The AAU Week That Was #19: Sweet 16

#3 posting 8.12.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE AAU WEEK THAT WAS #19: SWEET 16 (or is it 19?)
The summer season wrapped up last weekend with the crowning of a new Sweet 16 champ. The Minnesota Basketball News has put this event on for at least 15 years and Centennial took the title. Four of the top teams in each class met at the College of St. Benedict to crown one champ unlike the winter months. This year the larger classes had a 21-6 record good for .778. Cinderella was left at home scrubbing the floor. One team that stepped up and answered the call was Eden Prairie. They made the commitment to come to the tournament on Tuesday. That made it five AAAA teams. They were the first to grab on to the chance when presented and did not have their full squad. Even so they competed and won their first game.
In one game that unfortunately did not get to witness, New Life topped Winona Cotter in four overtimes for the most dramatic contest of the weekend.

In this tournament the varsity coaches were on the sidelines. There was a lot of squirming in the games as they had no control of the decisions.

A lot of summer is experimental--seeing what works, what needs improvement, what needs to be overhauled. With summer done, and the winter season (in Minnesota) now about 13 weeks away, we now enter the fall cycle. We will see if the seeds planted this summer bare fruit.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
This should come to no surprise: Centennial, the winners of the Sweet 16. Centennial averaged 111.5 pp100 and gave up and average of 72.6 pp100 (from the three games I saw). Centennial not only won convincingly, but they won against the best. If you look at last year's winner Champlin Park numbers Centennial was +7 in pp100 and +.018 in floor %. But it was defensively that Centennial really put their foot down. They improved on CP's mark with -14.9 pp100 and -.063 in the floor %.
The combined w-l % of the teams they faced was 11-5, 11-1 if you don't count games against Centennial. St. Paul Central finished 2nd; Becker 3rd; Albany 7th; and Rogers 9th. Centennial opened with a tour de force against Rogers. They beat Rogers by four a couple of weeks ago. This tournament it was 40. To top the tournament off they beat the runner up in 2AA last year in the quarters (Albany) and the defending AAA (Becker in the semis) and AAAA champs (St. Paul Central in the finals).
In the past the winners of the tournament have had success in the high school season. Centennial won the tournament but was NOT a full strength. That is not good news for the rest of the state.
This is Centennial's second weekly honor this summer, the only high school team to capture two weekly awards. In fact they are only one of five teams to win multiple awards. Three of the players (Becken, Blom and Schuneman) were also on the UConn top 100 team that won in week 16.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Emily Becken, Centennial had a strong weekend with a combined three game total of 173.9 pp100. She got things off to a strong start with an almost unheard of 280 pp100 vs Rogers. She followed that up with a 135.7 vs Becker and 175 vs St. Paul Central. Becken obviously squeezed the maximum out of her possessions. She did miss a few shots in these games, however she took shots with weak side rebounders in position. Her composure and confidence helped keep Centennial on an even keel. They trailed early against Becker, but fought through the doldrums. Her ball handling is underrated. She has excellent vision and makes good choices. She doesn't stare down the pass and keeps all her teammates involved, sometimes with no looks. She is aware of what is happening. Point guards are measured in wins and Becken measures up. She has had a strong finish to the summer. She was MVP of the Top 100 Expo in St. Cloud, made the top 20 all star game at the MN Elite Camp. This is Becken's third time she has been listed on one of the weekly teams, her second first team honor and first player of the week award. The cherry on top of a solid summer.

FIRST TEAM

Emily Becken, Centennial

Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central

Megan Nipe, Centennial

Shelly Stemper, Becker

Kamille Wahlin, Crookston

SECOND TEAM

Kiara Allums, Centennial

Megan Howard, St. Paul Central

Brianna Mastey, Becker

Caitlin Rowland, Hopkins

Bridget Schuneman, Centennial

DEFENSIVE TEAM

Kiara Allums, Centennial

Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central

Megan Nipe, Centennial

Stephanie Sension, Hopkins

Laura Weber, Eden Prairie captain

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
18: IBCA Select I….Katelin Oney (Cedar Rapids Washington) IBCA Select I/Kara Elofson, Hopkins
17: Centennial….Shelly Stemper (Becker) Fire & Gold All Star MN Elite Camp/Megan Howard (St. Paul Central) MN Elite Camp
16: U Conn (Top 100 Expo)…Kiara Strickland (Minneapolis Roosevelt) LSU/Jennifer Noordmans (Hancock) North Carolina Top 100 Expo
15: Metro Stars Black…Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/Brianna Williams (Hopkins) Mpls Lady Cats
14: Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/same
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat

7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Theairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

The polls didn't change over the last week

19s: Metro Stars

16/17s: NC Heat

15s: Metro Stars

14s: North Tartan

13s: Midtown Lady Monarchs

Here is the High School poll

1. Centennial

2. Becker

3. St. Paul Central

4. Hopkins

5. Eastview

6. Albany

Next week I have the end of the year wrap up with players, teams, events, games and so on honors. I have received nominations from the readers. You have a few days left to nominate before I go into production.

Next up: tomorrow morning

The Week That Was #18: Meltdown

#7 posting 8.3.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE WEEK THAT WAS #18: MELTDOWN

The summer basketball calendar is building to a crescendo. The multi-school team events are over. The high school team finale is set for this weekend with the Minnesota Sweet 16.

MELTDOWN
Luckily this year the meltdown was played within the comfortable confines of the Hopkins Lindbergh Center. That made for better viewing and better action. The tournament ran until Saturday. I felt lost without a game on Sunday. However IBCA Select won their fourth title this summer with the Diamond Gold crown. Southern Minne Elite won in overtime topping the Fury in overtime in the Emerald division. In the Ruby it was 43 Hoops over North Tartan. Mpls Lady Cats, playing up, steamrolled their way to the Pearl title.

OTHER EVENTS
NC Heat won the USJN tournament in Chicago.
North Tartan Larson went to Nike Nationals in Georgia and will be invited back again next year.
In the Summer Slam in Cincinnati the Nebraska Cornhusker Shooting Stars ended up in third in the sponsored division
MN Stars Antl wrapped up the Blue Elite title at the Summer Slam with a 5-0 record.

SWEET 16
Tomorrow the Sweet 16 girls tournament tips off at 10 am at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. There will be a new champion this year as Champlin Park will not return. This event indicates the summer season is over. It has been a good indication of which teams will be holding hardware in March.

There are 8 returning teams from last year. The finishes of those returning in last year's Sweet 16:
3. Hopkins
4. Becker
6. Rogers
7. Winona Cotter
9. St. Paul Central
10. Crookston
11. DeLaSalle
12. Ada-Borup

Of the eight new teams Eden Prairie, Bigfork and New Life are making their first trip to the Sweet 16.
Last year three of the four state champs (St. Paul Central, Becker, and Fulda) attended. Pipestone in AA was the only champ missing in the roster last year.
Eight of the teams last year made the state tournament, four finished runner up in the section.

