Cincinnati, South Florida Looking Ahead



Cincinnati’s Jamelle Ellitott and South Florida’s Jose Fernandez (top, photo by Al Messerschmidt) both compete in the new AAC.

The 2013-14 season is in full swing, but its easy to start thinking about next year following the early signing period. Two programs from the new AAC — South Florida and Cincinnati — will head into the 2014-15 campaign with optimism after they signed impressive recruiting classes.

The  All Star Girls Report recently released its national Top 150 for the Class of 2014, and we are taking that opportunity to look down the road and profile a number of programs.

South Florida signed only two players, but Laura Ferreira (the 101st ranked recruit in the country) and Maria Steen Jespersen (No. 161) were strong enough to lift the Bulls to the 66th best class in the nation according to ASGR. Cincinnati brought in four recruits and the Bearcats’ class landed at No. 72. The group included Anastacia Owens (No. 110), Ashton Lovely (No. 393), Mackenzie Cann (No. 445) and Brianna Moore (No. 523).

“South Florida is losing two quality seniors after this year, but I feel good about the direction of the program,” said ASGR analyst Bret McCormick. “Their core next year will be three rising juniors — Alisia Jenkins, Courtney Williams and Shalethia Springfield. That’s a strong group, and I think Ferreira will also be able to make an important contribution as a freshman next year.

“Cincinnati is in a tougher situation because they will be losing three seniors who are the bulk of their offense. They will have two rising seniors who will be returning starters in Chelsea Jamison and Alyesha Lovett, but they will need a younger player like Bianca Quisenberry to really step up. When you look at their incoming freshmen, I think Owens is the one who should be ready to make an impact immediately.”

Now in its 18th year, the All Star Girls Report is the leader in women’s basketball scouting. ASGR’s rankings are compiled by veteran analyst McCormick, who rated over 1,800 athletes in the class. ASGR members can log in and view the complete updated rankings at www.ASGR.info.

Here is a quick look at the ASGR Super Six for 2014 along with a quick comment from McCormick:

1- A’ja Wilson (Uncommitted): “She is a long, athletic lefty who could play all five positions. She has those types of skills. A’ja is just special. They have some top schools, but they are going to keep looking and talking to schools. ”

2- Gabby Williams (UConn): “Gabby is another very versatile player. She has tremendous athletic ability, and she can do it all on the court. It only takes you a couple of minutes to recognize Gabby’s talent level. She is recovering from an ACL injury so she didn’t play over the summer, but hopefully she will be back at full speed.”

3- Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State): “Kelsey is a quick, strong, left-handed guard. She is a great passer, but it is her scoring that makes her special. She can hit the long three or the pull-up jumper, and she can attack the rim. She also loves to have the ball at the end of a tight game.”

4- Brianna Turner (Notre Dame): “She is athletic and long, and she could probably play the three, four or five. She can compete in the paint, she can hit the three, and she can take the ball coast-to-coast. She will make an immediate impact in South Bend.”

5- Gabby Green (California): “Gabby is another great athlete with a long, strong body. She has a great basketball IQ, and she can act like a point forward. She is also a great defender. She just has an all-around game.”

6- Sadie Edwards (UConn): “Sadie is an athletic combo guard who is just great off the bounce. She can handle the ball and attack the rim, or she can use her pull-up jumper. She has worked hard to refine her skills, and she has become a complete player.”

