AAU

Angels at USJN Windy City

AngelsThe Cincinnati Angels have started the AAU season and competed in their second tournament last weekend in Chicago. While Syd is still sidelined with the ACL injury, she stays as involved with them as she can.

Blue Star Media had a recap article on the Chicago tourney, highlighting the 17u bracket of the weekend. They had a nice write-up on the Angels as they integrate new players onto the team.

The Cincinnati Angels’ 17 Blue squad has three players back from last season, mixed in with seven newcomers.

Don’t feel bad for coach Dante Harlan, though. His roster is as talented as they come, featuring one player who is committed to Louisville and four others rated in the top 50 of their respective classes.

So, while Harlan searches for the right mix and most effective chemistry among all of those moving parts, he has a nice trump card that any coach would envy: playing time.

Harlan has the luxury of switching out one talented player for another if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing.

“I always preach that we’re going to defend, we’re going to rebound and we’re going to take care of the ball,” he said. “You don’t have to be the most athletic kid or the fastest kid to do those things. That’s what I base (playing time) on. It’s the little things that make the difference in winning games. That’s what separates the playing time and they know that.”

A good example was evident in Saturday’s final game, a dandy encounter between the Angels and Wisconsin Playground Elite 16. The Playground Elite won 71-70 in overtime as Harlan stuck with primarily a seven-player rotation through the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime.

On his bench at the time were three highly rated players.

“They know that basketball changes based on matchups,” Harlan said. “If there’s a five I find (that) I’m comfortable with and they’re doing the things we need to do, that five is going to stay in. And that five changes from game to game.”

The Angels finished 1-2 Saturday, but don’t look for them to suffer many losing tournaments hereafter. The roster includes sophomore Tierra Floyd (Toledo, Ohio), No. 5 in the Class of 2015; junior Alyssa Rice (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), No. 22 in the Class of 2014; along with Naomi Davenport (Cincinnati, No. 26 sophomore) and Emily Thomas (Pickerington, Ohio, No. 48 junior). Junior Sydney Brackemyre has committed to Louisville.

New Angels Basketball Website

AngelsSyd is in her third year with the Cincinnati Angels AAU team and we are just so grateful for the opportunities that have opened up to her through this great organization. Recently they updated their website and have had added more info about the organization, the teams, the coaches and other information. They also have a Commitments page that shows the former and current Angels that are playing basketball at the next level.

Great website. Great organization. Check it out.

Kudos to the Angels

A couple of years ago Syd was given the opportunity to play AAU basketball with the Cincinnati Angels. It has been a great experience for her and all the girls that are part of that organization. They have enjoyed success collectively in many of the tournaments they have played in and have been given the opportunity to improve individually as players.

This week Coach Chris sent out a list of the players from this years’ Angels team that have committed to play at a Division 1 school. I know these have been posted on other social media outlets, but I think it is both a reflection of the work the girls have put in to improve as players and to the Angels organization for the opportunities they have given these female athletes.

This is the list. I’m sure we’ll see more Angels play at the next level in the future.

Kyasia Duling to Duquesne University
Kylie Garrett to St. Peter’s College
Alex Henning to Bucknell University
Kayla McDowell to University of Missouri
Imani Outlaw to St. Bonaventure University
Leah Schaefer to Xavier Universtiy
Kelley Wiegman to Northern Kentucky University

Chris Hansen ESPN HoopGurlz on Syd

I already put this link on my Facebook, but wanted to share it through this media outlet as well. Chris Hansen is an ESPN HoopGurlz Writer and National Director of Prospects.  While Syd was at the Fab 5 Camp in Georgia, Chris Hansen took some time to interview her and published this article on the ESPN website.

Since it’s already been on Facebook, I won’t repost it here.  Here’s the opening part of the article.  You can click on the link to read it in its entirety.

’14 Brackemyre nears decision, elite status

Sydney Brackemyre of Harveysburg, Ohio, used the EBA Fab Five Camp to make a play at elite status in the 2014 class while her recruitment nears its apex.

Here’s a link to the ESPN article.

Syd Featured in Battle in the Boro Recap

Brandon Clay is a contributor to ESPN HoopGurlz, a section of the ESPN website that focuses on girls high school basketball players.  Several girls from our area are ranked on the site and Syd received a profile on the site earlier this year.

This afternoon, Clay posted a recap of The Battle in the Boro, a huge AAU tournament in Tennessee.  He identified seven players that made an impression on him during the tournament.  Syd was one from the class of 2014 he wrote about.

You can see the entire article, called Seven Wonders at Battle in the Boro.  This is what he wrote about the 2014 players.

