BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A pair of 2009 Missouri Valley Eclipse teammates have developed quite a following among coaches here at Basketball on the Bayou. Both have sisters already playing Big 12 basketball and, as of now, both are looking to join them there.
Here is a quick look at each, against the DFW Elite Gold:
Joanna McFarland of Derby, Kan., is a 6-foot-2 post already considered one of the top players - period - in the state of Kansas. She had the unenviable task of going up against DFW's 6-7 Brittney Griner and, while she did not have her usual great results, McFarland did show why she is such a desirable prospect.
First off, McFarland has very good interior footwork and, unusual for a young inside player, stays low and keeps her leverage on the blocks. She played angles well against Griner, keeping her sealed and offering a catch zone for wing and corner entries. McFarland beat Griner several teams to the basket, but Griner is so, so long, she blocked shots from behind. McFarland adjusted, figuring out how to get enough spacing to get her shot off and made some later in the game. She also showed a pretty sure short-range jumper in the lane.
Taber Spani (right) takes on DFW's Destini
Hughes
McFarland is more of a positional defender than a shot-blocker. It feels a bit funny to say this, but she is a little undersized for a post but knows how to make up the size difference with foot- and body work. She also could be paired with a shot-blocking center and provide inside scoring from the forward spot.
MVE teammate Taber Spani of Lee's Summit, Mo., is a 6-1, lefty guard who handles the ball a lot for her club team. She was kind of thrown to the wolves that comprise the quick DFW backcourt defense. That seemed to throw her game off a bit, yet there is very much to like about her.
As a ballhandler, Spani is decisive and has a good first step, so she tends to overpower defenders off the dribble, rather than outright break them down. She very much takes the shortest route to the cup, has good lift and strength to finish inside, even against bigger players. She also has very good form on her pull-up, which pairs well with her aggressiveness off the dribble, as does her passing, which also is decisive and crisp.
Spani took only one three-pointer, but it is easy to imagine that she could have that range, because of the leverage her size offers, plus her good form. She has a lot of confidence in her game, which led her to take on smaller, quicker DFW guards off the dribble too much, or to challenge Griner with pull-ups off penetration. The results weren't positive, but it is a plus sometimes to see girls willing to try different things, though Spani did appear to get discouraged as the game progressed.
Size for position is an obvious plus for Spani. She also is vocal and a take-charge player who is positive with her teammates.
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Glenn Nelson is the publisher and founder of HoopGurlz.com. He also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams. Glenn previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work also has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). For more on Glenn's World, click here [1]. He can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com.