Great Win for Kentucky Premier!!!

[Crunch-time]

It was a great game to watch, very high quality play the majority of the time.

 

I don't know about counsel but they apparently communicate daily by text. But I can't imagine Syd not playing. She needs to continue to improve and that is tough to do without games like the one against the Essence.

 

If they are that close I would encourage her to be bold and ask Amanda point blank "if I get injured during competitive play will you still honor my 4yr scholarship?".

[Jesse James]

Really?

 

Yes they do. I talk to several every day....and why wouldnt they? I understand your comment about injuries, but players are do just that, play. I do know coaches that have wanted the kid not to play on a really high exposure team to basically shield them from other coaches to they get them signed, but thats even few and far between. I speak from experience on the girls side. Wonder how many AAU games John Wall missed? Last year after Sarah Hammond had already made her decision to pick UL over UCONN Coach Walz actually encouraged her to play the last exposure event in October, right before her senior year started. Coaches want the kids in the gym. Period.

[Jesse James]

If they are that close I would encourage her to be bold and ask Amanda point blank "if I get injured during competitive play will you still honor my 4yr scholarship?".

 

If Flordia wont honor it, I know a host of others that will.

[Crunch-time]

Yes they do. I talk to several every day....and why wouldnt they? I understand your comment about injuries, but players are do just that, play. I do know coaches that have wanted the kid not to play on a really high exposure team to basically shield them from other coaches to they get them signed, but thats even few and far between. I speak from experience on the girls side. Wonder how many AAU games John Wall missed? Last year after Sarah Hammond had already made her decision to pick UL over UCONN Coach Walz actually encouraged her to play the last exposure event in October, right before her senior year started. Coaches want the kids in the gym. Period.

 

I'll take your word for it

[Crunch-time]

Yes they do. I talk to several every day....and why wouldnt they? I understand your comment about injuries, but players are do just that, play. I do know coaches that have wanted the kid not to play on a really high exposure team to basically shield them from other coaches to they get them signed, but thats even few and far between. I speak from experience on the girls side. Wonder how many AAU games John Wall missed? Last year after Sarah Hammond had already made her decision to pick UL over UCONN Coach Walz actually encouraged her to play the last exposure event in October, right before her senior year started. Coaches want the kids in the gym. Period.

 

I'm referring to major injury and possibly career ending. Since there's no such thing as a 4yr scholarship it takes a pretty classy coach that will honor for 4yrs. My point is, it never hurts to put a coach on the spot with a simple question "Coach, will you honor 4yrs if I get injured?"...simple stuff man. I know for a fact some won't and the "free" education is huge. Since women's pro basketball is not lucrative the "degree is the key".

 

You seem to be in the know, so if you know a host of others that will give a scholarship to a player that can't perform, great! However, if it comes from an AAU coach, then I'll take it with a grain of salt.

[Jesse James]

Thats what I would do, take it with a grain of salt. The free education is the key for sure, 99% wont play pro ball and you are correct it dont pay that good anyway. I dont know anything much, Im just gonna defer to you, as you seem to have it all figured out. Should have known.

[Jesse James]

I'm referring to major injury and possibly career ending. Since there's no such thing as a 4yr scholarship it takes a pretty classy coach that will honor for 4yrs. My point is, it never hurts to put a coach on the spot with a simple question "Coach, will you honor 4yrs if I get injured?"...simple stuff man. I know for a fact some won't and the "free" education is huge. Since women's pro basketball is not lucrative the "degree is the key".

 

You seem to be in the know, so if you know a host of others that will give a scholarship to a player that can't perform, great! However, if it comes from an AAU coach, then I'll take it with a grain of salt.

 

I never said anything about a career ending injury. I dont know anyone that will do that. Not saying there is not one, but its a business at that level.

[Neutralbutbiased]

Great tourny win for Fothergill's 17uKentucky Premier at Derby Classic in Bloomington. Way to play girls!!!

[ckshockey]

Pretty impressive group of young ladies. Congratulations on your success!

[Neutralbutbiased]

This the Fothergill team is the other 17u team for Premier - not the Elite team - strong group of girls also

[sportslady]

This the Fothergill team is the other 17u team for Premier - not the Elite team - strong group of girls also

 

Yes, Fothergill's team has some very good talent, also.

