CBC 2021’s who shined at the Nike Tournament of Champions

Colorado Basketball Club obviously wanted its players to compete and play basketball this summer and after thoughtful consideration, the coaches and staff determined the safest, most cost effective and most competitive experience would be for its players to participate in the Nike Tournament of Champions Session I in Des Moines, Iowa, from July 8-12. CBC took six teams to the TOC and by all accounts, it was a great event with all the proper safety protocols in place. The competition was outstanding with the opportunity to compete against some of the best clubs around like All Iowa Attack, Wisconsin Flight Elite, Minnesota Fury, Nebraska Attack and many others.  Each team played seven games at the Hy-Vee Convention Center and we caught up with the staff to find out who they felt stood out in the club’s return to action. Here are some of the CBC players in the Class of 2021 who shined the brightest.   Tia Slade Tia Slade 5'11" | SF Highlands Ranch | 2021 State CO , CBC UAA 17U, 5’11, SF, Highlands Ranch Slade had a great tournament at both ends of the floor, shot the ball well and rebounded like crazy. Slade averaged 5.9 points and six rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2018-19 but sat out her junior high school season because she transferred from Chaparral to Highlands Ranch. After sitting out last winter, Slade is flying under the radar. But the 5-foot-11 small forward’s combination of skill and effort will make her a surprise player when high school basketball returns to Colorado and Slade could end up a great pickup for a college program.   Abby Wrede Abby Wrede 5'8" | SG Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO , CBC UAA 17U, 5’8, SG, Cherry Creek Wrede shot the ball very well from long range at the TOC because, well, that’s what she does. One of the top snipers in Colorado, Wrede shot 39 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore at Cherry Creek and then upped that number to 42 percent as a junior in 2019-20. She has also been developing her all-around game at an impressive and exciting rate, asserting herself at the defensive end, and put that development on display in Iowa.  

Emma Rich, CBC Rise 17U, 5’5, CG, Broomfield Rich stood out with her effort and determination at the Hy-Vee Convention Center. This kid can play both guard positions and just flat out plays hard. Rich is a 34-percent shooter from the perimeter in her three seasons on varsity at Broomfield High School and made 34 percent (35 for 104) of her long-range attempts as a junior in 2019-20. She shot the ball well last weekend and Rich has also continued to get stronger and more physical in each of the past few years, and she was determined not to get pushed around at the TOC.  

Genevieve Gudino Genevieve Gudino 5'6" | CG Erie | 2021 State CO , CBC Rise 17U, 5’6, CG, Erie “Genevieve just plays the game,” CBC general manager Tammy Neuhaus said. That’s what Gudino did at the TOC, rolling right into her first tournament competition with her new club. Neuhaus said the CBC coaches were asking the dynamic guard to do some non-traditional things for a guard and she took all of them in stride, adjusting on the fly and making an impact for her team in whatever way she was asked to. Coachable and a hustle player to makes things happen, Gudino averaged 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.3 steals for Erie last winter after transferring from Holy Family, where she led the Tigers with 14.9 points per game as a sophomore.   Teja Tsangarakis Teja Tsangarakis 5'6" | PG Chaparral | 2021 State CO , CBC Rise 17U, 5’6, PG, Chaparral Tsangarakis hurt her knee last summer and missed the 2019-20 high school season. Coming back from that injury, she was the floor general for CBC’s Rise 17U squad at the Tournament of Champions. Tsangarakis running the point allowed the team to push Rich and Gudino out the perimeter to shoot and Tsangarakis did an excellent job of setting up her teammates with open looks. As a sophomore at Chaparral in 2018-19, Tsangarakis averaged 5.2 points, 3.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals, so expect big things from her while she endeavors to make up for lost time when high school hoops comes back.