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Samantha Brunelle blog: Arrival in Argentina, being ranked No. 1 and chasing gold

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Samantha Brunelle is ranked as the No. 1 girls basketball player in the nation in the Class of 2019. Brunelle has returned to USA Basketball and is the most experienced member of the Women’s U16 National Team that is playing in the FIBA Americas U16 Championship this week in Buenos Aires. Brunelle, a 6-2 forward from William Monroe (Ruckersville, Va.), has agreed to share her experiences in Argentina with USA TODAY High School Sports. Here is her first entry:

It’s a blessing to be able to wear USA across your chest. You’re not just representing yourself. You are representing the whole country and you need to do that really well. All of us just know that this is not an individual thing, this is a team thing and we’re doing it for all the right reasons.

Sunday was a long day. We had a practice before we left Colorado Springs at camp. We went to Denver and flew from Denver to Houston. We had a little layover and then went from Houston to Argentina through the night. Sleep was limited, but it was still a nice trip.

We got here Monday, went to the hotel and had a little scrimmage with Canada. It was nice to play against another team instead of just ourselves. I’ve gotten to know my teammates and what they like to do. It’s not like I can go out on the floor right now against Canada and say, I know what she’s going to do right now. You have to play it the best you know how to play it. We took a lot from that and that was really good for us.

We practiced Tuesday — half at the arena where the games are going to be and half at a big soccer stadium. They took us around and let us look at the field and the stadium. I’d never been inside a pro soccer stadium before. It was nice to see.

So far, the team has bonded so well together. The chemistry is really there. That’s not to say it wasn’t there last year when we won the bronze but I think our mindsets were a bit different. All the girls have asked me what the difference is from last year to this year. Everybody has to be of the same mindset. If one of us isn’t thinking about it, gold is not what we are going to get. We all have to want the same and go out there and play basketball.

My teammates won’t get the full effect on how the international fans are going to be in a game yet, but I’ve talked to them about it and my experiences about it. We’re all going to have to deal with it. Everybody seems good about adjusting to the international rules. We’re playing pretty decently right now and we can only get better.

As far as being ranked as the No. 1 player, not many know about me outside the country. It’s a good thing in that I can be a little bit of a surprise. The rankings stuff are just numbers. I try not to think about that anyway. I just go out and try to play basketball. It’s nice to know that people think you’re that talented, but you still have to get on the floor and prove it, too.


UPDATED: USA TODAY Sports' 2017 Composite Team Basketball Recruiting Rankings

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With the late commitments of Brian Bowen and Tremont Waters, all of the nation’s top prospects have chosen a school. So, here’s where the USA TODAY Sports’ Composite Team Recruiting Rankings for the Class of 2017 stand.

The composite looks at the rankings from 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout and averages them to determine where each team stands. Teams that were unranked received one more than the maximum listed by each service (51 for 247, 41 for ESPN, 36 for Rivals, 26 for Scout).

The top three teams are unanimous in their position with Kentucky at No. 1, UCLA at No. 2 and Arizona at No. 3. After that, the variance begins.

UPDATED: 6/6/2017

Rank School 247 ESPN Rivals Scout Avg.
1 Kentucky 1 1 1 1 1
2 Duke 2 2 2 2 2
3 Arizona 3 3 3 3 3
T4 UCLA 4 4 5 5 4.5
T4 Texas 5 5 4 4 4.5
6 Alabama 7 7 6 6 6.5
7 Missouri 8 6 7 7 7
8 Louisville 6 10 8 12 9
9 Florida State 12 8 11 9 10
10 Xavier 11 13 9 8 10.25
11 Miami 10 9 14 13 11.5
12 Western Kentucky 9 14 10 14 11.75
13 Oregon 13 12 13 11 12.25
14 Stanford 14 23 12 10 14.75
15 North Carolina 18 17 20 15 17.5
16 UNLV 15 25 17 18 18.75
17 Providence 19 30 15 16 20
18 Virginia Tech 17 16 19 30 20.5
19 Kansas 36 21 14 20 22.75
20 Florida 20 11 32 31 23.5
T21 Texas A&M 22 26 23 25 24
T21 Michigan State 46 15 18 17 24
23 Oklahoma 29 22 28 19 24.5
24 Creighton 23 35 24 21 25.75
25 Illinois 32 18 27 26 25.75
T26 Villanova 26 37 21 23 26.75
T26 Iowa State 31 19 26 31 26.75
28 Auburn 42 28 22 22 28.5
29 Colorado 25 38 25 27 28.75
30 Arkansas 34 20 33 31 29.5
31 Arizona State 24 33 36 29 30.5
T32 Ole Miss 21 40 41 24 31.5
T32 Wisconsin 28 36 31 31 31.5
34 LSU 16 41 41 31 32.25
T35 USC 30 41 30 31 33
T35 Butler 33 27 41 31 33
37 Purdue 27 39 37 31 33.5
38 Michigan 44 24 39 31 34.5
39 TCU 35 41 34 31 35.25
40 Georgia 39 31 41 31 35.5
41 Iowa 45 29 38 31 35.75
42 Wake Forest 43 41 29 31 36
43 Maryland 51 32 35 28 36.5
44 Indiana 37 41 41 31 37.5
45 Syracuse 38 41 41 31 37.75
46 West Virginia 40 41 40 31 38
T47 Seton Hall 41 41 41 31 38.5
T47 Oregon State 48 34 41 31 38.5
49 Saint Louis 51 32 41 31 38.75
50 Clemson 47 41 41 31 40

UPDATED: 6/6/2017

Los Alamitos (Calif.) takes over No. 1 in Super 25 softball rankings

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For the first time since the initial rankings of the season, Los Alamitos (Calif.) is at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Super 25.

