The Alabama Southern Starz basketball program out of Huntsville is approaching the upcoming spring and summer season on the Nike EYBL circuit in a manner very similar to the way the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams took during the NFL season.
The Rams didn’t look past their current season. Instead, they went all in and focused all their effort on capturing the biggest prize of ll. The Rams accomplished their goal and the Starz are trying to duplicate their success.
Unlike many other EYBL teams that will include players from the 2024 and ’25 college recruiting classes, the Starz will feature only players from the Class of 2023 on their main EYBL team.
“We have several players that are ranked very highly nationally,’’ Starz Director Doug Bush said. “We have a nice mix of players that are being recruited by Power Five programs and players that are drawing interest from the mid-major schools. That should give us a nice combination and make us very competitive.’’
Bush has coached many of the players on the top team as they have come up through the Starz’ program. But Kent Looney will coach the top team this season with Bush coaching teams that will be filled with recruits for 2024 and ’25.
As usual, the top Starz team is expected to be one of the top programs in the nation. The team will be led by two players that are included in All-Star Girls Report’s top-60 rankings for the 2023 class.
The unquestioned leader of the team is Madison Booker (No. 4 in ASGR’s rankings). She is a 6-foot guard/wing from Germantown, MS.
“The way I’ve been describing Madison since she was in seventh grade is that she’s a female Kevin Durant,’’ Bush said. “She really can do it all. She can shoot the three-pointer, she can shoot the turnaround and the fadeaway and she gets to the rim. She also is a great passer.’’
Booker also is a strong student in the classroom.
“Education means a lot to Madison and her family,’’ Bush said.
Booker has drawn recruiting interest from virtually all of top programs in the country. She has yet to commit but has narrowed her list down to a group of schools that includes UConn, South Carolina, Tennessee, Duke, Texas and Mississippi State.
Booker’s skills on the outside should be a good fit with Naomi Jones and Timaya Thurman on the inside.
Jones (ranked No. 60 by ASGR) is a 6-3 power forward from Jackson, Ala.
“She’s super athletic and a monster on the boards and on defense,’’ Bush said. “She played on the 17s team last year. That doesn’t mean she’s better than Booker, but I needed what she can do.’’
Like Booker, Jones is being pursued by numerous Power Five programs. The same is true for Thurman a 6-5 post player from Linden, Ala.
Thurman comes from an athletic family and her brother, Timothy, played football at Army last season.
“Timaya is a prototype player who excels with her back to the basket,’’ Bush said. “She can also face up and she runs the floor very well.
’’ Booker will be joined in the backcourt by a pair of guards who are being recruited by mid-major programs.
Kennedy Langham is a 5-8 combo guard from Harvest, Ala., and Bush said she can score from all three levels.
Kynnedi Davis will run the show as a 5-6 point guard. The Brandon, Miss, product is much more than a distributor of the ball, Bush said.
“Kynnedi shoots the three, has a nice mid-range game and can take it to the basket,’’ Bush said.