During pregame warmups, one coach doubted this rising sophomore's ability to compete
as the mentor (who shall remain nameless) wondered how much hair spray Arriaran had
applied before taking the court. Once the opening whistle blew, however, Erika showed
herself to be one of the toughest girls in camp. She rebounded well, and quickly
turned to see if she had the opportunity to throw the outlet pass. Also a polished
shooter. Kept head down, but eyes off ball, when dribbling. If she's not a point
guard now, she'll probably move to the "1" as a collegian. Interestingly, Bob
repeatedly saw Erika use her vision to spot teammates before getting the ball to
them for inside baskets. Capri, however, observed that Erika passed well, but rarely
looked to do so.
#50: Jennifer Harris, Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, PA) - 5'10" (2003)
Had a nice drive down the lane for a basket. Showed lots of hustle. Has orally
committed to Penn State.
Shot with a high arc. Did so accurately when open, but had trouble finishing on
contact. Also struggled to catch passes. Brought the ball up well, and kept her eyes
peeled for on-court developments while doing so.
#52: ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE, Capital (Charleston, WV) - 5'10" (2004) PHOTO
Although we don't violently disagree on her merits, we couldn't agree on how to
synthesize our comments into one paragraph, so we decided to share our distinct
impressions.
Bob says: Takes the ball to the rack with confidence. Did lose control of her
dribble occasionally. Has a herky-jerky, yet flashy, style of dribbling. On one
sequence, she demonstrated open-court play at its finest as she tracked down a loose
ball, drove coast-to-coast, then dished to an open teammate. Got "bailed out" on one
baseline drive when she drove into heavy traffic, had her shot rejected, but drew a
blocking foul. Aggressive, athletic player who would benefit from a coach who
tightened the reins just a bit.
Capri says: The most consistent guard at camp, and one of the best players overall.
Alexis is the "total package' as she can handle the ball, pass, shoot, and rebound.
The game would noticeably pick up speed and intensity whenever she stepped onto the
court. Alexis said she was particularly grateful to have been invited to Nike Camp
because "not many college coaches are going to come all the way out to West Virginia
to see me." If her game remains as good as it is right now, she may be surprised at
the number of college coaches who make the trip.
#53: Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton, Neuqua Valley (Naperville, IL) - 6'1" (2004)
A pleasant surprise. Nice athletic post who can block shots. Runs the floor very
well for someone of her height.
#54: Katie Antony, Anacoco High (LA) - 5'8" (2003) PHOTO
Stood out at the Blue Star event at Indiana State last year, and continues to
impress. Shoots well from the corner, and also hustles after loose balls. Throws
the outlet well, and also effectively tosses the bounce pass to a teammate who's
waiting "down low". Recognizes when the ball is likely to be passed to her, and
receives it efficiently. Plays hawking defense, and moves well in countering her
opponent's actions. Against man-to-man sets, Katie demonstrated a knack for getting
open on the inbounds pass before catching, shooting, and scoring. Complete guard
whose relative lack of speed is her only significant "question mark". One of
Bob's choices for the All-Nike Camp honor squad.
Demonstrated quick hands on defense. Has orally committed to North Carolina State.
#56: Laura Kurz, Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, PA) - 6'1" (2004) PHOTO
A real "Energizer Bunny" who seemed to be everywhere at once. Saw the court well,
and involved her teammates. Only knock is that she launched her shot with a very
awkward-looking motion.
One of the few players in attendance who played very well when away from the
ball. Set some nice screens for her teammates. Thin, but deceptively fast and
powerful. After making a good steal, drove well in the open court. Showed a knack
for anticipating and receiving a pass, then taking the ball in for a layup. Made
the instantaneous transition to defense after scoring, and often attempted to slap
the ball from an opponent's hands. Did get called for one of the few travels we
saw whistled, but generally acquitted herself in outstanding fashion.
Needs to work on her "handle". On one sequence, she attempted to take the ball
inside, but found no opening even after making several feints. To her credit, she
kicked it out rather than forcing a shot. Later, Janie faked an "Indiana" player
out of the opponent's proverbial shoes, only to miss a shot from the side of the
lane. Raw talent who needs plenty of seasoning.
#60: Erin Lawless, Fenwick (Oak Park, IL) - 6'1" (2003) PHOTO
Absolutely fearless - her warrior mentality may be her chief asset. Willing to
post up against bigger girls, and to take quicker players one-on-one, she was
seldom unable to finish. Sometimes appeared to be out of control as she plowed
over opponents on her way to the basket, then ran back down court wearing a
"who, me?" expression. Did display some finesse. Handles the ball well for a
player of her size, and went in nicely for one "finger roll" deuce. Later got
good position on an offensive rebounding opportunity, leapt just high enough to
gain possession, and scored on the put-back. Not always successful on the boards,
but never gave up when going for a carom. Has a good turnaround move in her
shooting repertoire. Although Erin's apparently most comfortable playing inside,
her height won't always allow her to dominate down low on the college level. She
appears to realize this, as she proved she could score from behind the arc.
#61: Lindsey Plulmer, San Clemente (CA) - 6'3" (2004)
Had a good put-back basket that was not exactly a tip-in, but close - she caught
the ball for the slightest fraction of a second before shooting. Also drew notice
for just barely failing to intercept a pass. Lindsey got her hands on the ball
right after it left her opponent's hands, but could only deflect the toss. Still,
she'd be well advised to feature the play if putting together a personal highlight
reel.
#62: Jazz Covington, Cook (Adel, GA) - 6'0" (2003) PHOTO
No impressions recorded.
#63: Courtney Paris, Piedmont (CA) - 6'3" (2005) PHOTO
A Nina Smith-like banger under the boards. Unstoppable on the low block.
Extremely powerful and athletic. Called for the ball in commanding fashion. Good
dribbler for her height. An aggressive shooter with a fine turnaround move. Although
her release could use some polishing, Sylvia did sink some outside shots when
opponents lost track of her after she floated away from the basket. Hustled to
regain control when she had the ball slapped out of her hands. Relentless rebounder
who once grabbed an offensive carom, had her put-back attempt blocked, but fought to
regain possession. Looks for best passing opportunity after taking the ball off the
defensive board. When not on offense, Sylvia can anticipate a pass and knock the ball
away from its intended recipient. Tremendous upside, to coin a buzzphrase.
Couldn't handle one pass and gave up on the ball. Seemed too comfortable on the
perimeter for someone of her height. Fought for rebounds aggressively, but without
much success.
#66: Reicina Russell, Terre Haute (IN) South (now Indianapolis resident) - 6'4" (2003) PHOTO
Left camp early to join her AAU teammates. Stayed long enough to demonstrate that
she's very fast and athletic for her size. Sometimes appeared quite passive on
opportunities for put-backs or other rebounds. When she put her mind to the task,
however, nobody could stop her.
Although this post player has a solid "Baby Shaq" body, she also possesses a sweet
stroke, and was able to sink the three-pointer with remarkable consistency.
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