Nike Nationals II

The new and improved - and well-grounded - Maya Moore was on full display Saturday at Nike Nationals. So were prospects from the Classes of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - After a significant game for her Georgia Metros club team, the country's No. 1 player in the Class of 2007 went about her Saturday night, collecting her share of the spoils of victory. They weren't the usual prizes. An ice bag was taped tight around her right knee, then her left. Another went around her right wrist. All Maya Moore needed was a bag of frozen relief affixed to the small of her back to complete the picture.

"Oh," she quipped, "I forgot about my back."

Moore's back no doubt ached because she had just finished carrying the Metros on it during a 63-38 victory over a team, All-Ohio Black, considered one of Georgia's primary rivals for the 2006 Nike Nationals championship. Unlike some of the offensively spiced performances of the recent past, this form of Maya Moore dominance had a distinctly different flavor - one with a thoroughly defensive bouquet, sprinkled liberally with big rebounds, loose balls and anything else you'd find on the local high-school hustle board.

And, oh yeah, the erstwhile Air Maya actually spent more time down on the hardwood, splattered after taking charges from All-Ohio's All-American bigs, Jantel Lavender or Ayana Dunning, or in pursuit of possesssions gone astray, than in the local stratosphere.

Maya Moore of Lawrenceville, Ga.

Ready or not, America, meet the new, improved Maya Moore. In case you want to say she's back, she never really went anywhere. She just underwent a bit of a basketball makeover.

"Every year I set goals to improve some facets of my game," Moore said after having about as dominating a nine-point outing as can be had. "This year I set out to improve my defense, especially on the perimeter, and my ballhandling. I'm making a lot of progress on my defense. I'm still working on the ballhandling. I'm doing more things, doing things my team needs. We're so deep this year. That's another big change. We have a lot of people who can hit the jump shot and do some of the things I did last year. I'm just trying to do the little things to help my team win."

It was a sight for the sore eyes of the Georgia Metros coaching staff. Coach Kathy Richey-Walton felt her team had been sluggish in recent weeks, victims of the long, tiring summer exposure period. Getting a big performance, orchestrated by the team's superstar, should constitute a well-timed wakeup call.

Leading by lunch bucket, instead of the aerial spectacular, Moore snared every big rebound, tipped just about every intended entry pass and defended Lavender, who is 6-feet-4 and probably the country's most well-developed post scorer, to a standstill while scoring all nine of her points in the first half. Of that collection of goodies, it was probably Moore's defense on Lavender that was the most critical because 6-6 Metros post Kelly Cain was sidelined early in the game with foul trouble.

"We've talked about improving her all-around game," Richey-Walton said of Moore. "In the past, I wouldn't put her on the other team's top scorer. We talked about changing that, just for her to develop her game, to round it out."

Though you can consider Moore's game rounded up, it has been a jarring transformation for many. In a way, she has performed the MTV Generation's equivalent of dressing down, going from chic to geek. Some have interpreted her less-offensive approach to be a sign of tired legs or too much bulk added in the weight room, not something as simple or seemingly illogical as choice.

After all, as recently as seven months ago, Moore delivered one of the more memorable performances in the history of girl's high-school basketball, scoring 38 points and tirelessly going tooth and nail with the defending national champions during an overtime loss by her school, Collins Hill, in the title game of the Tournament of Champions against Christ the King last December.

"It feels better to have games like this when the team has success," Moore said. "That game (in the TOC), I had (38) points, but we lost, so I hate that game. It feels best when the team does well. ... I know people like to see buckets. You can't please everyone."

And that's the point. Maya Moore is not trying to.

Lorin Dixon of Springfield Gardens, N.Y.

Lorin Dixon, the diminutive yet explosive point guard from Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y., had a strong day showcasing her much improved pullup jumper from 12-15 feet, eliminating the old tendency to over-penetrate. She scored 38 points during the Liberty Belles’ two nail biters on Saturday. Add in seven rebound and six steals and you have quite a day.

Chimere Jordan, a 5-10 slashing two-guard from Jones County High School in Georgia, had a huge second half to open up the Metros big win over All-Ohio. She scored all 16 of her points during the second half, helping turn a six-point halftime lead into a 25-point victory. She was relentless in attacking the basket both in the half court and in transition and she was finishing. Add to the scoring punch three rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot and she provided everything the Metros needed with Cain in foul trouble.

