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2014 USJN DC 17U Tournament Standouts
The Bluehounds advanced out of Pool V with a 3-2 record, good enough for second place in their Pool of five others and allowing them to advance to the Consolation Playoffs of the Gold Division against other teams that finished second in their pool.
After a victory in the Quarter-Finals over New Hampshire’s New England Crusaders 16 Murphy and a Semi-Final win over Toledo Elite 17 Flight, they were fortunate enough to make it to the Gold Division Consolation Finals against Virginia’s Cardinal Elite 16. However, that is where the magical run would end, as they lost their third game of the day to the Cardinal Elite team that appeared to still have lots left in the tank.
In all, there were 17 Canadian teams taking part in this tournament, here are just a few names of the players that stood out:
Sarah St-Fort
2015
Sarah St-Fort
St-Fort is peaking at just the right time in her development. The college coaches that may have been sleeping on her before hand, had quickly woken up from their slumber with the performance she put on throughout this event. Putting the team on her back, St-Fort logged some serious minutes from the 2-Guard spot, displaying an almost unrivalled athleticism in each of the eight games her Bluehounds played in over the four days. She was among those whose recruiting stock had risen tremendously on the back of her effort in this tournament.
Sirah Diarra
Among the best bigs available in the Canadian 2015 Class, Diarra is continuing her development quite nicely. The SLAM CAMP Post showed well in this tournament and often brought on double team attention when her team was on the offensive end. One of the things I have noticed with her is her improved decision making. The art of know just what you bring to the table from a skills point of view, and being comfortable to play within that skill-set and knowing what and when to execute based on positioning, defensive set and defender appears to have sunken in with her more now than in the past. As she continues to understand that balance, and improve on her repertoire, her recruiting will only continue to benefit.
Idil Turk and Yagmur Bul
When watching the lone BC contingent in the tournament, I couldn’t help but notice the couple of players seemed to bring a unique angle to the game. Two of 3D Elite Basketball’s standout Guards, PG Yagmar Bul and G Idil Turk both hail from the country of Turkey, bringing their European influence to their games in this tournament with good skill with their Turkish influence. While Turk stood out because of some pretty good shooting from the perimeter, Bul made more of an impression on me. As a PG, she found creative ways to make something out of nothing on her way to the basket. Although her finish around the basket is not as consistent as one would like, she routinely employed a decent change of speed and drive and dish strategies to give herself the best opportunity for her and her team to be successful.
Esme Pajkovic
Need size? How does the sound of a solidly built, 6’3” Post sound to you? Pajkovic had done a good job in the gym over the past year or so to get herself to where she is now. Her fitness level is much improved. She runs the floor much better. She has even developed a fairly decent 10-15 foot jumper. At the next level, her bread and butter will be doing damage on the block. While that has improved some, I believe that there is still room for increased productivity in that department. Maintaining position throughout her post moves, and powering through expected contact would help a great deal. And if she can make the strides she has in these areas as she has in others (which isn’t out of the realm of possibility), she could be that beast of a player that no opponent wants to deal with. And that would sound great for any team at the next level.
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2014 USJN DC 17U Tournament Standouts continued…
2016
Kalina Alexander-Renaud
Kalina Alexander-Renaud
Alexander-Renaud is a prospect to keep an eye on mainly because of the amount of skill she displays. She is a smart player that is unselfish with the ball, often feeding teammates that are welcome beneficiaries of the attention that Alexander-Renaud draws from the success that she finds. In the open court, the Wing would benefit from being able to elongate her stride a bit more and take on more of a sprinter’s form when she runs the floor for increased speed and dexterity. Regardless, in that setting she proved several times over that she is a good ball handler and she does what it takes to protect the ball in transition.
Anie-Pier Samson
When the TW Bluehounds needed to make their push during their dramatic playoff run, they needed strong perimeter play that there were able to get from Samson. The solidly built 6’1”, Guard/Forward, delivered a deep threat on more than one occasions with a smooth looking stroke. By being able to consistently knock down the outside shot and forcing defenses to come out to defend the 3-point line, opened up lanes in which the she readily took advantage of. While her game could use a touch more speed to it she proved that she was able to be successful with the skill she now has, and promises to bring in the future.
2018
Rachel Niles
Rachel Niles
Standing out for the newly formed Peel Warriors, participating in this their first AAU season, was 2018 PG Rachel Niles. Much of the offense of her team, featuring predominantly 2015s, flowed through her hands as her team navigated Pool S of the Third Division. Niles was an intriguing source of high energy, playing teams much older than her, and by logging major minutes in the process. She communicated well as a Point Guard and often looked to push the pace of the game after consistently readying herself as an outlet after the ball was rebounded. One of the things that needs to be on the horizon for the high school Freshman, is for her to develop her left ball handling abilities. If she can demonstrate the ability to attack and finish on the left hand side and maintain her quickness and energy level, she can develop into a quite promising prospect.
2020
Sarah Te-Biasu
Going a long, LONG way out on the recruiting radar, I thought I would give a quick shout out to Te-Biasu. Among the youngest players in the competition, she played with the TW Bluehounds 14U team, bringing a competitive spirit to the games she played. Her team didn’t fare so well in this their first foray south of the border, but Te-biasu’s ball handling skills and step back caused me to raise an eyebrow. Identifying anyone at this age is a tough endeavour. I believe that based on what I saw from her, this kid is anything but a long shot and I will be following her development as time goes on.