In the past the tournament winner has had post season success
2002--Woodbury 1st AAAA
2003---Rochester Lourdes 1st AA
2004---Bloomington Kennedy 1st AAAA
2005---Bloomington Kennedy --2nd AAAA
2006---Champlin Park--3rd AAAA

The question this year is: will any team have a Cinderella run like class A Cedar Mountain-Comfrey? Last year CMC upset Crookston, Winona Cotter, and Hopkins to reach the finals. The thinking is that no team will be overlooked this year.

Chances are those that succeed in August will be there in March.

Toughest early match up: That would be Rogers vs Centennial. Centennial beat Rogers in Rogers by four a couple of Saturdays ago. This game will be at 11:15.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
IBCA Select I opened the spring/summer season as team of the week and they close the mixed school portion of the summer as team of the week. IBCA had a strong summer going 32-4 for a percentage of .889. They won four championships this year: the Iowa AAU State title; the Miss Basketball tournament in Kearney; and two Minnesota tourneys the Summer Jam at Kennedy in June and this week they took the North Tartan Meltdown tournament at Hopkins. They also finished second in their pool at the End of the Trail in Oregon. IBCA won this tournament with a comeback against a feisty New Mexico Heat in the semifinals. But it was the Heat that melted down in the closing portion of that game as IBCA iced the win with 10 free throws after trailing by five with less than three minutes left. Also they locked down on NMH's Telisha Joe and forced others to do the heavy lifting. In the championship IBCA got on a roll early and minimized Dakota Hardwood Threat. This win was somewhat poetic in that last year in late July another South Dakota team edged IBCA for the title in a tournament at Bloomington Jefferson. IBCA again used the free throw line, ran the floor, utilized their stringent defense and nailed some timely 3s. IBCA held the high flying DHT to 86.4 pp100 when in the game previous DHT ripped the twine at a 113.8 pace.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Katelin Oney plays full bore and it shows in her numbers. She had two outstanding contests back to back on Saturday (when I was charting) and if you throw in Friday's contest against North Tartan Larson (which was included in last week's Week that Was) you have a player on fire. Oney had a sizzling 190.9 pp100 in the championship game against Dakota Hardwood Threat. At the 16/17 level no one came close to that mark. Oney is very determined and is making explosive moves. She seizes initiative and finds ways to beat you. She has outside range with 3s, can pull up, and goes hard to the glass. She has superb concentration and relishes contact. She can score when she is in the air and their is contact. Defensively she also just interjected her will and took over swiping the ball out of unsuspecting DHT players hands. Oney made the first team last week and has made one of the teams of the week three times. This is her first Player of the Week honor this summer.

How do you make the list?
#1 I have to see the player in the past week.
#2 player needs to average better than 100 pp100 and .500 floor %.
#3 If I see the player twice then the totals are added together. So if a player sizzles in game one, and fizzles in game two, chances are they won't make the list.
#4 winning helps



FIRST TEAM
Kelly Krei (Iowa City) IBCA Select I
Maggie Malloy (Parkston) Dakota Hardwood Threat
Katelin Oney (Cedar Rapids Washington) IBCA Select I
Tyisha Smith (Minneapolis South) Mpls Lady Cats
Amber Wollschlager (Milbank) Dakota Hardwood Threat
SECOND TEAM
Maggie Bryant (Sartell) North Tartan Crosby
Christine Hyde (Brampton St. Mary's) Sultan Prospects of Canada
Telisha Joe (Gallup) New Mexico Heat
Trisha Nesbitt (Ames) IBCA Select I
Nicky Rausch (Hoven) Dakota Hardwood Threat

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Beth Christensen (Owatonna) North Tartan Crosby
Kara Elofson, Hopkins (Captain)
Christine Hyde (Brampton St. Mary's) Sultan Prospects of Canada
Katelin Oney (Cedar Rapids Washington) IBCA Select I
Nicky Rausch (Hoven) Dakota Hardwood Threat

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
17: Centennial….Shelly Stemper (Becker) Fire & Gold All Star MN Elite Camp/Megan Howard (St. Paul Central) MN Elite Camp
16: U Conn (Top 100 Expo)…Kiara Strickland (Minneapolis Roosevelt) LSU/Jennifer Noordmans (Hancock) North Carolina Top 100 Expo
15: Metro Stars Black…Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/Brianna Williams (Hopkins) Mpls Lady Cats
14: Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/same
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan Larson.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Theairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same


POLLS
19
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic-

16/17-Junior Girls
1. NC Heat
2. North Tartan Larson
3. MN Metro Stars Black
4. IBCA Select I
5. Nebraska Bison Judds I
6. MN Stars Hested
7. ECI Gold West
8. Dakota Hardwood Threat
9. Team WI Select 17
10. All Iowa Attack
11. MN Stars Borowicz
12. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska
13. Metro Stars White
14. Iowa Elite I
15. Quest

15
1. MN Metro Stars
2 NE Judds
3. All Iowa Attack
4. Team WI Select 15
5. North Tartan 15
6. MN Stars
7. Lakeville North
8. WI Heat
9. Southern Stars
10. MN Fury
11. MSB

14
1. North Tartan 14
2. MN Metro Stars
3. Mpls Lady Cats*
4. Cornhusker Shooting Stars
5. 43 Hoops Williams
6. MN Suns Gold
7. MN Fury
8. MN Suns White
9. MN Stars Blue
10. Gym Rats
11. MN Stars Red
*Mpls Lady Cats become a 14u team with the addition of certain players

13
1. Midtown Lady Monarchs
2. Mpls Lady Cats
3. MN Suns
4. Team WI Select 13
5. St. Paul Central
6. Farview
7. North Tartan
8. Rochester Shock
9. Olympic Ice
10. Metro Stars

Next week is the last week of the summer AAU week that was series. On Sunday August 12 I will publish the AAU Summer that was--a season end review with the highs and the lows of all the action the last six months. Team of the year and Player of the year will be crowned. Also I will be putting out the best this and best that. If you have suggestions email me. Go to my profile to nominate your best of the summer.


Next up: tomorrow morning

The AAU Week That Was #17: Bit of Everything

#7 posting 7.27.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE AAU WEEK THAT WAS #17: A Bit of Everything
As the summer builds to a crescendo this week had a bit of everything: high school teams in the Rogers tournament and in the Champlin Park Summer League; All Star Camps; and the high powered Summer tournaments.
High School events, like the Rogers tournament, give HS teams a chance to work out some kinks, test combinations, and work on basic/fundamentals. The drawback is that not everyone is there in attendance. So this isn't the full team you will see in the winter. Not every player that plays in the summer will be getting to smell the court come winter. Teams use and experiment with a lot of players. By winter only a handful will make the rotation. Any more and rhythm is disrupted.
The summer leagues are all very hit and miss. Loyalty is to where the most money is being spent. Last night at the Champlin Park summer League the whole undefeated Osseo team was at the Gopher team camp. Maple Grove wasn't at full strength either. A gritty, gutty performance by the younger Osseo players made for compelling viewing.

