U19: The Stars & Their Stripes

[glenn]

A closer look - through images and words - at the 16 finalists for the U19 World Championships Team:

http://www.hoopgurlz.com/story/u19-stars-their-stripes

[BrooklynSaints]

The Pan Am team shows Appel & Jaesche.

I know that Appel did not try out. Did Jaesche work out with that team also ?

What is your opinion of Cain? There was no way she could be put on the Pan Am team?

Its ironic, Appel did not even show up and she made both team.

Cain tried out and got a sprained ankle and she got nothing.

[ladiesfirst]

Very interesting observation, BrooklynSaints; and call me tender-hearted, but I was thinking the same thing about Kelley Cain . . . . .and Danielle Robinson . . . .and Jeanette Pohlen. Gosh, that (the cuts) had to be tough. How could you not select them? But that's why they're the selection committee, and I'm a fledging, local sportswriter.

And, is it possible that all three of the final cuts . . . .could be guards? With the versatility the Mr. Nelson alluded to (incidentally, loved the article and photography), could this team play, and WIN, in Europe with fewer guards?

[glenn]

As I wrote in my blog, I thought Kelley Cain should have made the finalists. She was on the team last year and did enough, before and after the sprain, to show her worth. Of the omissions, hers was the most shocking to me.

Amy Jaeschke did not work out with the Pan Am team until after the selections were made. And then, she only worked out with that team.

The selection committee works in mysterious ways ...

[bluedog7]

in the U19?: was she hurt...or did not compete well

[BrooklynSaints]

Welcome back Glenn and thanks for providing the coverage of the 19 & U event. Great pictures also.

In your write ups I don't believe you mentioned Amy at all. I understand its impossible to write about everyone. Looking back, if you had to guess, why do you think Amy was put on both teams?

Also should Amy be ranked higher based on her USA trials performance?

Another question, What was the girl who made the team from Community College ranked last year?

[joemontes]

Without considering 6'4 APPEL and 6'5 JAESCHKE:

- the U19 list of finalists has SIX (6) players who are 6'4 or taller, including post players 6'4 LAVENDER and 6'9 DEHAAN; forwards 6'5 Krystal THOMAS, 6'4 BAUGH, and 6'4 PEDERSEN; and guard 6'5 DELLEDONNE.

- on the other hand, the U21 list of finalists only has THREE (3) players who are 6'4 or taller, namely, post players 6'4 HARPER and 6'4 VAUGHN, as well as guard 6'4 BONNER,

- while the Pan Am list of finalists only has TWO (2) players who are 6'4 or taller, namely, 6'4 ADAIR and 6'4 ANOSIKE.

Pretty much, I think adding more height to the U21 and Pan Am teams is the reason why the selection committee decided to add 6'4 APPEL to the Pam Am list of finalists, and 6'5 JAESCHKE to the U21 list of finalists.

But I am also very surprised that they did not even consider 6'6 CAIN for the U19 list of finalists, especially after they allocated APPEL to both the U19 and Pan Am lists of finialists even though she did not even attend the Trials.

[tnvolfan65]

can you post your thoughts on smallbone? and i know you've stated cain's omission was the most suprising to you, but was there anything you thought she could've done better?

[glenn]

I was so certain that Kelley Cain was going to make it, along with at least Jantel Lavender and probably Jayne Appel, I figured Amy Jaeschke wasn't going to be a factor. I did talk about her - but in Colorado Springs with people. I felt she did a lot of things well, but was limited only physically and pretty much has to play in a system that will "wait" for and use her. As such, when ranking for college prospects, you generally rate the more athletic players higher, which is what we did.

Sydney Smallbone is a similar situation, though not as dramatically as Jaeschke. I couldn't say there is anything she could have done better. Obviously, since the committee took Italee Lucas and Khadijah Rushdan, in spite of their mistakes, they favored athleticism in the backcourt, so there was nothing Smallbone could have done about that.