Los Alamitos (28-3) won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division I championship game by beating No. 1 Norco, 3-1, to avenge a loss earlier this season.

RELATED: Full Super 25 softball rankings

On the way to the title, the Griffins also beat Santiago, 4-1, and Orange Lutheran, 1-0.

The loss snapped a stretch during which Norco (33-1) had won 44 of its last 45 games. The team has been ranked No. 1 for the last 10 weeks and now dropped to No. 2.

Oak Park-River Forest (35-1) moved up to third after winning its 14th straight game to reach the Illinois state 4A semifinals, while No. 4 Woodinville from Washington (26-0) and No. 5 Bishop O’Connell from Virginia (27-0) previously won state titles.

Indiana’s Crown Point (29-2), Wisconsin’s Oshkosh North (27-3) and previously unranked Egg Harbor New Jersey (23-0) and Hurricane from West Virginia (36-1) surged into spots No. 7 to 10 in the rankings. Egg Harbor won its first New Jersey state championship, while Hurricane captured its third consecutive West Virginia crown.

Lakewood (Ohio) and North Davidson (N.C.) enter the rankings at Nos. 21 and 22, respectively.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the Super 25.

VIDEO: After sound system glitch, softball teams join to sing anthem

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Scarborough High and Gorham High are playing in the Maine Class A state semifinals on Thursday.

The teams were lined up along the baselines before the game for the national anthem. When the sound system didn’t work, they improvised.

The teams joined in an awesome rendition of the anthem, as captured on Twitter by Johnny Mehler from WCHS6 and WLBZ2.

Bol Bol, Tre Jones make big moves in new Scout 100 recruiting rankings

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Bol Bol and Tre Jones were the big movers as Scout.com released its updated Scout 100 for the Class of 2018 in boys basketball.

Bol, a 7-2 center from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), moved from No. 13 to No. 2. In 15 games during the Nike EYBL season, he is averaging 24.1 points and 10 rebounds — and amazingly shooting 48.9 percent from three.

“For his size, Bol moves pretty well and his length certainly impacts the game in a variety of ways, but what stood out with his play with California Supreme was his confident and ability on the offensive end,” Scout wrote. “Not only does Bol possess very good hands and touch around the basket, but he’s developed post moves and a comfort from mid-range and three shooting the ball.”

Jones, a 6-2 point guard from Apple Valley (Minn.), moved up to No. 7 and is the No. 1 point guard in the class. Scout has seven point guard ranked with five stars. Darius Garland, from Brentwood Academy (Tenn.), is the No. 2 point guard and No. 8 overall.

Marvin Bagley, a 6-11 forward from Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), remains ranked No. 1 overall. Bagley averaged 25.8 points, 14.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks during the EYBL season.

After Bagley and Bol comes Zion Williamson, the 6-6 man child dunking machine from Spartanburg Day in South Carolina. Cameron Reddish, a 6-8 small forward from Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), is ranked No. 4 and Romeo Langford, a shooting guard from New Albany (Ind.), is ranked No. 5.

Read the full Scout 100 by clicking here.

 

 

Rosters set for Premier Girls Fastpitch High School All-American Game

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The nation’s best softball players in the Class of 2017 have been selected for the Premier Girls Fastpitch High School All-American Game on July 28. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

The event will be held in conjunction with the PGF 18U Nationals.

Players on the East and West teams were chosen by a panel of experts with input from USA TODAY High School Sports, OnDeck Softball and Flo Softball. Players must be registered with PGF, which runs elite club events regionally and nationally, to be selected. The selections for the national teams were drawn from regional teams.

Here are the rosters:

EAST
Taryn Antoine, INF, Alexandria (La.), LSU
Amanda Ayala, OF, DePaul Catholic (N.J.), Tennessee
Kendyll Bailey, INF, Grain Valley (Mo.), Missouri
Meghan Beaubien, P, St. Mary Catholic (Mich.), Michigan
Mia Davidson, C/3B, Orange (N.C.), Mississippi State
Lynnsie Elam, C, Chickasha (Okla.), Oklahoma
Jenna Ergle, 3B/1B, Sumiton Christian (Ala.), Boston College
Kinsey Goelz, INF, Lakewood Ranch (Fla.), Mississippi State
Alexis Holloway, P, Crown Point (Ind.), Notre Dame
Callie Martin, OF, Raymone-Peculiar (Mo.), Missouri
Mallory Peyton, INF, North Hopkins (Ky.), Kentucky
Julie Rodriguez, OF/P, Old Tappan (N.J.), UCLA
Danielle Romanello, C/1B, Canterbury (Fla.), Florida
Kendall Beth Sides, OF, Sumiton Christian (Ala.), Alabama
Gabby Sprang, P, Rosemount (Minn.), Tennessee
Shelbi Sunseri, P/1B, Santa Fe (Texas), LSU
Kylie Unzicker, OF, Millard South (Neb.), Nebraska
Alex Velazquez, OF, Chanhessen (Minn.), Minnesota

