CHICAGO — All the McDonald's All-Americans are good, maybe great, players and almost all will have fine college careers. But some will arrive sooner than others.
Amber Orrange
Photo courtesy of McDonald's/Henny Ray Abrams
Sometimes, that's just an indication of raw talent, but just as often it's a product of matching the talent with a program that needs precisely what a particular player has to offer.
So with that in mind, here are the 10 girls most likely to be making headlines as college freshmen:
Amber Orrange, Westbury Christian (Houston)/Stanford: The
Cardinal always are looking for athleticism in the back court, and
Orrange has plenty of that. The fact that she also delivers the ball
extremely well is more good news, as now the Ogwumike sisters (also
Texans) will find it even easier to score.
Temi Fagbenle, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)/Harvard: Fagbenle, who is a U.S. citizen but plays for the English National Team (she also has Nigerian citizenship), will have a huge impact in the Ivy League. A skilled 6-foot-4 player, Fagbenle can shoot it. But at Harvard, she'll have her way in the paint as well. "She'll have to get stronger," said East coach Mary Coyle Klinger about Fagbenle's long-term prospects. But since she only started playing basketball at 14, there's plenty of room for improvement.
Krystal Forthan, Georgetown (Tex.)/LSU: With Van Chancellor gone as LSU's coach, the 6-4 Forthan won't have to overcome any preconceived notions, or any investment the old coaching staff made in last year's roster -- and the fact that she's tall, strong and can hit the 15-footer won't hurt either. The SEC will learn about her in a hurry, and the rest of the country will catch up quickly.
Bria Goss
Photo courtesy of McDonald's/Henny Ray Abrams
With Victoria Dunlap moving on to the WNBA, the Wildcats will need to replace 17 points per game — and they're also losing Carly Morrow, who started 20 games in the backcourt. Expect Goss, who has played for one of the top high school programs in the country, to fill both needs right away, especially if Amber Smith can't come all the way back from a torn ACL.
Justine Hartman, Brea-Olinda (Brea, Calif.)/UCLA: The marvelously athletic Bruins didn't really have an inside presence, and though Hartman is more than capable of playing at the power forward spot, she'll be expected to add some close-in scoring for UCLA — and the sooner, the better. Expect Nikki Caldwell to give her every chance to start.
Morgan Jones, Lake Mary (Fla.)/Northwestern: Joe McKeown is building at Northwestern, and Jones will be a big part of the foundation. A versatile forward, "she really has a beautiful touch," said East coach Dorothy Gaters. Look for Jones to have an immediate impact in the Big 10, which doesn't have as many athletes of her caliber as the other BCS conferences.
Allyson Malott, Madison Senior (Middletown, Ohio)/Dayton: "She's got perimeter skills," said Klinger, "and she's unselfish." That means she will keep the Flyers in the mid-major stratosphere for the next four years. Malott could have gone to "bigger" schools, but she's positioned herself to have a great career at Dayton, starting from day one.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Mater Dei (CA)/Connecticut: Rumor has it UConn is losing a pretty good player who scores a lot of points, but even though the Huskies usually have a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans, Mosqueda-Lewis is something special. She's a strong 6-0 with deep range, a quick release, and the ability to punish a smaller defender on the block. She'll arrive at Storrs scoring, and leave the same way.
Bria Smith, Christ the King (New York City)/Virginia: "She has a great mind for the game," said Klinger, and that, added to her impressive physical abilities, should put her in the starting lineup from the moment she arrives at Virginia. The new coach, replacing the retired Debbie Ryan, will be able to live with some freshman mistakes, though Smith may not make that many.
Elizabeth Williams
Photo courtesy of McDonald's/Brian Spurlock
Duke didn't miss a beat when Gail Goestenkors left for Texas, and with recruits like Williams, the Blue Devils aren't going away any time soon. And expect Williams to make things happen right away, as starting center Krystal Thomas is graduating, so Williams' big-time post game will be on display from the opening tip of her first game.
MaxPreps article with full McDonald's All-American game girls basketball rostersClay Kallam, who has written and coached girls and women's basketball for more than two decades, is covering the McDonald's All-American game for MaxPreps. Wednesday's scheduled game time is 6:30 p.m. CT at the United Center in Chicago. The game will be televised on ESPN 3.
