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Cal Sparks High School Teams Resume Practice & Training March
3, Wednesday 630 pm at Hax.
Cal Sparks Gold, Black, Silver and Gray Teams are currently fully
rostered.
However, New roster openings may occur due to the non payment of
participation fees as agreed.
PARENTS, it is imperative that your Childs Participation Fees be
Current as of February 28, 2010.
New Candidates (Waiting List players) will be allowed to try out
for Roster vacancies created by Unpaid Roster Slots as of March 3rd, 2010.
Fee Schedules for Players who were on a roster in the fall remain
unchanged.
A Spring/Summer Fee schedule is now posted on the "Team
Information Page".
Airline Flight & Hotel Information
Please check in 2 hours Before Flight Time.
Maximum 1 Travel Bag to be checked.
1 Carry-on Item
Parents, when picking up your child, Please be at baggage Claim at Arrival
time. Thank You.
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER ONLINE
(CLICK LEFT TO REGISTER)
Updated: September
21, 2008
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Glenn Nelson, ESPN
Cierra Warren of
California will be a Tar Heel next year.
Cierra Warren has
maintained a dual personality throughout her high-school
career. During the winter, she
must be a scorer for her
Los Osos High School team in Rancho
Cucamonga, Calif., to enjoy any success. During the spring
and summer,
she plays with
nationally elite guards and wings
for the Cal Sparks club team, and therefore can focus
on defense and
rebounding.
If a confluence of all those skills occurs at
the University of North Carolina, where Warren
committed during
an official visit on
Saturday, then Tar Heel coach Sylvia
Hatchell just pulled off the perfect recruitment.
At 6 feet 3, Warren, ranked No. 31 in the
ESPN HoopGurlz Hundred, can be a rugged, one-on-one defender
on
the boxes and a
sturdy deterrent on weakside help.
Cleaning the glass at both ends is where she shines. There
is a reason.
"Rebounding is the only way I get the
ball to score in high school," said Warren, who averaged
22.5 points for
Los Osos. "It just
carried over to when I played for the
Sparks. If I had to score to help the team win, I could find
a way. But
defense is what was
needed."
Glenn Nelson, ESPN
Cierra Warren is
skilled at passing from the post.
Warren made official visits to Maryland
and Rutgers and was tugged by the Scarlet Knights because
of her admiration for coach C.
Vivian Stringer. But she said
verballing to UNC fulfilled a longtime dream of wanting to
play in Chapel
Hill, so she cancelled official
visits to Miami (next weekend) and
Washington State (Oct. 8) to make the commitment.
North Carolina appears to be a great fit
for Warren. The Tar Heels graduated the last of its great
inside duo, Erlana Larkins, after
last season and the past two years have
loaded up on perimeter punch. Cetera DeGraffenreid started
as a freshman last season
and Italee Lucas was a much-heralded
classmate; they will be joined this season by incoming
freshmen She'la White and Candace
Wood, both of whom wield sweet strokes
and were ranked in the top 50 by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Chay Shegog,
another incoming freshman, and Martina Wood, Candace's
sister, are the only posts on
the UNC roster.
Warren's excellent mobility should serve
her well in North Carolina's fleet, high-powered offense. In
fact, at Hatchell's urging,
Warren will focus on developing her
ball handling skills and increasing the range on her shot.
Given all the circumstances, the choice
was a no-brainer.
"I didn't have to wait," Warren said. "It
was just the right choice.
click below for the ESPN Website.
ESPN Website
August 18, 2008
ESPN-Hoopgurlz ranks Cal Sparks Gold #11 in the Nation
click above for full story.
Cierra Warren (left) and Taylor
Champion of the Cal Sparks Gold express surprise at
an official's call in Oregon City.
Photo courtesy Glenn Nelson/Hoopgurlz.
August 15, 2008
Monterey Park Heat merges with Cal Sparks.
We are very pleased to welcome the Coaches, Players, and parents
from the Monterey Park Heat basketball
club as new members of the Cal Sparks Organization. This
merger of basketball operations and youth development
represents a great opportunity to combine a grassroots skills
development focus, National travel basketball, and
college Scholarship assistance, in a manner consistent with the
goals and objectives of Cal Sparks Basketball and
Monterey Park Heat.
The intent and structure of this merger is full inclusion.
