2008 Top Players

[ifyousayso]

It is hard to believe that in the top 33 there are only four players under 5'10", four players that are 5'10-5'11 for a total that goes like this: 25 averaging 6'2" and 8 averaging 5'10"

Wonder what that number will be ten years from now?

[first2no]

I remember Hoops talking about this young lady. She must be very talented to be this highly ranked. Hoops or any of you other New York heads out there please post her aau schedule if known so I can put her on my must see list this summer.

I think EDD needed a great showing at Boo and she did exactley that. She is the champ and to beat the champ you have to knock her out. I don't live in Texas but somebody is doing a great job with Ms.Nneka because she is having a breakout year including this H.S season where she was just named player of the year in her Class division. She is definately worthy of the number 2 ranking. She has really seperated herself from the others in the 08 class. The fact that she can knock down the 3 ball has upped her stock. If she ever adds a mid range game and becomes a better attacker off the dribble wow look out EDD.

Chasity Clayton, Taylor Turnbow, and Charnee Stephens all bunched together in the 20's. These might be 3 of the most athletic kids in the entire class I think the only thing keeping them out of the top ten is a reliable jumper. All three have shown they can shoot the rock now it's just doing it on a consistent basis. This Summer I would like to see one of these three really seperate themselves from the rest. All of them are very athletic now its just staying in the gym and continuing to develop those skills.

I would like to see Alicia show me some more this summer. She has a lot of skill but she looks like she is holding back. Don't hold back ladies because she have other licking at the chops trying to jump ahead of you in the rankings.

Righ now I would take Doty over Sykes but thats just one persons opinion. Doty is the female HighSchool version of Steve Nash!

Nice list on the rankings I think I could live with that list.

[ifyousayso]

Charenee does have a nice jumper unfortunately she doesnt get to show it often as she plays out of position in high school and AAU as a post player. She has a dead on picture perfect perimeter shot as well as a mid range jumper. Total package.





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[Hoopsking]

First2no, I'm actually in the process of s/w the assistant coach at Rush Henrietta. I will get the info and find out which AAU tournaments her team will be participating in. Hang tight.

First2no, I'll give you another star on the rise:

Amanda Burakoski of Mary Louis Academy in Queens, New York. She's a 6'0" Sophomore WF. She currently plays with the New York City Heat AAU team coached by Kevin White. She will be one of the top 5 players in New York City by the end of the summer.

[scoutnwhoops]

What number was she at Boo? I don't have my packet on me right now and I remember one kid from that team stood out from the game I watched.

[ifyousayso]

From what I have been told about this Section V Class AAA 3 time MVP player and All Greater Rochester POY is the real deal. She averaged close to 20 points a game can stroke it long or attack the basket. She plays a forward for Rush Henrietta. Her number in high school is 42 not sure about summer ball.

[Hoopsking]

ifyousayso, i think scout was asking for the number of Amanda of the New York City Heat.
I think she was #11 if I'm not mistaken. She's a tall blonde about 6'0" tall. Can play inside and outside.

You are right, Shenise is the real deal. I watched her go between the legs and do a spin move into a jumper against CK.

[Mulkey Magic]

Sic Em Bears!

We'll take April Sykes thank you very much. :-)

[dmiller13]

She is one of the players that a lot of people are not talking about, She is a 5'10 guard, can also play the 3, left-handed, and a great shooter. She will be the next version of Alana Beard at the college level. She has commited to UConn.

[Hoopsking]

I love leftys who can flat out shoot. They have a potential great out on the Island in Kristen Dougherty out of Sachem H.S. in Long Island. (same school that produced Nicole Kazmarsky). This 5'10" lefty plays basketball like Stanley Jordan plays the guitar. Smooth.

[ptucci]

Last Year Shenise ran woth the empire dragons. http://www.empiredragons.com/roster.php?s=2&t=17

I'm not sure if that's the case this year.

[ptucci]

Shenise Played with the empire dragons last year.. The Dragons 16u will be in Geneva/Waterloo this weekend..

http://unitywildcats.org/Tournament%20teams%2007-2.xls

The schedule is on that website as well..

Daragons: http://www.empiredragons.com/roster.php?s=2&t=17

[BBjess]

Heard she was playing with SRAP at NE Crusaders and Deep South.

