Main Event Watch - 7/26

For a long time, there have been stereotypes about the differences in styles between the East and West. Do these stereotypes hold up in girl's basketball? Also a look at several prospects, from 2007 to 2010, at the Main Event in Las Vegas.

STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
LAS VEGAS - Most of all know about the Biggie-Tupac, East-West thing in rap and hip-hop. But does that same geographical/cultural division exist in girl's basketball? A myth seems to persist about it, at least. One person whom I've grown to respect mentioned it recently and, having gone to Columbia and played in Harlem as well as down on West 4th, I certainly saw and felt the difference up close. I once even had a father refuse to send his daughter with my team to AAU Nationals because it was held that year in New Haven, Conn., and the guy said, "The girls out East are just hungrier."

Are they really? It seems to me that girl's basketball is far less rooted in the streets than the boy's version, that it still is strong in the suburbs, where families can afford training and shiny, new uniforms. It also seems to me that basketball, as a whole, and particularly on girl's side, has become more of a nationalized sport. We're talking about the high-school level, of course; college is a whole, other discussion.

Danielle Adams

So you can't really say, the way you can in boy's, that, for example, the best point guards come out of the Northeast. Heck, the best girl's point guard in 2006, Dymond Simon, is from Arizona. The best in 2007 - at least, one of a closely bunched three - could be Italee Lucas, from Las Vegas. It seems that most of the best big players are from the East, but I doubt, as has been suggested, that's because the West is "softer." (What does that mean anyway? Because we drive everywhere, live in houses with yards and drink "pop" and not "soda," we're somehow not tough? Um, hmmm ...).

This summer, we've seen evidence to the contrary. The New York Gauchos Black team, one of the better teams from the East led by one of the nation's toughest players in Iasia Hemingway, traveled West and lost in The Main Event semifinals here to the Kansas City Keys and Danielle Adams, . (Last I looked, Missouri was west of the Mississippi, as well as the Hudson). Then the Keys were beaten in the championship by a team, Tree of Hope, from even farther West (Seattle area). Tree of Hope, led by 6-foot-3 post Regina Rogers, was coming off a victory in the Nike Summer Slam's blue division.

The case for the Westside opened when Cal Swish Black, a team that plays so hard that the term "soft" may apply only to their uniforms right after they come out of the dryer, topped a national field at the End of the Trail in Oregon City. A couple weeks later, FBC Blue, led by exciting 2008 prospects Jasmine Dixon and Nikki Speed, both of whom are about as soft as granite, beat another national field at the adidas Tournament of Champions, an event actually conducted in the East, albeit the South version, just outside of Atlanta. Then Cal Swish backed up its championship in Oregon with another this week in Memphis.

This all sets up an interesting scenario starting Friday in North Augusta, S.C., at Nike Nationals., which features arguably the strongest field of any July tournament. The bulk of the strength in Nike's stable of teams is in the East, though it drifts south with Boo Williams Summer League, Orlando Comets and Tennessee Flight. With Elena DelleDonne rejoining shot-out-of-a-cannon rising star Caroline Doty, Fencor is a mighty, mighty contender out of the Northeast.

The question is where that will leave the poor, ole teams from the West - Cal Swish, West Coast Elite with Kelsey Bone, the beast of 2009, and Spokane Stars, a team that was in the championship of major tournaments last year with Angie Bjorklund in the fold, which by the way she will be on Friday. Anyone want to make a case that Angie Bjorklund is "soft"?

I thought so.



Danielle Adams, a 6-foot forward from Lee's Summit, Mo., caused quite a stir among coaches with her startling combination of size and skills. Inch for inch, she may be as big and strong as any girl in her class, but adds the ability to hit three-pointers with a nice, easy stroke, handle the ball, and see and make difficult deliveries to teammates. She has great hands, both on the catch and gripping rebounds; she once blocked a shot by snatching it out of mid-air. Adams also mades steals off opponents' dribble, as well as by overplaying passing lanes. During the summer, at least, this huge package comes fleetingly as Adams has "conditioning issues," according to her coach, and plays in bursts. Any college coach who can resolve that issue will be getting a major player.

