Friday, July 11, 2008

The Week That Was #15: Camping & Touring

#4 posting 7.10.2008
Your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE WEEK THAT WAS: CAMPING & TOURING
there were two power outages and then a lightning storm that prevented getting this posting up at a regular time. thanks for the patience.


This marked the first week of the rush of events. The window is now open for D1 schools. Tournaments abounded from Portland, Oregon to Atlanta, Georgia. Here is the problem. Teams are rushing to play every available slot during the July window. They go from one huge event to another. There is no down time or recovery time.

I remember watching Teresa LeCuyer of Anoka in the summer of 1996 look like a ghost at the end of July. She played in ever available camp or exposure event that July and was a walking zombie by the time everything was finished.

The second thing is now all the events hold the same weight. There is no national champion, because every event is a national event. With no culminating event, training and preparing become more problematic with no recovery time. Fatigue injuries become common and mental burnout is a danger. If it is Tuesday it must be Chicago...

THIS WEEK'S RESULTS
Team WI Select Samuels went undefeated in Cincinnati.
NC Heat finished second overall in the Tournament of Champions that wound up on Wednesday.
North Tartan 15s, playing up, lost in the Gold Bracket in the End of the Trail tournament.
Of course more teams were in action, but these were the highest finishes in the three tournaments from the local area.

In the Summer League division Lakeville North won their summer league beating Hopkins in the final. Minnehaha took the title in the Concordia St. Paul summer league. In every situation I charted this week teams were missing at least one player, if not more. I have added summer league rankings at the bottom of the polls.

THEN & NOW
Back in 1997 I took a team to 15U AAU Nationals in Shreveport, Louisiana. The gyms were tiny, cramped high school gyms with no air conditioning. The result was a sweltering sweat box sauna atmosphere. It was absolutely miserable. We had to rotate players out after two and a half minutes due to fluid loss. I had one player that ended up in the hospital due to dehydration.

Now (at least in Rochester) they play in swank arenas, on great floors, with great lights, in air conditioned comfort. The younger generation doesn't know how easy they have it.

CAMPING COMPARISONS
How did this year's Top 100 Expo Showcase compare to last year's. First off numbers were down. Last year teams had between 10 and 9 players. This year the teams had 8 players. I think rising fuel prices had a hand in the decline of players. That and the fact that the schedule was jammed with tournaments which took out a lot of AAU players.
Here are the numbers.
Year, pp100, floor %
2007, 89.8, .426
2008, 86.9, .411
The stat numbers were down slightly, but noticeable. The thing that remained the same was the tournament champ--UConn. Last year's UConn team scored 101 in the championship game.

UNIFORMS/PROGRAMS
I can’t for the life of me understand how a team/program doesn’t do everything to make it easy to identify their players. The MN Stars 12u team played in the AAU National tournament and in the program didn’t have two players listed. You will find in the players of the week (team 3) an unknown player. It wasn’t in the program, it wasn’t on the Stars website. I might have to build a statue to the unknown player. To bad no one (writers, coaches, fans) will know who the player is.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
This week’s team of the week doesn’t exist anymore. UConn, in the Top 100 Expo Showcase in St. Cloud was the dominant team there. They averaged close to 80 points a game. They had tremendous balance. Consider they had six players in double figures in the camp championship and two more with six each. UConn had outside shooting, inside muscle, defensive quickness.
front row: Jade Pelzl, Kyanna Jones, Danielle Mangen, Courtney Lynch
Back row: coach: Chris Stenzel, Amanda Johnson, Megan Larson, Ashley Kruse, Alison Gray
all photos by kja

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
I probably should list the methods I use in choosing the player and team of the week. It is all based on my viewing/charting during that week. Reputations are not factored in. Games that I don’t see aren’t factored in. I have certain bars the players have to hurdle in order to make the list.
#1 I have to see the player
#2 The player has to average 6 possessions in the game (during the summer)
#3 The player’s pp100 has to be above 100
#4 The player’s floor % has to be above .500
#5 If I see multiple games (which is the case here) the averages are used.
6-4 Cassie Rochel helped propel Lakeville North to the championship in their own summer league. LN trailed 21-19 to start the second half against Hopkins in the championship and she ignited 15-0 run that cement their title chances. Rochel runs the floor like a gazelle, has outstanding hands, and her defense makes it miserable for the opposition.