Cal Sparks Youth Basketball will be significantly enhanced
by the development approach perfected over many years by Mr.
Barry Moon and his staff of Coaches and Assistants.
The benefits from the improved Youth development, will accrue to
Cal Sparks High School teams
in future seasons.
Youth Teams
Tryouts
September 6, 2008 Saturday 11am-1pm Long
Beach City College
For the Fall of 2009, we will begin with the current youth teams
that carryover from last season.
Cal Sparks 8th Blue Head Coach Barry Moon. (Practices
at L.B.C.C and East L.A.)
Cal Sparks 8th White. Head Coach Mack Porter.
We will solicit new players with the intent of establishing 6th
and 7th Grade teams as fall
and Winter Seasons progress.
Head Coaching assignments for 6th and 7th Teams will be announced
later.
Coaching "Skills clinics" and Team practices will be offered for
all players in grades 6,7,8.
High School Teams
For the 2008-2009 Club season,
Tryouts
September 6, 2008 Saturday 1pm-4pm Long
Beach City College
Anticipated Teams:
Cal Sparks Gold H.C. Elbert Kinnebrew
Cal Sparks Blue H.C. Barry Moon
Cal Sparks Black H.C. Karen Kinnebrew
Cal Sparks 2011 H.C. Ronald Perry
Cal Sparks Green H.C. Tony Scott
(Practice location: Inglewood High School)
Full Season Tentative Schedule will be displayed at tryout.
ESPN Slideshow from the Spring Evaluation Period. (click left for the
show)
Cierra Warren, Cal Sparks Gold 2009, was recognized by ESPN-Hoopgurlz
as one of the Super Elite amongst the best players in the Nation.
Top rated previously by All Star Girls Report, Cierra is now a
"consensus" Premier player in the U.S.
Hoopgurlz story below.
link to ESPN-Hoopgurlz
Big Bang in Rankings
By Glenn Nelson
HoopGurlz Publisher
Posted Wed, 05/21/2008 - 14:11 Revised rankings
at ESPN HoopGurlz reinforce the Big Bang aspect of the
talented 2009 class.
Gennifer Brandon jumps into the ESPN
HoopGurlz top 10.
A 6-foot-3 pogo stick whose fingers
exceed the height of the basket - sometimes, seemingly
the glass itself - on her spectacular snuffs, Gennifer
Brandon fits right into the upper echelon of what is
shaping up to be one of the most talented prep girl's
basketball classes in years.
The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., forward is, after all,
tall, explosive and a newcomer to the ESPN HoopGurlz top
10. And in later debates over the beginnings of the new
women's basketball universe, the class of
2009, to which
Brandon belongs, will go down as one for the big bang
theory.
Right at the very top of rankings,
which were updated for Wednesday's launch of ESPN
HoopGurlz on ESPN.com, remains the 1-2, Houston-based
inside punch of Kelsey Bone
and Brittney Griner, two titans
who will clash twice in a month to settle the issue of
the No. 1 ranking for 2009. Bone, a physically imposing,
6-5 post, and Griner, a 6-7
dynamo known nationally for her
dunking ability, will occupy the same space May 30 to
June 1 at the Nike Regional Skills Academy in their own
backyard, and again at the
National Skills Academy in Beaverton,
Ore., exactly a month later.
Those two inside stalwarts, as well as perimeter
stars Tierra Ruffin-Pratt of Alexandria, Va., and Skylar
Diggins of South Bend, Ind., continue to hold down the
first four spots
in the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings. Brandon, who follows
at No. 5, is one of three newcomers to the top 10. The
others are Joslyn Tinkle, an extremely fundamental 6-3
forward
from Missoula, Mont., who rises to No. 7, and Tayler
Hill, a 5-10 scorer deluxe out of Minneapolis, Minn.,
who hops up to No. 10.
The revised rankings feature a ratings change from a
star system used previously by HoopGurlz.com to
numerical grades used by Scouts Inc., at ESPN.com.
The grading system translates to
90-100 for immediate-impact
prospects, 80-89 for
high-major prospects, 70-79 for major/mid-major
prospects, 60-69 for
low Division I to mid-major prospects,
and 50-59 for marginal Division I to Divisions II, III
and NAIA prospects.
