Summer 2016 Recap

The spring and summer evaluation periods of 2016 have come and gone as they often do – fast and furious. There is always so much work and planning that goes into these tournaments, from the tournament organizations to the parents, coaches, and teams. Then it seems to fly by one event at a time. Showcases give these players a platform to perform their talents in front of college coaches, in a way auditioning for numerous opportunities at the next level.
 
The circuit has their usual heavy hitter hot spots: Oregon, Atlanta, Vegas, Chicago, Augusta, Nashville, Dallas/Frisco, Charlotte, Los Angeles among others… The list is long and distinguished and players and coaches flock to these locations to participate in the annual events.
 
As someone who watches a lot of basketball, evaluates players, and sees players and teams over time I’m always interested in the growth of the players and the teams. As much emphasis that is put into the club scene, I didn’t see an overwhelming amount of improvement in TEAM play and flow over the summer, and as much as these teams are together and play together, I would have hoped to see more of that.
 
I understand that an element of the club scene is to showcase the individual talent, potential, and quality of play of individual players, but at the end of the day the game is still a TEAM game. You are what you emphasize, and it is clear that too much ME is emphasized by players, parents, and coaches. I see inconsistent effort, inconsistent attitude, and inconsistent character in too many players. Don’t get me wrong, the circuit has plenty of players who are really good and are highest level players AND good teammates, but that is not the majority.
 
Bad habits are hard to un-write. If a shot is a bad shot on the summer circuit, can you imagine how bad of a shot it is at the next level? If you are a player who is always looking to blame someone else for your lack of success (on coaches, players, referees, etc) that will not serve you well moving forward. So many claim to be “preparing players for the next level”, but I wonder how exactly they define that. By riding them and screaming and hollering at them (being “tough” on them)? By acting like winning at all cost is the name of the game? By training them with nothing but “ball in hand” drills? This leads to tunnel vision and playing the game in one lane. There are nine other players on the floor with them, and these players need to be able to see and read to make good decisions. If a player can see the floor, they will find all the answers between the lines.
 
I pay particular attention to the coaches and the leadership out there because there is just so much to analyze when attempting to participate in the inexact science of predicting potential player success at the next level. Being a frontrunner is not setting a good example and players mimic this behavior. The treatment of players should not vary with the score or a coach’s mood at that particular moment. Don’t be surprised at what a little consistency will do. The wisdom and magic is in the relationships… Always.
 
From a player standpoint overall, the court awareness, passing, shot selection, defensive awareness (dare I even mention the concept of “help D”?), and fundamental rebounding are lacking majorly across the board. I still see a heavy amount of “one handedness” even in pretty talented players. I list these things because they are all things that can be controlled if just simply the attention was given. You cannot always control a talent discrepancy in a game, but you can always control fundamental elements of the game. Understand: controlling what you can control consistently is a big element of success at the next level. You have to do what you do well, and you have to prepare with a level of maturity and reliability. You cannot just show up, hoop, and hope for an outcome. That will not cut it…
 
I get just as excited as anyone else when I see a young player who shows some major potential. I do differentiate from many though in that I am never ready to anoint them as “great” too early. Many times it is clear that they physically overmatch their competition when in comparison to the age group in which they may be playing. I like to see how they handle the attention, and if they relax once they are “recognized”. There is such a special emphasis on “discovering” the young talent and what evaluation organization saw them first or what coach said they were the “next one”. Who really cares? People buy into it because they are attention starved or it is their first taste of notoriety, but tell me, what on earth does that have to do with actually reaching the potential over time? I would argue that in many cases, it hinders that process some. I am confused as to why some want to give them a reward before they have earned it. I could argue that these players are being forced into an accelerated recruiting process by the periphery, not by their families and those close to them, and it is certainly not by the players themselves. Good players get found, don’t believe everything Twitter tells you. And coaches find and follow players. Period.
 
There is a “social element” to the game that is beginning to override the “quality of play” part of the game. These players like to be seen and be associated with the other “popular” or “ranked” players, but how much do they love the game? How much do they love to work on their craft? Trust me, it is evident who does and who does not. If you’ve got to post on social media every time you are in a gym, I have to question your motivations and your focus. Once they have been deemed a “top” player, a lot of these players plateau. This is not how it is supposed to be. College sports, especially at the Division 1 level, is not for everyone. If you are there for the elevated social status, be forewarned, you have a culture shock coming. You will face demands from every angle and it is up to you to rise to the occasion. Many of these players ignore holes in their game or hide from failure by standing behind their recognition, whether early in their career or current. If you want to be really good, failure and recognition of weaknesses is paramount – in anything worth pursuing.
 