Sydney Brackemyre (Harverysburg, Ohio), Cincinnati Angels: Brackemyre has been one of the most impressive forwards during the club season. From Nike Skills in Indianapolis to the Boro, the 6-1 forward has been effective and productive. She scores it inside and outside and is a big factor on the glass. She’s a tough matchup as she willingly posts up smaller guards and faces up on bigger forwards. Her versatility is a big reason why schools from across the country want Brackemyre to join their programs.

Olivia Smith (Yarmouth, Maine), Maine Firecrackers: In a state that isn’t known for producing a lot of Division I prospects, Smith is a bona fide next-level forward. At 6-2, she has a nice combination of size and skill, making her a probable power forward in college. Her consistent play on both ends of the floor was noticeable throughout the event. Smith should be able to create match-up issues with her ability to rebound or knock down the trail jump shot.

Top 100 Club Teams for 2012

The summer travel season is over and students (at least in our area) start back to school this week.  A few weeks ago, the National Women’s Basketball Insider posted their top 100 girls travel teams for this summer.  I totally get that everyone has their own opinion and different people see different teams more.  I thought it was impressive that several Ohio teams, including the Cincinnati Angels and Sports City U, made the list.  Whether you agree with where everyone is ranked is one issue, but it’s great to see the players from our area get on a national list.

You can see the original post and other news on the WBBInsider Blog.

Here’s their list.  I’m, of course, partial to the Cincinnati Angels – #37!

1. Tennessee Flight (TN)
2. Boo Williams (VA)
3. Cal Sparks Gold (CA)
4. Team Concept (OR)
5. Sports City U (OH)
6. Arizona Warriors (AZ)
7. Georgia Metros (GA)
8. Cy Fair Nike (TX)
9. Mac Irvin GodFather (IL)
10. Miami Suns Fowles (FL)
11. Tree of Hope (WA)
12. Kentucky Premier
13. North Tartan (MN)
14. All Iowa Attack (IA)
15. New Jersey Sparks (NJ)
16. DFW T-Jack (TX)
17. All Ohio Black (OH)
18. Cal Storm (CA)
19. Fairfax Stars Elite (VA)
20. Arkansas Mavericks (AR)
21. Wiggins Waves (CA)
22. IL Xcitement (IL)
23. Midwest Elite Platinum (IL)
24. Indiana Elite Bailey (IN)
25. KC Select (MO)
26. West Coast Premier (CA)
27. FGB Elite (FL)
28. Specie Gym Rats (IN)
29. Phily Triple Threat (PA)
30. Philly Belles (PA)
31. EBX (CA)
32. MD Lady Terps (MD)
33. Lady Phoenix Rudd (NC)
34. AOT (GA)
35. Team Prince Demons Elite (NJ)
36. Sophia Young Elite (TX)
37. Cincinnati Angels (OH)
38. Exodus NYC
39. CSS Bison (NE)
40. Western PA Bruins (PA)
41. Essence (FL)
42. Mo Valley Blazers (MO)
43. New Heights (NY)
44. MN Metro Stars (MN)
45. Missouri Phenoms (MO)
46. Cal Sparks Norcal (CA)
47. Atlanta Lady Celtics (GA)
48. Garner Flames (NC)
49. Boo Williams James (VA)
50. Cincy Heat Premier (OH)
51. Cal Swish (CA)
52. Palmetto 76ers(SC)
53. EBO (CA)
54. Blue Star Florida (FL)
55. Knoxville Lady Panthers Gold (TN)
56. Team Adidas St Louis (MO)
57. GSB (AZ)
58. Peak Performance National (GA)
59. San Antonio’s Finest (TX)
60. Texas Prep Elite (TX)
61. South Carolina 76ers (SC)
62. Alabama Flight (AL)
63. Duncanville Elite (TX)
64. Cal Sparks National (CA)
65. Germantown Lady Panthers (MD)
66. Kentucky Premier Fothergill (KY)
67. Wisconsin Playground (WI)
68. Memphis Elite Daniels (TN)
69. Team Virginia (VA)
69. City Rocks (NY)
70. Pink Panthers (IL)
71. SME Elite (MS)
72. West Virginia Thunder (WV)
73. Central Florida Elite (FL)
74. Pure Sweat Elite (TN)
75. Northwest Blazers (OR)
76. Bolingbrook Panthers (IL)
77. D1 Greyhounds (WV)
78. Big South Dream Team (GA)
79. Rivals (MA)
80. Georgia Hoopstars (GA)
81. Douglasville Lady Tigers (GA)
82. Florida Angels (FL)
83. Illinois Defenders (IL)
84. Orlando Comets (FL)
85. Jacksonville Lady Rams (FL)
86. Alabama Southern Starz (AL)
87. New England Crusaders (MA)
88. Hollywood Eagles (FL)
89. CBC (OH)
90. Dayton Hoopstars (OH)
91. Dayton Metro (OH)
92. Louisiana Heat (LA)
93. Louisiana Angels (LA)
94. Team Arkansas (AR)
95. Minnesota Furry (MN)
96. Colorado Basketball Club (CO)
97. Colorado Hoopstars (CO)
98. Vegas Elite (NV)
99. OC Elite (CA)
100. Georgia Sting (GA)