Selected and on USA Junior National Team
Hannah Adams, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.), Florida
Sydney Sherril, 3B, Southmoore (Okla.), Florida State
Kayla Tow, OF, North Hopkins (Ky.), Alabama

WEST
Jocelyn Alo, C/1B, Campbell (Hawaii), Oklahoma
Shayne Bowden, C, Sunnyslope (Ariz.), Oregon
Lauren Burke, OF, Marist (Ore.), Oregon
Neil Casares-Maher, MI, Mater Dei (Calif.), Syracuse
Ivy Davis, MIT, Huntington Beach (Calif.), Arizona
Taylor Dockins, P/1B, Norco (Calif.), Cal State Fullerton
Maddy Dwyer, P, Orange Lutheran (Calif.), Stanford
Katie Faulk, C, Marana (Ariz.), Utah
Eliyah Flores, INF, Grance Terrace (Calif.), Oklahoma
Danielle Gibson, 1B, Murrieta Valley (Calif.), Arizona State
Jenna Kean, OF, Los Alamitos (Calif.), Arizona
Bella Loomis, UT, Hamilton (Ariz.), Arizona State
Alyssa Martinez, MI, Grand Terrace (Calif.), Ole Miss
Mariah Mazon, P, Mission Oak (Calif.), Oregon State
Maddie Morgan, UT, Lynwood (Wash.), Alabama
Chloe Romero, P, Academy of Careers & Exploration (Calif.), Texas
Livy Schiele, OF, Bishop’s School (Calif.), Auburn
Alexa Schultz, OF, Los Alamitos (Calif.), Oklahoma
Camryn Ybarra, INF, Mission Viejo (Calif.), Oregon State
Jordan Matthews, MI/OF, El Dorado (Calif.), Florida — injured

Selected and on USA Junior National Team
Alexis Allan, 1B/OF, Oak Hills of Hisperia (Calif.), Michigan
Holly Azevedo, P, Pioneer (Calif.), UCLA
Mary Iakopo, C/OF, Los Alamitos (Calif.), Oregon
Natalie Lugo, P, South Hills (Calif.), UCLA
Bri Perez, SS, Alhambra (Calif.), UCLA
Taylor Snow, SS, Chino Hills (Calif.), Auburn

Quarterback pursuit includes All-America games

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The pursuit of elite quarterback recruits doesn’t just involve colleges. The two primary All-American games also are trying to get commitments from the top players at every position, but quarterbacks are always notable.

At this point, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has five commitments, with the addition this week of uncommitted Tanner McKee from Centennial (Corona, Calif.).

The Under Armour All-America Game has seven quarterbacks committed.

ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL

  • Trevor Lawrence, Cartersville (Ga.), Clemson
  • Phil Jurkovec, Pine-Richland (Pa.), Notre Dame
  • Matt Corral, Long Beach Poly (Calif.), USC
  • Carson Yankoff, Coeur d’Alene (Idaho), Washington
  • Tanner McKee, Centennial (Calif.), uncommitted

UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME

  • Justin Fields, Harrison (Ga.), Uncommitted
  • Jacob Sirmon, Bothell (Wash.), Washington
  • Jack West, Saraland (Ala.), Stanford
  • Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bishop Gorman (Nev.), UCLA
  • Justin Rogers, Parkway (La.), TCU
  • Emory Jones, Heard County (Ga.), Ohio State
  • Joey Gatewood, Bartram Trail (Jacksonville), Auburn

Where this gets interesting is which QB the Army Bowl might look to pursue. Among the names under consideration is Thompson-Robinson, who committed to the Under Armour game in March along with Gorman teammates tight end Brevin Jordan and running back Kirby Bennett.

“I’m still considering the Army game,” Thompson-Robinson said Friday.

Also under consideration are Jack Tuttle, a Utah commit from Mission Hills (Calif.), and Tyler Shough, an uncommitted pro-style passer from Hamilton (Ariz.).

ALL-USA Watch: Alabama commit Montana Fouts throws whopping 451 pitches in day

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East Carter (Grayson, Ky.) was eliminated from the Kentucky state high school softball tournament late Friday night, but you can’t blame the effort put in by American Family Insurance ALL-USA High School pitcher Montana Fouts.

Fouts, a junior Alabama commit, threw a whopping 451 pitches in four games Friday and was named to the all-tournament team. That follows her throwing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 9-0 victory against Collins on Thursday night.