THE SUPER SIX  HT  P  High School  Hometown  College
1- A’ja Wilson 6-5 WF Heathwood Hall Hopkins, SC Undecided
2- Gabby Williams 5-11 PG Reed Sparks, NV UConn
3- Kelsey Mitchell 5-8 PG Princeton Cincinnati, OH Ohio State
4- Brianna Turner 6-4 PF Manvel Pearland, TX Notre Dame
5- Gabby Green 6-2 SG St. Mary’s College Oakland, CA California
6- Sadie Edwards 5-10 G Blair Academy Meriden, CT UConn
THE NEXT NINE
7- Recee’ Caldwell 5-7 PG Feast Home School San Antonio, TX UCLA
8- Courtney Ekmark 6-0 SG St. Mary’s Phoenix, AZ UConn
9- Jordin Canada 5-7 PG Winward Los Angeles, CA UCLA
10- Lajahna Drummer 6-3 PF Long Beach Poly Los Angeles, CA UCLA
11- Ariel Atkins 5-11 SG Duncanville Duncanville, TX Texas
12- Jatarie White 6-3 C Providence Day Charlotte, NC South Carolina
13- Sierra Calhoun 6-1 SG Christ the King Brooklyn, NY Duke
14- Kia Nurse 6-0 PG St. Thomas More Hamilton, Ontario Connecticut
15- Shakayla Thomas 5-11 WF Sylacauga Sylacauga, AL Florida State
THE NEXT TEN
16- Myisha Hines-Allen 6-2 WF Montclair Montclair, NJ Louisville
17- Monique Billings 6-3 C Santiago Corona, CA UCLA
18- Brooke McCarty 5-5 PG Clear Springs League City, TX Texas
19- Katelynn Flaherty 5-7 PG Manasquan Point Pleasant, NJ Michigan
20- Khaalia Hillman 6-4 C Whitney Young Chicago, IL Texas A&M
21- Katherine Westbeld 6-1 PF Fairmont Kettering, OH Notre Dame
22- Mariya Moore 6-0 WF Salesian Pleasant Hill, CA Louisville
23- Jasmine Lumpkin 6-0 WF Joliet Catholic Bollingbrook, IL Michigan St.
24- Taylor Rooks 6-0 WF Gil St. Bernard Bridgewater, NJ Stanford
25- Jamie Nared 6-0 WF Westview Portland, OR Tennessee
THE NEXT TEN
26- Mikayla Venson 5-7 PG Yorktown Arlington, VA Virginia
27- Azura Stevens 6-4 PF Cary Raleigh, NC Duke
28- Chatrice White 6-3 PF Shelby Shelby, NE Illinois
29- Gabrielle Ortiz 5-6 PG Prairie School Racine, WI Oklahoma
30- Mikayla Cowling 5-11 WF St. Mary’s Berkeley Benecia, CA California
31- Lynee Belton 6-3 PF The Bullis School Clinton, MD Duke
32- Zaire O’Neil 6-0 PF Malcolm Schabazz Newark, NJ Ga. Tech
33- Allyah Huland-El 6-1 WF Randolph Randolph, NJ Virginia
34- Nasheema Oliver 6-3 C Crisp County Cordele, GA Georgia
35- Alexis Jennings 6-2 PF Sparkman Pelham, AL Kentucky
THE NEXT TEN
36- Mackenzie Engram 6-2 PF Hillgrove Powder Springs, GA Georgia
37- McKenzie Calvert 5-9 PG Steele Schertz, TX USC
38- Paris Kea 5-8 PG Page Greensboro, NC Vanderbilt
39- Sydney Brackemyre 6-1 WF Clinton Massie Harveysburg, OH Louisville
40- Victoria Vivians 6-1 WF Scott Central Forest, MS Miss. State
41- Ariana Freeman 5-11 SG Paul VI Manassas, VA Louisville
42- Christa Reed 5-11 SG Bay Bay St. Louis, MS Vanderbilt
43- Kelli Hayes 6-1 SG Archbishop Mitty San Jose, CA UCLA
44- Alyssa Rice 6-3 C Reynoldsburg Reynoldsburg, OH Kentucky
45- Aja Ellison 6-3 C Life Center Acad. Vorhees, NJ Maryland
THE NEXT TEN
46- Alexa Middleton 5-9 PG Riverdale Murfreesboro, TN Tennessee
47- Brittany McPhee 6-0 SG Mt. Ranier Normandy Park, WA Stanford
48- Bianca Cuevas 5-6 PG Nazareth Reg. Bronx, NY South Carolina
49- Dekeiya Cohen 6-1 WF West Ashley Charleston, SC Baylor
50- Mychal Johnson 5-8 PG St. Joseph Proctorville, OH Notre Dame
