STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
BRONX, N.Y. - After an often-spectacular freshman season, during which Laurin Mincy averaged more than 19 points and helped University High School of Newark, N.J., win New Jersey's Tournament of Champions, there was talk that she may be the best prospect in the 2010 class.
Seeing her just once - against J.F. Kennedy on Sunday - I think the door on that question still is open. Mincy did not have a dominant, eye-opening performance; however, she did plenty to make it clear that she belongs among her class' elite players.
Laurin Mincy gets up for a rebound
Mincy has been listed at 6 feet, as well as 5-8, and I feel comfortable that she is 5-10. She is not very well developed in the upper body, but has plenty of girth and strength in the lower regions, giving her power inside and lift around the glass and on her shot.
From deep, Mincy puts her strong legs to good use, producing a nice, easy shot that should get better as her focus, pace and confidence improves with age. Where she excelled as a scorer, however, was in the production of "crazy" shots. Once, Mincy sank a turnaround off one leg while fading away from an onrushing defender. The fact that she executed a couple similar shots suggests strongly that this is in her repertoire.
She has good straightaway speed, but I didn't see enough, on defense or off the dribble, to determine Mincy's level of lateral quickness.
Signs of youth abounded. Several times, she ran without first catching a long pass, or forged ahead without first securing her dribble. She also still moves in fits and herky jerkiness, as if she hasn't yet figured out her body. Also, despite her status on an all-underclass team, she isn't the alpha personality on the University squad. That role probably falls to junior point guard Nadirah McKenith.
Where Mincy fits among the pantheon of elite, 2010 prospects remains an unfolding story. Michala Johnson in Illinois has ungodly speed and wingspan, and is 6-3, as is Chiney Ogwumike, who has swerve and versatility in Texas. Lauren Avant already has committed to Tennesee and plays like it. St. Mary's teammates Chelsea Gray and Afure Jemerigbe are building in California and will be heard from on a national basis. Closer to home, there are suburban New Yorkers Kristen Doherty and Stephanie Dolson and even Charmaine Tay, who like Mincy, is from New Jersey but has a more polished game.
If just the bidding for her club-team services is any indication (I've now heard her associated with three different prominent programs), Mincy's college recruitment shapes up to be a donnybrook.
Clearly, the Laurin Mincy story is far from over.
Glenn Nelson is the founder and publisher of HoopGurlz.com. He is a member of the McDonald's All-American Selection Committee, Parade All-American Selection Committee, SportsShooter.com (Click for Porfolio [1]), Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, National Press Photographers Association, Online News Association, Society of Professional Journalists and U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Glenn also founded and coached two select girl's basketball teams and previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com, a managing editor at Rivals.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 [1]. Glenn can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com [2].