Tierra Rogers of San Francisco,
Calif., made the biggest leap of any 2009 girl's
basketball prospect, elevating from No. 37 to squarely
among the nation's elite at No. 14. Rogers, who helped
Sacred Heart Cathedral to an unbeaten season and No. 1
ranking in a couple national polls, is an athletic, 5-11
wing who is adept at many things, including a
much-improved jump shots. She made the hop in the
rankings during a difficult time in her life that
included the loss of her father, Terray Rogers, a
community activist who was gunned down at halftime of
one of his daughter's high-school games.
Waltia Rolle, a 6-6 post from Houston;
Cierra Warren, a 6-3 post from Rancho
Cucamonga,Calif.;
Mikaela Ruef, a versatile 6-3 wing out
of Beavercreek, Ohio, and Jeniece Johnson, the North
Carolina State commit from Washington, D.C., are the
other newcomers to the ESPN
HoopGurlz top 15, all of whom received
grades of 90 or higher.
Gone from the 2009 rankings are two highly ranked
players, Shacara Rucker of Gainesville, Ga., and Jelleah
Sidney of New York, N.Y., both of whom have been
reclassified to the 2010 class.
With Bone and Griner setting the pace, the 2009 class
is a stark contrast to recent ones in that the quality
inside players jump right out at you. A lot like
Gennifer Brandon - spring-loaded and thumping.
Prospect Watch - May 16
By HoopGurlz Staff
"Cierra Warren is
6-3 and powerful"
Posted Fri, 05/16/2008 -
06:06 Our weekly look at
the national recruiting scene
includes a peek at more 2009
bigs, the Atlanta Nike RSA and
USA Basketball U18 invitees.
PHOTOS
BY GLENN NELSON
When we've
mentioned the crazy growth of
girl's basketball in recent
years, we've been focused on the
numbers of bodies in the sport.
But we've also noticed, on a
somewhat unscientific basis,
that the bodies themselves are
growing as well.
To wit, when the ESPN
HoopGurlz rankings of the 2009
class are expanded in a few
weeks from 60 to 75, more than a
third of the players listed will
be 6 feet 3 or taller. Yes, you
inside-game-starved college
coaches can collect yourselves
off the floor now. It's true
what we said before; this is the
Year of the Post. And then some.
In addition to
the usual suspects, such as the
Nos. 1-2, Houston-area punch of
Kelsey Bone and Brittney Griner,
this past spring evaluation
period brought a few more
incredible
hulks to the fore. Yet another
Houstonian (someone check the
reservoirs down there), Waltia
Rolle, who is 6-6, will join the
upper echelon of the rankings,
as will
Cierra
Warren, 6-4, of Rancho
Cucamonga, Calif. Both are long,
well-developed physically, and
very athletic.
MEMPHIS FLIGHT INFO
Parents NOT traveling with Players
please
book flight with Teach Coach.
Team Black or 15u.
Flight Information
Bkng Meals/ Seat/
Day Date Flight Status Class City Time Other Cabin
--- ----- --------------- ------ ----- ---------------- ------ ------ ----
---
Sun 20JUL DELTA 952 OK T LV LOS ANGELES 1140P V M
AR ATLANTA 706 C
Mon 21JUL DELTA 1153 OK T LV ATLANTA 857A 21D
AR MEMPHIS 918A COACH
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri 25JUL DELTA 1692 OK T LV MEMPHIS 505P 16C
AR ATLANTA 739P COACH
Fri 25JUL DELTA 953 OK T LV ATLANTA 825P V M 30F
AR LOS ANGELES 1014P
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oopgurlz.com articles related
to Deep South Classic 2008
Deep South Tip Sheet Article
for Tournament Highlights click left for article
Notes
from Day 1 at Deep South (click left for Article)
Hoopgurlz Feature Article on
Dayton Lady Hoopstars Top rated players Harmon and Reuf, and "rimshot
commentary"
about Cal Sparks Players
Kelli Thompson, Cierra Warren and Ariya Crook-Williams.
(Note: Cal Sparks Defeated
Dayton Lady Hoopstars 51-37 to open the tournament)
PRESS RELEASE FOR DEEP SOUTH CLASSIC
|
For Immediate Release
February 26, 2008
Tradition Of Excellence Continues
At 2008 Deep South Classic
Each of the past nine summers, the Deep South Classic
has proven to be a pivotal event for top-flight high
school women’s basketball players from around the
country. Once again in 2008, Eighty-Five Michael T.