[ClayKallam]

I would like to return to the original question about height ... and if you look at the WNBA, you can see just how important height is in basketball.

In the WNBA, a 6-3 center is small -- and that's a legit 6-3, not a program 6-3. (For example, Bernice Mosby of Baylor was listed as 6-1 in college; when I talked to her WNBA coach, he said she was 5-11.) In college, a 6-1 center is small, and you don't see very many of them.

In the WNBA, power forwards are usually 6-2 or taller, and a college center cannot just become a power forward. The four requires more mobility, more shooting range and more athleticism. (Courtney Paris, who is 6-2, may have more trouble in the WNBA than we anticipate; Janel McCarville, roughly the same height, has struggled since being the number one overall pick, even during those brief times she's been healthy.)

In the WNBA, small forwards are usually 6-0 or taller, and in the elite colleges, 5-10 is pretty much the lower limit. The 5-8 kid who's a great athlete but can't really make a jumper is not going to cut it as a small forward because she's going to have to guard taller players, and will have great difficulty scoring inside when the post players are bigger.

In the WNBA, shooting guards are generally 5-10 or taller. In college, there are some 5-8 shooting guards, but again, the smaller you are, the better you have to shoot, and defend, and play with intelligence.

In the WNBA, point guards are generally 5-8 or taller. That 5-5 girl who runs the show so smoothly will have trouble in college, and will really be in over her head, so to speak, at the pro level.

Of course there are exceptions. Temeka Johnson is a 5-3 point guard -- but how many others are there? Becky Hammon is a 5-6 two guard -- but how many others are there?

But if you are ranking players on their projected abilities at the higher levels, height is a huge, huge factor. A tall point guard, for example, has numerous advantages: She can see over traps; she can protect the ball, to some degree, up by her head; she can get off shots smaller guards cannot; she can make overhead passes smaller guards cannot; and when she defends, she can trap much more effectively, and play further off because she can affect a jump shot from further away.

We all root for the mighty mite, and at 5-8, I've always wanted to believe that size isn't that much of a factor. Well, it is, and anyone who's played knows the advantage that a taller player has over a smaller one of equal skill and quickness. Don't be surprised if the heights of the highly rated players continue to go up, especially as more and more tall players work on, and acquire, perimeter skills.

Basketball, as the saying goes, rewards those whose heads are closest to the basket. It's not fair, but then again, no one ever said life was fair.

[scoutnwhoops]

We can all think of exceptions to the rule (Betty Lennox at the 2) but I think you hit the nail on the head, height does matter if you want to play professionally.

[BrooklynSaints]

Why do you think that mens basketball is so different. There have been several short men that have been successful playing all positions. Is it because men are quicker or jump higher ?

[ClayKallam]

I think the same thing is true in the men's game. Nobody claims Dirk Nowitzki is a great athlete, but he can shoot and he's 6-11. If he were 6-4, he'd be playing in the German second division.

You can name some small NBA players, but for the most part, if you're not 6-2, don't even think about playing in the league, and if you are only 6-2, you better be a point guard.

It may be that smaller guys can jump higher, relative to their height and other men, than smaller women, but I'm not convinced that's true. Earl Boykins and others are exceptions, just as Temeka Johnson is -- and since there are 30 NBA teams and only 13 WNBA teams, there should be 2.3 more exceptions in the NBA than in the WNBA.

[BrooklynSaints]

I think you are missing the point with men.

A player like Nate Robinson is as good as anyone in the league. His problem is his brain not his size.

Charles Barkley at power forward is a hall of famer. He was only 6'4"

Willis Reed 6'9" and Wes Unseld 6'8" could play center today. Both Hall of famers.

Bill Russell 6'8" could play center also.

A player like Reggie Miller was as slim as a rail. Another hall of famer.

The guy from Detroit Prince is another example of someone who looks like he is too small to play.

Rodmen led the NBA in rebounding forever. Only 6'8"

I don't think size is as much of a factor in the mens game. If you can play you can make the NBA.

[BrooklynSaints]

I think the same thing is true in the men's game. Nobody claims Dirk Nowitzki is a great athlete, but he can shoot and he's 6-11. If he were 6-4, he'd be playing in the German second division.

This is some statement. I believe a person is made up of who they are, not what they are.