All Star camps feature players that have a general higher skill level than what you see in the general HS games. The top players are thrown together and a new team is born. It is rare in these situations that teams click and hum with efficiency. It takes a while to learn names, much less tendencies. That is why top pp100 are in the upper 80s generally. Not because of awesome defense, but because players are unsure, or don't know what their teammate is going to do. The more aggressive players will thrive and take over in these situations. However it can be too much one on one, trying to do it all by themselves. The trick is to see the player that can lift, help, inspire, and encourage their teammates in these camps. They are the true leaders and players flock to be part of their teams and hang with them.

The elite, heavyweight teams and tournaments are a different matter. Some players think that this is the best level of competition and in a sense they are right. They are facing the better players from other states and (hopefully) will have practiced to get the nuances of their own team down. But if they think this is how college ball is they are wrong. College is more like the winter HS season when you have a conference so you know your opponent inside and out, and you are NOT playing five games in two days.

Summer tournaments and programs exist to sell players to colleges. The motivation is different than in the winter. There is no such thing as a "national" tournament in girls basketball anymore. An AAU "National" tournament without one team from California? To be truly national every state in the union should be there. And it doesn't really matter to the colleges if it is a national tournament or not. They want to see players. The tournament season is so fragmented and teams are so fluid. A team changes every week. It is like looking at a kaleidoscope with different combinations.

Again loyalty follows the money. And there is money. Improving a players skills are a secondary result. However I think this season the execution in summer ball is better. That isn't to say the players are better than last year, but there is an improvement in team play.

OTHER ACTION THIS WEEK
The Battle of the Plains in Lincoln was won by the Nebraska Bison Cornhusker Shooting Stars. Other tournaments this week included the Super 16 girls tournament took place in Ames; The River City Classic in Memphis; and the AAU Nationals were on going with North Tartan 14s moving along to the quarters.

COMING ATTRACTIONS
The heavyweight tournament season ends this week with events like the AAU Nationals; the North Tartan Meltdown; the Nike Nationals in Georgia; the USJN Summer Final in Chicago; and USA Summer Slam in Cincinnati.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
To make team of the week the team simply has to execute. Centennial won the Silver division in the Rogers Breakdown tournament last Saturday with a pp100 of 108. They were hotter than the heat index outside. Luckily for me the Rogers gym is air conditioned. Centennial has plenty of talent. Three of the players (Emily Becken, Kayla Blom, and Bridget Schuneman) were coming off a successful camp week at the Top 100 Expo in St. Cloud. The trio also had successful weeks at the MN Elite camp this week. All three were on the all star teams, plus Megan Waytashek was added to the all star roster. That made four Centennial players, the most of any HS team there. On the weekend Kiara Allums was involved. Megan Nipe, another in the stable of talent was not there. If you check the three teams of the week down below you will see three Centennial players. That makes six honors in two weeks for Centennial.

In the championship game at Rogers they faced Albany, a team that finished second in the AA State tournament and returns key components. It was a competitive hard fought game 67-61. Artistically the best of the bunch all week (Albany checked in with a pp100 of 98.4). Centennial had seven player that hit the gold standard for that game. Centennial's season didn't end the way they wanted last season. They will be on a mission this season to grab the gold ring.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
With a lot of different looks, the player the week this goes to Shelly Stemper. She always played with abandon at camp and made a difference. She was on the appropriately named Fire this week. She plays with fire and will burn you if you give her an opening. She can play in and out. She has been a guard in her younger days and can play outside. She has the size to do damage inside. She is assertive and aggressive after the ball. I have seen her on the floor going after loose balls constantly. Stemper plays this way all the time. She doesn't back away from competition. She is relentless.

How to make the team? This week all five players were north of 140 pp100 and that included two games each for Jacobson and Stemper. That is hard to do. So, for those that are unfamiliar are the rules:
1. I have to see the player
2. Player has to make the gold standard of 100 pp100 and a floor % over .500.
3. Player has to have more than six possessions in summer ball.
4. I take the combined numbers if I see more than one performance.

FIRST TEAM

Devin Diedrich, Braham

Kelsey Jacobson, (Moorhead) Mystics/Gold I MN Elite Camp

Katie Loberg (Princeton) North Tartan Larson

Katelin Oney (Cedar Rapids Washington) IBCA Select I

Shelly Stemper (Becker) Fire/Gold I MN Elite Camp

SECOND TEAM

Kiara Allums, Centennial

Aaryn Booker (DeLaSalle) Mercury/Maroon I MN Elite Camp

Alise Holst (Plainview-Elgin-Millville) Lynx/Maroon I MN Elite Camp

Bridget Schuneman, Centennial/Mystics, Maroon II MN Elite Camp

Megan Waytashek, Centennial/Shock, Maroon I MN Elite Camp
THIRD TEAM

Brianna Blackhawk, Park Center

Lea'ola Fields, (Duluth Central) Comets MN Elite Camp

Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Shock/Maroon I MN Elite Camp

Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan Larson

Taylor Voss, Albany

DEFENSIVE TEAM

Devin Diedrich, Braham

Megan Howard, (St. Paul Central) Fire MN Elite Camp captain

Kasey Kolnberger (Forest Lake) Mercury MN Elite Camp

Kelsey Jacobson (Moorhead)

Shelly Stemper (Becker)

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
16: U Conn (Top 100 Expo)…Kiara Strickland (Minneapolis Roosevelt) LSU/Jennnifer Noordmans (Hancock) North Carolina Top 100 Expo
15: Metro Stars Black…Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/Brianna Williams (Hopkins) Mpls Lady Cats
14: Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/same
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16

11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat

7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Theairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat

4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

POLLS
19
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic

16/17-Junior Girls
1. NC Heat

2. North Tartan Larson

3. MN Metro Stars Black
4. IBCA Select I

5. MN Stars Hested

6. ECI Gold West

7. Team WI Select 17

8. Dakota Hardwood Threat
9. Nebraska Bison Judds I

10. All Iowa Attack

11. MN Stars Borowicz

12. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska

13. Metro Stars White

14. Iowa Elite I

15. Quest

15
1. MN Metro Stars

2 NE Judds

3. All Iowa Attack

4. Team WI Select 15

5. North Tartan 15

6. MN Stars

7. Lakeville North

8. MN Fury

9. WI Heat

10. Southern Stars

11. MSB

14

1. North Tartan 14

2. MN Metro Stars

3. Cornhusker Shooting Stars

4. MN Suns Gold

5. MN Suns White

6. 43 Hoops Williams

7. MN Fury

8. MN Stars Blue

9. Gym Rats

10. MN Stars Red

13
1. Midtown Lady Monarchs

2. Mpls Lady Cats

3. MN Suns

4. Team WI Select 13

5. St. Paul Central

6. Farview

7. North Tartan

8. Rochester Shock

9. Olympic Ice

10. Metro Stars

The AAU Week That Was #16: Medora?

