ESPN RISE

Get to know the four girls' basketball teams selected to play in the inaugural ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in Bethesda, Md., on April 4-5. For more information on the event, click here. Check out the bracket and TV information.

No. 1 seed Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.)

Coach: Gina Miller

KEY PLAYERS
Tianna Hawkins
Hawkins transferred to Riverdale two years ago and has since developed into a proven leader with a polished post game. The Maryland recruit serves as the team's catalyst in crunch time. She averages 17 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Ataira Franklin
Franklin, a co-captain along with Hawkins, is an all-around performer and a great communicator on the court. The Virginia recruit has played on varsity since her freshman season. She's averaging 10 points and seven rebounds per game this year.

Jazzmine Johnson
Johnson has thrived since being inserted into the starting lineup this season. One of the team's few lefties, Johnson is a superb defender. Johnson, who's averaging nine points, three assists and 3.8 steals per game, is being recruited by Clemson, Rider and Seton Hall.

ROAD TO NHSI
At the Nike Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19, Riverdale upset Long Beach Poly (Long Beach. Calif.), then the No. 1-ranked team in the ESPN RISE FAB 50. Riverdale hasn't lost since. The Crusaders have used defense to beat the best teams from Maryland, giving up 42.2 points per game. The Crusaders also won their third consecutive National Association of Christian Athletes title by topping Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 53-50.

THE 411
• Coach Gina Miller's favorite motto comes from former UCLA coach John Wooden: "The only reward for hard work is hard work."

• The Crusaders' slogan this year has been, "If we play like we play when we play, we can't be beat."

• To pay respect to the recent death of NC State's women's basketball coach Kay Yow, coach Miller had her team participate in the WBCA Pink Zone, a global effort to raise awareness for breast cancer. The Crusaders also volunteered at a local clinic benefiting children with intellectual disabilities. Miller played for Kay's sister, Susan, at East Tennessee State in the 1980s.

No. 2 seed Seton Keough (Baltimore, Md.)

Coach: Jackie Boswell

KEY PLAYERS
Asya Bussie
Bussie became the first player in school history to record 1,000 career points last year. This season she reached 1,000 rebounds for her career. The West Virginia recruit averages 16 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Katelyn Fischer
Fischer has been running the point for the Gators since her sophomore year. This season, her valuable senior leadership (five assists per game) and increased scoring production (12 ppg) earned her the team's Coaches Award.

Amber Singletary
Singletary made varsity as a freshman last year but saw limited minutes. This season she proved to be a full-court threat, averaging 12 points and four steals per game while receiving interest from Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Drexel.

ROAD TO NHSI
Coaches rarely put a positive spin on losing. But Jackie Boswell has been pleased with her team's character through an eight-loss season considering her team features only three seniors: Asya Bussie, Katelyn Fischer and Carly Read. Seven days after suffering a seven-point loss to St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) on Feb. 4, Seton Keough got revenge with a 58-38 conference championship win.

THE 411
• The team's slogan this year has been, "Success is not something that just happens. Success is practiced, learned and shared."

• After a loss to Georgetown Visitation (Washington, D.C.) on Dec. 20, Seton Keough regrouped the following day by organizing a scavenger hunt at a local mall. It proved to be a success. In their next game, the Gators beat Arundel (Gambrills, Md.), 64-42.

• After playing in the Sandra Meadows Classic in Duncanville, Texas, the team arrived at the airport early in the wee hours to head home. Since there was hardly anyone around, they decided to play a fast-paced and animated card game called spoons.

No. 3 seed Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)

Coach: Mike Rodgers

KEY PLAYERS
Lakeesa Daniel
Daniel, who gained 15 pounds of muscle during the offseason, is skilled for her size and a consistent double-double threat. The Wake Forest recruit averages 11 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Alyssa Bennett
Bennett draws comparisons to Rip Hamilton for her pull-up jumper off the curl. Bennett, who's being recruited by Maryland, Temple and West Virginia, averages 15.5 points, six rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

Arieal Johnson
Johnson exuded more toughness and played more aggressive around the basket this season than a year ago. Johnson averages 8.5 points, nine rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

ROAD TO NHSI
Coach Mike Rodgers calls this season Oak Hill's breakout year. The Lady Warriors played their toughest schedule yet, traveling across the country with a roster that goes 10 deep. The Lady Warriors' most impressive showing came at December's Breezy Bishop Classic, where they beat two of Greater D.C.'s top teams. The Lady Warriors favor an up-tempo game and rarely blow big leads.

THE 411
• The team's goal for every game is, "We run on them. Nobody runs on us."

• The Lady Warriors feature two players from Hungary: Orsi Szecsi and Domi Gergely. Lakeesa Daniel, meanwhile, is a standout piano player.

• Coach Mike Rodgers is a 1987 Oak Hill graduate. He played basketball under legendary boys' coach Steve Smith, who's still at the helm. Rodgers then played college ball at Fairfield University.

No. 4 seed St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.)

Coach: Jerome Shelton

KEY PLAYERS
Shatyra Hawkes
Hawkes spearheads the Panthers' guard-oriented offense. The shortest player on the team is also the leading scorer at 16 points per game. She also averages four assists and four steals. The combo guard was named to the All-IAAM first team.

Briana Hutchen
Hutchen averages a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds per game. The All-IAAM first team selection has developed into a deadly perimeter player. She has also become a relentless rebounder.

Deanna Harmon
Harmon can play both the point and shooting guard positions. Her transition speed in the open court combined with her penetrating mentality make her a constant threat. Also an excellent defender, Harmon averages nine points and four steals per game.

ROAD TO NHSI
St. Frances Academy went undefeated in the Baltimore Catholic League, setting the tone with superb backcourt speed. Along the way, the Panthers earned wins against some of Maryland's premier teams (Arundel, Western, Holy Cross and Bishop McNamara). The Panthers beat eventual IAAM champion Seton Keough (Baltimore, Md.) twice during the regular season before losing to Keough in the IAAM championship. A possible rematch is at stake in the National High School Invitational.

THE 411
• Every year coach Jerome Shelton uses a different team slogan. This season Shelton adopted Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers' mantra, "Ubuntu," which means collective success.

• St. Frances features two players from Africa: Sophy Ngobeni is from South Africa and Alice Abiya hails from Cameroon.

• From 2003-08, the Panthers won six straight IAAM championships.