Romulus, MI: For 16 high school teams, it was time to break out the practice gear and knock some rust off at the LBI Sweet 16 Summer Shootout.  We saw some of Michigan's best teams and players compete in Romulus, MI for nothing other than to measure up and show that the upcoming 2018-19 MHSAA season is going to be one for the ages.  Here's a look at a few of the top players from the LBI Sweet 16 Summer Shootout.

Top Ten Players

2019 Rickea Jackson 6-3 F Detroit Edison
I overheard one referee say to another, "Bro, Bro you gotta see this girl play. She's a pro." Rickea Jackson was the sun among many stars. She scored on all three levels seemingly without sweating. Sometimes making things look natural can be misconstrued as not playing hard. But make no mistake about it, Jackson gives a ton of energy on the court. I was most impressed with her defensive versatility. She was able to be active on the point of a 1-2-2 full court press. In the half court, she showed the ability to guard 1 through 5 matching up or off switches. Rickea's is poised for a run at Michigan Miss Basketball and another State Championship.

2021 Damiya Hageman 5'7" PG Detroit Edison
After watching Damiya play over the last year, I can say there is probably no other high school player more consistent in an effort, attitude, and passion every time she hits the court. She is always engaged, and it dramatically benefits her team. Damiya can see and do things on the court you only see at the highest levels. She was consistent is knocking down her mid-range jump shot of the dribble. She was always forcing tempo which puta demand of the opposing teams conditioning and created opportunities for easy transition baskets for her teammates. I think I've said this before and her performance confirms that Damiya would be the player I would pick first if I were starting a team. No one impacts a game as she does.

2019 Eden  Johnson 6'1" SF Ann Arbor Huron
Eden Johnson is the engine of her team.  She can do so much.  Defensively, she protects the rim well.  She's not the most athletic but has excellent timing when making an effort to block shots.  Johnson uses her body well to create space when shots go up which allows her to control the boards.  She has a knack for scoring and can do it at all three levels. She seemed to be involved in every play on both ends of the court which makes her extremely valuable to her team.  She's an MVP caliber kid.

2019 Janae Terry 5'10" PG Wayne Memorial
No one at the LBI Sweet 16 Summer Shoutout has the potential to get people out of their seats from play to play than Janae Terry.  She is worth the price of admission. Terry is electric with the ball in her hands.  She has many layers to her game off the dribble.  She can pull up on a dime, create space to get to her pull up, or go through you and finish.  Length, size, and footwork make her arguably the toughest one-on-one matchup in Michigan. 

2019 Allona Blackwell 5'11" SG East Kentwood
Allona is silky smooth, super long, and savvy around the basket. As my homies on the playground say, "She's doesn't just get buckets, she is a bucket."  Alona has excellent range and confidence in her shot.  With her improving all-around game and continued consistency from 3,  Allona looks primed for a banner year.

2020 Aaliyah McQueen 5'9" CG Flint Carman-Ainsworth
Aaliyah has a lot of tools, and she knows how to use them.  She understands how to get to spots on the floor to get what she wants.  In one particular game, with the 1st half coming to a close, McQueen took off hard and fast to the wing off the inbounds pass, planted her feet on a jump stop, and elevated while turning to knock down a three over a hand in her face.  In a game vs. Detroit Edison, she used her body multiple times to create opportunities for herself to score through the 2nd and 3rd levels of defense, finishing over taller defenders with floaters.  In all, McQueen was very impressive showing of her ability to score and compete at a high level.

2020 Gabby Elliott 5'11" SF Detroit Edison
When you run the floor as Gabby Elliot does and you have a point guard the caliber of Damiya Hageman on your team…great things are going to happen.  Not only can Elliot run the floor but she can finish.  She's a nightmare in transition as she can get to the basket and knock down the open 3.  At the LBI Sweet 16 Summer Shootout, she made her most significant impact on the defensive end.  She got multiple deflections and made extra critical effort plays that won't show up on your average stat sheet, but those plays are why Detroit Edison is so hard to beat.

2019 Olivia Brown 5'9" PG East Grand Rapids
Olivia is a high IQ kid.  She shot the ball well and has a great business like demeanor on the court. In East Grand Rapids game vs. Detroit Edison, it was her consistency in effort and competitive zeal that positioned EGR for the win in the waning seconds of a game they eventually lost by 2.  Olivia does the little thing and the big things.  She's a winner!

2021 Jillian Brown 5'10" SG East Grand Rapids
Jillian Brown is much like her older sister Olivia in that she has a competitive fire that is a joy to watch.  Brown believes and plays like her team is supposed to win.  Jillian used her great length and tenacity on defense to alter shots of players smaller and sometimes much bigger than her. She rebounds very well from the perimeter, maybe better than any other guard in the gym.  She puts her fingerprint on a game like few guards can which will almost certainly make EGR hard to deal with every night of the upcoming season.

2019 Destiny Strother 5'9" SG Flint Carman-Ainsworth
Strother has one of the purest lefty strokes from beyond the arc I've seen in all my travels this year.  Destiny is unfazed by defenders one on one and can get to that sweet jump shot almost anytime she wants.  With Strothers deadly ability to shoot the ball, her running mates, Chenelle King and Aaliyah McQueen, had wider lanes to penetrate and pass through because it is a no-no on every scouting report to help off of Destiny.  Destiny can be magnificent on defense at times evident by how she uses her length in the open court to get steals and deflections.  Her body language oozes with confidence and it should, as she showed why she is one of Michigan's top guards regardless of class. (Committed Marquette)