#7 posting 7.20.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information


THE AAU WEEK THAT WAS: MEDORA?
This week marked the first time since 2005 where I didn't post on a day. On Saturday I left for a family vacation in Medora, North Dakota. My wife's family had a reunion of sorts and Medora was the site. That beast on the left met our car in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the South unit. He was walking north as we were headed south. He kindly posed for this shot. It looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the prairie. What you don't see is the fly that was annoying him. I have plenty of photos of the scenery and animals, but this guy was one lane away on the road. At 2000 pounds I didn't want to have him charge my car.

That trip meant that my weekend foray into the gyms for tournament action was eliminated. But the fact was I wasn't going to be going to any gym if I was in town anyway.

That didn't mean there wasn't any games worth seeing, only that the time and distance prevented my watching. However area teams did well this past weekend. IBCA Select I won the Miss Basketball tournament in Kearney; Metro Stars Black ended their season with a strong performance at the Summer Showcase in Chicago. MN Stars Borowicz and NC Heat made the final four in the Showtime tournament in Atlanta. The Midtown Lady Monarchs made the Elite 8 in the 13u AAU tournament. Plus others teams were active and had success.

That meant the honors this week were from the weekday games just concluded. Summer Leagues are starting to wrap up. I traveled to Lakeville North and Concordia St. Paul for their championships. Hopkins took revenge on Eastview for the LNSL title while smaller Bloomington Kennedy took the CSPSL crown with a 2-1 win over wounded defending state champ St. Paul Central.

The other events that are going on are the camps. And I headed to St. Cloud yesterday for the Top 100 Expo.

Summer Leagues and Camps are different from the tournament scene. Different rules, different timing structures, sometimes familiar faces. Summer Leagues, for the most part, have some structure as high school coaches make use of the state high school league window. St. Paul Central is different in that they had no coach. Eastview had coach Goetz at the helm. Hopkins and Kennedy had others in charge. In general, shot selection is questionable in all situations. Most shots are rushed without regard to time/score and rebounding floor balance. What is a good shot at six seconds (from behind the arc) will probably be there again.

Camps have the struggle to mesh players from different styles quickly. The idea is that the invitational camps are a bit more competitive with higher level performances expected. But still some players, even at the invitational camps, hide and don't seize the initiative. These camps show who is aggressive and who can adjust to the faster pace quickly. Which leads us to the

TEAM OF THE WEEK
The winner this week only played this week and never will again. It is the U Conn team at the Top 100 Expo camp. The team had a heavy dose of Centennial in their line up with Emily Becken (Camp MVP), Kayla Blom and Bridget Schuneman. All three made All Camp. The Centennial guards led the team, but the rest of the players were strong performers as well. A team doesn't crack the century mark a couple of times during the week without having a multitude of weapons. UConn reached 101 in the championship game. They ran the floor, saw the floor, and delivered the ball. Awareness is undervalued and this team was aware. I saw them at 120 pp100 which is humming. The photo above is the UConn team, but since they turned in their jerseys I can't identify them all. Coach James Fassett led the squad. He coaches at Minneapolis CC during the winter and has been the coach of the MN Lady Suns 16u team this summer. This leads us to the

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
To get this award a player has to be consistent and consistently good. Taking the honors this week is Kiara Strickland of Minneapolis Roosevelt and LSU in the Top 100 Expo. The left hander has matured greatly in the last few months. She is more focused and was sizzling at the start of the championship game delivering 11 of the first 16 points. A rangy type with the ability to hit outside, she is a dangerous in the open court. She can pass which is something she likes to do too much (if that is possible). Now she is looking for her shot. Strickland always has intrigued people with potential and now is delivering nicely. She has moved from a prospect to a performer. Her team may not have taken the title, but her energy and intensity didn't waver. She is poised to be a leader this year.

To make this team I had to 1. See the player during the week. 2. the player had to meet the gold standard (100 pp100, and over .500 floor percentage). Of course winning helps. Looking at this week's first team you may dub them the Killer Bs, but there is nothing B level about their performances.



FIRST TEAM
Emily Becken, Centennial, U Conn Top 100 Expo
Kayla Blom, Centennial, U Conn, Top 100 Expo
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy
Abby Busch, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, Arizona State, top 100 Expo
Kiara Strickland, Minneapolis Roosevelt, LSU, top 100 Expo
SECOND TEAM
Megan Howard, St. Paul Central
Stephanie Kruggel, GFW, Arizona State, top 100 Expo
Hanna Muegge, Hopkins
Brittany Thiesfeld, Glencoe-Silver Lake, U Conn, top 100 Expo
Mackenzie Wolter, Norwood-Young America, U Conn, top 100 Expo
THIRD TEAM
Brittany Dorsey, St. Paul Central
Erin Gadient, Goodhue, North Carolina, top 100 Expo
Macy Hanson, Crookston, Purdue, Top 100 Expo
Bridget Schuneman, Centennial, U Conn, Top 100 Expo
Morgan Simonitch, Ortonville, Purdue, Top 100 Expo

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy
Megan Howard, St. Paul Central
Jennifer Noordmans, Hancock, North Carolina, top 100 Expo Captain
Stephanie Sension, Hopkins
Kiara Strickland, Minneapolis Roosevelt, LSU, Top 100 Expo

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
15: Metro Stars Black…Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/Brianna Williams (Hopkins) Mpls Lady Cats
14: Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/same
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Theairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

POLLS
19
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic-

16/17-Junior Girls
1. IBCA Select I
2. NC Heat
3. North Tartan Larson
4. MN Metro Stars Black
5. MN Stars Hested
6. ECI Gold West
7. Team WI Select 17
8. MN Stars Borowicz
9. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska
10. Dakota Hardwood Threat
11. All Iowa Attack
12. Nebraska Bison Judds I
13. Metro Stars White
14. Iowa Elite I
15. Quest

15
1. MN Metro Stars
2 NE Judds
3. North Tartan 15
4. Team WI Select 15
5. All Iowa Attack
6. MN Stars
7. Lakeville North
8. WI Heat
9. Southern Stars
10. MN Fury
11. MSB

14
1. North Tartan 14
2. MN Metro Stars
3. 43 Hoops Williams
4. MN Suns Gold
5. MN Fury
6. MN Suns White
7. MN Stars Blue
8. Gym Rats
9. MN Stars Red

13
1. Midtown Lady Monarchs
2. Mpls Lady Cats
3. MN Suns
4. Team WI Select 13
5. St. Paul Central
6. Farview
7. North Tartan
8. Rochester Shock
9. Olympic Ice
10. Metro Stars

Now it is the home stretch of summer. There are some major tournaments left--the 14 and 15 AAU nationals; there is the Great Lakes Shootout II; Adidas Battle of the Plains; Ames 16; the Memphis tournament; the North Tartan Meltdown; the Nike Nationals in Georgia; and to cap it all off the Sweet 16 in the first week in August.
Also the Minnesota Elite camp opens this week and more summer leagues will wrap up. There will also be team camps. Now is the time. The days are winding down. It is time to deliver.