Keep in mind if you see a college name, it is the Top 100 Expo team name.
FIRST TEAM
Katie Ahlstrom, Henry Sibley
Jade Pelzl, UConn, Rushford-Peterson
Sarah Peterson, Minnehaha
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North
Taylor Stippel, Stanford, Stillwater
SECOND TEAM
Kim Hovey, North Carolina, Red Wing
Ashley Kruse, UConn, Jackson County Central
Amanda Johnson, UConn, Ashby
Kyanna Jones, UConn, Osseo
Kristin Sahr, Stanford, Stillwater
THIRD TEAM
#22 (unknown player) MN Stars Farview
Bree Allen, Henry Sibley
Emily Klehr, Maryland, Belle Plaine
Hillary Peterson, Tennessee, Moose Lake-Willow River
Kayla Schmidt, MN Suns 12

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Amanda Johnson (UConn, Ashby) is a whirlwind. Everyone always chatters about how so and so “works hard.” She stood above the others this week with her work ethic. Not only does she put forth great effort, is appears her energy is contagious. Her UConn teammates at the Top 100 Showcase picked up on that energy too. Johnson is constant motion, relentless pursuit, and fearless determination. There would be no energy shortage if America could harness this dynamo.

FIRST TEAM
Amanda Johnson, UConn, Ashby
Sarah Peterson, Minnehaha
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North
Allina Starr, MN Stars 12u Farview
Taylor Stippel, Stanford, Stillwater

DISTRIBUTOR
The distributor this week goes to Kaiya Sygulla of Lakeville North. Every team needs to have someone that can deliver the ball. She feeds Cassie Rochel and has a 6th sense for knowing where her 6-4 teammate is on the floor. The two names are linked.

FIRST TEAM
Stephanie Comer, LSU, Minnetonka
Angie Davison, MN Suns 12u, Maple Grove
Courtney Lynch, UConn, St. Cloud Apollo
Whitney Novak, Stanford, Stillwater
Kaiya Sygulla, Lakeville North

NEWCOMER
See Defensive team. (it is Amanda Johnson)

PAST WINNERS
Here are the past weekly winners
TEAM
14. IBCA Select Red (2)
13. Team WI Select Samuels (4)
12. North Tartan Larson
11. MN Suns Fassett
10. North Tartan 15s
9. Team WI Select Samuels (3)
8. Southern Minne Magic 17
7. NC Heat (2)
6. Team WI Select Samuels (2)
5. NC Heat
4. MN All Star 2A
3. Team WI Select Samuels
2. Minnesota Dynamite
1. IBCA Select Red

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
14. Kionna Kellogg, IBCA Select Red
13. Angela Christianson, Alexandria
12. Amanda Zimmerman, North Tartan Larson (Ballard, IA)
11. Pam January, MN Suns Fassett (Richfield)
10. Tayler Hill, NC Heat (Minneapolis South) (2)
9. Laura Petersen, Team WI Select Samuels (Osseo-Fairchild) (2)
8. Kiara Buford, Gym Rats 19 (St. Paul Central)
7. Tayler Hill, NC Heat (Minneapolis South)
6. Laura Petersen, Team WI Select Samuels (Osseo-Fairchild)
5. Megan Nipe, NC Heat (Centennial)
4. Brianna Mastey, MN All Star 3A, (Becker)
3. Sam Price, Team WI Select Samuels (Eau Claire North)
2. Haylie Darrington, Maroon South Central All Star (Blue Earth)
1. Trisha Nesbitt, IBCA Select Red (Ames)

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
14. Ashley Eide, Sioux Falls Warriors (Sioux Falls Washington)
13. Kiah Stokes, Team Iowa (Linn-Mar, IA)
12. Chelsea Poppens, North Tartan Larson (Aplington-Parkersburg, IA)
11. Taylor Bare, Triple Threat (Anoka)
10. Katya Leick, NC Heat (Park-Cottage Grove)
9. Nicole Griffin, Team WI Select Samuels (Milwaukee Vincent) (3)
8. Yvonne Freese, Southern Minne Magic 17 (Lanesboro)
7. Shakila Boler, North Tartan Larson (Bloomington Kennedy)
6. Nicole Griffin, Team WI Select Samuels (Milwaukee Vincent) (2)
5. Tori Rule, Midtown Lady Monarchs (DeLaSalle)
4. Jackie Voigt, MN All Star 4A, (Park-Cottage Grove)
3. Nicole Griffin, Team WI Select Samuels (Milwaukee Vincent)
2. Kiara Strickland, Gold South Central All Star (Mpls Roosevelt)
1. Amber Kirschbaum, IBCA Select Red (Spirit Lake)

