Stars of Nike Nationals II

PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - Our second team all-tournament for Nike Nationals (our third and fourth teams will be posted later this week):

2006 HOOPGURLZ ALL-NIKE NATIONALS 2ND TEAM

(CLICK ON NAMES FOR PROFILES)

Lynetta Kizer

Lynetta Kizer
6-3 post, 2008
Boo Williams

The Lowdown: Kizer was a beast all weekend in the paint. She was a consistent rebounder, even against teams with bigger front lines. She grabbed 12 rebounds against the All-Ohio front court of Ayana Dunning and Jantel Lavender. She also played very good defense in the post. For a junior-to-be, she has great size and strength and unlike most youngsters she’s able to use them. She keeps a body on people in the paint making them earn every inch. Offensively she continues to develop while getting plenty of buckets cleaning up the glass.

Jantel Lavender

Jantel Lavender
6-4 post, 2007
All-Ohio Black

The Lowdown: Lavender is the most polished post scorer in the country and she scored the ball here at Nike Nationals. She has a nice turnaround jumper that she went to often as well as power moves on the block against smaller players. What really makes her tough to defend is that she can step out and hit 16 foot jumpers with consistency and the high post was where she was most effective this week, drawing the opposition’s biggest defender and if they took away the mid-range jumper she was smart enough to recognize teammate Ayana Dunning had a mismatch down low.

Italee Lucas

Italee Lucas
5-8 guard, 2007
West Coast Elite

The Lowdown: On any given day Lucas can control a game entirely. Her dribble moves can freeze even the stoutest of defenders and when her pull-up jumper gets going you’re in for a long day. Not only did she score well and put up big numbers, like the first half of the Boo Williams pool game, but she led the tournament in assists through pool play. Because she scores a lot, her passing skills often get overlooked, but she is a perpetual dime dropper and makes some exciting plays on the floor.

Alicia Manning

Alicia Manning
6-1 wing, 2008
Georgia Metros

The Lowdown: Maya Moore’s replacement at the three next year is not waiting until she’s gone to bring her A game. Manning played alongside Moore and was phenomenal all weekend long. She’s a fierce competitor who showcased her abilities to score the basketball in numerous ways. She was very active on the offensive glass and her pull-up jumper is a thing of beauty with nice elevation and just a touch of fade before her high release. Defensively she is becoming a lockdown defender as she’s getting her 6-1 frame low and wide and using her strength efficiently without fouling too much.

Angela Puleo

Angela Puleo
5-9 guard, 207
Tennessee Flight

The Lowdown: Can you say shooter? Puleo was on fire most of the tournament helping lead the Tennessee Flight to the thrilling overtime championship game. Most shooters get made in the first few games and struggle to get shots off, but her release is so quick that very few teams were able to limit her attempts. She even got it going shooting off the dribble for a couple of games when teams overplayed the catch and shoot. She’s a kid who spent most of her life as a point guard which is where her dribble moves to create space for her jumper come from. She also played good defense in the tournament as well.

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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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