Next up: tomorrow morning

The AAU Week That Was #15: Hopkins

#3 posting 7.13.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

The AAU Week That Was #15: Hopkins

The multi state tournaments continue, and area teams had success. North Tartan 14s won the American division in the End of the Trail tournament in Oregon. Also in the EotT tourney North Tartan Larson and IBCA Select I finished second in their brackets.

In the Big Show, a tournament for 14s, the Metro Stars 14s finished second to the Kansas Belles.

The Gym Rats 14s won the Great Lakes Shootout in their age division in Menomonie. But Team WI Select 17 didn't take their title for the first time in three Menomonie tournaments as the Omaha Crusaders grabbed the title. OC beat the hosts in the semis.

However in the AAU nationals, the best any area team finished was All Iowa Attack, and NC Heat in the round of 32. NC Heat lost to a Florida team 88-72; AIA lost to a Philadelphia team 73-57.

So it was Area Teams: 2 Championship; 3 seconds;

Of course the action in Minnesota centered on Hopkins with the Adidas Mid American Tournament. The tournament last year was in the third week of July. The movement forced some squads to miss this year. Last year it was SD Elite beating IBCA Select I in the finals.
The big news this weekend was the back to back championships by Metro Stars Black. A week after taking the title in Sioux Falls they did the same in Hopkins. And they have done it with precise, efficient offense (they have been checking in with 100 pp100), great defense, and cohesive team play. Their sister team Metro Stars White also took the 16u title. (MSB won the 17u). They are also using the defensive efforts for their success.

Now this week their are some big tournaments
The AAUs start for the 15s, 14s, and 13s
The Showtime tournament is going on in Atlanta
The Summer Showcase is taking place in Chicago
and the Miss Basketball tournament is in full swing in Kearney.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
Metro Stars Black's win this weekend convinced a few more doubters. MSB played MN Stars Hested in the third place game early in June and MSH smashed Black 84-41. MSB also lost to their 15 year old team in the Kennedy Summer Jam on a last second shot. Since that time MSB has done a 180 turn around. They have great chemistry and belief in what they do. They are extremely well prepared. They keep an even keel when things don't go well. All this can be traced back to coach Brian Frye. The MSB have won two straight tournaments that had strong regional presence. And they didn't sneak up on anybody to do it.
MSB matches St. Paul Central (in the winter) by winning the team of the week honor back to back. MSB won't win the honor next week since I won't see them in Chicago.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Courtney Boylan has been consistently excellent the past few weeks and therefore takes her third Player of the Week honor. There were doubters out there, players and teams were gunning for her. The top defenders shadowed her moves. She still delivered in the clutch. She didn't waver. She didn't flinch. She simply makes others on her team better. Plus she wins. What more can you ask for?
Boylan has now won the honor in week 7, 14, and 15. Boylan is the first player, winter or summer to go back to back with player of the week honors. She is also the first to win the honor three weeks. In the winter the most any one player had was two.

HOW THE TEAMS ARE SELECTED
For those that aren't familiar with the drill: #1 I have to see the player during the week. Out of my site---you can't make the squad. #2. Gold standard is favored--100 pp100; floor % .500+. #3 if I saw the player twice (or more) the average has to be north of the gold standard. #4. winning matters.




FIRST TEAM
Courtney Boylan, Metro Stars Black (Chaska)
Leah Dietel, MN Stars Borowicz (Jordan)
Brianna Mastey, MN Stars Hested (Becker)
Stephanie Sension, Metro Stars Black (Hopkins)
Amanda Woodring, Omaha Crusaders (Millard West)--this could also be Emily Hauder (Bellevue West) the rosters are not clear.
SECOND TEAM
Brittany Chambers, MN Stars Borowicz (Jordan)
Adrea Holler, Metro Stars Black (Eagan)
Kyana Johnson, Metro Stars White (St. Paul Central)
Theairra Taylor, MN Stars Hested (St. Paul Central)
Brittany Thiesfeld, MN Stars Schmitz (Glencoe-Silver Lake)
THIRD TEAM
Kiara Allums, MN Stars Hested (Centennial)
Lauren Carew, ECI West Gold (Fargo Shanley)
Mara Paulson, ECI West Gold (Fargo Shanley)
Ashley Privratsky, ECI West Gold (Devils Lake)
Tyisha Smith, Mpls Lady Cats (Mpls South)

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Courtney Boylan, Metro Stars Black (Chaska)
Leah Dietel, MN Stars Borowicz (Jordan)
Sarah Feeney, ECI West Gold (Bismarck)
Tyisha Smith, Mpls Lady Cats (Mpls South)
Brianna Williams, Mpls Lady Cats (Hopkins) captain

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
14: Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) Metro Stars Black/same
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Teairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

POLLS
19
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic

16/17-Junior Girls
1. NC Heat
2. North Tartan Larson
3. IBCA Select I
4. MN Metro Stars Black
5. MN Stars Hested
6. Team WI Select 17
7. ECI Gold West
8. Dakota Hardwood Threat
9. All Iowa Attack
10. MN Stars Borowicz
11. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska
12. Nebraska Bison Judds I
13. Metro Stars White
14. Iowa Elite I
15. Quest

15
1. MN Metro Stars
2 NE Judds
3. North Tartan 15
4. Team WI Select 15
5. All Iowa Attack
6. MN Stars
7. Lakeville North
8. WI Heat
9. Southern Stars
10. MN Fury
11. MSB

14
1. North Tartan 14
2. MN Metro Stars
3. 43 Hoops Williams
4. MN Suns Gold
5. MN Fury
6. MN Suns White
7. MN Stars Blue
8. Gym Rats
9. MN Stars Red

13
1. Mpls Lady Cats
2. Midtown Lady Monarchs
3. Team WI Select 13
4. St. Paul Central
5. Farview
6. MN Suns
7. North Tartan
8. Rochester Shock
9. Olympic Ice
10. Metro Stars

Next up: tomorrow morning

The AAU Week That Was #14: Sioux Falls

#4 posting 7.6.2007
your daily dose of your girls basketball news & information

THEN AND NOW
Now is a good time to look back at the Dakota Showcase. How do the two years compare? Looking at the players last year IBCA Select had Kelsey Bolte, and Kelsey Cermak, plus a few more that went D1. SD Elite was a bomb factory with 3s raining in. Jill Young, the all time leading scorer in SD history delivered. Daubert Pinnacle Nebraska won the tournament and had a few players that moved on to the D1 promised land.
This year also had players that have made verbals. Kelly Krei (IBCA) is headed to Iowa; Dakota Hardwood Threat had two players headed to D1 programs--Amber Wollschlager to Drake; and Alexis Yackley to Iowa State. Yackley was injured in the tournament. Ashley Privratsky of ECI Gold West is off to North Dakota. Amanda Zimmerman of All Iowa Attack is headed to Iowa State as is Iowa Elite's Ashley Arlen. Arlen's teammate KK Armstrong is going to Northern Iowa. As you can see this year's edition has talent.
As far as the acid test: the pp100s. For the final four teams this year's edition were better 104.9 to 100.1 from the games I watched. It is a slight difference but it is a difference. Teams are better executing this summer than last year.

