Boo Williams Richmond Rolling Toward Summer Basketball Playoff



The Boo Williams Richmond program wrapped up a successful spring with four titles at the Virginia state championships. The club’s top team brought in the biggest prize at the event.

“All of our teams were exceptional,” said Coach Max Coats. “The girls on our 11th grade team won their fifth straight state championship, and they beat the Boo Williams Elite team in the finals, and we were very pleased about that.”

Coats’ club will hope to continue their roll at the Summer Basketball Playoff in Charlotte from July 27-29. The Summer Basketball Playoff will feature 72 of the nation’s elite club teams. The Playoff will be held at the same time as the Nike Nationals, which will be played two hours away in North Augusta, SC.

The shining star for Boo Williams Richmond is Anna Wilson (2016, 5-8, PG), a USA U-17 team member who is rated as the No. 9 prospect in her class by the All Star Girls Report. The younger sister of Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson, Anna has verbally committed to Stanford.

“Anna has worked so hard to become the player she is, and now she just makes the game look easy,” Coats said. “She joined us in the sixth grade, and she was our ninth player back then. She hardly played. Now, she is silky smooth, and she is always ready to take whatever the defense is giving her. If they drop off, she hits the three. If they step out, she blows by them.”

“Anna is a very good athlete, and a very intelligent player. I guess you have to say that she knows how to quarterback a team,” joked ASGR analyst Bret McCormick. “She is a tremendous all-around player who sees the floor and shoots it with three-point range.”

Wilson will get plenty of support in Charlotte from players like the Camp twins, and Wake Forest commitments Courtney Simmons (2015, 5-8, PG, No. 71) and Destini Walker (2015, 6-1, WF, No. 54).

“Courtney is amazing because she can be a dominant player without scoring a lot,” Coats said. “She scored 27 points per game in high school, but for us she brings defensive intensity and all the little things. Destini is a true point forward. When we set up our offense, we usually run it through Destini in the high post. She makes a lot of decisions for us, she can knock down the three and she can go to the basket. She is a tough match-up for our opponents.

“The Camp twins are two different types of players, like the Paris twins were at Oklahoma. Janeen is over 6-4 in the 10th grade, and the doctors are saying she will be 6-7 or 6-8. She is an unbelievable athlete who blocks seven or eight shots a game, and she can compete in the open court. She is a true, old school post player who knows how to use her size and some very nice post moves. Jennette is 6-1, and she plays more like a perimeter player.”

“Simmons is a very athletic, explosive guard who is very good at attacking the basket,” added McCormick. “She shoots the three, and she has a good mid-range game with a nice floater. Walker is a strong, aggressive athlete. She can attack the basket, post you up, and shoot the three.

“Janeen Camp is a long athlete with great footwork and moves in the post. She is an effective shot blocker, and her stock is on the rise. Jennette is also a long athlete, but she is more of a three/four type player with an inside-outside game.”

Coats also noted that his program has another star waiting in the wings. Seventh grader Sam Burrnell (6-2, W) could see time with Boo Williams Richmond’s top team in Suwanee.

“She is the best seventh grader I have ever seen,” Coats said. “She is an ultra athlete, and she has NBA three-point range. She is good enough to be the sixth man on our 11th grade team. She can do it all, from posting up to handling the ball on the perimeter, and she has a great work ethic. She is always trying to get better, and she plays with an amazing intensity and enthusiasm for a player her age.”

“She is a long, skilled athlete who can play multiple positions,” McCormick added. “She is a big-time prospect to watch, and she has deep three-point range.”