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Boo Williams Nike EYBL & Invitational Recap

By R.Simone, 04/25/16, 6:15PM EDT

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This Weekend Kicked Off The Start Of The Girls Nike EYBL Circuit Play

Hampton, VA – This weekend kicked off the start of the Girls Nike EYBL circuit play and some of the best of the best teams from all over the country found their way to Hampton, VA to compete in the Boo Williams Nike tournament. Not only did hundreds of teams come into town for this three day tournament, but so did the college coaches. Some very familiar and well respected coaching faces were seen this weekend including Quentin Hillsman (Syracuse University), Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame), Cynthia Cooper (University of Southern California), and Suzy Merchant (Michigan State), just to name a few. The level of play was intense, exciting and some of the best I’ve seen. The lady ballers that competed in all age divisions definitely left a lasting impression on all that watched.

 

2020 & 2021

Michigan Crossover 13u Squad – 2016 13u Boo Williams Champions
Let this post be a warning, this team is going to be making a lot of noise and hurting a lot of feelings for a very long time. On a team of 10 players, 6 of them are 2021 graduates, playing in the 2020 division. They have a lot of heart and even more talent. Led by point guard Kailee Davis (2021), shooting guard Damiya Hagemann (2021) and wing Shaulana Wagner (2020), this young squad can do it all. They work hard, they play with confidence, and their team chemistry speaks for itself. Watching this team fight for a championship gave me hope that the future of girls’ basketball is looking very bright. 

Friday

2017

Kameron Roach (#2)  5’6”  Point Guard  Carolina Flames EYBL
Roach is a coach’s dream in a point guard. She is strong with a solid build and uses it to her advantage, especially when smaller guards are checking her. She sees the court well and gets to the basket at will. She’s also a great defender.

Kai Crutchfield (#14)  5’9”  Guard  Carolina Flames EYBL
A solid defender that caused many problems on the court, Crutchfield was very good at reading passes and being in the right place at the right time. She ran the court well in transition and was able to dismantle several fast breaks. On offense she moved well without the ball and was able to execute often.

Leighah Wool (#35)  6’0”  Post  Midwest Elite EYBL
Wool was very impressive on both ends of the court. She runs the court well and does a great job of boxing out and crashing the boards. She is strong with her back to the basket but is able to shoot the short jumper as well. Leighah was a vocal leader for her team on and off the court.

Deja Church (#20)  5’9”  Guard  Michigan Crossover EYBL
Deja is a strong slasher that works hard to get to the basket. She can handle contact at the rim and on the floor fighting for loose balls. She is long for her size and uses her length to be a solid defender and rebounder.

Kayla Brown (#2)  5’7”  Guard  Michigan Crossover EYBL
Brown did a little bit of everything to help her team. She defended well, helping to create turnovers and finishing fast breaks. She shot well from the perimeter; knocking down some crucial shots to help give her team an offensive spark. Kayla was also able to see the court and get the ball to the open man.

2018

Velencia Meyers (#30)  6’4”  Post  All Ohio-Black
Velencia has the ability to run the court in transition and be available for the pass to finish strong at the rim. She has great foot work and plays well with her back to the basket. She is a consistent rebounder and defender, and her presence is definitely felt during the game.

Kayla White (#22)  5’10”  Guard  DFW Elite-Gold
Kayla is a quick player that is able to effectively play and defend the wing or guard positions. She is aggressive offensively, but very smart with the ball and had a minimal amount of turnovers. If she keeps improving and working hard on every possession, she has the ability to be a premier player on the circuit.

Endyia Rogers (#10)   5’5”  Point Guard  DFW Elite-Gold
A strong floor leader that handles the ball well under pressure, Rogers was most impressive in the half court setting. She wasn’t rattled in clutch situations and was always able to efficiently see the court and dish amazing passes to her teammates.

Kaela Webb (#1) 5’6”  Point Guard  Michigan Crossover 15u
Webb did what she does best; handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter. Kaela is a true point guard, able to direct traffic and score when she needs to. She is a definitely a shooter but has an arsenal of moves to get herself to basket as well.

Ashley Primas (#15)  6’1”  Post   Michigan Crossover 15u
Ashley gives a lot of a little that goes a long way. She is solid rebounder that battles in paint and finds a way to get position. She does this well on both ends of the court and was responsible for several second chance opportunities for her team. She hustles and works hard and often did the extra things to get her team the ball.

Emma Davis (#24)  5’11”  Wing  Kentucky Premier 15u
Davis displayed that she has an arsenal of ball handling moves to help her get pass defenders and to the rim. She works hard on every possession and knows when to score and when to pass in transition. She is a very aggressive offensive player and fun to watch.

2019

Alexandria Scruggs (#14)  5’10”  Guard  Carolina Flames EYBL
Scruggs was very impressive with the ball in her hands. She has a good basketball IQ and made great decisions with the ball. She knew when to score, when to pass, and when to regroup. Alexandria is a strong defender as well.

