2005 National Evaluation Camp

4SHOT Sports

AAU Hoops
2005 National Evaluation Camp
By Larry Williams/4SHOT Sports
Jul 17, 2005, 05:38 EST

2005 National Evaluation Camp - "Best of the Best" All-American Camp
Rising stars show off for college recruiters
Riverdale High School - Riverdale, GA

Kellinda Zackey - Malcom X Shabazz H.S., NJ

The USA Stars under the direction of Guy Coleman held it's inaugural Best of the Best All-American Camp at Riverdale High School in Riverdale, GA and judging by the talent and the number of college recruiters on hand it looks like the camp is going to be around for awhile.

There were well over 150 players participating in this 3 day event that culminated with an Underclassmen and Senior All-Star Game. The recruiters on hand came from college likes of Georgia Tech, Louisville, Tulane, Univ. of Colorado, UCLA, Auburn, and Kentucky just to name a few.

When the games got underway the players on the court gave the recruiters plenty to write down in their notebooks as they got after each other. It didn’t take long to find out which players were going the be the dominate ones in camp. To find the most dominate player in camp all you had to do was watch the young lady with the Red, White and Blue headband wearing red jersey No. 54 - Kellinda Zackey from Malcom X Shabazz High School in Newark, NJ.

Alex Montgomery - Lincoln H.S. in Tacoma, WA

The 6-0 rising senior who played along side of former Shabazz All-Americans (Matee Ajavon now at Rutgers and Shahida Williams now at Old Dominion) as a sophomore and junior was just unstoppable, inside and out. She has a nice handle, can stick the jumper and when she gets the ball in the paint it’s lights out because she’s going to score or get fouled.

Fifty-four must have been the number to wear because there was another No. 54 in camp wearing a white uniform, Alex Montgomery a rising junior from Lincoln H.S. in Tacoma, WA. The slender 6-0 forward showed some really good skills in and round the paint and did a nice job of putting the ball on the floor.

Caila Desroches a 6-2 senior from John Glenn H.S. in N.Y. was tenacious on the boards and did her share of blocking shots. Desroches is an intimidating presence in the post and an emerging offensive force. Her combination of size, speed, leaping ability, quality hands and thirst for the game will make her a highly sought after college recruit.

April Sykes - East Oktibbeha H.S., MS

Laura Broomfield - Riverdale H.S., GA

The sophomore class was well represented and was led by arguably the top player in that class in April Sykes a 6-0 super sophomore from East Oktibbeha H.S. in Crawford, MS. As a 8th grader two years ago she started on the varsity team and last season as a freshman she was an All-State Honorable Mention selection. It didn’t take long to see what all the fuss was about because for such a young player Sykes has it all, she can handle, see the court, go to the hole, knock down the jumper. She still needs to tighten all of those things up but I still would take her right now and put her on a college team. If she continues to expand her game they way I think she will you can mark her down right now to be a McDonald’s All-American, she is some kind of special with a capital “S”, believe it.

Anjale Barrett - St. Michael’s Academy, N.Y.

Another player from the class of 2008 who’s stock continues to rise is hard working Laura Broomfield, who had the pleasure of playing on her home court at Riverdale H.S. The 6-2 sophomore is a tireless worker in the paint where she does most of her damage. She stills has some work to do on her jumper but she has time; meanwhile she will just continue to dominate the paint. Crystal Riley a 5-7 sophomore from Hillcrest H.S. in Memphis displayed flashes of what is going to make her an outstanding point-guard over the next few years. She has a sweet handle, a good looking jump shot and a nice feel for the game. Last year as a freshman she was named to the Class A-AA All-Metro team in Memphis. Keep an eye on her progress.

There was a contingency of ballers from New York on hand to give the camp some of that Big Apple flair. The group was lead by Anjale Barrett a 5-9 guard out of St. Michael’s Academy. Barrett has all the skills in the world and at times displayed them but that’s the problem the junior doesn’t always step on the court ready to dominate the entire game and she can. Two of Barrett’s high school teammates looked to hold it down by giving it all they had, junior point guard Paige Lowe and Shannekia Smith a slender 6-1 sophomore.

Caila Desroches - John Glenn H.S., N.Y.

Another player from N.Y. that everyone wanted to get a look at but because of an ankle injury was unable to play was senior guard Epiphanny Prince a 5-10 guard from Murray Bertraum H.S. in Manhattan, N.Y. Prince is considered to be one of the top players in the nation. She watched from the stands.

