Outstanding girls basketball performances were posted from Hawaii to
Maine, and from Alaska to Texas. Forty players stood out among the group
and had MaxPreps Girls Basketball All-America Team recognition.
Selections are based on team success, statistics and local, regional and
state honors from the recently-completed season. Potential at the
college or professional level is not a consideration. Players in
post-graduate programs are not eligible for inclusion.
MAXPREPS GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICAN TEAMSFIRST TEAMMalina Howard, Twinsburg (Ohio)
6-3 / junior / post / uncommittedHoward
isn't one of those young players who dazzles fans with fancy moves.
Instead, she quietly gets the job done, to the tune of 21.4 ppg, 10.6
rpg, and 66 percent shooting. The Tigers not only won the Ohio Division I
championship, but also finished No. 5 in the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was the MaxPreps Girls Basketball Player ofthe Year for 2010-11.
Photo by Louis Lopez
5-7 / senior / point guard / TennesseeMassengale
is a pure point guard who led Bolingbrook to the No. 3 ranking in the
nation. She can shoot the 3-pointer and penetrate, but she's also a
great distributor. She may be the answer to the Volunteers'
long-standing question at the point.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
6-0 / senior / guard / ConnecticutMosqueda-Lewis
was the star on the No. 1 team in the nation, and what she gave the
Monarchs is what she'll give the Huskies: Scoring. Mosqueda-Lewis is a
tremendous shooter with superb footwork and deep range. She can also
post up if needed, and should make an immediate impact for the Huskies.
Oh, and she was the
MaxPreps Girls Basketball National Player of the Year.
Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)
6-3 / junior / forward / verbal to ConnecticutThough
Cicero-North Syracuse doesn't get the publicity that New York City
schools do, rest assured Stewart's abilities are no secret, as her
scholarship to UConn attests. She averaged 24.3 ppg, with a season high
of 37 against a strong St. John the Baptist team.
Elizabeth Williams, Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
6-3 / senior / center / DukeWilliams
broke the scoring record in the McDonald's All-American Game and
started that assault with a 3-pointer. Don't look for this strong and
skilled post player to be launching many from beyond the arc for Duke,
but expect her to be an upgrade on graduated Krystal Thomas, who was
good enough to get picked in the WNBA draft.
SECOND TEAM
Tennessee recruit Cierra Burdick ledButler to an undefeated regular seasonin North Carolina.
File photo by Michael McLoone
Burdick,
a smooth, hard-working wing, led Butler to a 30-1 record by scoring
21.6 ppg and getting 15.6 rpg. The Bulldogs won 30 straight to open the
season before losing in the North Carolina 4A semifinals.
Briyona Canty, Trenton Catholic Academy (N.J.)5-10 / senior / guard / RutgersAfter
Trenton struggled a bit during the regular season, Canty led the Iron
Mikes on a great preseason run that culminated in a win at the New
Jersey Tournament of Champions. Trenton beat nationally ranked Shabazz
and Neptune back to back, and Canty had 38 points, 11 rebounds, seven
assists and seven steals in those two games.
Diamond Deshields, Norcross (Ga.)6-0 / sophomore / wing / uncommittedIf
the last name is familiar, it's because dad Delino played in the big
leagues for 13 seasons and stole 463 bases. Diamond has that same
athleticism, and also led Norcross to the AAAAA state title in Georgia.
Alexis Jones, MacArthur (Irving, Texas)5-9 / junior / guard / uncommittedWhen
Odyssey Sims moved on to start at point guard for Baylor, there were
concerns that MacArthur would take a step back. But Jones, a
multitalented lefty, took on a bigger role and led the Cardinals to a
35-2 record and the Texas 5A championship.
Xylina McDaniel, Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.)6-2 / junior / forward / uncommittedSpring
Valley didn't lose a game all year, and finished No. 2 in the Xcellent
25. McDaniel played a big role in that success. She averaged 18.5 points
and 8.7 rebounds a game for the 29-0 Vikings.
THIRD TEAMJordan Adams, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-1 / junior / guard / uncommittedAdams,
a long and skilled point guard, may have averaged only 10.3 ppg, but
one reason Mater Dei was No. 1 in the nation was its depth of talent and
numerous offensive options. Adams sorted all that out, and also could
score if required to.
LSU signee Krystal Forthan ledGeorgetown to a 34-4 record.
Photo by Jim Redman
There
are few high school girls who can manage a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio,
but Banks was at 3.1. Combined with her 16 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 6.1 apg,
she not surprisingly led Fayette County to the Georgia AAAA title.
Krystal Forthan, Georgetown (Texas)6-4 / senior / forward / LSUForthan
played JV as a junior due to eligibility problems, which kept her a bit
under the radar. When she finally got on the court, the Eagles
immediately soared. They were 34-4 on the season and reached the Texas
5A finals, only to lose to MacArthur and Alexis Jones.
Amber Orrange, Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas)5-8 / senior / guard / StanfordWestbury
Christian didn't play the nation's toughest schedule, but still won a
Texas state title and went 39-1 thanks in great part to Orrange. She
averaged 13.7 ppg, 8.3 apg, and 4.8 spg, and ran the show for the No. 11
team in the country.
Kiah Stokes, Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa)6-3 / senior / forward / ConnecticutStokes
was dominant in Iowa, averaging 25.3 points, 15.4 rebounds and an
amazing 4.8 blocks per game for Linn-Mar, but the Lions fell just short
of the Iowa state title, losing in the 4A semis.
FOURTH TEAMAntoinette Bannister, Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.)5-10 / junior / guard / North CarolinaBannister
averaged 27.2 points a game for the Lions, who travel all over the
country seeking out quality opponents. This year, they lost only once
(on the road of course), but finished the season on a 31-game winning
streak.
Brea Olinda's Justine Hartman will stayclose to home and play for UCLA.
Photo by Louis Lopez
Smith
was the heart and soul of the Royals, one of the perennial powers in
girls basketball. But she is an All-American without a college
commitment. Smith was headed for Virginia, but when Debbie Ryan
resigned, Smith was released from her national letter of intent.
Justine Hartman, Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.)6-3 / senior / post / UCLABrea
Olinda spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and
finished No. 9. Though Hartman's 11.4 points a game won't set the
Internet ablaze, the skilled post was the focus of an attack that
featured five double-figure scorers.
Morgan Tuck, Bolingbrook (Ill.)6-2 / junior / forward / Verbal to ConnecticutTuck
has been considered one of the top young players in the country since
she was in eighth grade, but her sophomore season was derailed by an ACL
tear. Healthy, she was the inside presence for No. 3 Bolingbrook, and
justified that early commitment to UConn.
Betnijah Laney, Smyrna (Del.)6-0 / senior / guard / RutgersLaney,
despite being listed as a guard, averaged 10.1 rebounds a game for
Smyrna. She also managed to score 21.1 ppg and get 4.5 apg. She's a
major recruiting coup for the Scarlet Knights, as she committed
Wednesday.
HONORABLE MENTION (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY)
Alyson Beebe will come back for hersenior season at St. Joseph.
Photo by Louis Lopez