White Signature Sponsored Programs from 35 states will
wear the name that will accelerate careers and launch
new stars when the Michael T. White Inc. event is held
in North Carolina from April 18-20.
The 2008 Deep South Classic will be hosted by three
universities – North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State – and
it will be presented by the Greater Raleigh Convention
and Visitors Bureau. The tournament will have six
divisions, with a total of 192 teams from across the
nation competing.
The list of past Classic performers is a veritable Who’s
Who of the game. More than 60 McDonald’s High School
All-Americans have played in the event, including
superstars such as Candace Parker, Courtney Paris,
Erlana Larkins, Noelle Quinn and Tiffany Jackson.
Which star will shine the brightest in 2008? There will
be a long list of players at the event who have
impressive credentials. Here is a look at some of those
athletes, along with a quick report from All Star
Girls Report analyst Bret McCormick.
Cierra Warren (Class of 2009, 6-3, C, Cal Sparks
Gold):
This big-time post player out of California
has polished
her resume by piling up amazing
statistics this winter.
Warren is currently listed
as the nation’s No. 21
prospect in the Class of
’09 by ASGR, and she
has already received a
scholarship offer from many of
the nation’s elite
programs.
Kelly Faris (2009, 5-11, SG, Indiana Legends):
Connecticut and Notre Dame appear to be the early
leaders for this talented big guard. Faris, who is
listed at No. 6 by ASGR, has a wonderful skill
set and the ability to play multiple positions.
Tayler Hill (2009, 5-10, PG, Minnesota NC Heat): Hill is
a point guard with size, and she is being targeted by
most of the major programs. The No. 7 prospect in the
country according to ASGR, Hill is a tremendous
athlete with phenomenal skills and a great basketball
mind.
Alexis Rogers (2009, 6-1, G-F, Cincinnati Heat Premier):
This is an incredible athlete who has the ability to
play the 2, 3 or 4 spots on the D-I level. Rodgers is
being pursued by top programs from the ACC and Big Ten.
She has been on the rise in the national rankings, and
currently stands at No. 18 on the ASGR list.
Waltia Rolle (2009, 6-5, C, Cy-Fair Houstonians): This
long-armed, athletic post player made her mark
previously as a shot blocker who could run the floor.
However, her skills have improved dramatically, and she
has jumped up to No. 54 in the ASGR rankings.
Most of the Big 12 programs see tremendous potential in
Rolle’s game.
Melissa McFarland (2009, 6-6, C, Cornhusker Shooting
Stars): McFarland, who is ASGR’s No. 64
recruit, brings outstanding size to the low post. She
also has solid fundamentals, and that combination has
drawn considerable recruiting interest.
Whitney Bays (2010, 6-0, F-G, West Virginia Thunder):
This magnificent athlete has already established herself
as the finest prep player in West Virginia, and she will
be a Top 40 national recruit in her class. Bays will be
a big-time recruiting target for the WVU program.
Jeraldine Campbell (2011, 5-8, PG, MS Hoop Dreams):
Campbell is simply a born floor leader who has already
caught the eye of countless college recruiters, and she
is at No. 3 on the ASGR chart for ‘11. This
Mississippi native already has an outstanding skill set,
and she is destined to be a huge recruit.
Alicia DeVaughn (2010, 6-5, C, Hollywood Eagles): The
daughter of Yolanda Griffin, DeVaughn has great size and
bloodlines. She is currently working her way back from
an injury, so this summer will be an important time.
Plenty of college coaches will be watching DeVaughn, who
is currently at No. 12 in her class.
Madison Williams (2010, 6-5, C, Michigan Monarchs Book
15): Williams is a long, lean post player who already
has excellent skills. She is clearly the best post
player in the Class of 2010, and she may well be the top
overall recruit in the class.
Antoinette Bannister (2012, 5-8, G, Jacksonville Lady
Rams): This is a big guard who possesses a true scorer’s
mentality. Bannister has the size, strength and skills
to play on the wing or in the backcourt.
