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| | Friday, April 7 | |||||
Special to ESPN.com | ||||||
Twenty of the top high-school seniors in the country display their talents Saturday afternoon in Hartford as the WBCA High School All-America game gets under way (noon ET, ESPN2).
Two future Connecticut Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers highlight the Red team's roster. Ashley Battle and Morgan Valley are 6-foot forwards who will join UConn next fall. Battle is a three-time all-state selection from Pittsburgh, Pa., who averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds a game last year for The Linsly School. Valley was Vermont's Miss Basketball last year en route to winning two state championships in basketball and soccer for Rice Memorial High School. Her kid sister, Ashley, may be in next year's game. Erika Valek (Purdue), a 5-6 guard from Lubbock, Texas, is considered to be one of the top point-guard prospects in the country. She averaged 25 points and eight assists per game as a senior at Coronado H.S. and should step right into the starting job for the Boilermakers next year. Her backcourt mate for the next four years could be Cherisse Graham (Purdue), a 5-7 playmaker from Conshohocken, Pa. Graham was the MVP of the prestigious Philadelphia Catholic League. Also keep your eye on Rometra Craig (Duke), a 5-10 guard from Portola Valley, Calif. Craig is California's H.S. Athlete of the Year and is the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig. Anne O'Neil (Illinois) is a 5-11 forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She set the Iowa all-time scoring record this season after becoming the first freshman ever to lead the state in scoring in 1997. Stanford-bound 6-2 forward Nicole Powell was named Arizona's high school female athlete of the century by the Arizona Republic while scoring more than 2,500 points. She is also the state's badminton singles champion. Chandi Jones (Houston) was the USA Today Texas Player of the Year with more than 3,000 career points. Rounding out the Red roster is silky smooth 6-4 center Ashley Robinson (Tennessee) and 6-4 center Selia Helm (Kentucky), who averaged 29 points a game as a senior. White team The White team has a pair of National Player of the Year award winners leading the way in UConn-bound 5-11 guard-forward Diana Taurasi and future Purdue Boilermaker Shereka Wright. Wright, a 5-10 forward from Copperas Cove, Texas, is the WBCA National Player of the Year and is only the fourth Texan ever to score more than 3,000 points in her prep career. Taurasi, from Chino, Calif., is the Naismith National Player of the Year. She scored more than 3,000 points in her career at Don Lugo H.S. and was named the player of the year in California. Down on Tobacco Road, Duke Coach Gail Goestenkors is anxiously awaiting the arrival of forwards Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis. Beard won four Louisiana state championships at Southwood H.S. in Frierson, La. She hasn't lost in two years. Tillis was Oklahoma's Player of the Year at Cascia Hall Prep en route to winning the state title. She is the daughter of former heavyweight boxer James "Quick" Tillis. The White lineup also features 6-3 center Ebony Hoffman (USC), who won the mythical USA Today national championship with Narbonne H.S. in Harbor City, Calif. Ebony Felder is another 6-3 center from Jackson, Miss., who last week signed with Georgia. The frontline also consists of Stacy Stephens (Texas) of Winnsboro, Texas, and Aminata Yanni (Illinois) from Machesney Park, Ill. They both averaged double-doubles this season. The backcourt is bolstered by 5-7 point Mandy Clark (Rutgers), a Parade Magazine All-American from Baltimore, Md. Guard Susan King (Stanford) from Richfield, Minn., is doubtful for the game due to a knee injury. Next year's impact The three UConn recruits could be hard-pressed to find playing time. Just about everyone returns for the Huskies to defend their national championship, so the newcomers may have to patiently await their turn. Kiersten Walters also returns at guard after redshirting, so both the inside and outside are well-stocked with talent. The Purdue-bound players could have an immediate impact in West Lafayette. Valek could take over the point, which allows junior Kelly Komara to move back to her natural 2-guard spot. Graham would add depth here while fighting for a possible starting job. Wright should fit in nicely alongside senior Katie Douglas, and could give the Boilermakers a great shot at winning a fourth consecutive Big Ten tournament title. Duke has several potential starters among the incoming class. The Blue Devils have to replace frontliners Peppi Browne and Lauren Rice, so Iciss Tillis