To run down the day: East Carter lost 1-0, to South Warren in eight innings to move to the consolation bracket. The Raiders beat Boyle County 4-0, held on to beat Woodford County 3-2 and then lost 4-2 to Owensboro Catholic.

The Raiders finished 36-5 on the season and 3-2 in the state tournament.

The state championship game is Saturday.

 

 


Samantha Brunelle blog: Early wins, staying on track and who she loves watching

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Samantha Brunelle is ranked as the No. 1 girls basketball player in the nation in the Class of 2019. Brunelle has returned to USA Basketball and is the most experienced member of the Women’s U16 National Team that is playing in the FIBA Americas U16 Championship this week in Buenos Aires. Brunelle, a 6-2 forward from William Monroe (Ruckersville, Va.), has agreed to share her experiences in Argentina with USA TODAY High School Sports.

Brunelle and Team USA hav earned lopsided victories against Columbia, Mexico and Puerto Rico and will play host Argentina in the medal semifinals Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.  

Here is Brunelle’s latest entry:

We played well in the first game at Columbia. Then, we played Mexico and did really well against them too. I thought you could see the improvement from the first game to the second game in the team chemistry and how well things were coming together.

We beat Puerto Rico by a good margin, but I don’t think we played to our best ability. A lot of us were off. It was not a USA Basketball kind of game. We know how to pick it up and we’ll get it back against Argentina.

Everybody’s talent put together makes the game so much easier to play. We’ve got girls who can score at so many different levels and so many great defenders. We’re playing so hard and achieving everything we set out to do so far. That’s what’s making the scores be the way they are.

Photo: USA Basketball

For me, I felt like my first game was a solid game. I should have finished a couple of bunnies. I started off decently. Against Mexico, I improved from the first game, which is great. I couldn’t hit my shots against Puerto Rico. I know what I am capable of doing and I’ll just have to go out and fix it in the next game.

No one has surprised me on our team compared to training camp, but I love seeing Paige Bueckers play. She’s an amazing player. She hustles and gets after it. We call her the ‘Bucket Getter.’ The whole team is playing great as one, but she’s one of the girls who really stands out to me.

We have been playing every day, but I would say it’s easier than it was during training camp in Colorado. The altitude is not as high. You feel like you’re in great shape here. Now it’s about going out and doing what we need to do.

We’ve been focused on playing games and doing shootarounds, but at some point, I hope we’ll get to out and look around a little bit. We went out to dinner a couple of nights ago. It was really nice to just walk around. We haven’t toured Argentina fully, but what we have been able to see has been incredible.

Nahziah Carter, Jay-Z's nephew, commits to Washington basketball

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Nahziah Carter, the nephew of Jay-Z, has committed to the University of Washington and new coach Mike Hopkins.

Carter committed Dayton but reopened his recruitment after the defection of coach Archie Miller to Indiana. He had seen an influx of late offers and had taken visits to Georgetown and Boston College.

Carter, a 6-6 small forward from Bishop Kearney (Rochester, N.Y.), had considered reclassifying to the Class of 2018 by going to prep school and had offers for both 2017 and 2018 from some schools.

Given that Hopkins spent years as an assistant at Syracuse, he was familiar with Carter, who lives about 75 miles from the Syracuse camps.

Carter averaged 12.7 points and four rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit for the Albany City Rocks.

As for his famous uncle, Carter recently told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, our Gannett partners, that he is no stranger to the rapper, thanks in part to family trips to New Jersey.

“It’s getting out there, I guess,” Carter told the Democrat & Chronicle in February. “Whenever I go to see my grandmother (Gloria Carter), (Jay-Z is) usually there (in New Jersey).”

Jay-Z stopped by to see his nephew play during the recent Nike EYBL stop in the Los Angeles area.

VIDEO: Cardinal Ritter (Ind.) heads to state final with game-ending beauty

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Cardinal Ritter (Indianapolis) baseball is heading to the Indiana Class 2A state final after a 5-1 victory against Providence on Saturday.

The game-ending out came on this beauty by junior Ben Egenolf

The state final is June 17 at Victory Field in Indianapolis against Wapahani.

VIDEO: No. 1 receiver recruit Amon-Ra St. Brown has all the touchdown celebrations

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Amon-Ra St. Brown, from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), is ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2018 by Rivals.com.

During this weekend’s Rivals 5-Star Challenge, St. Brown showed why he’s regarded so highly, and also showed that he has all the touchdown celebrations, including the soccer style removal of the shirt.

St. Brown was named the wide receiver/tight end MVP at the camp.

See the video below:

St. Brown and quarterback J.T. Daniels should make Mater Dei among the top teams in the Super 25 preseason rankings this summer.

Rising WR Terrace Marshall has his final four and eyes on 2,000 yards

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Terrace Marshall Jr. has been moving up the recruiting rankings after a stellar spring that included earning an invitation to The Opening Final.

Marshall, from Parkway (Bossier City, La.), is ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and No. 10 overall. Top 247 has him ranked No. 3 and No. 20, respectively. Both sets of rankings have him as the No. 1 player in Louisiana.