 

MacKenzie Martinez-Butler

Jasmine Whitfield-South Oldham

Laurine Bodine - Manual

Ivy Brown -Larue County

Octavia Wilson - Lexington Catholic

Alex Botkin - Lexington County

Megan Pittman - Cassey County

Oney Harrison - Tates Creek

Brittani Gay -GRC

Emily Fox - Lincoln County

 

Both teams won their brackets in Bloomington and would have played each other for the championship. Good wins for both teams!!

[Neutralbutbiased]

The girls battled hard to make it to the championship game in Bloomington - what they where not aware of is Premier has a rule that none of the Premier teams can play each other. The championship game for the tournament was never played. Fothergill's team made it to their first championship game this summer which would have been a great opportunity to be seen by more coaches. Lost opportunity for the girls.

[WVFrank]

Yes, Fothergill's team has some very good talent, also.

 

MacKenzie Martinez-Butler

Jasmine Whitfield-South Oldham

Laurine Bodine - Manual

Ivy Brown -Larue County

Octavia Wilson - Lexington Catholic

Alex Botkin - Lexington County

Megan Pittman - Cassey County

Oney Harrison - Tates Creek

Brittani Gay -GRC

Emily Fox - Lincoln County

 

Both teams won their brackets in Bloomington and would have played each other for the championship. Good wins for both teams!!

 

Saw both teams play and they were great!

 

The Elite team had a really flat game in the third game of the tournament and had to scratch and claw back from 9 point halftime and 12 point early second half deficits to win by 5. But they really showed their capabilties in the semi's against a Spiece Gym Rats Green team (IN) that beat them by 5 in the Battle of the Boro in Murfreesboro. The Premier jumped all over the Gym Rats early and continued to build a margin throughout the first half, ending with a 45-23 lead.

 

The blitz was a shared one as numerous players contributed. Sydney Moss was very effective as she contibuted 12 points and 5 boards. The second half saw the Premier go to more of a controlled attack to assure preservation of the large lead. On one occasion the Gym Rats set up in a zone and the Premier simply held the ball. The Gym Rats eventually went man and, after running nearly 2 minutes of clock the Premier ended up with an open lay-up. Can't do it any better! Their ball protection was excellent and they had very few turnovers.

 

The Gym Rats had a 6-2 or so girl who had 28 against the Premier at Murfreesboro and she was the hub of the Gym Rats attack and scored a bunch in the first half. Moss switched to her in the second half and got very physical, pushing the big pivot off the blocks by denying entry passes and bodying her up all over the field. That pretty much ended her scoring night and The Gym Rats were left to resort to shooting three's. Final was 68-41 which I guess could be called exacting revenge!

 

The Premier Fothergill surprised a lot of people, including me, and beat several teams most folks thought they couldn't handle. They played really tough defense and Whitfield simply took over games at times. As was mentioned, lots of really good talent among this group also. I really don't know all the girls on this team and haven't watched them as much as I have the other team so it is difficult to pick out players. But in addition to Whitfield, who I knew from a 2010 HS scrimmage, I liked Brown, and of course Pittman who started with the other team. But honestly I saw nobody in that group I didn't think could play.

 

Speaking of Moss, she is having another excellent summer. Here is a Hoopgurlz article that says a lot:

 

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/womens/story/_/id/6783007/battle-boro-showcases-talented-field

 

She continues to improve her skills and, if the article is any indicator, is becoming more intense. All that makes her even tougher. She apparently has risen as high as No. 12 in the 2012 Class in one recruting service. I heard recently that UConn is interested and would be on her hard if she was not already committed. They simply will not tamper with a committed player. Wonder what would happen if she decided she was going to wait and sign late and reopen her recruitment?

[Neutralbutbiased]

Ivy Brown is fun to watch - really good player and will only get better - from what I understand she is only a soph to be

[WVFrank]

Ivy Brown is fun to watch - really good player and will only get better - from what I understand she is only a soph to be

 

I agree. And soph to be is what I understand as well.

Edited July 25, 2011 by WVFrank