Syd in Battle in the Boro

This past weekend Syd and her Angels teammates traveled to the Nashville area for the Battle in the Boro.  It was a huge tournament with a lot of good – like really good – teams.  In the games I saw the Angels played teams from Dallas, TX, Los Angeles and DC. They had an exhibition game against a team from Rhode Island and lost in bracket play to a team from Maryland.  Again, big tourney, good teams.

Along with good competition, the tournament allowed some of my family to see Syd play a few times.  My sister and brother-in-law live in Nashville, so Jason, Krista, McKenna and Riley got to see some basketball. Riley didn’t like the loud buzzer that would go off, but other than that, she seemed to have fun.

My dad was also able to be there as he was traveling from Orlando to Memphis.  Living in Oklahoma, he doesn’t have the opportunity catch many Ohio ball games, so this was a nice convergence of travel schedules.

As an added bonus, Jason brought his iPad and captured some highlights of Syd playing.  You can see more of them on his blog, but here is a sampling of what he got.  (Thanks Jason!)

 
This is a 3-point shot she made right as the first half expired.

Here’s another 3-point shot from the far corner

Using the glass

Riley even liked this one!

They’ve Flown the Nest

This has been a unique summer for us, especially as we are in the month of July.

Joe has been at college for two years and traveled to various CIY Conferences last summer.  This year he is traveling to various church camps.  He has already been to Illinois, Georgia and currently is in Indiana.  The picture to the left shows him with his team at The Varsity in Atlanta.

Syd is currently in Las Vegas playing in a tournament with her Angels teammates.  She will return in time to go play in Tennessee and will then conclude the AAU summer circuit with a tourney in Washington DC.  Prior to leaving for Vegas, the Angels worked at the OGBR camp.  You can see the group in the picture below.

Gone are the days of trying to figure out what to do during the lazy days of summer.  They are keeping busy for sure!

5 Key Players to Watch this Summer – Dabbs Blog

If you read my blog with any sense of regularity, you will see I repost stuff from Jim Dabbelt’s blog. He follows girls basketball in our area and does a great job highlighting the individuals and teams that are performing well.

In a recent blog post, he identified five players from each class (2013, 2014, 2015) that are playing this summer that he deems elite players to watch. Syd made his list for the class of 2014. Below is the listing from her class. You can read the entire list on his blog.

Class of 2014

One kid who exploded onto the scene last year is Sydney Brackemyre from Clinton Massie.  While this site introduced her to the Miami Valley as a freshman, she has introduced herself to all the major college coaches around the country with some outstanding play.  Explosive and athletic, and according to Jenkins, she has earned her spot among the top 3 juniors in the Dayton area.  He stated there isn’t a thing she can’t do, she is quick and skilled enough to play the perimeter.  While her dedication to the game is huge, her stock has gone through the roof.

Another kid who has drawn the attention of those “in the know” is a young lady who has become one of the top all around guards in Ohio in the 2014 class.  Ashton Lovely from Greeneview is a dynamic scorer, and has very deep range to stretch a defense.  Lovely also does a nice job to create her own shot, and can set up her teammates with solid passing.

Last year, she snuck onto the scene at Oxford Talawanda.  Now, there is no place she can hide on the court, as Ana Richter has developed into quite a talented player.  She has a great basketball frame, is fundamentally sound, and is a team player.  Jenkins stated that she sacrifices her own offensive game for the better of the team to win basketball games.  She is a tough kid who just loves to win.

Makayla Waterman from Fairmont continues to mend, and get back to her dominant level of play.  Remember, it takes 12-15 months for a knee ligament to completely heal, and while she is approaching the 12 month mark, she continues to draw the praise from college coaches everywhere.  There is no more of a passionate player across Ohio than Makayla.  Jenkins- “She is an exceptional passer, has great hands, and the best court awareness of any front court player in Ohio.  She makes tremendous decisions and is tremendously skilled.”

If there was one kid I can start a team with, it is Kathryn Westbeld from Fairmont.  She is likely the best all around player in the area, when you take into account all aspects of the game.  According to Jenkins, Kathryn is the biggest mismatch mightmare in all of Ohio, regardless of class.  She is deceptively quick, has great hands, and honestly, when she wants to score, she will.