RELATED: Marshall continues to garner attention

This weekend, he announced his four finalists from among 26 reported offers — Miami, Texas, Texas A&M and in-state LSU.

Parkway is coming off an 11-2 season in which Marshall caught 55 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he recorded 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“My goals for my senior year is to reach 2,000 receiving yards,” he said, “and I’m gonna do it.”

He talked about a number of the schools upon his arrival at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. The interview was conducted before he announced the final four.

K.J. Martin, son of former NBA star Kenyon Martin, transfers to Sierra Canyon (Calif.)

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Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) has added K.J. Martin, the son of former NBA player Kenyon Martin, to its basketball program.

K.J., a 6-6 junior to be, played at Chaminade (West Hills) last season after not playing as a freshman. He was briefly at Oaks Christian as a freshman and then was home schooled.

“The program and the success they had in the past years made me come over there,” K.J. said of Sierra Canyon. “The schedule they have playing nationally was something I need to be in.”

K.J’s burgeoning profile has his dad really excited as you can see from the video filmed and posted in December. He showed again that he is ready to ascend with 33 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four blocks at the War on the Floor Future Stars event for players in the Class of 2019 on Saturday.

The younger Martin is already within three inches of his father’s eventual height. The elder Martin said his son’s hands are already larger than his are (and Martin was known for having big mitts), with doctors convinced he will grow to be at least 6-foot-9.

His addition helps a Sierra Canyon team that had a disappointing end to the season after being ranked in the top 10, has a new coach and also has landed five-star 2019 small forward Cassius Stanley.

RELATED: Kenyon Martin describes time he almost beat up JR Smith

“I think Cassius coming is a great fit for the program,” Martin said. “He’s someone who can get to the basket whenever he wants and also able to knock a jump shot down.

“I’ve known him for a while and played against him a couple times so we know how each other plays.”

The Los Angeles Times reported late last month that the team could be without 2018 No. 1 overall player Marvin Bagley next season, as he had not informed the school of his plans. Bagley and two brothers attend Sierra Canyon.

Queen of the boards? Calif. player grabs 34 rebounds in showcase

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Christina Narkizian did not play basketball until she got to high school, spending her freshman year learning basketball fundamentals and the rules of the game.

As a sophomore at Granada Hills Charter (Calif.), she mainly played after the games were decided on a team that went 24-6 as she continued to learn the game. Her athletic ability and balance were obvious, though, from years of dancing.

But consider this one step toward putting everyone on notice: In a War on the Floor Future Stars event this weekend, she had 17 points and 34 rebounds. Yes, 34 rebounds. The game was the college 40 minutes rather than the 32 in high school, but yeesh. The East team beat Narkizian’s West team 89-85.

“She is about 6-2 and has improved tremendously over the last year,” her high school coach Jared Honig told USA TODAY High School Sports. “She is doing very well finishing around the basket and is improving defensively every day.

“She is pretty mobile for a big post due to her dancing background. She is a great teammate and isn’t afraid to be vocal on the court. Her ability to catch and finish has really improved, as well.

“There are definitely times where her inexperience shows, but as she continue to play she will only get better. We are really looking forward to her contributions the next two seasons.”


Hunter Greene: Getting to know No. 2 overall baseball draft pick

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Hunter Greene was chosen with the No. 2 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday night by the Cincinnati Reds.

MORE MLB DRAFT: Royce Lewis goes No. 1 | Gore No. 3

Here are some things to know about him:

Position: RHP/SS/OF
Height/Weight: 6-3/205

School: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Why he’s a top prospect: Greene is the most ballyhooed high school prospect in years, and for good reasons. As a right-handed pitcher his fastball usually sits in the mid-90s, but has topped out in triple digits. He also possesses a plus curveball and some analysts believe a slider could eventually be his best out pitch. As a fielder, his athleticism makes him a worthy shortstop prospect, though he claims that he would like to play as a center fielder to make the most of his arm strength and accuracy.

The numbers: Following a junior season in which he hit .419 with 20 runs, 20 RBI and five HR, Greene finished down a bit in average but up in power: .324 with 22 runs, 28 RBI and six HR. On the mound as a senior, he was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched before being shut down to conserve his arm, given his pro career ahead. As a junior, he had a 1.63 ERA and 5-3 record in 55.2 innings.

The SI cover: Greene became just the second high school pitcher to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and is among the rare high school athletes in any sport to earn that distinction.

The firepower: Greene has been clocked as high as 102 mph, seemingly effortlessly. According to Sports Illustrated, he was clocked at 93 mph at 14 when he was offered scholarships by UCLA and USC. He is a UCLA commit, but there is virtually no chance that he bypasses signing to attend college.

Influence in the community: Greene first attended Major League Baseball’s Urban Youth Academy in Compton when he was 7 and is considered a potential star role model in baseball’s efforts to reverse the scarcity of African-American players, especially pitchers.

