Espn.com Spring Evaluations

1. 4/28/2021 ESPN.com - Spring evaluations about to begin
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Alexis Jones and Kailee Johnson represent two top prospects in the
classes of 2012 and 2013, respectively.
ESPN.com: Womens [Print without images]
Friday, April 15, 2011
Spring evaluations about to begin
By Keil Moore and Chris Hansen
HoopGurlz
This weekend
marks an official
change in the
focus of the
women's
basketball
recruiting world.
College coaches
from around the
country will be in
one of a handful
of locations in an
attempt to watch
what they hope
will be the future
of their programs.
For the past 24 months, we have put a sharp focus on the class of 2011. We have analyzed
their play and even followed some of them to another parts of the world (France for the
2010 U17 FIBA Worlds) as they competed against other countries in FIBA competitions.
That group has moved on, and this weekend, we turn our attention to the classes of 2012
and 2013 and begin a 12-month look into how these classes are shaping up.
Previous classes have been heavy at one position or provided depth beyond the elites in
another. The class of 2010 was the class of the point guard. In 2009 the depth of the class
was found in the post. As we hit the road this spring we start with some strong ideas about
the next two classes.
Rising Seniors -- Class of 2012
The class of 2012 is shaping up to be the year of the wing, highlighting the depth of both
the classical shooting guard and small forward positions.

2. 4/28/2021 ESPN.com - Spring evaluations about to begin
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Alexis Jones is the top guard
prospect in the class of 2012.
When looking at the class as a whole, 10 of the top 20 in the ESPNU HoopGurlz super 60
are traditional wings in addition, Alexis Jones has about as much combo guard ability as
anyone in the country making a strong case to push the number to 11. While there is
certainly strength at the top of the class, it is the depth throughout the Super 60 and the
next group of kids on the cusp looking to make a case for the top 100 who really make the
wing position the strength of the class. Here's a look at the diverse group of wings
representing the class of 2012.
Different styles of play
There is no absence of quality wing scorers in this class. The firepower can be found in a
variety of different molds. Take the smooth athleticism of Brianna Butler for starters. She
possesses the ability to force a defense to pay for even the smallest of spaces with her
advanced ballhandling ability and controlled pace.
Or Texas A&M commit Courtney Williams, who
has been known to light up a score board with her
ability to create a shot at anytime.
Brittney Martin, once committed to in-state Utah
but has since reopened her recruitment, is also one
to keep an eye on as she has shown that she can
score against the best and isn't afraid to go into the
lane or post up.
Finally, the discussion of 2012 scorers has to
include Canadian import Nirra Fields who paced her
Canadian national team this summer in France and
led the event in scoring.
No shortage of athleticism
Some of the best athletes in the class of 2012 are playing at the wing position, which does
nothing but add to the impact this class may have at the next level. A pair of Pennsylvania
prospects, Sierra Moore and Kahleah Copper, are right at the top of list in this category,
while Houston's Jesseika Palmer is right there in the discussion. All three have the ability
to provide a team with great versatility with their ability to make plays on both sides of the
ball and create mismatches with their speed and quickness.
Shooting is at a premium
No conversation about wing play can be complete without the mention of the great
perimeter shooters in the class.
Chandler Cooper may be the best shooter, but Peyton Little and Alexa Coulombe are on
her heels in this category. All three possess great size in addition to offering more than just

3. 4/28/2021 ESPN.com - Spring evaluations about to begin
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a standstill spot shooter offensively.
Little has the ability to play the role of combo guard at times and has proven that she can
run a team when needed. Coulombe and Cooper are more traditional wings, and both can
score the basketball on the move in addition to spot-up situations.
Rising Juniors -- Class of 2013
Looking ahead, the 2013 class is coming together as the class of post depth. While the
2012 class does offer talent at the top of the post class, early on the prognosis is the rising
juniors offer a larger number of interior players who can make an impact in major
conferences. This should allow the teams in the middle of the pack of the power
conferences that feel they are a big away to realistically compete with the tops of their
conferences.
Size and power
There are seven players checking in at 6-foot-4 or taller from the pool tabbed with a four-
star preliminary rating. Another six from that group are listed at 6-3.
With so many post players abandoning their back-to-the-basket games in an attempt to
become perimeter players, college coaches often complain the game today lacks enough
real posts. Perhaps it is that sentiment that led Texas to extend and early offer to in-state
prospect Jada Terry, a 6-foot-3 post from Cedar Hill.
Setting the tone in this 2013 class are a pair of power players -- Alaina Coates of South
Carolina and Kendall Cooper of California -- who continue to use their physical gifts to
get buckets from the paint. That's not to say these two aren't athletic, both are praised for
there ability to run the floor from the center position, but the value of a player who can
drop step with authority is understated across the grassroots landscape.
Infinity Alston of Maryland and Lubirdia Gordon of New York,
hit the court at 6-foot-5, and make a living off of deep post
position. Alston has the size and strength to work her way in for
deep post position while Gordon can beat her defender to get
that position early. Finally, there may not be a better post scorer
in the class than Kristina Nelson from Georgia.
Facing up
Indianapolis, Ind., and Portland, Ore., aren't in the same region,
but each city offers a versatile forward prospect with plenty of
similarities. Taya Reimer has set the bar high for 2013 frontcourt
players in the Midwest while Kailee Johnson has put the West
Coast on notice that it too has elite interior talent.

4. 4/28/2021 ESPN.com - Spring evaluations about to begin
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Kailee Johnson as
emerged as one of the
most versatile front
court players in the
2013 class.
The most encouraging thing for these two, besides the dramatic
increase in confidence, is that they haven't abandoned scoring
inside as they have developed the ability to handle the ball away
from the basket and shoot from range.
The waiting game
For the most part, post players take longer to develop so the
competition at the top of the class could change dramatically
over the next 18 months.
Players like Oderah Chidom from California, A'lexus Harrison
of Maryland, and Malayna Johnson from Illinois, have
tremendous athleticism and are just scratching the surface on the
type of players they can become.
It's going to be a fun ride to follow this class as a whole,
especially with so many promising post players in the mix.
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Keil Moore is a contributor and national recruiting analyst for ESPN HoopGurlz. He is
also the Director of Scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report - a
division of Peach State Basketball, Inc. Moore has been involved in the community since
2007 as a recruiting analyst and trainer. He can be reached at
kmoore@peachstatehoops.com.
Chris Hansen is the national director of prospects for ESPN HoopGurlz and covers girls'
basketball and women's college basketball prospects nationally for ESPN.com. A
graduate of the University of Washington with a communications degree, he has been
involved in the women's basketball community since 1998 as a high school and club
coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He is a member of the McDonald's All-American
team selection committee. Hansen can be reached at chris.hansen@espn.com.