UNIFORMS
This should be obvious to summer programs, but somehow it eludes understanding.
#1: Numbers need to be on both sides of the uniform. That is at the basic level. I can't fathom how some teams go out with numbers only on the back. You are making it difficult for scouts, fans, and media to follow what is going on. You are hurting your players ease of recognition.
#2: Numbers should be clear and easily read. That might mean boring Times or Helvetica font, but fancy stylish numbers may be confusing.
#3: names on the back are a huge advantage. No one will have to look down at their program thereby missing some action.
If you want to promote your players these three things should be self evident.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

It was week 3 for the multistate events and Minnesota did quite well taking home the championship in the Dakota Showcase in Sioux Falls. The Metro Stars Black team, rated last week at #10 in the gbbrecruit poll, played outstanding team ball all tournament. They were deliberate, patient, resolute in their victories. They trailed All Iowa Attack in the semis by 10 in the second half. They had a five point lead that melted to an eight point deficit against ECI Gold West. They never panicked. They kept an even keel, and stuck with their plan. MSB controlled the tempo and pace. They played the game the way they wanted to and found a way to win.
But it was their defense that set them apart from the field. In the six games they won in Sioux Falls MSB held their opponents to 11.3 points lower than the average. ECIWG came in averaging 70.7 ppg, and only scored 55 and that was in overtime. In pool play MSB only allowed 37.7 ppg. It took every player to get the job done and they all delivered.
This is the second time this spring MSB has won the honor. They also won after the Richfield Tournament.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

This too is not much of a mystery. The Dakota Showcase named Courtney Boylan of MSB MVP of their tournament. And that honor was well deserved. No one had a finer command of the game. I go back to the two points where MSB trailed in the semis and finals. Her confidence, awareness and leadership were invaluable. There is no mistaking MSB is Boylan's team. There is no doubt to the competitiveness Boylan possesses. She gets the ball to players. She works on getting in the right spot for defensive rebounds. She is the key to start the MSB engine.
This is Boylan's second player of the week honor. She also won after the Richfield tournament in week 7.

Which leads us to the team of the week. #1 I had to see the player. There were some players I never charted in Sioux Falls due to time constraints. That is why they aren't on the list. #2. They have to reach the gold standard. No fudging on this. 100 pp100 and floor % of over .500. #3 winning is good. #4 more emphasis is placed on the older players.

FIRST TEAM

Courtney Boylan (Chaska, MN) Metro Stars Black

Alex Feeney (Bismarck, ND) ECI Gold West

Chelsea Poppens (Aplington-Parkersburg, IA) All Iowa Attack I

Ashley Privratsky (Devils Lake, ND) ECI Gold West

Amber Wollschlager (Milbank, SD) Dakota Hardwood Threat

SECOND TEAM

Kelly Krei (Iowa City, IA) IBCA Select I

Kylie Messer (Bismarck St. Mary's, ND) ECI Gold West

Katelin Oney (Cedar Rapids Washington, IA) IBCA Select I

Mara Paulson (Fargo Shanley, ND) ECI Gold West

Renae Shippy (Crest Ridge, MO) Kansas City Hustle

THIRD TEAM

Ashley Arlen (Cascade, IA) Iowa Elite I

Shaunteva Ashley (Sioux Falls Roosevelt, SD) SD Riders

Maggie Malloy (Parkston) Dakota Hardwood Threat

Shelly Martin (Omaha Westside) Pinnacle Bank Nebraska

Tia Mays (Des Moines East, IA) All Iowa Attack I

DEFENSIVE TEAM

For the first time this summer the first team is also the defensive team

Courtney Boylan (Chaska, MN) Metro Stars Black
Alex Feeney (Bismarck, ND) ECI Gold West
Chelsea Poppens (Aplington-Parkersburg, IA) All Iowa Attack I
Ashley Privratsky (Devils Lake, ND) ECI Gold West
Amber Wollschlager (Milbank, SD) Dakota Hardwood Threat

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
13: Team WI Select 17.…Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire North) Team WI Select 17/Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17
12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat

7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Teairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

POLLS
19
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic-

16/17-Junior Girls
1. NC Heat
2. North Tartan Larson
3. IBCA Select I
4. MN Stars Hested
5. Team WI Select 17

6. MN Metro Stars Black

7. ECI Gold West

8. Dakota Hardwood Threat
9. All Iowa Attack
10. MN Stars Borowicz

11. Pinnacle Bank Nebraska

12. Nebraska Bison Judds I
13. Iowa Elite I

14. Quest

15. North Tartan Crosby

15
1. MN Metro Stars, hasn't lost to a 15 team all year

2. North Tartan 15
3. Team WI Select 15
4. All Iowa Attack
5. MN Stars
6. Lakeville North
7. WI Heat
8. Southern Stars

9. MN Fury
10. MSB
-

14

1. MN Metro Stars
2. North Tartan 14
3. 43 Hoops Williams
4. MN Suns Gold
5. MN Fury
6. MN Suns White
7. MN Stars Blue
8. Gym Rats
9. MN Stars Red

13
1. Mpls Lady Cats
2. Midtown Lady Monarchs
3. Team WI Select 13
4. St. Paul Central
5. Farview
6. MN Suns
7. North Tartan
8. Rochester Shock
9. Olympic Ice
10. Metro Stars

THIS WEEK

The action again is multistate with big National tournament now taking over since the D1 coaches can go watch. The AAU Nationals; End of the Trail; Big Show and in the neighborhood the Great Lakes Shootout in Menomonie and the Mid American tournament in Hopkins take center stage. Now obviously next week I won't be able to grade out the teams I don't see, but the action is stepping up. This is the home stretch. Things will wrap up for the summer in a month.

Next up: tomorrow morning

The AAU Week That Was #13: Ames

#4 posting 6.28.2007

your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE AAU WEEK THAT WAS #13: AMES/ROGERS

This marked the second week of the multiple state events.

-

The weekend started off with a look at the high school team tournament at Rogers. Three different brackets with three different winners. What impressed me about those contests was the shooting of the teams. Already Barnum, Rogers, Chaska and St. Michael-Albertville look like they have some fine outside shooters ready to make some noise when the snow flies. All teams were close, or above the pp100 mark. STMA was only a couple off. The format was good with an opportunity to see all three championship games.

-

In Ames the trend continued. In the six games I saw there were three teams (one twice) that surpassed the pp100 mark. Two others were knocking at the door with high 90s. These games are much more enjoyable to watch than games where teams are struggling to get to 70 pp100. The skill level is getting better. That makes for better basketball and better viewing. At the younger levels the talent level looks to be deep. Minnesota teams won the 13 and 14 under championships in Iowa. I watched the Minneapolis Lady Cats and they are ferocious when they are on the court. They are quick and work well together. This team is already leaving a solid legacy.