Earlier this year, he addressed the roughly 250 players and their parents in the Ladera Little League in the Los Angeles area as well as some of the teens whom he has played with on travel ball teams. The Ladera Little League is primarily made up of African-American players and has been a staple in the community for more than 50 years. “This is something for the kids to be able to see that this is real — you can go from being a young black kid and become the potential No. 1 draft pick,” league treasurer Tina Backstrom told USA TODAY Sports.

Contributing: Cam Smith and Josh Barnett

MacKenzie Gore: Getting to know the No. 3 overall baseball draft pick

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MacKenzie Gore was chosen with the No. 3 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday night by the San Diego Padres.

MORE MLB DRAFT: Royce Lewis goes No. 1 | Greene No. 2

Here are some things to know about him:

Position: LHP
Height/Weight: 6-2/170
School: Whiteville (Whiteville, N.C.)

Why he’s a top prospect: Gore’s strength comes in his versatility, not just his velocity. A fastball in the low 90s is impressive enough, but he also mixes three other pitches to keep batters off guard: A plus slider, plus slider and very strong curveball. MLB Draft expert Jim Callis also feels that Gore has as repeatable a delivery as any pitching prospect in the 2017 Draft. If competitiveness is a factor, it’s hard to top Gore there, either.

The numbers: Led his team to its third state title in four seasons, going 11-0 with a 0.19 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. He hit .478 with 29 RBI in 90 at-bats.

The delivery: As he swivels in his windup, the 6-2 senior’s right knee reaches improbably high, nearly touching his left shoulder, before he steps into his pitch and uncorks a fastball that has topped out at 96 mph.

“I really don’t know where I got it from,” Gore said. “It’s something that I started in middle school. I was always taught to turn and show the hip pocket. I don’t know why I started it, but I was able to repeat it.”

His town: Whiteville is home to only 5,600 people, but it has a strong baseball tradition, with 11 players drafted since 1983, including three who made it to the majors. In the mid-80s, two players from the Whiteville High, pitcher Tommy Greene and outfielder Pat Lennon, were selected in the first round in back-to-back years and they went on to the majors. Current Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Wright went to Whiteville.

Getting bigger: “This year, I gained about 15 pounds and got a lot stronger,” Gore said. “This spring, I’ve been able to throw all my pitches for strikes, hit my spots with my fastball more consistently and throw off-speed any time in the count and have a better feeling for all of them.”

Nicknames: My favorite is probably the Fearless Leader. I’ve also heard 96 because I’ve hit 96 mph or Kenzie, which I’m a little old for now. But probably my least favorite is Mac.

Favorite MLB player: Madison Bumgarner. He’s from North Carolina and I like the way he plays and competes.

Mistake I learned from: When I was a freshman, going into sophomore year, the way I was acting. I learned from that. Coach got on me and sat me down. I was getting a little big-headed.

Contributing: Jim Halley and Cam Smith

Gatorade State Boys Soccer Players of the Year announced

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The Gatorade State Boys Soccer Players of the Year have been crowned. The winners were selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2016-17 season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership. Here are videos of all the winners.

Alabama: Kennedy Davis, MF, Oak Mountain (Birmingham)

Alaska: Bubacar Touray, F, West Anchorage (Anchorage)

Arizona: Danny Baca, F, Gilbert

Arkansas: Jose “Lalo” Castro, MF, Bentonville

California: Rodney Michael, F, Dunn (Los Olivos)

Colorado: Tajon Buchanan, F, Legacy (Broomfield)

Connecticut: Umar Farouk Osman, MF, Hotchkiss (Lakeville)

Delaware: Jackson Blackwell, MF, Salesianum (Wilmington)

District of Columbia: Nico Ubide, F, Washington International

Florida: Reed Davis, F, Fleming Island

Georgia: Jake Donaldson, F, McIntosh (Peachtree City)

Hawaii: Duncan McKenna, F, Punahou (Honolulu)

Idaho: Jonah Dalmas, F, Rocky Mountain (Meridian)

Illinois: Chris Sullivan, MF, Naperville North (Naperville)

Indiana: Andrew Cross, F, Reitz (Evansville)

Iowa: Jack Dunn, D, Bettendorf

Kansas: Miguel Baca, D, Dodge City

Kentucky: Haji Abdikadir, F, Louisville Collegiate (Louisville)

Louisiana: Josh Hughes, F-MF, Westminster Christian (Opelousas)

Maine: Carson Atherley, MF, Bangor

Maryland: Nick Richardson, D, Archbishop Curley (Baltimore)

Massachusetts: Jake LaBranche, MF, Nauset Regional (Eastham)

Michigan: Dalton Michael, F, Traverse City West

Minnesota: Juan Louis, F, Washburn (Minneapolis)

Mississippi: Sumner Richardson, D, Northwest Rankin (Flowood)

Missouri: Billy Hency, F, Rockwood Summit (Fenton)

Montana: Matt Baldridge, F, Hellgate (Missoula)

Nebraska: Ed Gordon, MF, Creighton Prep (Omaha)

Nevada: John Lynam, F, Coronado (Henderson)

New Hampshire: Jacob Gould, MF, Exeter

New Jersey: Mason Toye, F, Seton Hall Prep (West Orange)

