Stars in the Clutch
HoopGurlz: A look at more standouts from the Midwest Showdown
Mark Lewis/ESPN HoopGurlz Daisha Simmons stood out as a top scorer at the guard position.CINCINNATI -- With 111 teams in the 6th Annual Midwest Showdown hosted by the All-Ohio club program, a single tip sheet was not enough to give a solid sampling of the top performers. This second tip sheet includes some of the players making an impression early but also focuses on players making an impact in the bracket play on Monday.
Odyssey Sims is the best on-ball defender, regardless of class. She is a fierce competitor and really enjoys ruining the day of the opposing point guard. She is an impact player at the lead guard position and what's most improved about her game is her leadership and mental approach. She is a completely different player -- even her teammates agree.
On a team of defensive juggernauts, Kristen Grant is one of the best. She showed the quickness to defend any of the perimeter positions and the strength to defend on the interior as well. Offensively she has really progressed. She can exploit smaller defenders both from the wing and by posting on the block. She showed both power and finesse moves around the cup. She's shooting the ball better and finding the confidence to create her own shot in the halfcourt. She made some impressive, but difficult, shots. The challenge now is learning when to take those shots and when to get deeper into the lane.
When you think of a complete player on the perimeter you should be envisioning a player like Tiffany Moore. She continues to impress in a lot of the same ways she did last summer, which is showing the ability to do everything on both sides of the floor. She defends with a combination of strength, quick feet, and long arms. Offensively she fits her skills into her team's system and doesn't try to do too much. She knocks down open shots, creates off the dribble, sets solid screens, and passes well. She actually could stand to be a little more aggressive in getting her own offense but why mess with what's getting your team Ws?
Daisha Simmons has great length and athleticism at the scoring guard position. She is lethal attacking off the dribble. Her numerous change-of-direction moves are top shelf, and she attacks the defender and the basket despite being on the lean side. Where she makes up for it is with length as she can extend the ball away from the defense to get the ball up on the glass. What makes her more than just quick with the basketball is the shiftiness in her game.
The new-age point guard has to be strong and has to be able to score the basketball. Ring City's Ka-deidre Simmons has those covered. The Shabazz High School star gets to the cup with ease and she proved she can get it done against elite defenders with her team's two games against DFW T-Jack. She draws a lot of fouls but also showed she can read the defense and pass when the help collapses if a teammate has a better shot. Her strength allows her to finish in traffic without having to double pump or significantly alter her shot.
If you are undersized for your position you have to make up for it by being exceptional in other areas. For Purdue commit Courtney Moses that area is perimeter shooting. She is one of the best shooters in the class and her basketball I.Q. only adds to her effectiveness. She has nice handle and has the quickness to exploit defenders that overplay her. She brings confidence to the floor and it rubs off on her teammates. Getting stronger will be key for her in college to not get pushed off her lines to the basket on dribble penetration.
It is fun to watch an already good player improve and, since last summer, Kayla McBride has done just that. She still is a physically strong guard who can overpower smaller players but her pull up jumper has become much more consistent. In addition she showed 3-point range and is getting out in transition well. She is a tough matchup with a team that moves the ball well because she poses a lot of mismatches, though she's not a player you run a lot of clear outs for. She is a smart player to boot.
Fairfax Stars point guard Myisha Goodwin had a good weekend. The Edison High School lead guard is strong with the basketball and she not only plays through contact, she actually likes it. She wastes no time in attacking defenders hips with her strong shoulders. The biggest concern in her game last summer was sticking the jumper but this weekend she did it both off the catch and off the dribble.
Andrea Hoover of Ohio Lady Attack averaged 17 points per game during her sophomore season at Spring Valley Academy. With her crafty ballhandling and shooting touch it is no wonder she scores it so well. She is a floor leader even when she's not scoring. She made one of the toughest shots of the tournament's first day with a picture perfect step-back 18-footer, just over the outstretched defender.
At 6 feet 3, Elem Ibiam has the height to play the post at any level. She has the frame to play at the highest level as well. She has good length and strong shoulders, both of which she does a great job of using each possession. She has a physical nature about her. She seals her defender well and gives a great target for post entry. She showed some good skills working with teammates in high-low situations. She is definitely one to watch in the class if you're in the market for a post.
If you carry the nickname "Kobe" you have some big shoes to fill. Watch Sydney Wallace for a game and you get an idea of where she gets the name from. The scoring guard from Southern Elite has the rare ability to finish tough shots. She separates from the defense and is always ready to pull up on them. Even with defenders jumping out on her she was able to finish a high percentage though some of her misses were way off because of the degree of difficulty. She's not short on swag so when she learns when and where to make those plays she will take her game to the next level.
Illinois Lady Fire guard Janee Thompson is one of those players who can contort her body in the air to navigate through traffic yet maintain enough balance to get a good shot up to the basket. She attacks the basket with a relentless style and a host of creative dribble drive moves. She has tight handle which is complemented by a shiftiness that can lock a defender in her place and set up a counter-dribble. With all that in mind it is her first step that is most impressive. As she gets stronger she will probably do less of the contortion act in the air and draw the contact for and-one opportunities.
Chloe Pavlech, Cincinnati's Finest U15 point guard, does a lot of things for her team and most of them she does very well. She is a smooth and graceful athlete both with and without the basketball. She has that same smooth way about her when she's changing directions with the ball and she changes speeds well too. She is active defensively and is a player that changes the pace of the game as soon as she touches the court. She also showed good shooting touch and knocked down a few jumpers from long range.
We first saw Taya Reimer of Indiana Elite Central at the Nike Skills Academy in Indianapolis. Like many young kids there are ups and downs and with this budding forward prospect the limitations are not physical, she just needs to grow her confidence. She showed that she can play physical in the paint while still maintaining her smooth footwork and soft touch. Getting the experience against U17 teams this early should really prepare her for her first high school season next winter.
Linnae Harper doesn't play like a junior high kid. The hyper-quick guard steps on the floor prepared for battle and goes at her older counterparts as if she knows she belongs. For her age she has a strong body and she uses it in attacking the hips of the defender. She goes to the cup strong on dribble drives but didn't get a chance to show too much perimeter shooting which will take her game up another notch.
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Chris Hansen is the National Director of Prospects for ESPN HoopGurlz and covers girls' basketball and women's college-basketball prospects nationally for ESPN.com. A graduate of the University of Washington with a Communications degree, he has been involved in the women's basketball community since 1998 as a high-school and club coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. Hansen can be reached at chris.hansen@espn3.com.
