695HOOPS WHERE IT'S ALWAYS ALL ABOUT THE GIRLS
Rites of Passage 2013
Saturday, August 10th.
Riverdale Baptist in Largo, Maryland was the scene for the 2013 Rites of Passage Showcase. This event was sponsored by LBK Sports Foundation and SchollyMe.
Twenty six of the top 2017, 2018 and 2019 prospects from Maryland, DC, Virginia and North Carolina were assembled for a session of basketball drills and controlled scrimmages. The event was streamed live and in HD by SchollyMe and featured division 1 prospects like Lauren Chase and Jonquel Jones of George Washington, Kelila Atkinson of Wake Forest and Domonique Johnson of Towson University who were demonstrating the drills. Former George Washington star Yolanda Lavendar did a nice job keeping things organized.
The event started shortly after noon and the parents were asked to move to a classroom so they could participate in a question and answer session on the recruiting process. The players were a little sluggish to begin so they got a stern warning from Ms. Lavendar who reminded them why they were there. This brought some energy to the warms ups and the intensity was maintained throughout the drills. The players moved from station to station for some drills and worked as group for others.
The atmosphere was positive and encouraging but competitive at the same time. I was particularly impressed with the tandem of Lauren Chase and Domonique Johnson. They were very active and involved at their ball handling station and did a good job in getting the girls to push themselves. Coaching could be in both their futures. The full court one on one drill was my favorite part of the session. This is when some players separated themselves. Players were forced to dribble the length of the court and try to score on a single defender. Megan Walker of Boo Williams SL was the best player in the gym and she showed why in this drill. She used her 5'11" frame to overpower smaller players and used her range to score on bigger players. Taleah Dixon of Team Takeover impressed me with her ability and wilingness to lock up on defense. 6'3" Makayla Stanley, also of Boo Williams, looked very comfortable handling the ball and used her size to her advantage. Niya Beverly showed some real point guard savvy.
After a short break the players were broken up into two groups and went at each other in a 3 on 3 half court drill. On one end of the gym Amira Collins and Jaala Henry battled in the post with neither giving an inch. Chloe Chapman showed off some nice ball handling and penetration moves on the other end. Controlled scrimmages were saved for last but time did not permit us to stick around for that part of the showcase.
I walked away very impressed with the talent and the organization of the event. This was a great way to close out the summer.
Lisa Bodine of LBK Sports Foundation and Prentice Beverly of SchollyMe.
6'3" Makayla Stanley of BWSL. Legit size and showed some nice ball handling skills. Uses both hands and finishes nicely.
Megan Walker of BWSL. At 5'11" she has the perfect build and has skills to go with it. She knocks down 3's with nice form on her shot and uses her body to punish smaller players. Does not rush when she has an advantage which allows her to make good decisions. I saw D1's last year that could use her right now.
Taleah Dixon of Team Takeover has been making a name for herself over the past year with her offensive prowess. She is now showing a willingness and ability to strap up on defense.
Jasmine Gholston of Southern Maryland Lady Clippers caught my eye. She has a solid offensive game with a nice jab step she uses to get separation. She uses both hands to finish and has a nice shot form. Would like to see more of her.
PSPA'S Ashley Owusu is a 2019 to keep your eye on. She fires away from deep and is a rugged and solidly built guard. First saw her at the Girls Middle School Showcase last year. She has grown a bit since then. According to her dad her projected height is 6'1". If she grows that much she will be a major D1 prospect.
