Camryn Jones
Hannah Schroeder travelled from Hudsonville, Michigan, to compete at the National Training Academy's All American Camp. *Photo by Anthony Lugardo.
STONE MOUNTAIN, Georgia – The BCSTraining Academy’s All American Camp in the Greater Atlanta Area spanned two back-to-back weekends. The first weekend featured players from across the country, from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast. Here are some takeways from that opening weekend.
Heaven Bailey (Montgomery, Alabama), Prolific GB – 2027
Recommended by Vince Smith, Bailey was the youngest prospect in the bunch by a couple of years. After shaking off some early jitters and nerves, Bailey went to work displaying why Smith thought so highly of making sure she was in attendance. A dynamic option at her age, the sky is the limit for Bailey as she keeps maturing mentally and physically.
Lexi Blue (Orlando, Florida), FGB – 2024
It’s evident after the past couple of sessions that Blue has the talent to be one of the premier perimeter threats from the Sunshine State over the next couple of years. Blue has the length, skill and athleticism that schools nationwide look for from their wing players. As she keeps filling out physically, learning to talk to game out loud will take her to another level. Blue has the skill to be a true quarterback on the floor in terms of calling coverages and assignments.
Our staff can’t say enough about Cheesman’s growth and leadership. As she starts to unlock the next chapter of her ball handling and face up game, we’re envisioning a Domantas Sabonis type of well rounded game. Similar to Sabonis’ NBA progression, Cheesman has improved significantly over the course of her high school career adding skill, strength and versatility each season.
Anna Conza (Marietta, Georgia), Team Elite Hubbard – 2023
Conza has the grit it takes to be good at this game. The left-handed jump shooter trained with our staff for the first time and immediately showed that she has the potential needed to play this game at the college level. Conza moved to the Peach State from New York this summer and should be one of the state’s top off the ball prospects in her class before its all said and done. As an additional bonus, her classroom achievements are off the charts.
Bobbi Clark (Longview, WA), Upper Left Legion – 2021
Clark traveled from Washington to work on her game during the pandemic. She has a nice blend of size and skill in the frontcourt. She showed the ability and willingness to utilize both stretching the defense in the process. As Clark puts her eyes on more of the top players like the Miami Heat’s Kelly Olynyk, she’ll see how the game is played by players who resemble her skill set.
Jayla Cook (Stone Mountain, Georgia) Team Elite – 2022
Cook is a quick guard who was able to produce using her end-to-end to keep the defense on its’ toes. She’s a steady hand who is capable distributing the ball or getting a paint touch off the bounce forcing the defense to collapse in the process. Cook has the moxie to be a next level contributor in the right system serving as a true change of pace option.
Mary Ashley Groot (New York City, New York), New Heights NYC– 2023
Groot has the size and skill combination to be a consistent factor on both ends of the hardwood. She has a soft touch around the basket coupled with the ability to be a difference maker in the front court on the court rebounding in area. Going forward, Groot's consistency as an offensive threat will be largely determined by how well she shoots the 3-pointer. Add that to her academic prowess off the court and the tools are there for her to be a multi-faceted option.
If there was a most improved award from the start of the summer until the end, Jones would be in line to win it. She’s taken a major step with the consistency in her outside shot. Jones is already an elite level rebounder and defender playing the game with an energy that’s hard to match for most. She’s transferred to Holy Innocents for her senior season so expect even more progress from her game as a result.
Miranda Lomax (Longview, Washington), Upper Left Legion – 2022
Like Clark, Lomax flew across the country to work on her game. What Lomax lacks in size, she has the aptitude to make up for with her on floor awareness. She can shoot the ball, keep the floor spaced and has the IQ to know what’s going to happen next. As most young guards so, Lomax has the room to keep learning more about the current stars of the game at all levels and what makes them special. Tapping into that energy unlocks a new level of growth.
Littlefield has already committed to North Greenville but was in the gym with us starting to prepare for the next level. She brings a new age combination of size and potential to the frontcourt. Littlefield could be a consistent threat from beyond the arc in the trail 4 slot with the size to even play some 5 in small ball sets like the Houston Rockets are employing during the NBA Playoffs with Robert Covington and PJ Tucker.
With a talent base that has garnered interest from schools like Belmont, Martin is trending in the right direction. The key to her progress will be understanding when and where to assert herself on both ends of the floor. Martin has the core and leg strength to be a really powerful option on the defensive end of the hardwood. That ability will only compliment her budding offensive game.
Lily Miller (Ellerslie, Georgia), Cavalry Christian – 2024
Miller has a smooth, quiet demeanor but showed the skill set needed to be an effective option both at the high school and eventually college levels. The key to unlocking Miller’s next step is growing in her willingness to communicate on the floor. One of our favorite quotes during Academy training is, “A quiet gym is a losing gym.” Miller has the talent now she has to utilize it.
Monson has quickly risen to the head of the class regionally in the big wing category. She is a multi-faceted prospect who can score off the catch, dribble drive and still be productive on the defensive end. Monson’s next step is continuing to play the game with her shoulder level low to make a play at any moment much like the elite wing players in the NBA / WNBA do.
Schroeder has been a really pleasant addition to the Academy pipeline. We’ve worked with her four times this summer. Each time, she’s shown growth and improvement. Schroeder’s attitude and energy in drills translates right to the court. She is an extremely athletic option at the guard spot and has the physical ability to be an elite defender in that way. As Schroeder develops her off hand confidence handling the ball, her game will keep improving as a result.
Sims was with our staff in Alabama earlier in the season and has shown the willingness to work on her game. Though it’s apparent that her game is still growing, Sims is putting in the time right now. She’s on the right path to becoming a consistent threat from the outside. That skill coupled with her energy on the defensive end should lead to good things over the next 12 months.
Sutton is a compact guard who has the power to take a bump then still make a play. She lives in a basketball hotbed and plays with the competitive nature our staff has come to expect from kids who come from Middle Tennessee. As Sutton’s jumper becomes even more reliable, look for increased production as a result.
This was our staff’s first opportunity to work with Wilson on her game. She is a rare breed offensively with the skill set to consistently hit the mid range jumper. In that regard, she reminds me of former Texas A&M guard Courtney Williams with that niche skill in her arsenal. For Wilson, continuing to work on her footwork off the move is a major key between now and next spring.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
