West High School senior Chamira “CC” Cockerham. *Photo by Chris Hansen.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – You know you’re doing something right when you hold an event with the quality of the state tournament but double the size and that is exactly what the Dimond Lady Lynx Prep Shootout did. The 16th annual installment of the event, hosted by Dimond High School, brought 16 of Alaska’s largest classification schools under one roof, culminating in West Anchorage besting the host program by just two points in the championship.

Chamira Cockerham (Anchorage, Alaska), West -- 2014

C.C. has a game that is similar stylistically to Texas Tech senior Kelsi Baker. The undersized post was blessed with a strong frame and more athleticism than most post players. She’s powerful inside, has the potential to be a dual threat with the ability to step away from the basket and make face-up jumpers and besides registering at 5 feet 10 inches, she is an explosive rebounder. She’s not afraid of contact and the only real knock we had with her play in the event was inconsistency from the free-throw line in spite of sound shooting mechanics.

SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS

'16 ELITE 150 watch list post Ruthy Hebard.
*Photo by Chris Hansen.

Ruthy Hebard (Fairbanks, Alaska), West Valley -- 2016

Alaskans are perhaps the biggest victims of the NCAA’s adjacent state legislation as the state doesn’t adjoin with any of the lower 48. Were it not for this rule more people would know about the 6-3 Hebard. For a post player she has major upside with length and good athleticism. She can catch the ball high in the post, keep it high and convert. She showed signs being able to hit mid-range face up jumpers as well as the mobility to run a little in transition. Finding someone her size and talent to play against is arguably the biggest thing holding her back as she doesn’t need to rely on fundamental post position and footwork to score right now. In three of her games she amassed 96 points and 68 rebounds.

Tara Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska), Dimond -- 2014

Thompson is a clever scoring guard who can score in waves. The 5-7 senior can be lights out from behind the 3-point arc but will also hustle and make things happen in transition. She’s not the most athletic kid in the gym but has the smarts and work ethic that she is rarely beat because of it. She uses her shooting ability to set up defenders and get into the lane as well. She scored 18 points in a half in an opening round blow out but also defers to teammates like standout junior Rohyn Huss. She’s a glue kid for her team and at the right level she should be a contributor at the next level.

AROUND THE RIM

♦ Leya DePreist, a sophomore for Palmer High School, was impressive with her size, skill and effort. The 6-2 post works her tail off on both ends of the court.

♦ Chugiak junior guard Brandy Bookout impressed with her court savvy and her size at 5-10. She does a good job of staying active without forcing things.

♦ The tournament champs have a couple names besides Cockerham to know, including sophomore forward Theyoung Puoy and unsigned senior guard Chanel Bookert who can stroke the three. Bookert’s older brother, Devon, is a sophomore on the Florida State Seminoles roster. Follow @ChrisHansenPSB