Redeem Team, All Star Analysis, Family Vacations

#2 posting 8.7.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

REDEEM TEAM
I know it is the men's team, but you can look at video on how they put together the Men's Olympic team this year. There are 14 video features including Leaders and Off Court Preparation. From 20 Second Time Out.
Here is the entire TV Olympic basketball schedule for both men & women.

PLAYER ANALYSIS
Rethinking Basketball looks at All Star selections based on popularity or based on performance.

SIGNING
Marshall has signed Keona Brooks of SW Tennessee CC in Memphis. The 6-0 junior averaged 7.1 ppg last year.

INTRODUCTIONS
New Wisconsin assistant women's basketball coach Oties Epps introduces himself in a blog entry.

VACATIONS
In the "Ask the Badgers" sequence the question is "what is your favorite family vacation?" Alyssa Karel and Tara Steinbauer have their answers.

RENOVATIONS
Purdue's Mackey Arena is under renovation.

COURT BATTLES
A lawsuit against the Michigan High School Athletic Association by an opposing group has been dismissed. From the Detroit News.

CHAMPS
Schwartz Redi Mix of Grand Rapids, MN won the 18u Northern National championship in Kansas City. Here is the basketball connection--Stephanie Cramer, Katie McBride, and Karly Ackerman who all played in the state basketball tournament this year for Grand Rapids. Gina Gould of Greenway and Cassie Anderson of Nashwauk-Keewatin were also basketball players who were on the team. Adam Johnson was one of the coaches on the team. Johnson is an assistant women's basketball coach at UW Superior. From the Grand Rapids Herald Review.

Next up: when news breaks

How Young is too Young?

#1 posting 5.23.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG?
The StarTribune looks at the early verbals happening every year. The focus is on boys basketball players making verbals before a second of high school basketball. The National Association of Basketball Coaches will look at the recruitment of players
Here is my take:
#1 A verbal is as good as the paper it is written on.
#2 Especially for boys, where physical maturation occurs later, it is a shot in the dark. For girls and their earlier physical maturation, my theory is if you aren't a "star" by the time you are a sophomore you probably aren't a "star." I can count on one hand the number of girls that zoomed up the list that weren't "stars" as sophs and were as seniors and they were bigger than 6-3 each and every time.
#3 movement---recently the Ohio women's basketball coaching staff took off to Boston College. They had a pair of verbals from the 2009 class in Minnesota--Kara Elofson of Hopkins and Tina Fisher of Park-Cottage Grove. Both their verbals are on track after talking to the new coach.
#4 injury---what happens when there is some sort of injury?
#5 academics---maybe with a verbal out of the way the player will make sure their academics are in order. Maybe.

MORE MYAS
The MN Dynamite Team which won the 16U MYAS State tournament last weekend beating Chaska Gold 44-42 in the championship at Armstrong. Here is their photo.

They are going to take a shot at the Nationals in Tampa over July 4th Holiday weekend.

ALL STAR
The IBCA Goalsetter All Star game will take place in Pella, Iowa on June 6 and 7. The site has a list of players divided by class.

COACHING NEWS
Ed Baldwin has been named an assistant women's basketball coach at Ohio State. Tanzania Williams, Tamika (Williams) Raymond's sister, takes over as director of operations. Raymond moved on to Kansas opening up the assistant position.

COURT TIME
DePere girls basketball coach David Johnson had his attorney in court on Thursday Johnson faces a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly hitting a student. From the Green Bay Press Gazette.

SEASON WRAP
Vermont looks back at their season. Former coach Pam Borton is now 4th on the all time Vermont win list there as current coach Sharon Dawley passed her up.

ALL AMERICAN CAGE CLASSIC
There are at large bids available for the 13th annual All American Cage Class Nation Championships to be held in Bloomington, MN on July 1-July 5.
A limited number of “at-large” bids to the Cage Classic National Championships are now available to youth basketball teams grades 4 – 12, both boys & girls, who desire to compete against some of the best basketball teams in the Midwest and the country. The “at-large” entry fee is only $550.00 per team!

The Championship Tournament will be held in Bloomington, MN, home of Mall of America, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the U.S. All games will be played at two high schools which feature 15 spring loaded wood courts. and are within 5 minutes of one another.

Other tournament highlights include:
3 games guaranteed, plus the play-offs
Team & individual awards
Officials; all high school certified
Luxury hotels exclusively for tournament teams @ great rates
Many local attractions in the Bloomington area

For more information on the Cage Classic National Championships, go to the Cage Classic National Tournament Page, www.coachrudys.com/cageinfo.html, or contact
Coach Rudy, National Tournament Director @ coachrudys@yahoo.com or 262-880-3002. “At-large” bids will be on a first come, first serve basis only; entry deadline - June 10.

Next up: later today with the week that was....it was a short week.