51- Kaydra Duckett 5-10 SG Dreher Columbia, SC South Carolina
52- Jamie Cherry 5-5 PG West Craven West Cove City, NC North Carolina
53- Kristen Simon 6-2 PF Winward Gardena, CA USC
54- Rachel Bell 5-10 PG Creekwood Dickson, TN Vanderbilt
55- Kristen Confroy 5-9 SG Solon Solon, OH Maryland
THE NEXT TEN
56- K. Cardon-Goudreau 6-3 WF IMG Academy Bradenton, FL Vanderbilt
57- Carlie Wagner 5-9 PG NRHEG New Richland, MN Minnesota
58- Kiara Leslie 5-11 WF Holly Springs Holly Springs, NC Maryland
59- Imani Tilford 5-7 PG Woodlands White Plains, NY Ga. Tech
60- Alexis Gussert 6-0 WF Forest Park Crystal Falls, MI Michigan St.
61- Kenisha Bell 6-1 PF Kennedy Bloomington, MN Marquette
62- Brielle Blaire 6-1 PF Salisbury Salisbury, NC Va. Tech
63- Asia Doss 5-6 PG Country Day Detroit, MI Ohio State
64- Makayla Waterman 6-2 PF Kettering Fairmount Centerville, OH Ohio State
65- Kortney Dunbar 6-2 PF Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Tennessee
THE NEXT TEN
66- Arica Carter 5-9 SG Long Beach Poly Los Angeles, CA Louisville
67- Amber Campbell 5-8 PG Northwood Acad. Charleston, SC Wake Forest
68- Kelli Kingma 5-9 PG Jackson Mill Creek, WA Washington
69- Terriell Bradley 5-9 PG Mansfield Timberview Grand Prairie, TX Kansas
70- Lauren Moses 6-1 PF Rancossi Valley Mt. Holly, NJ Virginia
71- Michelle Nwokedi 6-2 PF St. Agnes Missouri City, TX Penn
72- Jasmine Carter 5-8 SG Mill Creek Dacula, GA Georgia
73- Kristina King 6-3 PF Thomasville Prep Thomasville, NC West Virginia
74- Alexa Hart 6-3 C Africentric Columbus, OH Ohio State
75- Imani Littleton 6-3 PF Bishop’s School Lemon Grove, CA St. John’s
THE NEXT TEN
76- Yacine Diop 5-9 SG Seton LaSalle Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh
77- Stasha Carey 6-3 PF Midpark Brookpark, OH Pittsburgh
78- Erica Moore 6-1 PF Mt. Vernon Fishers, IN Purdue
79- Nicole Floyd 6-2 PF Stonewall Jackson Manasas, VA Wake Forest
80- Ivy Brown 6-2 WF LaRue County Hodgenville, KY Western Ky.
81- Erin Mathias 6-3 PF Fox Chapel Pittsburgh, PA Duke
82- AA Cardon-Goudreau 6-3 WF IMG Academy Bradenton, FL Vanderbilt
83- Hannah Johnson 6-1 WF Bishop Alemany Stevenson Ranch, CA Washington
84- Natalie Romeo 5-9 PG Carondelet Martinez, CA Nebraska
85- Emoni Jackson 6-1 PF Long Beach Poly Pasadena, CA Michigan
THE NEXT TEN
86- Shrita Parker 5-7 PG Ocean Lakes Virginia Beach, VA Rutgers
87- Erykah Davenport 6-3 C Tucker Decatur, GA Miami FL
88- Ayanna Edwards 6-4 C Sacramento Sacramento, CA Arizona St
89- Cayla McMorris 6-0 WF Park Center Minneapolis, MN Wisconsin
90- Mikayla Reese 5-8 PG Sand Creek Colorado Springs, CO SMU
91- Tamesha Alexander 5-6 PG Shipley Philadelphia, PA St. John’s
92- Micayla Buckner 6-3 C Naaman Forest Garland, TX Baylor
93- Keyanna Harris 5-11 WF Dwyer Riveria Beach, FL Miami
94- Chyanne Butler 5-5 PG Junipero Serra Corona, CA USC
95- Chania Ray 5-8 SG Riverdale Baptist Alexandria, VA Fla. State
THE NEXT TEN
96- Ashunae Durant 5-11 WF Bloomfield Tech Newark, NJ Hofstra
97- Taryn Griffey 5-6 PG Dr. Phillips Orlando, FL Arizona
98- Jillian Dunston 6-1 SG Holy Cross Silver Spring, MD Michigan
99- Asia Robeson 6-4 PF Central Kalamazoo, MI Auburn
100- La’karis Salter 6-0 PF FAMU Tallahassee, FL Miss. State
