Video: Russell Wilson's sister can ballThough the finals of any big tournament get the most attention, the best day of basketball is often the one that features the semifinals -- and this year's Nike TOC will bring the semifinals of the top three brackets to Highland High School in Gilbert on Monday.
The biggest, of course, will be the Joe Smith Division final four, but there will be plenty of star power and plenty of college coaches in the stands for the other games as well.
Joe Smith DivisionThe No. 1 team in the nation,
St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), has boat-raced its first two opponents by going to a running clock in both games, and now will face another Northern California foe in surprising
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.). It's possible this is a preview of the NorCal Open Division playoffs, but even Mitty coach Sue Phillips concedes her young team is a year away.
Still, Phillips has beaten St. Mary's before, though the task is pretty daunting, given the depth of talent the Stockton team brings to the table. Very good teams can hang with St. Mary's for a quarter or so, but then the pressure, the tempo and talent prove to be too much -- and look for a similar script Monday.
The other semifinal will match No. 2
Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), coming off an easy win over
Long Beach Poly (Calif.) against No. 4
Centennial (Las Vegas), which hung on late to beat No. 5
Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.), 56-54. Both teams are athletic and deep, and will rely on pressure and rim attacks. The difference just might be Riverdale Baptist's
Kaila Charles, who should be the best player on the floor.
John Anderson DivisionA pair of intriguing matchups will make this set of semis fun to watch. First, two teams with big-time backcourts will go at it, followed by a battle between teams that are trying to make themselves a name in their home state by winning big games in Arizona.
The
Bellevue (Wash.) vs.
Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) game has the guards, as Bellevue has Stanford-bound
Anna Wilson (sister of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson) and Colorado-bound
Quinessa Caylao-Do. Brentwood will counter with slashing wing
Sydni Harvey and
Bre Jackson, and the matchup should be great basketball entertainment.
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) of Southern California and
Harrison (Kennesaw, Ga.) both don't quite have the reputation of other quality programs in their respective areas, but winning this bracket of the Nike TOC would definitely raise their profiles.
Katie Campbell of Oaks Christian and
Sydne Wiggins of Harrison will go a long way towards determining the winner.
Katie Campbell, Oaks Christian
File photo by Mike Bouffard
There are those who say
Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) and
Trinity (River Forest, Ill.) should have been in higher brackets, and the teams will get a chance to make their case on the main floor at Highland. McNamara is probably a little more athletic, but Trinity's guard play is very good.
ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) is no stranger to the Nike TOC, having gone deep in the top bracket when the Waner sisters (Abby and Emily) were suiting up. And even though the Waners aren't around, ThunderRidge is still a quality team.
La Salle (Milwaukie, Ore.), on the other hand, has lost only once in the last two years and is the defending Oregon 5A state champion, so they too could argue they should be in a tougher bracket. But then again, they have to win this one first.
Five players to watchAndrea Aquino, Eastside (Paterson, N.J.), Class of 2019, 6-foot-10Although she's 6-10, Aquino has flown under the radar because she moved to New Jersey from Paraguay less than a year ago. She's mobile, but there's still a lot of work to be done skill-wise. She's also older than most freshmen, by maybe more than a year, but her upside is huge regardless of her birth date.
Jeannie Boehm, New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), 2016, 6-3Boehm has been impressive in New Trier's first two games, showing lots of skill around the basket (a great left hand), and she's fundamentally sound in all aspects. She's a shot blocker who doesn't step out to shoot -- she's bound for Harvard but could play at the Power 5 level.
Aquira DeCosta, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 2018, 6-2DeCosta is much more comfortable in her second year in the St. Mary's system, and the coaching staff also is more comfortable taking advantage of her increasing skill set and off-the-charts athleticism. A WNBA future could beckon.
Sydni Harvey, Brentwood Academy (Tenn.), 2018, 5-8Harvey is a smooth wing with a fondness for the baseline jumper -- and she also has a high basketball IQ that should translate into a Power 5 future. That feel for the game might be because her coach is former WNBA player Rhonda (Blades) Brown.
Anna Wilson, Bellevue (Wash.), 2016, 5-8Yes, this is Russell Wilson's younger sister, who moved from Virginia to play her senior season in the Seattle suburbs. Bellevue was very good last year, and by adding a Stanford-bound point guard, is now in the national conversation.