New Mexico, Charles Touche, F, Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque)

New York: Jack Beer, MF, Byram Hills (Armonk)

North Carolina: Camden Holbrook, F, Green Hope (Cary)

North Dakota: Jake Reinholz, F, Shanley (Fargo)

Ohio: Stephen Milhoan, F, St. Ignatius (Cleveland)

Oklahoma: Dante Brigida, F, Edmond Santa Fe (Edmond)

Oregon: Paul Seydel, MF, Lakeridge (Lake Oswego)

Pennsylvania: David Egbo, F, Kiski School (Saltsburg)

Rhode Island: Poom Mera, MF, Moses Brown (Providence)

South Carolina: Wyatt Millard, MF, Cardinal Newman (Columbia)

South Dakota: Marcus Hluchy, MF, Aberdeen Central

Tennessee: Drew Viscomi, MF, McCallie School (Chattanooga)

Texas: Jose Ortiz, F, Sam Houston (Arlington)

Utah: Carlos Becerra, MF, Copper Hills (West Jordan)

Vermont: Patrick O’Hara, F, South Burlington

Virginia: Jacob Labovitz, F, Langley (McLean)

Washington: Matt Williams, F, Archbishop Murphy (Everett)

West Virginia: Seth Jordan, F, Nitro

Wisconsin: Zak Wegner, MF, Arrowhead (Hartland)

Wyoming: Ross Elliott, F, Cheyenne Central

2017 MLB Draft: Where the first 75 picks went to high school

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The first two rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft were completed Monday with 36 players being selected.

Here is the breakdown of where each of the players selected is from (college players are accounted for in their home state, not where they play; high school players are accounted for in the state of their school).

BY STATE

California — 14 (including the first two picks)

Florida — 12

Georgia — 6

 Texas — 5

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Tennessee — 3

FIRST ROUND

  1. Minnesota Twins, Royce Lewis, SS, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.).
  2. Cincinnati Reds, Hunter Greene, RHP, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
  3. San Diego Padres, MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Whiteville (N.C.)
  4. Tampa Bay Rays, Brendan McKay, 1B, Louisville, Blackhawk (Darlington, Pa.)
  5. Atlanta Braves, Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt, Buckhorn (Huntsville, Ala.)
  6. Oakland Athletics, Austin Beck, OF, North Davidson (N.C.)
  7. Arizona Diamondbacks, Pavin Smith, 1B, Palm Beach Gardens (Jupiter, Fla.)
  8. Philadelphia Phillies, Adam Haseley, OF, Virginia, The First Academy (Windermere, Fla.)
  9. Milwaukee Brewers, Keston Hiura, 2B, UC Irvine, Valencia (Calif.)
  10. Los Angeles Angels, Jordon Adell, OF, Ballard (Louisville)
  11. Chicago White Sox, Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State, Christian Brothers College High (Chesterfield, Mo.)
  12. Pittsburgh Pirates, Shane Baz, RHP, Concordia Lutheran (Tromball, Texas)
  13. Miami Marlins, Trevor Rogers, LHP, Carlsbad (N.M.).
  14. Kansas City Royals, Nick Pratto, 1B, Huntington Beach (Calif.)
  15. Houston Astros, J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina, Stone Bridge (Va.)
  16. New York Yankees, Clarke Schmidt, RHP, South Carolina, Allatoona (Acworth, Ga.)
  17. Seattle Mariners, Evan White, 1B, Kentucky, Gahanna Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio)
  18. Detroit Tigers, Alex Faedo, RHP, Alonso (Tampa)
  19. San Francisco Giants, Heliot Ramos, OF, Leadership Christian Academy (Puerto Rico)
  20. New York Mets, David Peterson, LHP, Oregon, Regis Jesuit (Denver)
  21. Baltimore Orioles, D.L. Hall, LHP, Valdosta (Ga.)
  22. Toronto Blue Jays, Logan Warmoth, SS, Lake Brantley (Orlando)
  23. Los Angeles Dodgers, Jeren Kendall, OF, Vanderbilt, Holmen (Wis.)
  24. Boston Red Sox, Tanner Houck, RHP, Missouri, Collinsville (Ill.)
  25. Washington Nationals, Seth Romero, LHP, Houston, Columbia (West Columbia, Texas)
  26. Texas Rangers, Bubba Thompson, OF, McGill-Toolen (Ala.)
  27. Chicago Cubs, Brendon Little, LHP, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Conestoga (Malvern, Pa.)
  28. Toronto Blue Jays, Nate Pearson, RHP, College of Central Florida, Bishop McLaughlin (Tampa)
  29. Texas Rangers, Christopher Seise, SS, West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.)
  30. Chicago Cubs, Alex Lange, RHP, LSU, Lee’s Summit West (Lee’s Summit, Mo.)

