrent at the bottom of defenses and moves very well, serving her on help defense, as well as in transition on offense. In a halfcourt setting, she has a looong drop step, getting her from mid-lane to the rim very quickly. She does make some "young" mistakes, trying to catch the ball with one hand and not quite fully sealing defenders on high or low postups. She does do many things fundamentally well, including blocking out frequently on rebounds.

Becca Schemmer, a 5-10 guard from Huntsville, Mo., has a body that could fill out nicely for the next level and three-point range that already serves her well. She catches the ball, squared and in athletic position, which helps her get the shot off quickly in catch-and-shoot situations. When she misses, she primarily misses to either side because her feet are slightly misaligned. On penetrations, off dribbles or cuts, she finishes effectively with either hand.

Joslyn Tinkle, a 6-3 post out of Missoula, Mont., is the daughter of Wayne Tinkle, who is replacing Larry Larry Krystkowiak as the head men's basketball coach at Montana, and plays like a coach's daughter. Impressive for a player so young, she does not overcommit to anything, showing strong restraint and instincts. She moves well, shows a little handle, works the glass hard and can step out with reliable three-point range. In the post, she effectively uses head-and-shoulder fakes and, against Regina Rogers of Seattle, a heralded 2007 post prospect, showed a jump hook, turnaround jumper and step-through move. Tinkle likes to turn left on her moves and can finish a variety of shots with her left hand. She has good size and can hold her ground defensively, though her future likely is as a power forward or, with ballhandling improvement, a big wing.

Kirsten Tilleman of Bozeman, Mont.

Alicia Kopp of Evansville, Wis.

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