I would urge players and parents to guard against this “arrived” mentality and realize it all means nothing once you step on your respective campuses. I would expect coaches with any decent amount of experience to challenge these players in a healthy way and help them with this as well.  
 
I saw an immense amount of talent this spring and summer, and the fact of the matter is there is no doubt that the younger talent out there is getting better. I saw some very good young players who have what it takes to be really good one day. They play on both ends of the court, and in visiting with them, they have the maturity early and the humility it takes to continue their growth. This is really exciting. The women’s game is growing and this is undeniable. I hope that overall, collectively we can get ahead of some of the entitlement trends that other sports have endured and are now working to get away from. The women’s game is unique to the women’s game. Let’s not try to imitate anything else. Let’s be “production over potential” minded and “results over hype” oriented.
 
I still have to say that the best event I was at all year in terms of evaluating players for the next level was the USA Trials. There was talent in every corner of the gym, there was a natural pressure, there was no one there to protect any individual player from a mismatch or a challenge, and the intensity grew as the numbers were pared down, and there was a huge goal for all of the players that we knew they valued: to make the team. After back to back bronze medals for the U16 team (summer 2015) and the U17 team (summer 2016), I will be interested to see how things are handled in the future from both angles: choosing the team and coaching of what is arguably the most talented team in the entire pool.
 
Our staff would like to recognize some of the quality teams we saw on the circuit this year – a combination of major talent as well as team play and/or improvement that played on the highest level and won (some, but not all obviously):
 
Boo Williams
Cal Stars
Cincinnati Angels
Cy-Fair
FBC Mo
North Tartan
NW Blazers
SA Finest Cee Lou
Sports City U
Team Elite
Texas Elite adidas Prime
WPA Bruins
 
 
There are also some “stock risers” that our staff was particularly impressed with this year (just a sample. PBR subscribers get the whole scoop):
 
2017's
Chennedy Carter  -- Many had questions. I think they were answered.
Maya Dodson – Her game is growing by the second.
Vivian Gray – Many had not seen her play. IQ is arguably the best, and the J is sweet.
Kayla Owens – Even after injury, showed she is an elite combo of skill/athleticism
Dana Evans – Continues to show her ability to flat out score the ball
Johnasia Cash – Brings an energy and physicality to the game that translates
Michaela Onyenwere – Elite level athlete whose skills are starting to match
 
2018's
Olivia Nelson-Ododa (GA)
Madison Williams (TX)
Nalyssa Smith (TX)
Uchenna Nwoke (TX)
Jordan Nixon (NY)
Zarielle Green (TX)
Tatum Veitenheimer (TX)
Caitlyn Bickle (AZ)
Queen Egbo (TX)
Shakira Austin (VA)
Grace Berger (KY)
LoLo Davenport (TX)
Taylor Mikesell (OH)
Quincy Noble (TX)
 
2019's
Taylor Jones (TX)
Kennedy Brown (KS)
Lauren Fields (OK)
River Baldwin (AL)
Kierstan Bell (OH)
Ashley Owusu (VA)
Breanna Beal (IL)
Aaliyah Boston (MA)
Samantha Brunelle (VA)
Chloe Chapman (MD)
Jordyn Oliver (TX)
Anaya Peoples (IL)
Zoe Young (IA)
 
2020's
Sarah Andrews (TX)
Te'Hina PaoPao (CA)
Sydney Parrish (IN)
Jordyn Merritt (TX)
Haley Van Lith (WA)
Deyona Gaston (TX)
 
As fall approaches we will see numerous commitments, official visits, home visits, and ultimately many signings. We wish all of the 2017 players the best during the finalization of their process. We wish the underclassmen well with the continuation and maybe even the beginning of their recruitment.
 
Players and families: Remember, you own this process and there is only one YOU making your decision. You must limit the voices – you do not have to listen to every opinion out there.
 
Players: take your time, stay off the roller coaster of ups and downs, keep your head on straight, and just get better as a student and as a player. Your time will come. If it is not right now, that is ok. It is not a race and everyone is in a different lane. The process will take care of itself if you are truly in it for the right reasons and have the patience for the long haul. You can be great, but I can assure you aren’t there yet and it won’t happen overnight. This game can take you places, but only if you give to the game first.