Gonzaga Summer Shootout Notes

Gonzaga University held its shootout tournament this last weekend with dozens of teams from all around the greater northwest competing in gyms all over campus. Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska had teams in the event and it gave me a good chance to see some of the upcoming talent in our region. First off, a couple of things to consider. June high school ball is just a glimpse of what may or may not come to be true by November or March for that matter. Development, transfers, multi-sport athletes and other factors will come into play months from now. State championships are not won in June. Next, I did not get the opportunity to see all 60 plus teams play, so every player was not evaluated. I attended some of the more competitive games on the schedule where I could see more college prospects on one court, although the talent levels were all across the board. <strong><em>Best team in the event:</em></strong> Mountain View High School out of the Boise, Idaho area was dominant throughout. The runner-up in Idaho returns everybody for a couple of years to come and are very likely the favorites to win it all this time around. Coach Connie Skogrand's group ran through Mt. Spokane, Mead, University, Anchorage Christian and more to cap off their undefeated showcase. This group has a core of players that come from the same Boise Hoop Dreams club team and showed legitimate chemistry and execution throughout. Gonzaga's staff was on hand for every game they played in. <em><strong>Mead's two transfers: </strong></em> Spokane's Mead High School has a rich history of success in girl's basketball, but most recently has been more of a struggle. Times appear to be changing as they return a bulk of youth from last year's roster and they have now added two quality guards from Montana. 2020 5'8 G <strong>Joelnell Momberg</strong> averaged nearly 20 points per game for Box Elder and led them to a second straight class C championship. Joelnell is committed to Montana and will instantly bring firepower to Mead next season. Her younger sister <strong>Kyla Momberg</strong> will be an incoming sophomore (2022) and she could end up being better than her sister when it's all said and done. 2022's <strong>Alicia Suggs</strong> and <strong>Olivia Moore</strong> give Mead a solid nucleus for years to come. <em><strong>2023 to watch:</strong></em> 2023 5'11 F <strong>Madison Symons</strong> (Coeur d'Alene HS) will definitely be on our 2023 watch list when it drops. Madison is a strong forward that is comfortable banging in the paint, but she has enough skill to step out and make threes or distribute from the perimeter. Her father is the Men's Head Coach at North Idaho College and her mom was recently hired at Coeur d'Alene as the girl's Head Coach. &nbsp; Be on the lookout in the next article for the super standouts from the event!