Colorado Springs, CO: It’s separation season.  Time to see if you can somehow elevate your game to a new level.  The talent is undeniable.  For many, the players in attendance are the highest grade and collection of talent in one setting that they have ever been exposed to.  So how do you separate yourself?  You do what these girls did…

2019 Charisma Osborne 5’9” SG Windward School CA
Charisma is a competitor.  Even when subbed out, she's trying to beat her teammates off the court.  She uses her athleticism very well on the court.  Able to stay in front of smaller guards and plays the passing lanes better than anyone I’ve seen at the Trials.  She dictated the pace of play as well on both ends.  On offense, she looked to push the ball in transition and played 94 feet on defense.  She’s a unique talent!

2020 Paige Buecker 5’11” PG Hopkins HS MN
Paige has great poise and presence on the court.  Seems always to know whats going on and what to do.  She moved well without the ball and was extremely comfortable with the ball especially in the open court.  She finished strong in transition including an And1.  She was great on defense too, stripping the ball a few times on seemingly easy layups for the opposing players.  Buecker also has a grittiness to her game I like.

2021 Azzi Fudd 5’11” PG St Johns HS VA
 I’m not going to have enough superlatives for Azzi so that I will spare you the attempt.  Let's say add three times the intensity to whatever follows. Azzi was the best player in the gym.  She got wherever she wanted on the court.  As my late Grandma Rosie would say, “She acts like she been here before.”  She made pull-ups, got to the basket and finished with her left and right hand.  She also facilitated well when it was time too.  I have the feeling she could do anything that was asked of her.  She’s playing at a high level, somewhere above the 6,000 feet of elevation that Colorado Springs, CO can offer.

2020 Hailey Van Lith 5’9” SG Cashmere HS WA
Hailey has serious ball skills.  She has a big-time handle she uses to get anywhere on the court.  Her head always on a swivel, she was able to keep the defense off balance with no-look passes and other passes that thread the needle.  Van Lith was able to make the spectacular pass look routine, and her teammates look good.

2019 Rickea Jackson 6’3” SF Detroit Edison HS MI
Rickea started off a little slow on the night but finished white-hot showing why she is considered by many to be one of the top players in the country.  She had one of the most impressive scoring spurts of anyone during USAB Trials Session I.  Jackson converted a layup off of a dump down pass that seemed to get her going. The next possession, she caught the ball in the short corner and made a midrange jumper off a deadly jab step.  Then, she went coast-to-coast, after a strong rebound, to a pull-up jumper.  At this point, you could feel the energy shift in the gym as players, parents, and media types all begin to shift in their seats.  Rickea added a couple of blocks and a couple more baskets.  Big time performance!