-

This was the first time I was at the "courts on Duff" site. My only wish was that they would have had concessions. I got there at about 11 am, and as a diabetic I need to have some food. They did have some vending machines, but I was hoping for the standard gymnasium hot dog. I did make it through the day, but I was a bit nervous since I was basically skipping lunch.

-

THIS WEEK

Now the action shifts down to Sioux Falls for the Dakota Showcase. Last year gbbrecruit dubbed this the best tournament of the summer. I guess I am expecting the same this year. So far the Minnesota teams are 4-3 in pool play (the tournament started today). Nebraska has 3 wins, Iowa 2, and ND, SD and Wisconsin 1 each. At this stage they are half way through the first day of pool play.

-

TEAM OF THE WEEK

For the third time this season Team Wisconsin Select has won the title. I have seen them three times and each time they have won their tournament. Last weekend I didn't see them in the Summer Jam at Bloomington Kennedy. According to my sources, and from seeing the progression throughout the spring and now summer a couple of points on this team should be made. #1. the role players on the perimeter are starting to step up, make a difference. #2. inside players Bushman and Schuster are getting more consistent. #3. Quilling is a good floor general, and she has started to look for her shot more. In the first tournament I saw she was content to give it up. She still does that but is more aggressive looking for her shot now. #4 overall team timing is improving. This tournament was the best win of the three for TWS17 since they were on the road. The previous two wins were in Menomonie against a younger Viking Club team and against Randolph. All Iowa Attack was rated 2nd (in this poll) coming into the game on Sunday. AIA won the Windy City Classic in April and was runner up in an AAU super regional in Indiana in May. With a 119 pp100 against AIA, Team Wisconsin Select left no doubt. That was the highest of the week and it came in the championship game.

-

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

For leading Team Wisconsin Select 17 to the title in Ames the player this week is Hannah Quilling, the third TWS17 player to be honored this season joining Katie Bushman (week 3) and Val Schuster (week 9). Quilling is forced to do double duty at the point since her backups have been injured. That fact hasn't slowed her down despite playing the full game in these marathon events. She was almost flawless in the championship game with All Iowa Attack. She looks to involve her teammates first, shoot second. She has command of the game and steers the team and game in her direction.

I also should mention Katie Bushman was honored for the second time this year as the defensive player of the week. She also won that honor in week 3.

-

To make the player of the week list (for those of you that don't know) #1. I have to see the player during the week. #2 player needs to reach the gold standard of 100 pp100 and .500 floor %. usually the better players are closer to the 130 pp100 mark and .600 floor % FYI. #3 If I see the player in more than one game I add the numbers and divide by the number of games. #4 winning your game is good.

FIRST TEAM

Emily Cady, Cornhusker Shooting Stars 14s

Casey Mann, Rogers

Meghan Myhre, Barnum

Hannah Quilling, Team Wisconsin Select 17

Tyeshia Smith, Minneapolis Lady Cats

SECOND TEAM

Brooke Brown, Chaska

Kaylee Cardinal, Team Wisconsin Select 17

Chelsea Poppens, All Iowa Attack 16

Jaimee Wickstrom, Barnum

Amanda Zimmerman, All Iowa Attack 16

THIRD TEAM

Addy Bates, All Iowa Attack 15

Aubrey Davis, Minneapolis Lady Cats

Jennifer Dowd, Rogers

Jade Martin, Farview 13

Keegan Marz, Illinois Wolverines 15

-

DEFENSIVE TEAM

Hannah Beeler, All Iowa Attack 15

Katie Bushman, Team Wisconsin Select 17 captain

Aubrey Davis, Minneapolis Lady Cats

Chelsea Poppens, All Iowa Attack 16

Hannah Quilling, Team Wisconsin Select 17

-

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS

Team...Player of the Week/D player

12: North Tartan.....Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan/Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team Wisconsin Select 16

11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same

10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same

9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15

8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14

6: MN Stars Hested.....Teairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15

5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat

4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA

3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same

2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats

1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

-

POLLS

19

1. Metro Stars

2. Gym Rats

3. Southern Minne Magic
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16/17-Junior Girls

1. NC Heat

2. North Tartan Larson

3. IBCA Select I

4. MN Stars Hested

5. Team WI Select 17

6. All Iowa Attack

7. MN Stars Borowicz

8. Iowa Elite I

9. North Tartan Crosby

10. MN Metro Stars Black

11. IBCA Select II

12. MN Stars Antl

13. Quest

14. Randolph

15. Southern Minne Magic Black
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15

1. North Tartan 15

2. MN Metro Stars

3. Team WI Select 15

4. All Iowa Attack

5. MN Stars

6. Lakeville North

7. WI Heat

8. Southern Stars

9. 43 Hoops

10. MSB

10. MN Fury

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14
1. MN Metro Stars

2. North Tartan 14

3. 43 Hoops Williams

4. MN Suns Gold

5. MN Fury

6. MN Suns White

7. MN Stars Blue

8. Gym Rats

9. MN Stars Red
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13

1. Mpls Lady Cats

2. Midtown Lady Monarchs

3. Team WI Select 13

4. St. Paul Central

5. Farview

6. MN Suns

7. North Tartan

8. Rochester Shock

9. Olympic Ice

10. Metro Stars
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Next up: tomorrow

The AAU Week That Was #12: Summer Jam

#4 posting 6.22.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE WEEK THAT WAS #12: SUMMER JAM
The Bloomington Kennedy Summer Jam wrapped up last weekend, and it seems as if every tournament at Kennedy is a swelterbox. That held true this time too. There has been talk of air conditioning being added to the building, but that might be two years off.
It was the tournament of playing up. It was the tournament of redemption. It was the tournament of frustration.

The tournament could have had the best 8 teams in one bracket, but that didn't happen. The 19s are absolutely thin so top level 16 teams were added to the meager field. But not all power 16 teams made the rise. IBCA Select I was left with their noses pressed against the window pane in the watered down 16 tournament. The top level 15 teams played up as did the 14s to the 15s. This seems to be a consistent theme. The strivers held their own and then some. The surprise team of the tournament was North Tartan 15s as they made the finals beating Wisconsin Select 16 in the quarters. They also had a big win against Quest in the pool play Saturday. IBCA won the 16s, but struggled in the quarters against North Tartan Crosby. It was IBCA's first tournament since the Iowa State tournament in April. Another in the playing up wins was a civil war win by Metro Stars 15s over their sister team Metro Stars Black 16s in the game to get into the 16 quarters.

Redemption was also a theme of the tournament. North Tartan Larson stormed back from a lackluster finish in the Minnesota State AAU finals with a strong finish against MN Stars Hested that left no doubt on where they stood. NTL looks much more confident than they did two weeks ago. Also in the redemption field was the Metro Stars 14 team as they defeated nemesis North Tartan 14s in a solid 52-42 win. NT 14 hadn't lost to a Minnesota team in eons if ever. Both were playing for the 15 championships. Along the way Metro Stars 14s beat the twin towers of Team Wisconsin Select 15s 51-46 in another big victory.

