REWIND: Nike Nationals 2006

By Chris Hansen
with Glenn Nelson
Posted Mon, 07/30/2007 - 18:25 On the eve of the 2007 Nike Nationals Championship we take a look back at the Gold and Silver Medal winners from 2006 and some of the other coverage from last year's event.

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NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - It was the one tournament that the Georgia Metros were unable to win last year. So perhaps it was fitting that, early this summer, they lost a couple of games getting everyone on their 14-player roster involved. That ensured that they would be ready for the most talented field of any tournament in the country at the 2006 Nike Nationals.

For the Metros, the emotion displayed after their 62-59 overtime win over the Tennessee Flight in the Gold Bracket championship game spoke to their focus and mission this weekend, and really told the story as Maya Moore, the nation’s top player, embraced head coach Kathy Richey-Walton with tears streaming down her face. Her determination to do whatever it took to win was the stuff that makes great players extraordinary.

Despite a questionable decision with the Metros trailing by three and Moore at the line with nine seconds remaining in regulation, shooting one-and-one, she persevered. She hit the front end to pull Georgia within two points. The competitor in her wanted to tie the game right then and there, not cut the lead to one, extend the game by fouling again, and getting perhaps a chance to tie thereafter. She spiked the ball off the backboard, grazing rim and swooped into the lane, seemingly surprising even her own team and went for a quick putback. The officials waved it off. The ball actually came off just right, but Moore left the restricted free throw zone before the shot hit the rim.

The Metros finally found a way to foul the Flight quickly after Cetera DeGraffenreid was able on multiple possessions to elude ostensibly the entire Metros squad. The Flight played with heart pulsating from their uniforms the entire game, but perhaps the long weekend and the heavy burden of playing such a talented, big and strong team wore down their legs, as their usually dependable free throw shooters came up short and despite both teams being in what would be a high school double bonus (this tournament had some modified rules, which is common during the evaluation period at all events, and every bonus situation was one-and-one). So missing the front of the bonus cost them not only one point but multiple opportunities at a second point.

The missed free throws gave Moore one more shot at redemption, one more shot at victory and this is the last player in the country you want to give multiple chances to beat you, especially the way she was playing Monday. During the Metros’ semifinal win over the Family Monday morning, Moore had the most ridiculous performance of the summer against a team that was steamrolling through the field this weekend – 42 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks, four steals and three assists.

I’ve double and triple checked the box scores there is no typo. We wrote earlier that she was dominating this year more on the defensive end and doing the little things for the Metros to win, but with her goal of winning Nike Nationals almost in reach she didn’t just do the little things she did some major damage scoring the basketball.

Moore, who finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists, would take full advantage of her new found second reprieve and she did so with a moxy that even top college players don’t have. With nine seconds remaining and two and three Flight defenders on her the length of the floor, she stayed under control and calm, working her way into the paint and gracefully and smoothly converting on a seven-foot pullup to put it in overtime.

In overtime the Metros found the passing angles into the post that the Flight had done a great job of limiting. The old adage in overtime usually is the first team to score back-to-back buckets is usually going to win and the Kelley Cain, one of the nation’s top post prospects, did just that for her team. With the defense fronting her she worked the defender up the lane to give the entry pass room to drop into her target hand and with her amazing hands and smooth touch around the basket the buckets were as good as in as soon as the lob pass left the wing’s hands.

 

Even with DeGraffenreid (19 points, seven assists, four steals) hitting threes, making big-time defensive stops and throwing her body into the teeth of the Metros defensive teeth, as well as their sharp shooter Angela Puleo, one of the best catch and shoot long range bombers in the country fighting through a tough shooting day to hit two big threes late in the second half, it was a relatively unknown player that was key for the Flight.

Michelle Davis, a 6-foot-3 post prospect from the 2008 class came up huge for the Flight. She played physical defense and was all over the offensive glass despite giving up two inches and probably 15 pounds to Cain. She bodied Cain and got help from Kentucky commit Victoria Dunlap. The duo worked to get in front, keep a body on Cain while the other dropped in to help, making it difficult for Cain to get a clean catch and attempt at the basket. The Flight was victim to Moore’s unstoppable offensive onslaught which included her going three for three from three-point range. Had Davis not had her best game of the tournament and maybe the summer and allowed Cain to get going with easy buckets it would be hard to imagine the Flight could have stayed with them.

Davis got some serious experience and should be proud of her play Monday, having to deal not only with Cain, Charenee Stephens Taylor Turnbow and Taylor Dalrymple of the Metros, all major division one post prospects, but also in the semifinal win over All-Ohio she and her post teammates had to deal with the top post players in the country from both the 2007 and 2008 classes respectively in Jantel Lavendar and Ayana Dunning.

If the July viewing period is about the players getting exposure then both teams should be proud of their performances as they played the game with intensity, passion, skill and every player touching the floor put their best effort forward. This game was the perfect ending to a great four day weekend of basketball that may not be matched for some time.

- Chris Hansen

Comets Win Silver Bracket

Though the Orlando Comets’ 54-50 Silver coronation against the Fairfax Stars should not be tarnished in the least, it’s disappointing that the matchup they were supposed to get in the title tilt – against the Cal Storm – did not materialize.

After battling through their semifinal against Fairfax with super 2008 post Alyssa Brewer sidelined with a concussion, the Storm had to race to catch their flights back to the Left Coast, relinquishing their championship spot to the Stars.

The Storm, a reprisal of the successful Santa Barbara-based team that shut down for a while, had been one of the summer’s more intriguing teams. Brewer, who lives in Oklahoma, had been emerging as one of 2008’s best big athletes, and Casey Morris, another ’08, already had been acknowledged as one of California’s top young guards.

It was, however, yet another ’08 prospect, Shawna-Lei Kuehu, of Alea, Hawaii, who had several college coaches committed to stay for the Silver final. Talk about a prospect blowing up at the end, Kuehu, who is 5-10, was the Storm’s leading scorer in each of their games and had 26 points and seven rebounds in the Silver quarterfinals, then 21 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Silver semis. Then, poof, she was gone, leaving the scouts wanting to see more.

The Storm trio would have posed an interesting matchup for the Comets’ reigning 16U AAU National champions, who are led by Krystal Thomas, the 6-4 Duke commit, and Brooke Thomas, the jet-propelled, 2008 point-guard prospect. The two have an able supporting cast that includes the team’s third Thomas, Stefany, a clever, strong penetrator and shooter; Alexa Deluzio, a 5-10 jack-of-all-trades guard in the ’08 class; Jaimie Givens, a strong, 6-1 forward and daughter of Kentucky great Jack, as well as Jordan Coleman, another strong, 5-11 wing prospect in 2008.

Not to say that the Comets were not pushed by the Stars. Indeed, they were, in a game that was not decided until the final seconds.

Krystal Thomas, who ultimately will play forward at Duke, was hampered in her efforts to show her face-up game by a heavily taped, injured right hand. Still, she managed a more-than-respectable 12 points and three blocks against the Stars’ Chay Shegog, who is 6-4 and one of 2008’s top post prospects. Though generally strong and well organized, the Stars are perhaps too reliant on the magical point-guard play of Jasmine Thomas, who will be heavily considered for the top spot at her position in 2007. Thomas ended a stellar, though sometimes disappointing summer (witness, the USA Basketball trials) being overwhelmed by the Comets’ squadron of quick guards and perhaps succumbing to worn out legs.

That the secondary division could feature a final four of the Comets, Stars, Storm and Alabama RoadRunners is testament to the high quality of the field at Nike Naitonals.
- Glenn Nelson

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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.

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. He can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com.

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