Viewing weekend

[InStyle]

Any standouts this weekend in WA at either the elite showcase or the MSNM? From what I viewed at the showcase Ali Forde looked to be a Post player to watch. 2012 player from Woodinville HS dominated the showcase. Athletic, complete package.

[dtrain34]

Ali Forde definitely stood out. I have seen her play dozens of times but not with the kind of non-stop ferocity and effectiveness she showed over the weekend. Her Sunday team went undefeated in three games.

A D-I coaching friend singled her out as one of their four top 2012s for the Showcase, the others being Nyasha Sarju of Garfield, Katie Collier of Seattle Christian and a tall guard from a 3A school south of the Nisqually Bridge.

Also mentioned was 2013 guard Jordan Reynolds from Jefferson of Portland.

My own observations, which were limited to five games observed out of the 18 played on the various courts during Saturday's Fab 40 and Sunday's action, focused on 2011s, some of whom are hardly unknown: Erika Johnson of Holy Names, Lexi Peterson of Seattle Christian. Also standing out at times were Kat Cooper from Auburn-Riverside and Maddie Pflaumer from Issaquah. Cooper, Pflaumer, Sarju and the 3A guard played on a team that breezed through its two "Fab 40" games on Saturday night.... not only because of their own efforts but because of the stellar play of Keihanna Engel, a junior from Dimond, Alaska who apparently plays for Tree of Hope during the summer. Engel drives, she hits threes, she defends.

A lesser known Auburn Riverside player, 2010 Taylor Wofford, was impressive at times on Sunday.

Obviously, having seen just 27 percent of the games, I missed a lot. Interesting to see who else stood out to other observers.

The Showcase likely missed a bunch of talented kids with the MSNM also going on, but it had a very decent group of players on hand, observed by a couple dozen coaches including half the Pac-10.

[InStyle]

Dtrain your daughter Sasha Weber did a great job on Saturday night. She looked the best I have seen her. Jordan Reynolds is definitely in a class by herself amongst the 2013's.

Hopefully next year the showcase and MSNM can work something out so that the girls can do both. I heard their was also some great talent at the tournament and Sundays showcase was missing some girls who stood out on Sat. night.

[dtrain34]

Thanks.... now, hopefully some non-Rotary-powered posts will show up on this thread, particularly about MSNM. First time I have not been to a Seattle-area MSNM event since before Fall of '07, wondering how it went. Anyone?