STORY & PHOTOS BY CHRIS HANSEN
Shenneika Smith shoots a jumper from the corner.
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The 2008 adidas Super South Showcase featured many up and coming youngsters as well as some top 2009 prospects. Hosted at Winthrop University the player’s participated in the first major event of this year’s NCAA certified season.
In bouncing between the Winthrop Coliseum and the West Recreation Center length and athleticism was surrounding at almost every turn. This tip sheet will highlight a sampling of players from the weekend’s action from the 2009 class but is not inclusive with 190 teams participating.
Caprice McAndrew, Exodus New England (Somerville HS, Mass.), has a great build for basketball with length and a strong frame. Though I wouldn’t bet the farm that she’s the listed 6-foot-3 she’s a terrific athlete for her size. Her game is raw but her natural leaping ability makes her a solid on the glass and she can elevate and score in the paint.
Samantha Arnold, Chicago Hoops Express I (Lake Park HS, Ill.), looked like a top 100 player this weekend. The 6-4 forward who has verbally committed to Michigan is not a bruising interior post but her footwork is impeccable and her touch with both hands around the basket makes her a handful. Her mid-range game was equally as impressive.
Samantha Arnold shoots a pretty fade-away
over Amber Henson.
Talia Caldwell, FBC Blue (Marlborough HS, Calif.), has come a long way. The 6-4 post has nice agility and her progression in footwork in the last year is incredible. She is more confident and consistent finishing in the paint. She can also handle the ball some and has taken a rebound the length of the floor for a bucket herself on several occasions.
Karneshia Garrett , Alabama Twisters Elite Juniors (Wenonah HS, Ala.), showed good touch around the basket. Even coming off a knee injury, the 6-2 forward played with very good agility and handle for her size. Garrett is a player to keep an eye on once she gets back to full health and basketball shape following the injury.
Christine Huber, Exodus NYC (St. John the Baptist, N.Y.), was consistent and showed well on both ends of the court. She is a dependable shot blocker who doesn’t wind up and swat at the ball and showed she can score the basketball in numerous ways as well.
Adia Mathis, Blue Chip Elite Blue (Iroquois HS, Kent.), showed her dynamic scoring guard abilities in spurts. She has great quickness and the 5-9 guard has quick hops to make her an excellent scorer in transition. Working her off-hand would take her to the next level.
Asia Mathis, Blue Chip Elite Blue (Iroquois HS, Kent.), is a shifty point guard who was among the strongest with the ball. She creates space well with the shake she has in her ball handling moves. Consistency in decision making was all that really stopped her in this tournament.
Brenna McAdams, Indiana Elite FW (Wawasee HS, Ind.), showcased her ball handling abilities. The 5-10 guard has a good collection of moves – crossover, kick-out, behind-the-back, between-the-legs – to break down the defender. The only thing missing was better control of speed. If McAdams can master her change-of-pace to go with all her change-of-direction moves she’ll be a tough player to defend.
Christine Huber elevates for two.
Adrienne Pracher, Memphis Lady Bobcats Gold (Memphis East HS, Tenn.), is one of the most poised players you will find with the ball in her hands. She has the ability to break down the defender as well and her hesitation, kick-out dribble move going right was nothing short of nasty (in a good way). She utilizes shoulder fakes with her ball fakes to create space. She finished on the break as well. She never really cranked it into high gear running the break as the point guard though. She made plays but the burst she showed taking the defender off the dribble from the wing or top of the key didn’t translate into a fast paced break.
Jelleah Sidney, Exodus NYC (St. Michael Academy, N.Y.), looked even more impressive than she did a year ago. She seems to be quicker and even more explosive. Her agility and aggressiveness have the 6-2 slasher looking like she can play the wing position in college where we saw her as more of a forward a year ago. Her anticipation on defense when her team was trapping was exceptional and she got the ball where it needed to be on the break consistently.
Shenneika Smith, Exodus NYC (St. Michael Academy, N.Y.), has the uncanny ability to raise up on any defender at any time and unleash her picture perfect jumper. She elevates extremely high with a nice release point that allows her to shoot over taller defenders. The 6-1 guard’s ability to create instant offense keeps the pressure on the defense the entire game.
DeNesha Stallworth, FBC Blue (Pinole Valley HS, Calif.), combined with Caldwell to make a formidable duo in the paint this weekend. Her footwork continues to improve and she has a steady demeanor in the paint leading to strong solid shot attempts in the post. The defensive end is where she needs to turn it up a notch.
Theairra Taylor, Minnesota Stars-Hested (St. Paul Central HS, Minn.), played at a very high level which warrants top 100 consideration. She is a great slashing scorer with terrific bounce. The 5-11 guard really shined with her mid-range game where she dialed in her pull-up jumper. Off the dribble she can shoot to approximately 17-feet and her catch-and-shoot range extends to the three-point line.
Taylor Wurtz, Wisconsin Fastbreak Select (Ripon HS, Wisc.), was better than anyone all weekend at simply making shots. She has a quick, although low, release but a high arcing shot that goes in way more often then it rims out. The 6-foot guard’s range extended a few feet behind the three-point arc and she knew when she had enough space to pull the trigger. She put the ball on the floor and showed a jaw-dropping pull-up jumper with a defender hanging all over her. She handled the ball for her team as well and has a strong frame. Wurtz’s upright posture is the only thing limiting her as a ball-handler as she has plenty of coordination and dribbling skill.
Toni Young, Oklahoma Select 91 (Del City HS, Okla.), was one of the most impressive athletes in the entire event. At halftime of a game she gracefully soared to the basket and dunked the ball like it was nothing. Needless to say she has major hops but even more so the 6-1 forward has a nice mid-range jumper to complement her ability to score in the paint. The only limiting factor seemed to be her hesitancy to use her left hand to finish with a defender in the vicinity.
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Chris Hansen is the National Director of Scouting for Women’s Basketball at HoopGurlz.com. He leads the panel that evaluates and ranks girl's basketball prospects nationally for HoopGurlz. Chris has been involved in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He can be reached at chris@hoopgurlz.com [2].
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