TOP PERFORMER

Caroline Doty was everywhere, including the floor

Caroline Doty, 2008, G, Connecticut Verbal Commitment
Doty was the most consistent and impressive player at this year's Academy, based on the criteria above as well as just about any criteria you can come up with. She was really that good this week. Doty consistently applied the skills from the various drills into the games, made plays game after game, and was a role model, even for her peers on how to go about your business. Perhaps having been here last year made her better prepared, but she is just a hard working kid all the time. She blew by people, utilized the footwork taught on slide steps and step backs to create space for shots and knocked down open jumpers. She passed the ball well, too, finding people on the break and in the half court. Doty also worked hard on defense, and while not a stalwart on the ball, she is a very good defender nonetheless.

The Rest of the Swoosh Super Six

Kelsey Bone, 2009, P, Undecided
Bone is the most polished post player in the country and the most powerful. She looked really smooth in all the post foot work drills and she was able to build on those with her plethora of scoring moves. She showed an improving left hand and was only slowed by an ankle injury that she played through with the exception of one session.

Skylar Diggins, 2009, G, Undecided
Diggins is a serious competitor that doesn't take any plays or repetitions off. She worked hard in every drill and gave consistent energy throughout. She focused in on the drills and executed them from the ball handling to setting up her jumper. A wider shooting stance is about the only thing you can pick on. Her play in competition was fierce and she ended the last day on a huge tear, scoring bucket after bucket on floaters and pull ups.

Kelsey Bone

Glory Johnson, 2008, F, Undecided
Johnson is the best athlete in the class. She is faster and more explosive than anyone here. She didn't rely on it, though, and looked great in the drill work. She is one of the few interior players to consistently keep a low base both before she catches the ball inside and while attacking, which is where the huge burst comes from. Johnson probably was the most improved throughout the workouts in her footwork and she really tried to work her left hand in drills even when the number of makes was being counted if using the left was the proper shot.

Lynetta Kizer, 2008, P, Maryland Verbal Commitment
At last year's Academy, Kizer came in with raw power and athleticism and left showing she was starting to understand the footwork in the post. This year she showed she was ready for more and her footwork was among the best of the post players. She played powerful in competition and worked extremely hard in the drilling. Two things that will unleash her game are getting low when working for position both before the catch and after, and developing her left hand. She is so good with her pivots that she often makes a great move, but tries to finish with her left hand. As the Academy went on, she really started to understand the limitations of using her right hand under the basket on the left side.

April Sykes, 2008, G, Undecided
Sykes was a close second to Doty in her textbook execution in the drill work. She focused on proper technique and was great in the change of pace and change of direction work. She always maintained good balance, was attentive during instruction and played fantastic during competition. Sykes played through a bruised thumb that has hampered her since late spring and, other than the tape drawing attention to it, she seems nearly 100 percent and her jumper is dropping as often as ever. The next evolution for Sykes is getting into absolute elite-level physical condition where she's fresher in the fourth quarter than the competition is at the start of the game.