Katelan Redmon, a 6-1 wing from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Wash., helped lead her Spokane Stars team to two big wins, putting them in the driver’s seat for the second seed in their pool for the illustrious Gold Bracket. She scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the two games but she’s also a fiery player on the floor who has a toughness that rubs off on the rest of her young team. She’s not a kid who takes a lot of shots, but she always seems to be the kid that makes the and-one or gets a big offensive rebound at big moments in games. Her stock has risen very fast this summer with schools from major conferences from both coasts and in between taking a serious look at her.

Brooke Thomas of Orlando, Fla.

Brooke Thomas was outstanding during the Orlando Comets' win over Georgia Nike Elite. She pushed the ball up the floor at as rapid a pace as anyone, made good decisions and scored as well. She is a break-you-down type of point guard in the half court who can make a broken offensive set into a scoring opportunity for her teammates. She’s also got a nice mid-range pullup jumper that she can use when defenders back off to take away dribble penetration.

Dominique Dixon, a 5-9 two-guard from Detroit Renaissance High School had a solid day for the Michigan Crossovers. Most notable was her 14-point, three-rebound game against the Spokane Stars. She is a very athletic player who gave the defense fits, in the first half especially. She also showed a nice show and go into a mid-range pullup jumper on several occasions and looks as if the baseline is her sweet spot.

Morgan Toles of Fayetteville, Ga.

Morgan Toles, a 5-9 point guard from St. Pius X High School, a teammate of Kelley Cain, has emerged as a great young floor leader, getting big minutes setting the table for the Metros. Her athleticism is highlighted by top-notch quickness that she uses at both ends of the floor. For a young player, she’s surprisingly tenacious on the ball defensively. She has nice handle and keeps the floor spaced, improves passing angles as needed with the dribble and makes pretty good post entry passes as well. During the Metros' big win over All-Ohio she scored six points, dished out four assists and grabbed two rebounds. She’s one to keep an eye on as her quickness and ball handling alone are noteworthy before you even consider her court awareness. Word out of Metros camp is that she’s one of the most coachable kids they’ve ever had as well.



It’s way too early, but when a really young player steps up in a big game like Spokane Stars guard Jordan Loera did against the Michigan Crossover you have to take notice. She scored most of her nine points during a key run in the second half when her teammates where struggling with the ball pressure of the Crossovers. She knocked down a momentum-changing, three-point shot and would score six more in the game. She also used her quickness to get to loose balls. This was vital as there were so many tipped passes from the opponents' press that if she doesn’t come up with those balls the game changes completely.



Stefanie Gilbreath, the 6-1 wing from Katy, Texas, returned to West Coast Elite after missing three games with a left high ankle sprain. She had seven points and six rebounds during WCE's 77-73 loss to Boo Williams Summer League. ... Marah Strickland, the slick shooting guard from Mt. Airy, Md., was thought to have decided to rest her aching knees for the rest of the summer, but rejoined Boo Williams Summer League on Saturday at Nike Nationals. Her team had been struggling somewhat without her. She had seven points, six rebounds, two assists and a block against West Coast Elite.

Yvonne Anderson of Hoover, Ala.

Delniqua Bellamy of Detroit, Mich.

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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 [e-mail].

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Our Complete 2006 Nike Nationals Coverage Menu:

Stars of Nike Nationals III
The third, and last, in our series of Nike Nationals all-tournament teams, as chosen by HoopGurlz.com.

Stars of Nike Nationals II
The second in our series of Nike Nationals all-tournament teams, as chosen by HoopGurlz.com.

Stars of Nike Nationals
The first of our series of Nike Nationals all-tournament teams, as chosen by HoopGurlz.com.

Determination Wins Nike Nationals
Paced by the extraordinary Maya Moore, the Georgia Metros pushed and paced themselves to claim a title that eluded them last summer.

Day Three Report
All-Ohio, with the top post prospects in 2007 and 2008, leads the charge into the Nike semis.

Day Two Report
The new, improved Maya Moore, a look at prospects and photos from the day's competition.

Nike Nationals Standings
Results and standings from each pool.

Nike Nationals Stats Leaders
See who's tops in scoring, rebounding, assists or blocks.

Day One Report
The return of Elena DelleDonne and Angie Bjorklund, and a look at prospects plus news, notes and photos.

A Coach's Highs & Lows
A photographer's interpretation of what goes through the head of Tennessee Flight coach Matt Insell.

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