Sharper shooter Amy Horton a 5-11 senior from Haralson County H.S. in Tallapoosa, GA who is a member of the Georgia Dream Team has had an outstanding career and got a chance to display that sweet jumper of hers in camp and possibly in front of her future college coaches from UCLA (who were on hand) where she is reportedly ready to commit too.

Two other young ladies from the Peach State who really helped themselves in camp were Redan High Schools, Amani Franklin a 5-11 guard who teamed up with 6-2 All-American Porsha Phillips to help lead the “Lady Raiders” to the Class 5A State Finals last year and Kirstyn Wright from Stephenson H.S. in Stone Mountain, GA.

Amani Franklin - Redan H.S., Stone Mtn, GA

Both have steadily put their names on a lot of college recruiting list. The slender 5-11 Wright; a junior guard did a nice job of handling the ball and getting to the hole, she is also a tough defender but still needs to bulk up a bit. Franklin does all of the little things, rebounds, plays defense and dishes out assists. She can score but sometimes I think she is a little to unselfish with the ball.

I got a chance to watch Nicole Michaels in Dayton, TN earlier this year at the Prep School National Championships where she helped lead Patterson; a private school out of Lenoir, NC to the National Championship and I was really impressed with the maturity of her game and she did nothing in this camp to change that. At 6-2 she moves around the court like a much smaller player. She can handle the ball on the wing or post you up.

Camillie had to hold up twin sister Casey Jones who twisted her ankle earlier in the game.

A little over a month ago I was in Colorado Springs at the USA Women’s Youth Festival and got a glimpse of the pride of Arlington, TX and Juan Seguin H.S.; Allison Hightower a 5-11 guard who only knows one way to play the game, with a lot of energy. Hightower was defiantly one of the Best of the Best.

From down in the Bayou state of Louisiana emerged Tarkedria Hill and Alexis Rack . With the reputation of the LSU “Lady Tigers” at stake these two lived up to the their press clippings. Hill a 5-10 senior out of Ringgold H.S. in Louisiana didn’t put up the big numbers she did last year in high school (28.5 ppg.) put she did do enough in camp to show me and the recruiters, I’m sure; why she was a 1st team All-State performer in Class 1A last year. Rack a 5-6 guard out of Franklin H.S. was also a 1st team All-State performer in Class 3A where she averaged close to 20 ppg. At 5-6 she uses her speed and quickness on both ends of the floor to cause havic and she gets to the basket.

No. 73 Myesha Simms (Southwest H.S., Macon) and No. 0 Tonia Gerty (Spruce Creek H.S., FL) both did very well from their point-guard positions.

Note: No. 73 - Myesha Simms (Southwest H.S., Macon) was outstanding, the 5-5 point guard did an excellent job of getting to the hole and dishing off the ball. She also showed a nice touch from the outside. The name in the packet was incorrect for her; it had that number belonging to Nisha Adams a 6-4 player from Liberty County in GA. Tonia Gerty (Spruce Creek H.S., FL) also did a great job running the point.

Other players making noise in camp:

Class of 2006

Whitney

Simmons

5-6

Berea H.S., S.C.

Camille

Jones

5-7

Plano East H.S., TX

McKenna

Bellamy

5-5

University H.S., N.J.

La'Tasia

Lee

5-9

Longwood Sr. H.S., N.Y.

Kianna

Williamson

6-0

East Orange, N.J.

Georgien

Williams

6-0

The Hyde School, N.Y.

Angelique

Butts

6-0

Rockdale Co, GA

Sharlyn

Harper

5-8

Holdeness School, N.Y.

Kiana

Rainey

5-10

Hillcrest H.S., SC

Darryll

Peterson

6-1

Bryn Mawr H.S., MD

La Cale

Pringle

5-10

The Nova Project School, WA

Class of 2007

Wykeemia

Gray

5-11

Canarsie H.S., N.Y.

Paige

Lowe

5-6

St. Michael's Academy, N.Y.

Marti

Bennett

Sierra

Little

6-2

Dudley H.S., NC

Jasmine

Payne

6-2

Bay Springs H.S., MS

Cherie

White

5-9

Warner Robins, GA

Class of 2008

Meghan

Ingram

5-7

Ragsdale H.S., NC

Kiana

James

6-0

Jackson Callaway H.S., MS

Parrisha

Simmons

5-11

SW Macon H.S., GA

Lindsey

Weiker

6-2

Tift Co. H.S., GA

Velicia

Bell

5-5

Carrolton H.S., GA