Final Day Standouts at Candice Dupree Invitational

A lot of great basketball was played at the Candace Dupree Invitational and Day 3 was no exception.  The following players played well on the final day  of the tournament. [player_tooltip player_id="248295" first="Claire" last="Coogan"], G (ECU Hill 2024).  Coogan was in a zone early on day 3 of the Candace Dupree Invitational.   She had some nice drives to the goal and connected on a few threes.  Coogan is tough-minded and is a fierce competitor.  She is also very passionate about her craft and she plays with great energy on both sides of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="349439" first="Jaide" last="Williams"],  G (ECU Hill 2024). Williams was impressive on Day 3.   She is known on the First Coast as a good offensive player and she made some nice offensive plays during the tournament.  Williams made some great steals by reading the defense and playing in the passing lanes.   She also made some very nice passes in transition.  Williams was the starting point guard last year at Terry Parker and was labeled the "coach on the floor."    Next year she will take her talents to Ribault High School for her Junior campaign.   Her experience and leadership will  be an asset for the Trojans who have one of the youngest teams on the First Coast. <img class="size-medium wp-image-432565 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/20220402_153858-scaled-crop-1362x895-1653096053-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="248555" first="Trista" last="Brown"] PG (ECU Caswell 2025 ).  Brown has definitely taken her game to the next level.   The most noticeable part about Brown’s game that stood out was her decision-making.   She made great reads on the pick and roll and took what the defense gave her.    In the game I observed,  Brown wasn’t connecting on the long ball,  so she got her mid-range game going and made some nice moves to get in the paint.  On one fast break, Brown went "coast to coast"  and finished a layup over the defender.   She did a good job of running the point guard position and made some very nice passes to the talented wings on her team. Denahli Keyton (ECU Barrett 2026).  Keyton looked good on Day 3 of the tournament.  She is a versatile and strong guard who can play the 2, 3, or 4.    Keyton does a good job of handling the ball and can shoot the three.  She also makes good passes from the wing.   She plays well in transition and uses her size to mix it up on the inside. Tykera Owens (BGH Ligers 2023).   Owens was one of the most athletic players I saw on the courts on Day 3.  She can run with the wind and she is deadly with the ball in her hand.  Her first step is "cat-quick"  and she can get downhill in a hurry.   She finishes well and does so with great elevation.   Owens can also shoot the three.  Defensively,  she is a lockdown one-on-one defender. [player_tooltip player_id="217663" first="Sydney" last="Roundtree"] (ECU Family 2024).  Roundtree is a special athlete and she is really coming into her own as a player and her confidence is at a high level.   That spells trouble for opposing teams next year on the First Coast.   On Day 3, Roundtree caught my eye with some new elements of her game.  She took a ball all the way back and finished with authority.   The impressive part was that it sped down the left side of the court, dribbling with her left hand and finishing with her left hand over a defender. [player_tooltip player_id="400786" first="Imani" last="Henderson"], 6’1" F (ECU Barrett 2026).  Henderson was special on the defensive end.  Her length and jumping ability set her apart and her ability to block shots is a major part of her game.   Her rebounding ability is also an attribute.     She does a good job on the offensive board and her motor is always running.    Henderson averaged 8 points per game, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks per contest.