Theresa Plaisance (2010, 6-4, F, Domino’s): This
versatile athlete has a wonderful skill set. Plaisance
can hit the three, she passes well, and she has a strong
understanding of the game. Connecticut has already
identified her as a key recruit, and ASGR has
her rated as the No. 3 prospect in her class.
Morgan Jones (2011, 6-1, F-G, DEBO): Her older sister,
Tailor, is a 2008 signee with the Florida Gators, and
Morgan will likely outshine her sister. Morgan has the
size and the athleticism to dominate on the wing, and
she is rated at No. 16 nationally.
Rachel Coffey (2010, 5-8, PG, City Rocks): This athletic
combo guard is the type of young player who could really
explode at the Deep South Classic. Coffey is a special
athlete, and if she displays solid skills this summer
she should move up the rankings from her current spot at
No. 16.
For more information, please visit us on the web at
www.MichaelTWhite.com and click on view events (04)
about 2008 Deep South Classic registration, hotel and
college coaches information. |
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For Cal Sparks Parents.
Most of us in the Sports world monitor the Top 25
rankings for our favorite College Teams or our High School Teams.
Here's an important list to become familiar with
if you are not already monitoring. The US News & World Report rankings for
High Schools.
US NEWS HIGH SCHOOL RATINGS.
(Click right)
Full Hoopgurlz Article October 3, 2007
(click left for full article)
"Pac 10 Cats on the move "
Chris Hansen- Director of Scouting, Hoopgurlz.com
The NCAA has passed a new rule that requires that
student-athletes are registered with the Clearinghouse BEFORE they are
permitted to take an any official visits or sign a
letter of intent.
This is a hard-fast rule that will apply to all institutions, so the
burden is on the student-athlete to get registered ASAP!
COLLEGE VISITS-NCAA RULES
College Visits in Accordance with NCAA Guidelines
For a high school student wavering between a seemingly infinite
number of college
choices, a visit to a campus can often be the determining
factor. Student-athletes must
consider NCAA regulations when arranging these visits as to not
jeopardize their
eligibility.
There are two types of visits according to NCAA regulations -
official and unofficial.
Official visits are taken during the athlete's senior year and
are financed in whole or in part
by the respective institution. Unofficial visits, however, are
those that are typically taken
during or before the end of an athlete's junior year.
The following limitations apply to official visits:
An official visit may not be taken prior to the start of classes
or September 1 of the
athlete's senior year
A school may finance only one official visit per prospect to its
campus A prospect may
take a maximum of five expenses-paid official visits to DI and
DII schools and an unlimited
number to DIII schools if the prospect enrolls in a DIII school
In DI and II, you cannot be offered an official visit without
receiving initial eligibility form
the NCAA Clearinghouse
The length of an official visit may not exceed 48 hours
The school must limit the entertainment, meals and lodging on an
official visit to the
prospect, the prospect's parents (or guardian) and spouse.
The institution may provide the following on an unofficial
visit:
Complimentary admission to an on-campus athletic event
Transportation within 30 miles to off-campus practice and
competition sites, but not to
attend one of the institution's athletic events
In DI and DII, a meal to the prospect in the school's on-campus
dining facility (or offcampus
if all on-campus facilities are closed). In DIII schools a meal
can be provided if it is
a normal policy to provide a meal to all prospective students
In DIII, the institution can provide housing to the prospect,
provided such housing is
available to all visiting prospective students
Players can take an unlimited number of unofficial visits to any
campus and can make
them before their senior years in high school.
Though daunting, it is the responsibility of the student-athlete
to ensure that he is in
compliance with NCAA regulations throughout the entire
recruiting process. Failure to do
so can result in his inability to compete on the varsity team
during his freshman year at
college.
For more information about official NCAA rules, visit
www.ncaa.org
or contact a Baseball
Factory representative at
newsletter@baseballfactory.com
or 800.641.4487.
LB Poly's Monique Oliver, Jasmine Dixon,
Kelli Thompson and
April Cook
For those who rank girl's high-school basketball teams
on a national basis, the aptly named Long Beach Poly
Jackrabbits are the safest bets as preseason No. 1 to
come along - maybe ever.
