Jordan DanberrySUWANEE, Ga. Peach State Basketball hosted the May Day Challenge, which proved to be a hyper competitive tournament this past weekend. Many of the top programs from the Greater Atlanta Area were on hand to compete for championships. Programs from around the Southeast and teams from as far away as Chicago converged at Suwanee Sports Academy to prove whom the best was. Nevertheless, it would be the match-ups of several top individual players that proved to be the most intriguing part of the weekend. Here is the rundown on which players stepped up on the big stage.
Jordan Danberry (Conway, Ark.) Arkansas Mavericks 2015
'15 ELITE 100 watch list PG Jordan Danberry.
*Photo by Ty Freeman.
The May Day Challenge provided the opportunity to show that Danberry deserved to be in the conversation of the ELITE point guards in the Class of 2015. In her teams opening round match-up versus the Douglassville Lady Tigers, the 5-foot-7 point guard powered past the competition. Her array of spin moves and crossovers were too much for the Georgia guards. Danberrys exceptional explosiveness and body control in the lane allowed her to split defenders and score in tight spaces. She showed early on that her ability to create plays is among the best in the country.
In the championship game versus A.O.T., Danberry had her chance to go head to head with the No. 2 ranked prospect in the ELITE 25 class in point guard Tea Cooper. For the first 28 minutes of the game, it was Cooper who kept the edge. However, it would be Danberry who would score back-to-back scoring drives in the final minutes of the game to secure an Arkansas Maverick victory. Look for Danberry to be an ELITE 100 watch list prospect in the 2015 class in the near future.
AROUND THE RIM
♦ This weekend marked the return to the court for Caliya Robinson of Marietta, Ga. She had been sidelined all spring while recovering from a meniscus injury. Although she was not playing at 100 percent, she affected the game by blocking numerous shots in the lane. Watch for Robinson to have a big July for A.O.T.
♦ Tiffany Rechis of Martin, Tenn., came through with a huge championship game on Sunday afternoon. The 5-7 shooting guard drained six 3-pointers, all of which were needed to knock off the Carolina All-Stars.
♦ Standing at 5-11, Jameka Braden of Shelbyville, Tenn., made a big impact for Zach Starks Tennessee Team Pride team this weekend. The aggressive power forward puts our staff in the same frame of mind as Kennesaw State signee DeAndra Sawyers who played for Stark last summer.
♦ Xaver Walton coaches a talented forward in Dasia Evans from Richton Park, Ill. The athletically gifted 2016 four-player is active on the glass and is poised to be a monster on the defensive end. As she continues to develop her skill set on the offensive end, her production will become more consistent. Follow @JLHemingwayPSB
