Stars Come Out
By Glenn NelsonHoopGurlz Publisher
Posted Tue, 12/04/2007 - 08:32 Several of the top high-school programs and players in the nation converge upon Beaverton, Ore., this week.
STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
Alyssa Fressle of Highlands Ranch, Michelle Jenkins of Southridge, Ashley
Corral of Prairie, Jasmine Dixon and April Cook of Long Beach Poly and Alex
Earl of Southridge are the top seniors in the Northwest Nike Invitational
If Long Beach Poly is to improve on its once-beaten, No. 2 nationally ranked 2006-07 season, it will have to survive the first leg in what promises to be one of the most challenging stretches ever attempted by a high-school program.
That leg is this week, Dec. 6-8 at Southridge High School in Beaverton, Ore., in a field that contains two other nationally ranked teams, three other state champions and several of the country's top-ranked players.
HoopGurlz.com is a media sponsor for the event.
Monique Oliver of LB Poly
Poly, the consensus No. 2 pick, nationally, and defending California Division I state champions, open on Thursday against Central Catholic of Portland, Ore., which features point guard Kate Lanz, who is ranked No. 33 overall in the HoopGurlz Super Sixty for the 2009 class.
Host Southridge, the three-time defending Oregon state champions, is ranked 10th nationally by Full Court Press and 13th by ESPN and has two Pac-10 signees - USC-bound Michelle Jenkins, ranked No. 93 in the HoopGurlz Hundred, and Arizona State-bound Alex Earl, who is ranked No. 96.
Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco is the other nationally ranked team, coming in at No. 11 in the Full Court Press rankings. Sacred Heart is the defending California Division III champions led by Tierra Rogers, ranked No. 37 in the Super Sixty for 2009.
The other state champion is Highlands Ranch, the two-time defending large classification Colorado titlists led by Colorado-bound guard Alyssa Fressle, No. 76 in the HoopGurlz Hundred, and Wisconsin-bound Jade Davis.
Alex Earl of Southridge
Long Beach Poly (No. 1, West), Southridge (No. 4), Highlands Ranch (No. 6) and Sacred Heart (No. 7) also are regionally ranked by ESPN.
Ashley Corral, No. 23 in the HoopGurlz Hundred and headed to USC, leads Prairie, a perennial power in the state of Washington out of Vancouver. Beaverton and South Eugene, a pair of perennial Oregon state playoff contenders, round out the field.
In accordance with its lofty status, Long Beach Poly boasts of two major Division I signees - Jasmine Dixon, No. 26 in the HoopGurlz Hundred who is headed to Rutgers, and April Cook, No. 76 in the HoopGurlz Hundred who is bound for Washington State. The aptly named Jackrabbits also have the highest ranked prospect in the field, Monique Oliver, No. 5 overall in the Super Sixty for 2009, as well as Kelli Thompson, a 6-foot wing who is ranked No. 36 in the Super Sixty.
After the Northwest Nike Invitational, Long Beach Poly will compete in the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions, Dec. 19-22, in Chandler, Ariz. That tournament boasts 11 nationally ranked schools, including No. 1 Notre Dame Academy of Middleburg, Va. After Christmas, Poly will play in the T-Mobile Classic in Albuquerque, N.M., then will be matched against St. Paul Central in the Gatorade Timberwolves Shootout on Jan. 5.
Nike NW Invitational Schedule
December 6 at Southridge HS
3:00 pm, Game 1, Beaverton vs. Prairie
4:45 pm, Game 2, Central Catholic vs Long Beach Poly
6:30 pm, Game 3, Southridge vs. South Eugene
8:15 pm, Game 4, Sacred Heart vs Highland Ranch
December 7 at Southridge HS
3:00 pm, Game 5, Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
4:45 pm, Game 6, Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4
6:30 pm, Game 7, Semifinal, Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
8:15 pm, Game 8, Semifinal, Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4
December 8 at Southridge HS
3:00 pm, Game 9, Seventh Place, Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
4:45 pm, Game 10, Fifth Place, Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
6:30 pm, Game 11, Third Place, Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8
8:15 pm, Game 12, Championship, Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Discuss This on Our Message Board:
Glenn Nelson is the founder and publisher of HoopGurlz.com. He is a member of the McDonald's All-American Selection Committee and SportsShooter.com (Click for Porfolio), Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, National Press Photographers Association, Online News Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Glenn also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams and previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). For more on Glenn's World, click here. Glenn can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com.
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Dont think so
As Glenn said it doesn't matter, summer is summer. But I know Alex Earl was out all summer with a foot injury.
I would bet that the eastern , wa teams have been contacted many times...
Like Glenn said I believe they can not travel...
Nike NW Invite
Well I see this as a very promising tournament with some great players, what I can't understand is how LC Tigers were omitted from the invitees?
Oregon City games over the summer LC had the pleasure of playing Central Catholic, Southridge and Oregon City, and defeated them all in a three day span, yet they aren't considered one of the best teams in the NW? All three Oregon teams had all of their star players for the games.
Once again the players and teams from the east side of the Cascades aren't given any respect. Mead finished 3rd or 4th during the Oregon City games, both are ranked in the top 5 of Washington. Maybe the question I should ask is who makes the selections for the teams?, is this Nike or do you Hoopgurlz staff provide recommendations?
I would guess Nike as they are in Oregon.
Curious on the East side.
Thanks
Nike NW Tournament
If I'm not mistaken, teams were not selected. Rather they were invited. I'm not 100% certain that either LC or Mead were invited, but I do know that Southridge had a limit on the number of teams that could participate. Nike is only a sponsor.
This is not curiosity
I'm sorry, but this is the worst kind of logic that constantly is exhibited on this website. Summer means NOTHING. They aren't real games. It doesn't matter who's playing in them, you don't know how the coach is playing his team.
Furthermore, this has nothing to do with who is the best in whichever state, or who has respect for anyone. This is what is says - an invitational.
Besides, if you are indeed from eastern Washington, you are exhibiting some ignorance, aren't you? You do know that the Spokane teams (L&C, Mead, et al) cannot play in these events, right?
Glenn,
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