Bull City Classic Watch

Candace Wood of Charlotte, N.C., was among the standout players at the Bull City Classic last weekend in Durham, N.C.

DURHAM, N.C. - The Bull City Classic for the last 10 years has been a showcase of top players on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is put on by Mount Zion Christian Academy and has always featured some of the best players in the Country. Only one problem: It was a boys only tournament.

With the emergence of several top-flight girl’s teams in the state of North Carolina (Victory Christian Center, Providence Day and Charlotte Christian in Charlotte, N.C.; Cardinal Gibbons, Word of God and Cary Academy in Raleigh, N.C., as well as Thomasville and Asheville High Schools), Mt. Zion has added some girl’s brackets to the Bull City Classic. With 12 girl’s teams competing, there were several interesting players at this year’s tournament.

Probably the biggest name in this year’s tournament was Candace Wood, a 6-foot-1 wing of Victory Christian Center in Charlotte, N.C. While her team is not the powerhouse it has been in the last eight years, she did show why she is a North Carolina commit. The daughter of former UNC great and NBA player Al Wood, Candace showed her shooting range, playing exclusively around the three-point arc. She also showed an ability to drive from the wings and good draw and dish skills. Victory took the runner-up spot in the National Bracket.

The winner of the National Bracket was Hillside High School in Durham, N.C., a mostly sophomore-laden team. They are led by sophomore Asia Williams, a 5-11 combo guard who is both quick and physical, adept at the pull-up jumper, attacking the basket or drilling the three-pointer. They also have a couple of intriguing post players in 6-1 Ted’Chandra McKoy and 6-5 Camille McGirt, both juniors. McKoy is athletic, more fitting with the fast-break style of this team, while McGirt is more of a traditional post with good finishing skills around the basket.

In the Shoot-Out bracket, the winner was Gaston Day School of Gastonia, N.C., led by twin senior guards Nisha and Kisha Long. Generously listed at 5-6, both are good three-point shooters, excellent transition passers and do a good job of playing the passing lanes. They definitely will need to get stronger for the next level, but each would be a good choice for a combo guard for a Division I school which could cover for their size.

A couple of interesting prospects play for Veritas Christian School of Flecher, N.C. Jamie Jordan is a 6-0 sophomore who does everything for this school. She has excellent ball skills, is a good passer and a good shooter with range. She plays every position, including point guard for Veritas. She however has a post player build; extremely strong, but not great quickness. Milda Sakalyte is a 6-0 junior who is currently playing post, but has a good mid-range game and is more athletic than Jordan. She has the potential to be a combo forward in college.

There also were some promising players on some non- North Carolina based teams. A great find for someone will be Tiana Hawkins, a 6-4 post from National Christian Academy of Fort Washington, Md. She averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds in the National Bracket and showed a good touch from the outside. North Charleston High School was led by senior wing Ebony Parker and sophomore guard Kayla Carter.

Finally, a prediction - watch out for 8th grade guard Charon Singleton, who showed great aggressiveness and poise for North Charleston.

---

Harry Ball is a former AAU coach and director for the Wake County Sting in Raleigh, N.C.

---

Discuss This on Our Message Board:

Click Here