After all, Poly finished last year as No. 2 after
repeating as California state champions and losing only
one of 37 games, and that one to Collins Hill of Suwanee,
Ga., the unbeaten, concensus national No. 1 with Maya
Moore, the all-everything superstar. Moore now is at the
University of Connecticut, but the Jackrabbits return
reigning CIF Division I player of the year, Jasmine
Dixon, who is ranked No. 26 in the 2008 class by
HoopGurlz.com, and is coached by reigning state coach of
the year, Carl Buggs.
Monique Oliver
Moreover, far from a one-player show,
Poly's "supporting cast" already included point guard
April Cook,
No. 84 in the 2008 class who is visiting Washington
State this
weekend; wing
Kelli Thompson,
ranked 36th in the HoopGurlz Super Sixty for 2009, and
twins Ashley and
Brittany Wilson, who are among the
best in the 2010 class.
But (and we say this in our best game-show announcer
voice) that's not all.
As Buggs says, the Jackrabbits "have had to cause
pressure and havoc because we've never had the size to
play slow-down with a dominant inside player," but that
has changed - and rather dramatically at that. The
family of Monique Oliver, HoopGurlz.com's No. 5 prospect
in 2009, moved from Las Vegas to Long Beach, and guess
where Oliver enrolled for high school?
Now the question isn't whether Poly will three-peat
as California state champs, or win the mythical national
high-school championship, but whether they should be
moved up to the WAC, if not the Pac-10.
"We've been hearing that a lot lately," said Keisha
Buggs, wife and assistant coach to Carl at Poly.
Even without Oliver, Buggs had committed Long Beach
Poly to a schedule nearly as challenging as, say, USC's.
The Jackrabbits will tune up for the prestigious Nike
Tournament of Champions, where it suffered the loss last
year to Collins Hill, at the Nike Northwest
Invitational, Dec. 6-8, a tournament co-sponsored by
HoopGurlz which includes California Division III
champions Sacred Heart, Oregon three-peat champions and
host Southridge and perennial Washington state
powerhouse Prairie. After a quick Christmas break
following the TOC, Poly will play in the second annual
T-Mobile Invitation in Albuquerque, N.M., then travel
out to Minneapolis for the Gatorade Timberwolves
Shootout and likely Jan. 5 matchup with St. Paul
Central, which could be ranked in the nation's top three
by then.
April Cook
And people were comparing Collins
Hill's 2006 holiday schedule to the Bataan Death March.
If that's true, what is this?
Maybe, just maybe, it will be a justly challenging
romp for a team, already the best in the country, that
just added one of the best posts in a once-in-10-years,
mammothly talented class for that position.
Buggs knew of the 6-foot-3 Oliver, but hadn't seen
her play until his team began workouts a couple weeks
ago.
"We run drills where the girls have to partner up and
she goes over and selects Jaz Dixon because she knows
Jaz is one of the top players in the country and will
push her," Buggs said. "That shows she wants to do this.
She is serious about the game and, even though she's
already a good player, she's serious about improving her
game."
Oliver's presence, in turn, should improve things for
Dixon, who only 6 feet still is one of the most physical
inside players in the country. Now Dixon can slide out
to her more-natural position, wing, where she will be
overpowering. Buggs will go into virtually every game
knowing he has matchup advantages at at least four of
five positions.
Before Oliver popped up on their doorstep, the
Jackrabbits had set as their goals for the 2007-08
season to win a third straight California state title
and finish No. 1 in the country. Needless to say, but
Buggs says it anyway, "We are not changing those goals
now."
==================================================================================================
Practice Schedule
Notes from the Deep South Classic:
About Ariya Williams, Cal Sparks Gold, from Scout.Com (HoopGurlz
Publisher)
"While most middle schoolers are playing in the
15U divisions,
Ariya Williams, an eighth grader at Wright Magnet
in Los Angeles,
is playing for the Cal Sparks in the 17U
Sponsored Division.
Williams, 5-7, has great size, particularly in
the shoulders, handles the ball like a wiz,
can throw passes with either hand and is one to
keep an eye on."
The Article Below was written about SRAP from Syracuse New
York.
Cal Sparks Gold defeated SRAP 47-41 in the 1st round and thus
ended up playing the other
California entry in the 2nd round, FBC Blue, the eventual
Champion.
SRAP blew out every opponent they faced after losing to
Gold.
Gold finished the tourney 3-1, Defeating tough teams from
Syracuse NY, Virginia, and Tennessee Team Pride.
