FGB (Florida Girl’s Basketball) (Winter Park, Fl)
Director: Kenny Kallina
Affiliation: Blue Star & Elite Basketball Family
Spring Event: Peach State Tip Off Classic (Atlanta, GA)
FGB is in it’s second season as being called FGB. FGB finished 2nd in the Peach State Best of Summer Event last July and won the Silver Bracket of Battle in the Boro. This summer FGB will be playing in Blue Star and Peach State Events through the viewing period. At point guard FGB has three tough guards all of which are at least Mid-Division I prospects. Recently off injury Shawn Randall (5’7’’ PG 2010 Pine Castle) is looking to prove she once again as one of the top point guards in the south. Latesha Johnson (5’8’’ PG 2010 Lakewood) is a strong bodied point guard who has a great mid range game and can really defend. Ronisha Mitchell (5’5’’ PG 2010 Wildwood) started most of the summer for FGB last year but will share time with the added depth this year. From the wing spot FGB has a variety of weapons including recently added 5’8’’ Latavia Dempsey (Boca Ciega 2010) who is one of the top scorers in Florida. Along with Dempsey, Jermisha McRae (5’9’’ G Atlantic 2010) is a strong guard who is one of the best guards in Florida and really can get to the rim. Kim Smith (5’10’’ G East Ridge 2010) may be the top shooter on the team and has already gotten looks from the Sun Belt and Big XII. Charo Fowler (6’0’’ G Winter Park 2010) picked up an offer from Marshall earlier in the spring and is one of the most underrated wing players in the state along with 5’9’’ Guard Sunshine Reid who scored 70 points in the last two games of her season for Mayo Lafayette. Finally, Bianca Hanna (5’9’’ G Southeast 2010) left the Lakeland Cavaliers for FGB this year and adds more depth to an athletic wing core. In the post FGB sports a pair of 2011 players in Tynia McKinzie (6’2’’ F Lake Howell 2011) who was the high scorer in the Class 5A State Championship game and 6’3’’ Forward Brianna Wright (Titusville 2011) who may be the most underrated 2011 player in the south. Wright and McKinzie will be invited to the Nike Skills Academy and be able to showcase their skills against other top sophomores from the south in Atlanta this spring. Janae Wilson (6’3’’ Forward Lakewood) and Meme Ward (6’3’’ Forward Winter Haven) are new additions to this year’s FGB squad and will add experience and depth to a very talented front court. All in all it would be no surprise to see FGB send more hten 10 players to the Division I level in 2010.
Team Breakdown (Miami, Fl)
Director: Pat Gajardo
Affiliation: None
Spring Event: Boo Williams (Newport News, VA)
Breakdown splashed on the scene last year with finishing 2nd in the AAU Junior Showcase after beating the Philly Belles and Tennessee Flight before losing to Boo Williams in the final. Breakdown lost the core of their team sending Bianca Lutley (LSU), Sasha Bernard (Indiana), Leeza Burgess (Pitt), and Sandra Garcia (Wake Forest) all off to college. Luckily the top prospect in their program (Dawnn Maye) returns this year to lead Team Breakdown at the point guard position. Breakdown also has added Jassany Williams (6’2’’ Forward Nova 2010) and Alyssa Baron (5’9’’ G Gulliver Prep 2010) to a team which be very good this spring and summer. Along with the additions of Williams and Baron from the South Florida Jaguars, Pat Gajardo may have found one of the jewels of the South in 6’5’’ 2012 prospect Macy Keen out of Northeast High School. Gajardo says Keen is currently very raw but could out to be the top 2012 prospect in the state of Florida. Gajardo also says that 5’8’’ Guard out of Fort Lauderdale Dillard Lauren McGraw’s recruiting is heating up and it is only matter of time before she garners FBS level scholarship offers. Along with McGraw and Maye, Candace Parsons a 6’2’’ Forward from Dillard strengthens a strong front line for Team Breakdown.