101- Laura Ferreira 5-11 G Portugal Portugal South Florida
102- Taylor Gordon 5-11 WF Mceachern Powder Springs, GA Wake Forest
103- Amy Okonkwo 6-1 PF Etiwanda Rancho Cucamonga, CA USC
104- Morgan Green 5-8 PG Pacific Collegiate Rocklin, CA Northwestern
105- Aisha Edwards 5-8 SG Coral Sp. Charter Boca Raton, FL Miami (FL)
THE NEXT TEN
106-  Brea Stratton 5-11 SG Leadership Albany, NY Providence
107- Kaylee Johnson 6-2 PF Natrona County Casper, WY Stanford
108- Abrianna Porter 6-2 PF Rock Bridge Columbia, MO Missouri
109- Marte Grays 6-3 PF M.L. King Detroit, MI DePaul
110- Marquia Turner 5-7 PG McKinley North Canton, OH Xavier
111- Tyra Buss 5-7 PG Mt. Carmel Mt. Carmel, IL Indiana
112- Isis Young 5-7 PG Trenton Catholic Berlin, NJ Florida
113- Alexandra Louin 6-0 SG Mt. St. Joseph’s Doylestown, PA Villanova
114- Auteaonna Gilmore 5-6 PG Capitol Christian Ft. Washington, MD Old Dominion
115- Kaylee Page 6-2 PF Wamego Alma, KS Nebraska
THE NEXT TEN
116- DeAshia Jones 6-0 PF Malcolm Shabazz Newark, NJ Undecided
117- Maria Backman 6-2 SG Cardinal Spellman Bronx, NY Michigan
118- Emily Durr 6-0 WF Notre Dame Barneveld, NY Iowa State
119- Anastacia Owens 5-7 PG Lawrence North Indianapolis, IN Cincinnati
120- Haley Lorenzen 6-2 C Iowa City Iowa City, IA Florida
121- Tyara Warren-Cox 5-8 SG Plano West Melissa, TX West Virginia
122- Dorothy Adomako 6-0 WF Cosby Moseley, VA Georgetown
123- Naje Gibson 6-0 PF Seton LaSalle McKees Rock, PA Pittsburgh
124- Justine Hall 5-10 SG Regis Jesuit Aurora, CO Purdue
125- Makayla Johnson 6-4 C Dreher Columbia, SC Clemson
THE NEXT TEN
126- Briana Horrocks 6-4 C Buford Buford, GA Purdue
127- Jill Barta 6-3 F Fairfield Fairfield, MT Gonzaga
128- Doniyah Cliney 5-8 SG Malcolm Shabazz Newark, NJ South Carolina
129- Danielle Minott 5-9 SG Country Day Miami, FL Syracuse
130- Vionise Pierre-Louis 6-4 C Grandview Prep Lake Worth, FL Oklahoma
131- Charise Holloway 5-9 SG St. Mary’s Tracy, CA Arizona
132- Whitney Jennings 5-5 PG Logansport Logansport, IN Iowa
133- Tonoia Wade 6-2 SG Kennedy St. Paul, MN St. John’s
134- JaLea Bennett 5-10 SG Timberview Grand Prairie, TX Arizona
135- Bria Johnson 5-9 SG Episcopal Baton Rouge, LA Auburn
THE NEXT TEN
136- Brooke Copeland 6-2 WF Bradley Cent. Cleveland, TN Florida
137- Dominique Simpson 5-9 SG Jones Orlando, FL West Virginia
138- Haley Clark 5-9 PG Edgewater Orlando, FL Georgia
139- Atallah McKinney 5-6 PG Home School College Station, TX UTEP
140- Toree Thompson 5-8 SG Broken Arrow Broken Arrow, OK Washington
141- Khadedra Croker 6-3 C Kings Fork Suffolk, VA Va. Tech
142- Shantelle Valentine 6-3 PF St. Roch Ontario, Canada Marquette
143- Jenna Deemer 5-7 PG Ursuline Acad. New Orleans, LA LSU
144- Chloe Jackson 5-8 SG Riverdale Baptist Waldorf, MD NC State
145- Dani Akigbogun 6-0 PF Regis Jesuit Aurora, CO Texas
THE NEXT FIVE
146- Amarah Coleman 5-9 PG Homewood Flossmoor Bolingbrook, IL Illinois
147- Rolanda Hayes 5-6 PG Viera Melbourne, FL Fla. Atlantic
148- Jenna Burdette 5-8 PG Eastern Coolville, OH Dayton
149- Erin Garner 6-4 PF Trenton Catholic Philadelphia, PA Ga. Tech
150- Khalia Prather 6-2 PF North Point Waldorf, MD Miami FL