STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
LAS VEGAS - Jasmine Dixon has been on our radar screen since she was a freshman at Long Beach Poly. The "It" factor - the swagger, the way she seems to float
about a basketball court, her eye-popping explosiveness - has followed her around ever since. Still, sometimes you see and like a player early, then file her away, except
to further dissect her game each proceeding time you see her play, and then either like her a little less because, let's face it, it's always a hunt for the next, best thing, or
you simply forget about her.
Both, we admit, is what has happened with Dixon. And not just with us.
But, this summer, Jasmine Dixon has been like an old girlfriend you see for the first time in years, who looks way better than you remember. Dixon of course simply has
been following a progression from the high level - and expectations - she set two years ago. Still, watching her explode onto the national scene this year is like watching
a new player altogether, and she was the girl you couldn't take your eyes off as the EA Sports National Elite Camp closed with an all-star game on Monday.
If there is a more explosive, titilating player in the country, don't just send us emails to say so, send us videos or some other physical proof, because it is difficult to
fathom. Dixon, a rising junior, is 6 feet, but probably can dunk the ball. We've seen her come tantilizingly close. Further, her hangtime and mid-air adjustments are
Jodan-esque, allowing her to score with nearly unbelievable efficiency in traffic and after attacking even the tiniest crack in an interior defense.
Dixon's strength has been attacking the rim, but she's taken the artform to a new, mind-blowing level. She also has improved her ballhandling and is showing a pullup
jumper, which has to make the hearts of opposing coaches sink, as much as it causes the hearts of college coaches to sing. Tying up the package - so far (she is a 2008
prospect, after all) - is a beast-like presence on the boards and disruptive hands and shot- blocking on defense.
Just when we thought we might have had a handle on the top of the 2008 class, along comes the "new" Jasmine Dixon to start the conversation all over again.
Shunice Hardy |
Chelsea Dale, a 6-2 guard from Palos Verdes Estes, Calif., is an easily overlooked talent on the ultra-talented FBC Blue team. Though she has solid guard skills, FBC
has a plethora of guards led by Nikki Speed, who is one of the nation's best. Dale isn't a guard in the FBC-styled scramble mode, but a big one who has good handle
and good vision of the floor, a quick release on her jumper and an unselfish nature. On the right team, she may even be able to play the point, plus either perimeter
position.
Breanna Estelle, a 5-8 guard from Riverside, Calif., had a very good outing in the Rising Stars game, showing strength, some aerial ability in the lane, ability to find lanes
and run them quickly in transition, solid defense and a quick, reliable trigger from long distance. Her form tends to break down on pulls off the dribble and her shot
starts to flatten out.
Shunice Hardy, a 6-foot wing from Lithonia, Ga., hails from Maya Moore country and is built a little like the nation's No. 1 prospect in 2007. He's also long and slinky,
though not as explosive. Hardy penetrates with the dribble with either hand and has a nice pull-up shoot. She also fills lanes nicely and runs the floor.
Sherrie Session |
Shela Bradley, a 6-3 post from Decatur, Ga., had a very good outing during the Rising Stars game. Though not big, she has a solid body and gets off the floor
deceptively fast, which helped her block a lot of shots. She also has good hands and secures her rebounds. All-star games being so guard oriented, we didn't get to see
much of her offensive repertoire.
Maryum Jenkins, a 5-7 guard out of Monrovia, Calif., is strong and goes strong to the cup, using her long strides to gobble up real estate quickly. She pairs her ability
to penetrate with a nice pullup jumper, and will see and execute plays off the dribble.
Sherrie Session, a 5-11 wing out of Downey, Calif., may have been the most impressive, made-for-college athlete in the camp, save Jasmine Dixon and Nikki Speed.
Session has good size, augmented by her length, and certainly is not skinny weak. Though she didn't necessarily get a lot of results on Monday, she showed a lot of
form and court savvy. She has very good handle, particularly for her size, passes the ball well and has a solid stroke off the dribble and catch. She also looks like she
knows her way around the blocks a little, and puts her length, hops and speed to good use on defense.
Natasha Hadley, a 6-3 post from Perris, Calif., is a long player who changed or blocked a lot of shots, showed a nice shoulder fake and opposite spin move in the post,
but seems to fight the impulse to quick on floors when faced with adversity.
We were not overlooking some of the other studs in camp, but we've already reviewed the likes of Drey Mingo, Lenita Sanford and Nikki Speed, as well as commented on
newcomers such as Dannielle Diamant. However, though many already know that Texas Tech commit Jordan Jones is one of the country's most light's out shooters,
she had missed the beginning of the summer circuit with an injury. She was uneven during the adidas Tournament of Champions in Suwanee, Ga., but now looks to
have regained the timing on her shot, as well as her handle and wind. ... We introduced you two days ago to Marisa Gobuty, the shifty, 5-7 guard from Tel Aviv. Her
game is even more impressive to us, however, now that we know she has been playing with a broken nose and finger. "Tough kid," says her father, Marshall. She and
her family have lived in hotels all month. ... We've been singing the praises of Andrea McGuirt of Lawrenceville, Ga., since we saw her in Suwanee. She has shown
quick dribble moves, aggressive penetration and toughness in the past, but showed a deft touch from long distance, both standstill and off the dribble. ... Chelsea Jones, the 6-4 post whom we noted the other day, looked even more comfortable, mixing it up with elite talent.
Amanda Johnson of Romoland, Calif.
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Jordan Jones (left) of Suwanee, Ga. |
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). He can be reached at hoopgurlz@comcast.net.
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