Essence Girl’s Basketball (Tallahassee, Fl)
Directors: Kim Davis & Kelvin Powell
Affiliation: Nike Travel Team
Spring Event: Boo Williams (Newport News, VA)
No one had a better recruiting season then the Essence who added 6’5’’ C Alicia DeVaughn from South Broward High School and the Hollywood Eagles and Alexis Prince 6’2’’ 2012. While these additions are critical, the point guard position is more critical and the loss of 5 star prospect Cassie Peoples to a broken leg is going to nullify some of the success the Essence have had in recruiting. Along with DeVaughn and Prince the Essence already have 5’7’’ Florida commit Jaterra Bonds and 6’3’’ 2011 Rachel Holliday who hails from Mississippi. The Essence struggled last year losing to the Philly Belles by 40 at Boo Williams and finishing Nike Nationals 0-6, this group of talent that Kelvin Powell has put together should be good enough to get them into the top 10 nationally this year. Along with Bonds and Holliday, Alexis Burke a 6’0’’ versatile wing player from Bainbridge Georgia gives the Essence two big time 2010 prospects and leaves some good talent left over in 2011 with Holliday. If Peoples returns to the team in July after the injury they could be a favorite at Nike Nationals. Along with Holliday in 2011, Michelle Woods 5’8’’ G 2011 Naples Community School will be a top 50 recruit for the Essence. Woods was one of the few bright spots last year for the Essence at Nike Nationals. Luckily for the Essence they have recently created some partnerships to keep their recruiting strong for this season and attempt to make their summer event competitive with others around the country.
Orlando Comets (Orlando, Fl)
Director: Jack Givens
Affiliation: Nike Travel Team
Spring Event: Boo Williams (Newport News, VA)
While the Essence finished winless at Nike Nationals last year, the Comets did not much better and were unable to get the top young player in their city this year (Alexis Prince). Instead the Comets went out and got 6’3’’ Forward Amber Henson 2011 of Tampa Sickles. While there is no doubt the addition of Henson is big for the Comets, if she chooses to attend the Jordan Brand All American Game where her brother is playing in April it could be a long weekend in Virginia for the Comets. The Comets have 6’3’’ Miami commit Selina Archer who is one of the top 150 players in the country in 2010. Adding depth in the front court is 6’3’’ Alexis Parker (Vero Beach 2010) who missed Nike Nationals last year with an injury. The weakness to the Comets comes in their backcourt that has Boone guards Leo Montalvo (5’1’’ 2010) and Jordan Mosley (5’6’’ 2011). While Mosley and Montalvo is a tough tandem in Orange County high school basketball, they are not elite level prospects who are able to compete day in and day out with the caliber player on the Nike Circuit. On the wing, Brooke Bowie had a great high school season for Lake Howell and is a tremendous athlete. Bowie will have to be responsible for a significant amount of scoring on this team when the ball does not enter the post. If the Comets struggle at Boo Williams they have to be fearful of a similar type of exodus from the team like in 2008 when Ashley Jones left the Comets for Tennessee Flight.
Jacksonville Lady Rams (Jacksonville, Fl)
Director: Tony Bannister
Affiliation: Mike White
Spring Event: Deep South
The Jacksonville Lady Rams are essentially the same as Potter’s House Christian Academy plus a few other kids. Jade Givens 2010 G from Tampa Jefferson is on the team as well as a few other players. The Rams are led by hard nosed run and jump defense and the chemistry that comes along with playing together year round. The top players for the Rams are mostly in the class of 2011 led by Shalethia Springfield who is a 5’8’’ guard, Brittany Rountree a 5’6’’ Guard, and Loliya Briggs a 5’11’’ forward. In the class of 2012 the Rams have Antoinette Bannister who is the daughter of head coach Tony Bannister.
Best of the Rest: South Florida Lady Jags, DEBO, Shooters Touch Academy,
Top Young Teams in Florida
15U: FGB Sophomore Elite; Florida Wildcats
14U: Florida Elite
13U: Lady Diamonds
12U: Central Florida Thunder