Carolina On My Mind
This past Saturday, on the smartly designed and very striking campus of Providence Day School in Charlotte N.C., the who’s who of North Carolina girl’s high school basketball gathered to compete in the what has become an annual “must do” event. The Super Saturday Scrimmages were developed over the years to help would be contenders find out early if their team has what it takes to win a championships come March. The 2014 edition of this event did not disappoint the 40 plus college coaches on hand who had the opportunity to evaluate 28 teams and their potential for the upcoming season.
Josh Springer is the highly successful coach of Providence Day School girls’ basketball team, a perennial powerhouse of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) private school league. Springer thinks as many as nine teams on hand for this year’s scrimmages could find their way deep in post season play for the various classifications.
His host Chargers are a good mix of experience and youth. Providence Day has won five straight state titles and after navigating the current learning curve this team could be in position for a sixth title in March. Janelle Bailey (2017 - 6-3 – F – Charlotte, N.C.) is more than an inside presence. She can face up and even demonstrated that she can handle the ball and finish in the open court. Bailey passes the ball well from the post when she is doubled, which is a virtual certainty on a nightly basis. Erin Whalen (2016 – 6-1 – F – Charlotte, N.C.) is perhaps the Chargers most versatile player. At her best when she is isolated one-on-one about 12-15 feet from the hoop, she has a real good rip-through and first step that leads to finding the bottom of the hoop inside and out. Providence Day is young. Lone senior Dani Brown (2015 – 5-7 - PG – Charlotte, N.C.) is a solid point guard that understands coach Springer’s focus on offense and executes it to a tee. Young and energetic, Kennedy Boyd (2018 – 5-6 – G – Charlotte, N.C.) brings a mix of scoring and ball handling to the equation.
“For her, the trick is going to be knowing just what she has to give the team each time out” said Springer.
Barb Nelson coaches the best team that we saw all day, Myers Park from Charlotte. Nelson’s crew is the defending North Carolina State 4A Champions and will be a formidable foe again this season. The Mustangs can get after you in so many ways. They press, trap and play solid defense. They run at the basket, share the ball well and will run their stuff when needed to put points on the board. Myers Park is led by senior forward and North Carolina State signee Rydeiah Rogers (2015 – 6-1 – F) who is athletic and quick to the hoop. An inside presence offensively and defensively, Rogers gets back up quickly and can score in bunches. On the perimeter University of Southern California signee Aliyah Mazyck (2015 – 5-10 – PG) will create scoring opportunities for herself and others by using her impressive ball handling skills. Defensively she anticipates well and her picks create multiple fast break chances. Lyric Mitchell (2017 – 5-8 – G) also impressed us. She has a quick first step and scores around the hoop. Myers Park is well seasoned and has a lot of talent to exploit that experience. The Mustangs are a good bet to make a run at history and repeat as 4A champions.
Nationally renowned New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville N.C.) also showed themselves to be a contender in Charlotte. Delaney Rudd’s Phoenix are not that big given the league and competition they play in, but they do most everything else well as a team. They rebound, run, can defend and execute offensively. New Hope is led by point guard Ciani Byrom (2015 – 5-6 – Winston Salem N.C.), a Maryland Eastern Shore signee. She uses superb ball handling skills to get to the hoop quickly and finishes strong once there. Byrom passes the ball well and knows where it needs to go. Early N.C. State commit Lucky Rudd (2016 – 5-11 – G – Kernersville N.C.) is as athletic and long as guards come. She’s able to handle and shoot the ball and gets past most defenders. The Phoenix have still another athletic guard in Timber Tate (2016 – 5-9 – G – Thomasville N.C.). An excellent complement to Byrom and Rudd, she shoots the ball well and has an excellent first step. Tate has verbaled with UNC Wilmington. New Hope has added a couple players to their roster post event that should add to an already deep and talented group.
Quick Hitters
Keyera Eaton (2015 – 5-7 – G – Reynolds HS) – Scrappy and strong…Can shoot the ball…Puts it where it is supposed to go
Sarah Billiard (2017 – 5-11 – F/G – Covenant Day) – Looks to score…Attacks the basket hard…Draws attention and contact…Athletic
Kai Crutchfield (2017 – 5-9 – G – Millbrook) (Committed to North Carolina State) – Seasoned…Quick…Finishes strong…Good ball handling skills…Reads the floor well
Sis Norman (2017 – 6-0 – F – Millbrook) – Strong and aggressive…Goes after every loose ball…Runs the floor…Can score around the basket
Kelbi Lewis (2017 – 5-4 – PG – Hillside) – Tight ball handling skills…Has perimeter range
Elisia Grissett (2017 – 6-1 - F/G – Hillside) – Long and lean…Athletic with quickness….Work in progress…Worth tracking her progress throughout the season
Teara Johnson (2017 – 5-3 – G – Dudley HS) – Crafty around the basket despite size…Athletic and quick
Elissa Cunane (2018 – 6-3 – F – Northern Guilford HS) – Lean with length… Freshman who knows how to run the floor…Coordinated and aggressive in spots
Mya Caldwell (2017 – 6-0 – F – Davidson Day School) - Athletic ability abounds…Glides when she runs…Long wingspan comes with good hands…A ways to go but upside is there
Parker Tompkins (2017 – 6-1 – F – Davidson Day School) – Strong …Solid ball and shooting skills
Danielle Nieters (2016 – 6-0 – F – Bishop McGuinness) – Size…Athleticism and strength…Combination allows her to get to the basket…Draws fouls…Can get out and run on the break
A side note. There were several teams that showed up in Charlotte to participate in the Super Saturday Scrimmages who failed to provide the host school with the proper roster information on their players. Still a couple more had NO numbers at all on the practice jerseys that their teams were wearing. As an evaluator who is attending the event primarily to help young, talented players get their names out among the basketball community, this is beyond frustrating. At this particular event there were six to eight players representing multiple teams with missing information that deserved some acknowledgement for their efforts as well as some recruiting exposure. As a former coach of teams at just about every level, I can attest to the value in making sure that all necessary information required or requested is accurate and readily available. That effort serves not just the event but more so, the athletes participating. I would hope that coaches are doing everything they can to provide each player with EVERY opportunity both on and off the court. When all is said and done, this game is about them (THE PLAYERS).
Finally, I want to thank Providence Day School and Coach Josh Springer for the tremendous hospitality. The day was a great opportunity for all coaches, evaluators and parents but specifically for the players on the various high school teams that participated. The event is first class from the facilities to the people and run extremely well. I am looking forward to next season’s event!
For more highlights, evaluations, news and opinion, please check out and subscribe to my blog: Game… NEXT! Found at: http://game-next-bball.blogspot.com/.
Joe Costa has been with Blue Star for 14 years now serving as a National Evaluator and Director of the Rising Blue Star program. Coaching the Pittsburgh Rockers for over 10 years; he helped produce two national championships and over 75 scholarship student athletes. Additionally Costa has coached both girls and boys on the high school & collegiate levels plus served as a floor coach for several Nike All American Camps and Skills Academies. He currently resides in Savannah, Georgia.
