Contenders (Elite Division 32 Teams)
Schedule – www.boowilliamsbball.com
Tennessee Flight – Tom Insell’s crew has to be the most talented team at Boo with LaQuinta Jefferson (Lavergne, TN), Kaleena Lewis (Mater Dei, CA), Ronika Ransford (HD Woodson, DC), Valencia McFarland (MS), Keisha Crouch (Hillsboro, TN), Stephanie Dolson (NY), and some secret weapons out of the Deep South. In talking to Insell this week, he expressed he’s never won Boo Williams and it is their goal this season to win the event. Last year the Flight won Nike Nationals, which is the last time all these teams have played together. It will be interesting to see if all that talent is enough to push through and get one for Tom.
Boo Williams – When talking about Boo Williams’s team at his own event, make sure to reference the quote at the bottom of the page. In talking to long time experts, the belief is that Boo has won about 50% of the tournaments that have been held in Norfolk, VA. Boo’s team this year is headlined by Princess Anne Sophomore Elizabeth Williams. who is one of the top young post players in the country. Boo has added super-soph Whitney Knight out of the Winston-Salem area to help secure the perimeter. Knight has attended Bishop McGuiness High School in Kernersville, NC, the last two years but will transfer to RJ Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem next year, according to her father. While at Bishop McGuiness, Knight (known as "Scrubby") led her team to two State Division 1A Championships, where she was voted Most Outstanding Player in this year's championship game. Look for Chloe Wells to lead Boo at the point. While this team is talented, it may not be the favorite to win the event for the first time in recent years.
Philadelphia Belles - I do not know if I should call them the New York or Philly Belles. Mike Flynn has made the trek up Interstate 95 and has ruled the Big Apple with Apache Paschall in club basketball this year. The Belles feature Penn State commit Maggie Lucas, who is rated in the top 50 nationally. Along with Lucas in the backcourt, Flynn has added Doris Ortega and Cece Dixon of Murray Bergtraum High School. Dixon and Ortega were originally slated to play for New York Elite prior to Flynn swooping in to get them on the Belles. Those additions make the Belles backcourt one of the best in the country. Look for them to make some waves this weekend regardless of what Mike tells you.
Cy Fair – Cy Fair has added Keena Mays from DFW which should sure up the guard spots which were left open by graduation. One thing that always works in top level tournaments is when you have the best player in the event, you are a legitimate contender. In this case, Chiney Ogwumike is rated by most experts as the #1 player in the class of 2010 and she just happens to play for Cy Fair. Along with Mays in the backcourt, super-soph Alexia Standish will likely share time at the point and 2-guard position.
The Quote
“It’s hard to beat Boo at Boo” – Bob Corwin
Sleepers
Exodus – As of this morning I was told that Bria Hartley would not be attending Boo Williams but will play with the Exodus team which will be at the Deep South Classic. One has to wonder who really knows who will be where, but if a late phone call is made and the right kids show up in Virginia, it would be hard to see the Exodus not being in the final four of the event. Because of their split between the two events, they are our sleeper for Boo Williams.
The Future
If you have time go check out the Georgia Ice. The Ice won last year’s 12U AAU National Championship and are led by super-8th grader Kaela Davis who is the daughter of former NBA Player (and Ice Coach) Antonio Davis. The star power does not just stop there because former NBA Player Dee Brown’s daughter Alexis Brown (5’5’’ G 2013 Lake Highland Prep) is also on the team along with the daughter of Major League Baseball player Ken Griffey Junior.
Fab Juniors
Odyssey Sims 5’7’’ PG MacArthur, TX (DFW Elite)
Chiney Ogwumike 6’3’’ F Cy Fair TX (Cy Fair)
LaQuinta Jefferson 5’10’’ W Lavergne TN (Tennessee Flight)
Chelsea Gray 5’9’’ G St Mary CA (Cal Storm)
Ronika Ransford 5’8’’ G HD Woodson DC (Tennessee Flight)
Valencia McFarland 5’6’’ PG MS (Tennessee Flight)
Doris Ortega 5’8’’ G Murray Bergtraum NY (Philly Belles)
Alexis Burke 6’0’’ F Bainbridge GA (Essence)
Fab Sophomores
Amber Henson 6’3’’ F Sickles FL – Orlando Comets Red
Bonnie Samuelson 6’2’’ Edison CA – Cal Storm
Rachel Hollivay 6’4’’ C Hope MS – Essence
Bria Smith 5’9’’ G Christ The King NY – Philly Belles
Whitney Knight 6’2’’ G Bishop McGuiness NC – Boo Williams
Elizabeth Williams 6’3’’ C Princess Anne VA – Boo Williams
Kaleena Lewis 5’9’’ G Mater Dei, CA – Tennessee Flight
Fab Freshmen
Brianna Stewart 6’3’’ F NY – Philly Belles
Niya Johnson 5’8’’ G PK Yonge FL – Essence
Alexis Jones 5’8’’ G MacArthur TX – DFW Elite
Alexis Prince 6’2’’ F Edgewater FL - Essence