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| Deep South Watch -
April 14 |
Shenise Johnson
|
|
By
Glenn Nelson
HoopGurlz Publisher
Posted Apr 14, 2007
Super prospect Shenise Johnson of Henrietta,
N.Y., wrests the spotlight from the Big Apple and
shines it on upstate New York.
|
STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN
NELSON
 |
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Big Apple is
considered the center of the basketball world by many
and, although it's not as true on the girl's side of the
sport, upstate New York tends to get short-shrifted, in
terms of notoriety. That changes this year, however,
because of a player,
Shenise Johnson of Rush-Henrietta High School in
Henrietta, N.Y., who is just too good to go unnoticed.
In fact, it's not going too far on a limb to say the
5-foot-11 guard is one of the top players in the 2008
class. We can hear the chorus all the way from the
Rochester area, saying, "We told ya." But we had to see
it for ourselves.
And what we saw is a player with a unique combination of
size, strength and shake. Rush is big and physical and
can just as soon plant a defender on the block as cross
her over and explode to the cup. In a lot of ways, she
is the Eastern version of
Jasmine Dixon, the 6-1 Long Beach Poly guard ranked
No. 4 in the 2008 class by HoopGurlz.com. She seems to
love contact and has a variety of ways to make plays in
response to it.
Tyler Ash |
Johnson is scary in the open court, and once overtook a
defender during SRAP's 58-42 victory over Queen City on
Saturday night by shifting into a gear few others have,
exploding by and finishing with her left while taking
contact for a three-point play. Her speed and lightning
fast hands are even more imposing on defense, where she
snatches passes in mid-air, swats away dribbles before
the ballhandler even realizes she has been challenged,
and converges on passing lanes better than almost any
defender anywhere.
We didn't see much perimeter shooting from Johnson,
mostly because she didn't need it - though she doesn't
follow through on short pull-ups in the lane. However,
she does have the strength and vision to make tough
passes in traffic, off penetration. Whether she is a
point guard could be a question, though few coaches will
resist if she insists on playing that position.
The true point guard, and one of this weekend's big
revelations, is Johnson's SRAP teammate,
Tyler Ash. The Liverpool, N.Y., guard stands 6 feet
2, giving her unique vision. And she definitely sees
plays many others do not and has the gumption to try
executing them. What's more, Ash obviously likes to
distribute and is selfish, sometimes to a fault.
Ash also hit three-points, blocked shots and boarded.
She averaged Magic Johnson-like 11 points, 12 rebounds,
seven assists, three blocks and three steals for
Liverpool and appears to be the |
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Player
Participation Costs. 2007 HS CLUB SEASON
CAL SPARKS 15U.
Due to the fact
that many parents will be traveling with this young team, Participation
Costs will consist of Direct Payments to Cal Sparks and
travel costs paid
directly by Parents to Air Carriers, Hotel, and Car rental agencies.
Costs determined as
follows for the 5 month Season March 1st through July 31st, 2007.
1. $600
payable directly to Cal Sparks.
2. Airline
and Hotel costs to be paid directly by Parents to Air Carriers and Hotel
Providers.
Cost to each
family will depend on number of Parents or other family members attending with
the player.
(2) Airfare trips
as Follows.
A. North
Carolina for the Spring Evaluation weekend (Tickets priced at $315 as of
2/20/07)
B. Atlanta
Georgia in July for the Tournament of Champions. (Tickets from Delta Airlines
priced at $372 as of 2/20/07)
C. There will
also be 2 "1 nighter" trips. The 1st to Thousand Oaks April
28th-29th
The 2nd "1 nighter" to Bakersfield June 2nd & 3rd requiring Hotel
arrangements
and associated ground transportation costs from Socal to
venue.
Team is currently
scheduled for 10 Events, however local events are subject to cancellation by
promoters. 8 Events will be guaranteed.
Hotels in North
Carolina and Atlanta are generally in the $120 per day range after fees & taxes.
We can make arrangements for a Team room for
those players with
Parents not planning to Travel, with said Parents responsible for
their share of associated travel costs.
Cal Sparks Blue
Player
Participation Fees for 17u Blue will be $1800 all inclusive.
TAJA EDWARDS, Cal Sparks Gold, Long Beach Poly, 2007
Press
Telegram Article. (click left for Article)
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