In between watching a boys basketball tournament throughout the weekend, I was also able to catch much of the action on Sunday at this year's Venom Classic - held at Sierra Linda High School and hosted by tournament director Carolyn Jones.
Jones assembled a lot of top young girls' talent in this weekend's event, and while I was unable to observe much of the top upperclassman prospects in the event, I was able to catch some of the action from the 17U level on Sunday.
Here are the top prospects that I observed on the day in the Venom Classic ...
Ashley Lomavaya 5-6 SOPH PG Sunnyslope HS - 2014
- Lomavaya is a nice pure-point guard prospect with an excellent handle of the basketball and a nice overall feel for the game. She likes to have the basketball in her hands and gets others involved- seeing the floor very well and making players around her better, as she gets them the basketball at the right time. Pushes the ball up the floor. She also is able to create her own shot and get in the lane, where she is a solid finisher. Has a good shooting stroke with range. OK athlete that needs to contineu to work on her lateral quickness defensively to reach her full potential. Her understanding of the game and ability to make plays are very attractive attributes. Good looking prospect for the 2014 class.
Katelynn Mullings 5-8 JR SF Cactus HS - 2013
- Mullings is the younger sister of two other former Arizona high school products, so the basketball bloodlines are there. She is a versatile slashing forward prospect that competes and has a good knack for the basketball. She is a good finisher in traffic and has a very good motor. Very good offensive rebounder that rebounds outside of her area and has good anticipation. Has a good mid-range shooting stroke, but needs to continue to improve her ability to shoot the basketball with range to fully develop. Solid ball handler and passer. Good overall defender. Has some promise.
Anna Rodriguez 5-4 JR SG Alhambra HS - 2013
- Rodriguez is a nice looking combo-guard prospect, although at her size, she will need to fully develop her ability to play the point to advance her game to the collegiate level. But her versatility as a player is adequate, as he has a very nice handle of the basketball and can make plays for herself or others. Gets into the lane and is a good finisher. Has a good shooting stroke with some range. Good passer that plays unselfish. Fundamentally sound. Nice looking prospect with good toughness.
Sheyenne Davis 5-2 JR PG Desert Edge HS - 2013
- Davis is a squat and lightning-quick pure-point guard prospect that has the ball in her hands a lot and make plays off the dribble. is capable of blowing past defenders en route to the basket and is a good finisher for her size, although she can get caught going too deep into the lane and getting herself intro trouble at times. Creates havoc though with her speed and quickness, and creates problems for opposing teams. Good passer that gets others involved and pushes the ball up the floor, although she can sometimes over dribble. Solid shooter with range. As she become more consistent in her ability to shoot the basketball, she will develop a great deal as a scoring threat, which will add nicely to her arsenal. An excellent defender with excellent lateral quickness - her best asset as a player. Good looking point guard prospect that can run a team.
Evelyn Galvan 5-4 JR PG/SG Maryvale HS - 2013
- Galvan is a good shooting guard prospect, although, like Rodriguez, at her size she will need to fully develop her ability to play the point to make herself more attractive to college coaches. She is a player with excellent versatility though as she is fundamentally sound and makes plays. She is a very good shooter of the basketball with a quick release and range on her shot. She also has a good overall feel for the game and makes players around her better, as she competes hard and is all over the floor. She is also a good ball handler and passer, making her versatile for her team. She has a very good motor and is a good rebounder for her size. Her intensity on the floor allows for her to get to the free-throw line often, where she is a good free throw shooter. A nice overall player with good promise for the future.
Jasmine Kittleson 5-11 JR PF/C Dysart HS - 2013
- Kittleson was the biggest post player I saw on the day. She has very good size physically and has good overall physical strength as a player. Still very raw offensively, Kittleson's best attritbute as a player is her ability to defend in the paint, rebound and block/alter shots for her team. She plays with excellent energy and competes hard, although she is capable of getting into foul trouble. As she develops footwork and an ability to score effectively in the low post she will see her game take off. As for now, she gives you good toughness and a desire to defend the low post - very good assets for a post player. Could develop into a intriguing prospect over a short period of time with continued hard work.
