Previewing St. Elizabeth

Led by Khadijah Rushdan, the No. 10 player in the 2007 class, St. Elizabeth gets after it on defense and shoots the three.

PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
ST. ELIZABETH VIKINGS

Hometown: Wilmington, Del.
Head Coach: Tom Ferrier
Last Year: 24-2, Division II Runners Up
First-Round Matchup: Issaquah, Dec. 27, 4 p.m.

Overall
Rutgers-bound Khadijah Rushdan, the No. 10 player in the 2007 class, per HoopGurlz.com, leads a smallish, but quick and tenacious team whose only obstacle to a Delaware state championship has been Ursuline Academy and Elena DelleDonne, the No. 1 player in 2008.

Scouting Report

Khadijah Rushdan

St. Elizabeth will see somewhat of a mirror image in Issaquah - a team that gets into it defensively and makes a lot of offense off its opponents' turnovers. The Viks play mostly man defense, but will trap and overplay the passing lanes. They also use a 2-2-1 halfcourt trap and some 1-3-1 zone. Their guards, led by Rushdan, fly around on defense and are all very good on the ball. St. Elizabeth has great quick-strike capability and looks for run-outs. In the halfcourt, the Vikings slash to finish or kick to shooters. Rushdan creates a lot of their inside game, either off penetration or laser-like passes, often from beyond the three-point line, to cutters. St. Elizabeth does tend to rush its offense, getting a lot of one-pass-and-launch possessions and sometimes gets stagnant in the halfcourt.

Key Players

Khadijah Rushdan, 5-9 senior: One of the elite members of an excellent group of 2007 combo guards, Rushdan is built like a tank, has long arms and is explosive. She can defend, hit the three, deliver contorting finishes off penetration and throw dimes from anywhere on the court.

Natalia Charriez, 5-6 senior: This lefty is a defensive demon on the ball and is all over the court, plus is the secondary point after Rushdan.

Courtney Cochrane, 6-2 senior: She comes off the bench with the team's only real size.

Amanda Craig, 5-7 junior: The other of the three starting guards who plays defense, handles the ball and can hit the three.

Joy Rutland, 5-11 junior: Easily the second-best player on the team and a DI prospect, Rutland is long, runs the floor extremely well, has handle and can stick the standstill three.

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