By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg, Va.) will start five Division I seniors and is a strong contender to win the national girls basketball championship in 2007-08.
As has been the case in recent years, the national title could be determined at the star-studded Nike Tournament of Champions Dec. 19-22 in Phoenix, Ariz., where the Dragons could tangle with another strong contender, Poly of Long Beach, Calif.
Coach Mike Teasley begins his fifth year at the helm with a sparkling 105-11 record and a Virginia Division I state title in 2006. Last year's team posted a 29-1 record, losing only to national champion Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) by three points in overtime.
Four starters return, including a frontline which averaged in double figures. Mia Nickson, a 6-foot-1 forward headed for Boston College, averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds. Close behind were Azania Stewart, a 6-4 center who averaged 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds and will attend Florida; and Morgan Wrightson, a 5-9 forward, who averaged 11 points and will attend Bucknell.
Kristin Coles, a 5-8 shooting guard, averaged eight points, five rebounds and two steals. She will attend American University. The new starter is 6-1 point guard Josette Campbell, who averaged six points and six rebounds and has not yet chosen a college. She replaces 5-8 Ebonie Williams, who now plays for Seton Hall.
Coming off the bench will be talented 6-1 junior Janelle McDonald and 5-10 sophomore transfer Jessica Escorza.
"We have a balanced team," Teasley told MaxPreps. "I look at us like the San Antonio Spurs. We have a nucleus of good solid players who are going to be good college players. We're very strong fundamentally and are going to be one of the tallest teams in the country."