Rickea Jackson (#5)  6’3”  Post  Michigan Crossover 15u
Long and aggressive enough to play the post, but quick enough to defend the wing, Jackson is a very versatile player that ultimately was a triple threat for her team. She runs the court like a guard which allows her to lead breaks and also trail fast breaks to get an offensive rebound or block a shot.

Jakarri Alven (#22)  5’9”  Wing  Michigan Crossover 14u
Alven was impressive due to her versatility. She can handle the ball and is quick enough to beat most defenders off the dribble but tough enough to get in the paint to alter shots and help rebound. She plays hard every minute that she’s on the court and is very coachable.

Dynasti Dowell (#00)  5’11”  Post  Michigan Crossover 14u
A strong post with a huge upside, Dynasty was really effective at boxing out and getting rebounds and making herself available for the dump down pass when guards attack the basket. She did a good job on defense of denying the ball and not allowing opponent to get positioned. If she continues to work hard, she will be a phenomenal player.

Jorie Allen (#33)  6’2”  Post  Nike Indy Gym Rats-Gold
Allen is a disciplined post player that has good foot work and post moves. She can be a takeover player or a strong role player, giving her team what they need to be successful. She runs the lane effectively and rebounds consistently.

Saturday

2017

Sidney Cooks (#10)  6’4”  Post  Midwest Elite EYBL
Cooks is a post player with a long wingspan and quick feet. Both of these attributes allow her to be a double threat on defense because she is able to guard both the post and wing. Her long arms also enable her to alter shots and rebound well. Sidney plays well with her back to the basket but can drive to the bucket as well.

Cierra Hooks (#1)  5’9”  Guard  All Ohio-Black
Cierra was very impressive in both games on Saturday. She is a dynamic defender and anticipates passes very well. She plays the lanes well in a zone defense and is able to play sufficient on the ball defense. She is also a solid shooter that will make opponents pay if they leave her open.

Destiny Pitts (#5)  5’10”  Wing  All-Ohio-Black
Pitts is a true ball player. She has a high IQ and uses it to be a vocal leader on the court. She makes great decisions with the ball in her hands and can move around without the ball to create her own shot. Destiny is a superb shooter and went an impressive 13-13 from the free-throw line in one game.

Alicia Smith (#21)  6’3”  Post  Michigan Crossover EYBL
The go too big for Michigan Crossover, Smith gave her team quality minutes. She is a post player that is able to knock down shots from the elbow. She runs the court well and was able to catch piercing passes from her guards to finish at the rim.

Tia Tedford (#10)  5’6”  Guard  Michigan Crossover EYBL
This weekend was Tia’s coming out party. She performed well every day of the tournament and showed everything she’s capable of. Her hot hand shooting sparked an 18-5 run by her team and included her knocking down 3 triple shots in a row. As the defense adjusted, Teford used her quick first step and speed to get to the bucket and draw fouls. She is also a strong on the ball defender and had numerous steals that led to transition points. I do hope that the coaches were paying attention because Tia is going to make somebody a happy camper.

Kamaria McDaniel (#5)  5’10”  Guard  Michigan Crossover EYBL
McDaniel is known for her ability to drive to the hoop and finish strong. This weekend she showed that she is able to also knock down shots from the perimeter as well. She was able to play an inside-outside game that forced defenders to roll the dice and pick their poison. Kamaria is very athletic and can jump with the best of them which enables her to help rebound.

2018

Megan Walker (#10)  5’10”  Wing  North Tartan-10th
One of the purest shooters I saw this weekend, Walker shot the ball with accuracy and confidence. Her form is pretty and helped her to be an assassin from three point range. She has a long solid frame and is able to play great defense. Walker is very dangerous with the ball in her hands because she is able to make great passes for easy shots by teammates or score herself.

Erica Whitley-Jackson (#33)  5’10”  Wing  Michigan Crossover 15u
Erica put on an inside-outside clinic on Saturday. Her size and skill set allows her to defend and play the wing and post postions. She can drive to the bucket drawing the foul and knock down deep three point shots; which she did back-to-back in a nail biting game Saturday afternoon. Her versatility help pushed her team to a victory. 

Sasha Thomas (#2)  5’6”  Guard  Michigan Crossover 15u
A player that plays at a high octane and is willing to do all the dirty work is a great way to describe Thomas. She plays hard-nose in your face defense and is a tough kid that is not afraid to take (or give) a little contact. She is always in the right place at the right time and can shot from the perimeter.

Jayla Everett (#35)  6’0”  Wing  Missouri Phenom
Jayla’s wingspan increases her presence on the court dramatically. She is a great defender that altered shots, rebounded, and got numerous steals. She plays hard on every possession which allowed her to hit a game winning jump shot with only five seconds left on the clock.

2019

Breanna Beal (#12)  6’1”  Wing  Midwest Elite EYBL
Beal is a fundamentally strong, high IQ player that hustles on every possession. She is a wing that is able to post-up smaller defenders and finish strong. She drives to the basket at will and because she is strong as a bull, she often finishes with an old fashion three point play. She is take over kid but knows the game and gets the ball to teammates as well.  

