Nike National Invitational Tournament (2015) Standouts

More than two dozen Canadian teams descended upon Chicago for the 2015 Nike Invitational Tournament.

Here is a quick look at just some of the many players that stood out over the July 10-12 tournament:

2016

Shanice Neita
Neita’s length and physicality were hard to overlook when taking in Toronto Matrix games. She is a tough, physical player that really gets after it and does not back down from anybody. She brings many of the old school Post qualities when she plays letting opponents know early that she will let them roam free in the paint. Neita needed to be close to the basket in order to be successful, so a continued focus on her already decent post moves, perhaps by adding an extra signature move or two will be a must for continued growth. By in large, she should very much be in the conversation for a tough big that has come a long way over the past couple of years, who probably has a fair bit of upside remaining.

Miea Johnson
If there was a hustle award to be given out amongst the Canadians, that award would go to Johnson. Every shift that she was on the court, you know that she would be bringing it. Either she was earning her team second chance opportunities by getting offense of rebounds or she was coming off the bench and being that bundle of energy that could change the game. With her play this weekend, Johnson really proved that she would be worthy of a look from a team at the next level that needs a spark plug type player, that is willing to put it all on the line for her team.

Please use navigation below to view next page

2017

Jada Nneji
The way that Nneji moves on the court, you can tell that she is very athletic. Her stride her leaping ability and her strength were are all examples of that this past weekend. When she plays, the game appears to come easy for her, especially on the defensive and where she collected several blocked shots and gathered lots of rebounds. I look forward to further skill development to Nneji’s repertoire including incorporating an accurate jump-stop where she will be able to leverage her above average vertical.

Emily Dewey
Team Sask’s Wings, Emily Dewey and Macaela Crone, raised eyebrows this weekend. Dewey’s size and relentless play around the basket was good reason for her team’s good fortunes. I found her to be unselfish with the ball although defenders could not be flat footed against her. If so, they would have to contend with strong bursts of speed whether with or without the ball, usually ending with good results from the scoring situations they produced. The sheer height of Team Sask also having Crone and their Post, Kayla Shand on the floor, opened up opportunities for Dewey, in which she often rose to the occasion.

Claire Sharkey
YNBA Coach Gad Perlmutter said that he’s been putting in work over the past while with Sharkey. Proof of that shone through in Chicago, despite the weaker Pool draw they were given. Regardless, her ball handling ability allowed her to start the break with ease and find ways to get to the hole. Her ability to shoot the three on several occasions only added to the intrigue, leaving me wondering to what extent it could all be done vs. competition truly worthy of the YNBA level of play.

2018

Niyah Becker
Within Becker’s slim unassuming frame, is a player in which her Team Manitoba U15’s squad relied upon a fair bit in Chicago. She has long limbs and cat like reflexes that created some additional touches for her team. If you were to just ask the Green Bay Metros, they would tell you that she created a one man half court press in the later stages of the game. After a Team Manitoba score, she had a sequence where she forced three turnovers by way of steals and picked off an inbound pass as her Wisconsin foes looked to overcome a deficit the final minutes of the game. Becker can play. It’s only a matter of time, that she will be a recruiting target of several schools.

Savannah Day
Now going through her second summer since joining the Yellow Jackets, Day has continued to show steady improvement. When she was on the court, good things happened on both ends of the court, as her size provided some positive influence to her team. I like the fact that she is skilled enough to be able to dribble out of tough situations, and is increasingly not shying away from the opportunity to play though contact when looking to complete post moves. I will be looking for an increased dose of athleticism throughout the remainder of her high school career. It will serve to help her game as a stretch-4 or otherwise, as she will eventually transition to university level ball.

Please use navigation below to view previous page

Pages: 1 2