I'm going to turn your example around. Let me know what you think.

Lets say that if as a young boy you had a terrible accident, which resulted in both of your arms being badly deformed. Using your line of thinking you could have never become a writer because of your handicap.

Having met you I think differently. I feel you would have still been who you are and would have found a way to make it happen.

Seeing your example about Dirk Nowitzki I feel he would have made it in the NBA no matter what his size.

[ifyousayso]

The size of the heart can make up for a few inches....

[likewbb]

I always smile and respond to height discussions on players with three additions: 1) the most important height measurement is to the shoulders, possibly even as important is the length of arms, and finally the size of hands.

How many long neck big head players have you seen who didn't play to their size.

football players with small hands don't make good receivers; baseball catchers, and post players catching entry passes and rebounding benefit from large hands.

and wing span is a well-used defensive television commentator comment.

[ClayKallam]

Very good points about size measurements. Elton Brand is classic example.

Counterexamples of small players who have made it do not disprove the main contention: That taller players have a significant advantage in basketball, be it men or women who are playing it.

There are counterexamples in the women's game as well, but in general, you don't see many 5-3 point guards in the NBA.

And yes, physical limitations impact the ability to perform in a variety of fields. Someone who is born blind is very unlikely to become a painter; someone who grows to be 7-2 is very unlikely to be a successful jockey; someone who has severe dyslexia is very unlikely to become a writer.

I think it is dangerous to tell young people that they can overcome any physical or psychological impediment and achieve elite status, world-class status, merely by force of will and tremendous effort. Those last two traits go a long way towards success, but there are many, many hardworking athletes whose careers are derailed because they can't hit a curveball, can't jump or can't make up for their physical limitations. After all, a bigger, faster, quicker athlete who also has a powerful will succeed and puts forth a tremendous effort is going to be more successful -- and there are a lot of people who put their heart and soul into athletic success.

What's sad about this situation is that if that same will to succeed and tremendous effort were applied to academics, a much higher success rate, in terms of life success, would result. You don't have to be in the 99.9th percentile to get a college degree and make a very good living, but you do to make it in professional sports. But somehow we've never been able to communicate that, or young people just don't listen.

[BrooklynSaints]

I think it is dangerous to tell young people that they can overcome any physical or psychological impediment and achieve elite status, world-class status, merely by force of will and tremendous effort.

What's sad about this situation is that if that same will to succeed and tremendous effort were applied to academics, a much higher success rate, in terms of life success, would result. You don't have to be in the 99.9th percentile to get a college degree and make a very good living, but you do to make it in professional sports. But somehow we've never been able to communicate that, or young people just don't listen.

I don't think anyone is telling young people that they can achieve elite or world-class status. I do fell that young peoples should be encouraged to be the best they can be. They are told to see obstacles and look to overcome them.

The academic issue is a different one. Young people listen to the message but the majority of athletes are physical in nature. I feel the majority of athletes if not for sports would have foregone college and pursued careers that did not require a college degree.

[cluckhead]

Young people--actually, make that ALL people--tend to hear what they want to hear. And sometimes, that is a good thing. Years ago at Pitt, I met a woman in the PhD program whose main source of academic inspiration was an 8th grade guidance counselor who informed her that she was "not college material." Years of her life were devoted to disproving that rude comment.
Lots of kids seem to respond to athletic challenges, despite the obstacles. Unfortunately, fewer seem to show that reaction to an academic challenge and as Clay pointed out, even average academic achievement can provide some tangible benefits. And an average athlete is NOT going to have an athletic playing career. However, there are other avenues to stay in the game: coaching, training, sportswriter, etc. (those tend to require some sort of academic background, though)
Those of us who know that our limitations would rule out a playing career (I'm 5-2 and not inclined towards gymnastics OR jockey) enjoy it while we can and hopefully, focus on something else for a career that can take us through life. But that's a very hard message to get through to a self-confident, talented, competitive kid with a "dream". I think the best you can do is keep emphasizing that 98% of players will not be pros, so have a Plan B.
Ultimately, it's up to the kid. Always.

[jazz10fan]

Well im just on here trying to get girls from missouri metro area out on the market. There are some great players in the area that has not had the exsposure as most of these girls do have and im trying to get them on and seen and heard