BEST IN CLASS
State of Washington 2007
(CLICK ON NAMES FOR PROFILES)
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Starters
Angie Bjorklund |
Angie Bjorklund
6-0 Guard
University High (Spokane)
National Rank: No. 2 Overall
Tennessee Signee
The Lowdown: Bjorklund is an anomaly in this SportsCenter generation - a player who can dominate a game from the perimeter. No one in the country is more fundamentally sound in getting open, setting up and launching. She's also bigger and stronger than most guards and adept on the blocks. Opponents have tried to defend her with smaller, faster players with decent success - until the game's on the line. |
Alex Montgomery |
Alex Montgomery
6-1 Wing
Lincoln High (Tacoma)
National Rank: No. 15 overall
Georgia Tech Signee
The Lowdown: Few players in the country get up and down the court quicker, with or without the ball. Montgomery has great ups and a huge wingspan, which makes her formidable on the boards and as a defensive deterrent. Vastly improved ballhandling and perimeter shooting makes her the kind of player college coaches dream about putting on the wings. |
Christina Nzekwe |
Christina Nzekwe
6-4 Forward
Chief Sealth (Seattle)
National Rank: No. 32 overall
UCLA Signee
The Lowdown: Athletic, long and skilled, Nzekwe has been recruited as the sleeper of this class, which she very well may be with strong coaching, as court sense may be one of her few deficiencies. At 6-4, she can shoot mid-range jumpers, handle, rebound, pass and defend. She has had a histroy of being overlooked because of Sealth teammate Rogers. |
Regina Rogers |
Regina Rogers
6-4 Post
Chief Sealth (Seattle)
National Rank: No. 43 Overall
UCLA Signee
The Lowdown: The girl simply has presence, plus can perform jaw-dropping feats for a player her size. Conditioning has been a bugaboo, but that conceivably will be less of an issue under the stricter environment of a college program. Rogers has made the best of a limited offensive repertoire with great will, competitiveness and power. |
Courtney Vandersloot |
Courtney Vandersloot
5-8 Guard
Kentwood High (Kent)
National Rank: No. 64 Overall
Gonzaga Signee
The Lowdown: Vandersloot blew up during the State 4A tournament and, no offense to Gonzaga, could have gone to a high-major program. Few in the country are better at finding open teammates off penetration. She is excellent at getting into the lane and her three-point shot is rarely far off the mark. |
Sixth Woman
Sarah Morton |
Sarah Morton
5-8 Guard
Monroe High (Monroe)
National Rank: No. 66 Overall
Washington Signee
The Lowdown: Now recovered from major reconstructive knee surgery, Morton is perhaps the most strategically sound points in the country. Keeping track of the clock, teammates and opposing defenses seem to come as second nature. She also is a ballhandling wiz who can shoot it to the three-point line. |
Top Reserves
Katelan Redmon |
Katelan Redmon
6-0 Guard
Lewis & Clark (Spokane)
National Rank: No. 104 Overall
Washington Signee
The Lowdown: Redmon had a breakout game in the State 4A championship game, scoring 22 points to lead Lewis & Clark to the title. She didn't stop there, attracting the attention of colleges with her length, athleticism and skill level. |
Stephanie Wilber |
Stephanie Wilber
6-1 Wing
Auburn Riverside (Auburn)
National Rank: NR
Arizona State Signee
The Lowdown: When healthy, Wilber is as good an inside-outside threat as there is. She has a great lefty stroke from three-point range and ballhandling skills enough to play the wing. She's been holding down the post for the Ravens, so also has good fundamentals on the blocks. |
Mackenzie Argens |
Mackenzie Argens
6-3 Post
Roosevelt High (Seattle)
National Rank: NR
Washington Signee
The Lowdown: Long and athletic with good size, Argens can dominate games with her shot-blocking and one-on-one defense on the blocks. She remains a work in progress, albeit improving, on offense, where a tendency to miss from close range is an issue. |
Chanieka Williams |
Chanieka Williams
5-9 Guard
Garfield High (Seattle)
National Rank: NR
Syracuse Signee
The Lowdown: Williams is quick and fearless, which will help her in the Big East. She really isn't an expert in anything but the ability to make big plays, with the shot, pass, defense or, even, on the glass. |
Nia Jackson |
Nia Jackson
5-7 Guard
Chief Sealth (Seattle)
National Rank: NR
Oregon Signee
The Lowdown: With Jackson on the floor, wing entries nearly are automatic turnovers for opposing teams. With quick hands, she also excels at stripping ballhandlers. Jackson makes a living off layups resulting from all the rips and passing lane overplays. |
Brittany Eskridge |
Brittany Eskridge
6-2 Forward
Jackson High (Mill Creek)
National Rank: NR
Oregon State Signee
The Lowdown: Eskridge makes an impact on defense with her timing, leaping ability and long arms. She has the quickness and mobility to play on the wing, but would need to improve her ballhandling and long-distance shooting. |
Other Top Players
Amanda Best, 5-11 Guard (Woodinville HS), New Mexico Signee, longest-distance shooter.
Sarah Strand, 6-1 Forward (King's HS), Montana State Signee, can shoot, handle and pass.
Coriann Wood, 6-1 Wing (Connell HS), BYU Signee, very athletic, aggressive and skilled.
Nikki Nelson, 5-5 (Chewelah Alternative), New Mexico Signee, ultra-reliable point guard.
Cydney Knight, 6-1 Guard (Pasco HS), Utah Signee, great size for backcourt, maybe even point.
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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 girl's 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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