Thoughts From The Select Events Summer Tip Off

I took the 90 minute ride up I-83 to Manheim, Pennsylvania to the Spooky Nook facility  to see for myself if tournament directors could safely host a youth basketball event in the middle of a pandemic. Every program has had to make a decision on which approach they would take during these unprecedented times. You could totally shut down your program and leave the players to find other avenues of recreation, go all out as if there is no raging worldwide pandemic, or find something in between that works for your players, parents and coaches. Select Events did a pretty good job of spacing the courts out which is easy to do at the cavernous Nook facility. Safety protocols were followed and adults did a good job of keeping their distance. I would definitely like to see more players compete with their masks on at these events however. Overall I didn't feel any less safe than I would at a grocery store. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="142836" first="Delaney" last="Thomas"], GTS Fusion, 2023</strong> The 6’2″ post is long and physical with a soft touch around the basket and a nice 15 footer. She patrols the paint and challenges shots without picking up unnecessary fouls, which is key for a young player. She will be a major contributor for St. John's in DC for the next three years as she has major potential. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="21917" first="Brianna" last="Scott"], GTS Fusion, 2021</strong> Brianna was very impressive at this event. She has excellent length and size at over six feet and knows how to use both. She finished well around the basket and crashed the boards. She was active on defense in the relentless pressure the Fusion applied to opponents. Looking forward to seeing more of her. <strong>Kiyomi McMiller, GTS Fusion, 2024</strong> I've been watching Kiyomi since she was a 4th grade phenom. She has grown quite a bit and developed into a well rounded point guard with a high basketball IQ. She is super competitive and shows no fear playing with players way older than her. She held her own in every aspect. She is a tremendous ball handler and can make shots from all over the court. It should be a lot fun watching her at St. John's where she is headed for high school. <strong>Denae Carter, Books and Basketball, 2021</strong> Denae is an explosive guard/wing prospect with several mid major offers in her pocket. She's around 5'11" and very quick with a nice vertical. She has a strong handle and made some nice floaters. I was impressed with her footwork in the post, where she took some smaller players to punish them. She plays with intensity and toughness. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="21935" first="Jada" last="Brown"], Team Durant, 2021</strong> <img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-192471" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/07/20200725_200623-scaled-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Jada definitely had the wow factor working in her favor. I kept hearing "oohs and ahs" from the crowd on court 8 so I had to make my way over to see what the fuss was about. I was not disappointed. Jada is a tricky ball handler and she kept defenders on skates with some nice crossover and hesitation moves. After she had defenders backpedaling she was able to launch and make mid range jumpers and some long threes. She did a good job running the offense and facilitating as well. She's a strong candidate to run some college program's offense. <strong>Zahria King, Philly Belles, 2023</strong> Long and explosive lefty guard that can cover a lot of ground quickly. She has a strong IQ and keeps defenders off balance by mixing up her attack. She finished strong in traffic and dished off to her teammates when necessary. &nbsp;