Evelyn Britton

Evelyn Britton, a 6-0 forward out of El Paso, Texas, is built well, strong and jumps very well. She is relentless on the glass, at both ends, making missed shots a good tactic for her team. She has a funky release on her shot, taking her non-shooting hand off the ball a little too soon, but it works inside the lane. She is very competitive, making game-tying, buzzer-beating shots in regulation, then overtime, during one of her team's bracket games.

Iasia Hemingway, a 5-11 wing out of Newark, N.J., showed a more multi-dimensional game at the Main Event and, before that, at Basketball on the Bayou than she did at the Nike Skills Academy. She plays a very strong, compact game with very little wasted motion. Her moves off the dribble are quick and she uses her strength to turn the corner on defenders, then attack any others who dare help. Hemingway is not afraid to go chest to chest with any defender on her shot. She will knock down open perimeter looks, including three-pointers, with regularity. She brings an equal amount of energy and toughness to the defensive end, and communicates well on the floor, showing great leadership skills.

Marcella Trogus, a 6-0 wing from Houston, has a college-type body with strong legs, though she plays a little heavy-legged at times. She has good handle, with the left or right, gets low on defenders and has a good first step. She has good touch on mid-range shots and can post similarly sized defenders, using good feel, and will make good passes out of the post. Trogus generally plays a little too erect, whether on the perimeter with the ball, in the post establishing position or on defense. That could be resolved with coaching, however.





Dashena Stevens, a 6-1 wing from Stamford, Conn., is long and athletic and adept at hitting the mid-range jumper and getting to the basket. She gets good, straight lift and a nice, high release on her shot, which is money from 12-14 feet out.

Kirsten Tilleman, a 6-1 wing from Bozeman, Mont., is long and extremely mobile. She excels at attacking the rim, dribbling and finishing with either hand. She also fills lanes and gets down court quickly, making her an excellent candidate for a team that likes to attack in transition. She shoots almost all of her shots off the dribble, mostly on the run as opposed to pulling up, and maintains good balance.



Tiffany Conner, a 5-8 guard from Teaneck, N.J., plays taller than her listed height because of a combination of length and athleticism. She can hit three-pointers with a replicable, easy stroke and attacks the rim fearlessly.

Sarah Griffin, a 5-9 point guard from Lake Oswego, Ore., has very good command on the floor for such a young player. She communicates well with her teammates, although they all are older, and orchestrates her team. She has good dribble moves, which she will combo, mainly to get out of trouble, as she appears to be paced by her coaches and does not force anything. Griffin makes smart, little plays, such as rotating to guard against run outs on defense and following up transition attempts to clean up on offensive boards. She plays a restrained game, in deference to teammates, and didn't show much of her own offense.



Torry Hill, a 5-7 point guard from Anaconda, Mont., has an opportunity to be one of the country's special lead guards in a couple of years. She has good instincts for a guard her age, playing against much older players. She can dribble out of trouble, penetrate and dish or finish, and hit the three-pointer with regularity. She has a tendency to use a little too much wrist snap on her shot, which flattens it out. Like most young players, she can use more strength and seems to have the body type to accomodate that.

Charmaine Tay, a 5-10 point guard from Union, N.J., should develop into one of the best in her class. She is long, slinky and an outstanding, explosive athlete. She already has great presence on the floor, showing terrific leadership and communication skills, as well as an ultra-competitive nature. With her top-notch dribbling skills and multiple moves, as well as her ability to slither through defenses and explode to the rim, she is a fearsome penetrator and already is starting to see layoffs to teammates who are revealed in open territory becase of her aggressive forays.

Destynee Thomas of Houston

Tatianna Javis of Union, N.J.

---

---

Main Event Watch - July 24