UNFORTUNATE TIMING & MISSING TEAMS
The problem with all these games is I can't be everywhere at once. The Inner City All Star Classic was also going on at Arlington in St. Paul. I had to miss that event. All the finals are at the same time in the Summer Jam (at least the 19, 16, and 15s) so I went with the big girls in that choice. At the MN State tournament I was able to watch all the 16 quarterfinals.
Most of the weekend I was trying to see teams I haven't seen before. That meant most of my time was spent with teams from outside of Minnesota, but I did manage to catch a couple of Minnesota teams that had eluded my sights. In fact I only saw one team twice all weekend, which was rare. The lucky team was IBCA Select II.

The tournament was a good chance to see multiple state teams in action as the summer regional tournaments really kick in. This weekend should have more in store in Ames, Iowa with the Adidas Midwest Classic. Which leads us to:

THIS WEEKEND
There are plenty of events this weekend. High School Action in MN include a Pacesetter tournament in Grand Rapids, another tournament in Walker, a Summer Showcase event at Rogers, along with the Star of the North State Games in Rochester.

Wisconsin has their All Star series at the Alliant Center in Madison on Saturday.

I still have tried to find a link for the Adidas Midwest Classic schedule. Couldn't do it.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
There were plenty of options this week. North Tartan 15s are on the rise. Metro Stars 14s had big wins. Eastview in the Lakeville North Summer League also had a strong showing with two critical wins. But the honor goes to North Tartan Larson with their statement win over MN Stars Hested. They are the fourth MN team in the 16u division to get the honor. Their floor % was .569, the fourth best of the spring season, but if you eliminate the games against teams that aren't high in quality NTL moves to number one on the list. MN Stars Hested is averaging 76.01 on defense this season and NTL shredded that mark with a 115.4 pp100.
For NTL their defense held MSH to under .400 floor %. When the floor % numbers are above .400 NTL is 1-2 and that one win was the overtime win over NC Heat in the Forest Lake Semis. Defense will get you through bad offensive performances.

They handled the full court pressure much better than they did earlier in the spring. The had eight players reach the gold standard of 100 pp100. When you shoot good, you look good and NTL looked very good against a quality team. This should boost NTL's confidence as they head into the upcoming national event season like the End of the Trail and Nike Nationals.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
This was an interesting race. However the nod goes to Jackie Voigt. Reliable and Versatile. She does many things well without the thunder and lightning. She led NTL with defensive wraps and also had a high number of assists showing her versatility. She is quietly, steadily improving her play and is a critical component for the success of NTL this year. She joins Kiara Buford as the second NTL player to get the honor. Buford nabbed it after the Forest Lake Tournament.

How do you make the team? #1 I have to see you. #2 the gold standard of 100 pp100 and .500 floor % is strictly enforced. #3 your team should also win. #4 If I see you multiple games I average out your scores. That means some players could have a series of good games, but then get skunked. I am looking for that consistent player that constantly delivers the bacon.


FIRST TEAM
Hannah Draxten (Fergus Falls) North Tartan Larson
Kelly Krei (Iowa City) IBCA Select I
Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I
Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan Larson
Kamille Wahlin (Crookston) North Tartan Larson
SECOND TEAM
Amber Kirschbaum (Spirit Lake) IBCA Select I
Katie Loberg (Princeton) North Tartan 15s
Alexis Montgomery (Cannon Falls) MN Stars Hested
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North
Devyn Smith (Roseville) North Tartan 15s
THIRD TEAM
Morgan Bindas (Kindred) Prairie Bison Hoopsters
Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan Larson
Haley Loesch (Northfield) Southern Minne Magic Black
Brianna Mastey (Becker) MN Stars Hested
Jess McDowell (AGWSR) IBCA Select II

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Taylor Luke (Amery, WI) MN Stars Antl
Alexis Montgomery (Cannon Falls) MN Stars Hested
Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I
Cody Vandenheuvel (Cadott) Team WI Select 16s captain
Jackie Voigt (Park-Cottage Grove) North Tartan Larson

PAST WEEKLY WINNERS
Team...Player of the Week/D player
11: Totino-Grace....Amber Dvorak (Hinckley-Finlayson) MN Northern Lights/same
10: NC Heat.....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/same
9: Team WI Select 17.…Val Schuster (Wausau Newman) Team WI Select 17/Nicole Griffin (Milwaukee Vincent) Team WI Select 15
8: MN Stars Borowicz.....Kiara Buford (St. Paul Central) North Tartan/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
7: MN Metro Stars Black....Courtney Boylan (Chaska) MN Metro Stars Black/Kayla Hirt (Bemidji) Gym Rats 14
6: MN Stars Hested.....Teairra Taylor (St. Paul Central) MN Stars Hosted/Cassie Rochel (Lakeville North) Lakeville North 15
5: NC Heat....Tayler Hill (Mpls South) NC Heat/Katya Leick (Park-Cottage Grove) NC Heat
4: MN AAAA All Stars....Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) AAAA/Janessa Wolf (Park Rapids) AAA
3: Team WI Select 17....Katie Bushman (Phillips) Team WI Select 17/same
2: Mpls Lady Cats..... Sarina Baker (DeLaSalle) Mpls Lady Cats/Aubrey Davis (Blm Kennedy) Mpls Lady Cats
1: IBCA Select I.....Indy Uhlenhopp (North Butler) IBCA Select I/same

POLLS
19
no change, and likely it won't the rest of the year
1. Metro Stars
2. Gym Rats
3. Southern Minne Magic

16/17-Junior Girls
IBCA Select struggled somewhat on Sunday and that is the reason they dropped from #1. With more teams to be seen in the upcoming weeks this list will definitely change. The race is fluid.
1. NC Heat
2. All Iowa Attack
3. North Tartan Larson
4. IBCA Select I
5. MN Stars Hested
6. Team WI Select 17
7. MN Stars Borowicz
8. Iowa Elite I
9. North Tartan Crosby
10. MN Metro Stars Black
11. IBCA Select II
12. MN Stars Antl
13. Quest
14. Randolph
15. Southern Minne Magic Black

15
North Tartan is finding its stride right during the key summer season
1. North Tartan 15
2. MN Metro Stars
3. Team WI Select 15
4. MN Stars
5. Lakeville North
6. WI Heat
7. Southern Stars
8. 43 Hoops
9. MSB
10. MN Fury

14
Metro Stars delivered two knock out punches this weekend.
1. MN Metro Stars
2. North Tartan 14
3. 43 Hoops Williams
4. MN Suns Gold
5. MN Suns White
5. MN Fury
7. MN Stars Blue
8. Gym Rats
9. MN Stars Red

13
The Lady Cats were victors in the Summer Jam at the 14 white level.
1. Mpls Lady Cats
2. Midtown Lady Monarchs
3. Team WI Select 13
4. North Tartan
5. St. Paul Central
6. MN Suns
7. Olympic Ice
8. Metro Stars

Next up: tomorrow morning