Laya Hartman (#32)  5’11”  Guard  Nike Indy Gym Rats-Gold
Hartman plays much bigger than her size and is a fantastic shooter. She consistently knocked down shots inside and outside of the perimeter. Hit or miss, all of her shot selections were great shots. Laya was often inside the paint helping to rebound and give her team second chance scoring opportunities.

Shaila Beeler (#5)  5’7”  Guard  Nike Indy Gym Rats-Gold
One of the best defenders in her division, Beeler was always one step ahead of her opponent. In fact, in the game that I watched, she had more blocked shots than the post players on her team. Shaila also has a nice short jumper that she was able to knock down off the dribble.

Alyza Winston (#20)  5’7”  Guard  Michigan Crossover 15u
Winston’s speed is unexplainable. At times it seemed as though she was faster with the ball in her hands than without it. She got to the basket at will but has enough court awareness to also get the ball to the open man. Alyza often left her defenders standing in her shadow, yelling for help. She is a pretty solid defender as well due to her speed and once she takes off on a fast break, consider that play over because it is almost impossible to catch up to her.

Jasmine Powell (#24)  5’6”  Point Guard  Michigan Crossover15u
If you put Jasmine on the ball, she is more than likely going to cause a turnover. She sits down on defense and uses her quickness to not just stay in front of her man, but be a nuisance. She plays lock down defense that can become frustrating and she does this the entire game. To add injury to insult, she can drive and finish at the basket and shoot the deep three efficiently.

Mauriya Barnes (#20)  5’5”  Point Guard  Michigan Crossover 14u
Mauriya is a true point guard, running her team and knowing when to pass and when to create something for herself. She has great court vision and did a good job of helping others see the open man. Mauryia not only is able to make some dynamic passes, but she can shoot from behind the perimeter as well.

 

Sunday

2017

Victoria Morris (#0)  5’7”  Point Guard   All Ohio-Black
Morris is a strong ball handler that has excellent court vision. She was able to get the ball to the open man in traffic and in the half court setting. She had very few turnovers and could also contribute offensively by scoring. Victoria is an excellent on the ball defender.

Alicia Norman (#22)  5’5”  Point Guard  Michigan Crossover EYBL
Norman might be small in size but the total opposite in heart. She is a true point guard that leads her team vocally and knew when there was a need to reset and try again. She is able to drive to the basket and finish with a nice floater. Alicia is also a superb defender and able to guard players that are much bigger than her. On one possession, she literally ran under a player’s arm and took the ball.

Nina Reynolds (#33)  5’11”  Post  Michigan Crossover EYBL
The clean-up player is a great nickname for Nina Reynolds. She consistently crashed the boards to snag down rebounds and often was able to execute for second chance points. Nina made the best of every minute she had on the court, getting hustle plays and easy shots to help her team. She never took a possession off.

Marcia Hawkins-Day (#24)  6’0”  Post  Michigan Crossover EYBL
Marcia is a strong post that is quick enough to defend the wing if needed. She runs the court well and often was able to get rebounds by simply trailing the fast break. Marcia seems to be a great teammate to have. She gave her all on the court, and cheered her team on and encouraged them when she wasn’t on the court.

Elisa Grissett (#4)  6’2”  Wing  Carolina Frames
Grissett is the perfect wing player. She is tall and long, but quick and coordinated. She handles the ball very well and is able to score off the dribble. She did a phenomenal job of attacking the gaps and creating shots for herself and teammates. Her size enables her to play a dual role and defend the post along with the perimeter.

2019

Del’Janae Williams (#2)  5’7”  Guard  Michigan Crossover 14u
The only word that I can think of to describe Williams play on Sunday in the semi-final game is phenomenal. She was the go to person for her team, forcing the other to team to run a box and 1; however that did little to stop her. She made great moves to the basket, was a superb defender, and knocked down critical threes, including the shot that took her team into overtime. Del’Janae is a hooper! Although you could see the exhaustion in her face, she sucked it up and gave her team 100% until the final buzzer sounded.

Makayla Daniels (#23)  5’7”  Guard  Maryland Belles-2019
Daniels showed that she is an outstanding defender and floor general. She used her long arms to deny her man the ball and play the passing lanes to get steals and force turnovers. She runs her team’s offense but when it breaks down, she is able to make great moves to get herself open for a shot.

Taylor Geiman (#35)  6’0”  Post  Maryland Belles-2019
One thing that you can say about Taylor is that she is not a pushover. She did a notable job of not allowing players to establish position and post her up. She stood her ground and guarded the post well. She ran the court consistently and rebounded very well.

Abigail Samonia (#23)  5’5”  Point Guard  Mid Atlantic Heat-B
Samonia has embodied her point guard position and does everything a great point guard does. She has astonishing floor vision and is able to see things that some of her young teammates aren’t quite ready for. She has crisp and precise passes that lead the player right to the basket. She has a very high IQ and it is clear that she knows the game. Abigail works hard on defense and does not give up easy shots. To complete this amazing player, she is clutch; knocking down critical shots and demanding that the ball be in her hands when the game is on the line