has a chance to jump right in and shine. Alana Beard and Rometra Craig provide depth on the perimeter and give coach G something she has never had to work with: speed and quickness. Coach Theresa Grentz has some big shoes to fill next year, so Anne O'Neil and Aminata Yanni should be ready to go right away for Illinois. Stanford should continue it's resurgence with the help of Susan King and Nicole Powell. Coach Tara VanDerveer stockpiled talent in the early 1990s en route to a couple of national championships. She's building another good group in Palo Alto that should only improve with age. Final Four feeding frenzy It should come as no surprise that Purdue and Duke have three recruits in this year's game. The success on the recruiting trail is no doubt tied to the Boilermakers and Blue Devils appearing in last year's national championship game in San Jose. Coaches know that the exposure of playing in the biggest game of all helps them attract the nations top talent. This year, the Purdue and Duke recruiting classes are widely considered to be among the top three in the country, along with this year's national champ, UConn. Last year's game 1999 Naismith National Player of the Year Kara Lawson (Tennessee) and Jennifer Thomas (North Carolina) led the White team to a 100-82 win. Both scored 20 points and got help from Kourtney Walton (Rutgers) and Nina Smith (Wisconsin), who pitched in with double-figures scoring. The White team hit nine 3-pointers and went 27-for-30 from the free-throw line. Nicole Kaczmarski (UCLA) and Kennitra Johnson (UConn) led the Red team with 17 points and 16 points, respectively. Lawson and Johnson were named the games MVPs, and they met up again last weekend in the national championship game. This time, Johnson came out on top. Last year's game featured four recruits from Tennessee -- Lawson, April McDivitt, Gwen Jackson and Tasheika Morris. How they fared in college Four athletes who played in last year's All-America Game went on to have stellar seasons in their collegiate debuts. Due to their immediate impact, they were honored as their respective conference's Freshman of the Year: Alicia Ratay (Notre Dame) from the Big East, Schuye LaRue (Virginia) from the ACC, LaToya Turner (Ohio State) from the Big Ten and Jamie Carey (Stanford) from the Pac-10. Previous highlights 1998: Won by the White Team even though Lindsey Yamasaki (Stanford) was the only player in double-figures with 16 points. The crowd of more than 7,500 fans made Hartford, Conn., an exciting destination for the game. Five UConn recruits played before the home crowd, including Sue Bird and Swin Cash, who scored in double-figures in a losing cause. 1997: A coming out party for Nikki Teasley (North Carolina). Teasley scored an All-America game record 30 points and set records for her 14 field goals and 24 attempts. Her effort, however, couldn't help the White team, which lost to the Red squad led by Tamika Catchings (Tennessee) and Jackie Stiles (SMS). The game also featured the first sister showdown, as Coco Miller (Georgia) beat twin Kelly Miller (Georgia). 1996: The names changed but the result was the same as the White team won, beating the Blue team this time around. Six players from the White team scored in double-figures, led by Shawnetta Stewart (Rutgers) and Shea Ralph (UConn). The game was played in Philadelphia as part of a doubleheader with the United States Olympic Team defeating China in the second game. 1995: Stephanie White (Purdue) was the White team MVP while Jamie Redd (Washington) was the Red team MVP in another White victory. Stephanie White teamed with Dominique Canty (Alabama) in the backcourt while Amy Herrig (Iowa) did the damage inside. The losing team included Chamique Holdsclaw (Tennessee) and Tauja Catchings (Illinois). 1994: Featured four Stanford recruits and four Iowa recruits. Kristin Folkl (Stanford) scored 23 points to lead the way in the White team victory. Nykesha Sales (UConn) and Angela Hamblin (Iowa) both scored more than 20 points in the loss. It was the highest scoring shootout in All-America Game history. 1993: The Red Team broke through for a rare win in a game decided by Stanford and Georgia recruits. Tracy Henderson (Georgia) and LaKeshia Frett (Georgia) paced the Red team while Jamila Wideman (Stanford) and Kate Starbird (Stanford) kept the White team close. All four of those players would go on to make numerous Final Four appearances in college.
1992: The inaugural game was played with Crystal Robinson (Southeast Oklahoma State) scoring a game-high 25 points for the victorious White squad. The game featured future stars like Katie Smith (Ohio State), Saudia Roundtree (Georgia), Wendy Palmer (Virginia) and Tina Nicholson (Penn State). |  | |||||