DISTRIBUTOR
14. KK Houser, CSS Bison (Lincoln Southeast, NE)
13. Marissa Kastanek, CSS Bison (Lincoln Southeast, NE)
12. Kate Thompson, MN Stars Borowicz (Wayzata)
11. Taylor Bare, Triple Threat (Anoka)
10. Shakila Boler, North Tartan Larson & Bloomington Kennedy
9. Katie Wolff, Team WI Select Doucette (Marshfield) (2)
8. Seraene Levine, Minnesota Thunder 19 (Eden Prairie)
7. Tayler Hill, NC Heat (Minneapolis South)
6. Katie Wolff, Team WI Select Doucette (Marshfield)

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
14. Ashley Eide, Sioux Falls Warriors (Sioux Falls Washington)
13. Alyssa Kamphaus, CSS Bison (Seward, NE)
12. Erin Haglund, Hastings11. Gracia Hutson, Hopkins
10. Kim Campbell, Bloomington Kennedy
9. Corrin Miles, Fridley8. Karli Meyer, Minnesota Lakers (Adrian)
7. Jackie Johnson, North Tartan 14 (Eden Prairie)
6. Cady Roedl, WI Hoops Select (Beaver Dam)
5. Alyssa Hagen, MN Stars Carlisle (NRHEG)
4. Hilary Friendshuh, Team WI Red 15s (Clear Lake, WI)
3. Jessica Waldvogel, Team Wisconsin Select 15s
2. Kara Hofschild, Minnesota Dynamite (Andover)
1. Kionna Kellogg, IBCA Select Red (Ames)

POLLS
19s
AAU
1. MN Stars
2. Metro Stars Black
3. Team WI Sr White
4. Team WI Sr Black

MYAS
1. Gym Rats
2. Minnesota Thunder
3. Wayzata AC
4. Southern Minne Magic

17u/16u/JR ELIGIBLE
AAU
1. NC Heat
2. North Tartan Larson
3. IBCA Select Red
4. MN Stars Borowicz
5. Team WI Select Samuels
6. Nebraska CSS Bison
7. Metro Stars Black
8. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska
9. Metro Stars White
10. Kansas City Hustle
11. Nebraska Twisterz
12. Sioux Falls Warriors
13. All Iowa Attack Red
14. Fury
15. Iowa Elite
16. MN Stars Smith
17. IBCA Select White
18. North Tartan Crosby
19. MN Suns
20. Team WI Select Doucette

16u/MYAS DIVISION
1. MN Dynamite
2. Chaska Gold
3. MN Thunder
4. Triple Threat

15u
AAU
1. North Tartan
2. MN Suns Arbogast
3. All Iowa Attack Red
4. Nebraska Judds
5. Team Iowa
6. Fury
7. Metro Stars
8. MN Stars Jihad Lady Cats
9. MN Stars Carlisle
10. Team WI Select
11. PT Players
12. MN Suns Ellen
13. 43 Hoops
14. Team WI Red
15. MN Dynamite

14u AAU
1. North Tartan
2. Metro Stars
3. MN Stars Seter
4. Team WI Select
5. MN Stars Collins
6. IBCA Select Blue
7. Fury Livers
8. Fury Haugen
9. MN Stars Hested
10. Midtown Lady Monarchs

13u AAU
1. North Tartan
2. Cornhusker Shooting Stars
3. MN Jazz
4. All Iowa Attack
5. MN Fury
6. MN Stars Martin

MYAS
1. Hopkins

12u AAU
1. Cornhusker Shooting Stars
2. All Iowa Attack
3. MN Stars Farview
4. MN Suns

SOMETHING NEW
SUMMER LEAGUE
School, Summer League
1. Lakeville North, LNSL
2. Hopkins, LNSL
3. Minnetonka, CPSL
4. Minnehaha, CSPSL
5. Eastview, LNSL
6. Champlin Park, CPSL

next up: tomorrow morning--unless news breaks