Asia Durr
The FIBA U17 World Championships for Women begin this weekend.
The 2014 U17 FIBA World Championships for Women are set to tip off at the end of this week. This years tournament, which is held every other year in the under-17 age group, should bring a lot of excitement as some of the best amateur players in the world will be competing against one another for the better part of two weeks.
One of the main storylines surrounding this event is the overall growth of the game of basketball and the host of talent that will be in Klatovy and Pilzen, Czech Republic, for the games. The international game is quickly growing and in an attempt to illustrate the quality of international talent that exists overseas, here is a where are they now look at the 2012 World Championships.
By The Numbers National Letters of Intent
♦ 41 players have or will sign, excluding Americans
♦ 15 of the Top 25 in the International 2013
♦ 9 of the top 25 in the International 2014
USA vs. Spain
The Championship game in 2012 was played between the United States and Spain, with the US taking the gold medal, Spain taking silver, and Canada taking bronze. While the Spanish side lacked the depth and athleticism to truly compete with the 2012 USA team, it did have an abundance of talent on its roster. This year, five of the 12 players from the 2012 U17 Spanish National team played at college in the States -- Leticia Romero (Kansas State), Adriana Pujol (South Florida), Marina Lizarazu (Texas Tech), Yaiza Rodriguez (Boise State), and Judith Sole (Robert Morris). Next year that number will jump to six with Laura Quevedo heading to the University of Miami.
The 2012 United States team was an impressive collection of talent as a number of the best prospects in the 2013 class headlined the roster. Diamond DeSheilds was selected as the Most Outstanding Player from the tournament. Linnae Harper, who served as a key reserve on this team, made the All Tournament team. A couple other key names from the ELITE 150 that were on the roster were Mercedes Russell, Kaela Davis, Taya Reimer and Rebecca Greenwell.
The youngest player on the roster was Brianna Turner, a class of 2014 prospect. Eight of the 12 players played in the ACC last season while Notre Dame landed the most prospects from the 2012 World Championship team with Lindsay Allen, Reimer, and Turner.
Oh Canada!
The 2012 bronze medal winning Canadian national team will have all 12 players that comprised the roster play college basketball in the United States. The team, which was led by Connecticut 2014 guard Kia Nurse, now has two players already competing with the senior national team as Shay Colley has joined Nurse on the senior womens team.
In addition to the quality guard play exhibited by both Nurse and Colley, this Canadian team had a trio of impressive post players who will surely join the perimeter teammates with the national team. Saicha Grant-Allen, who is now playing collegiately at Dayton, Emma Wolfram, who is now at Gonzaga, and Emily Potter, who is now at Utah.
Australia And Netherlands
Of the 12 players on the Australian team, 10 will come to the United States to play college basketball. Point guard Vanessa Panousis has already made a name for herself, starting for Virginia Tech as freshman this season. This Australian team had a number of players come in different classes unlike some of the other teams at the event. Panousis was a member of the class of 2013. In the class of 2014 players such as Keely Froling, Alicia Froling, and Stephanie Collins decided to go to TCU for their college basketball while Louise Brown picked Washington State.
As many as seven of the 12 players that were in uniform for the host team, Netherlands, will play basketball at a school in the United States. The two key players of note for the Netherlands at this tournament were Isabella Slim, who is now at Syracuse, and Laura Cornelius who took official visits to Gonzaga, Kansas State and Duke during her recruiting process. Follow @KeilMoorePSB