COMPETITIVE BALANCE ROUND A

  1. Tampa Bay Rays, Drew Rasmussen, RHP, Oregon State, Mount Spokane (Spokane, Wash.)
  2. Cincinnati Reds, Jeter Downs, SS, Monsignor Pace (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
  3. Oakland Athletics, Kevin Merrell, SS, Steinbrenner (Tampa)
  4. Milwaukee Brewers, Tristen Lutz, OF, James Martin Senior (Arlington, Texas)
  5. Minnesota Twins, Brent Rooker, OF, Mississippi State, Evangelical Christian (Brentwood, Tenn.)
  6. Miami Marlins, Brian Miller, OF, North Carolina, Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.)

SECOND ROUND

37. Minnesota Twins, Landon Leach, RHP, Pickering (Ontario)

38. Cincinnati Reds, Stuart Fairchild, OF, Wake Forest, Seattle Prep (Seattle)

39. San Diego Padres, Luis Campusano-Barcero, C, Cross Creek (Augusta, Ga.)

40. Tampa Bay Rays, Michael Mercado, RHP, Westview (San Diego)

41. Atlanta Braves, Drew Waters, OF, Etowah (Woodstock, Ga.)

42. Pittsburgh Pirates, Steven Jennings, RHP, DeKalb County (Brush Creek, Tenn.)

43. Oakland Athletics, Greg Diechmann, LSU, Brother Martin (Metairie, La.)

44. Arizona Diamondbacks, Drew Ellis, 3B, Louisville, Jeffersonville (Ind.)

45. Philadelphia Phillies, Spencer Howard, RHP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Templeton (Calif.)

46. Milwaukee Brewers, Caden Lemons, RHP, Vestavia Hills (Ala.)

47. Los Angeles Angels, Griffin Canning, RHP, UCLA, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

48. Colorado Rockies, Ryan Vilade, 3B, Stillwater (Okla.)

49. Chicago White Sox, Gavin Sheets, 1B, Wake Forest, Gilman (Baltimore)

50. Pittsburgh Pirates, Cal Mitchell, OF, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego)

51. Miami Marlins, Joseph Dunand, 3B, North Carolina State, Gulliver Prep (Miami)

52. Kansas City Royals, MJ Melendez, C, Westminster Christian (Miami)

53. Houston Astros, Joe Perez, 3B, Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches, Fla.)

54. New York Yankees, Matt Sauer, RHP, Ernest Righetti (Santa Maria, Calif.)

55. Seattle Mariners, Sam Carlson, RHP, Burnsville (Minn.)

56. Houston Astros, Corbin Martin, RHP, Texas A&M, Cy-Ranch (Cypress, Texas)

57. Detroit Tigers, Reynaldo Rivera, OF, Chipola College, IBAHA (Ceiba, Puerto Rico)

58. San Francisco Giants, Jacob Gonzalez, 3B, Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

59. New York Mets, Mark Vientos, 3B, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

60. Baltimore Orioles, Adam Hall, SS, A.B. Lucas (London, Ontario)

61. Toronto Blue Jays, Hagen Danner, C-RHP, Huntington Beach (Calif.)

62. Los Angeles Dodgers, Morgan Cooper, RHP, Texas, Jarrell (Texas)

63. Boston Red Sox, Cole Brannen, OF, Westfield School (Perry, Ga.)

64. Cleveland Indians, Quentin Holmes, OF, Monsignor McClancy (New York)

65. Washington Nationals, Wil Crowe, RHP, South Carolina, Pigeon Forge (Tenn.)

66. Texas Rangers, Hans Crouse, RHP, Dana Hills (Calif.)

67. Chicago Cubs, Cory Abbott, RHP, Loyola Marymount, Serra (San Diego)

COMPETITIVE BALANCE ROUND B

68. Arizona Diamondbacks, Daulton Varsho, C, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, Marshfield (Chili, Wis.)

68. San Diego Padres, Blake Hunt, C, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

69. Colorado Rockies, Tommy Doyle, RHP, Virginia, Flint Hill (Vienna, Va.)

70. Cleveland Indians, Tyler Freeman, SS, Etiwanda (Calif.)

71. Pittsburgh Pirates, Conner Uselton, OF, Southmoore (Oklahoma City)

72. Kansas City Royals, Evan Steele, RHP, Chipola College, Marietta (Ga.)

73. Baltimore Orioles, Zac Lowther, RHP, Xavier, Cuyahoga Heights (Brookyln Heights, Ohio)

74. Houston Astros, J.J. Matijevic, Arizona, Norwin (North Huntingdon, Pa.)

VIDEO: Why wasn't Steph Curry highly recruited out of high school?

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This post was orginally published February 17, 2016. It has been updated.

Steph Curry was ranked as the No. 16 player in North Carolina in the Class of 2006 as a senior at Charlotte Christian in North Carolina. He was ranked as nearly the No. 60 point guard in the nation and the No. 300 player overall.

At the time he signed with Davidson, he had six other offers from schools such as Virginia Tech, William & Mary, Winthrop, High.

The current version of Steph Curry is a two-time NBA champion and leader on a Golden State Warriors team who just took down the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

So why was Curry so lightly recruited coming out of high school? Evan Daniels from our partners at Scout.com provides the answer in the video above.

For much more insight and analysis, check out www.scout.com/membership

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