Elite 100 Basketball Showcase A Showcase Of Local Basketball Talent
BIRMINGHAM- The first Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Elite 100 Basketball Showcases have been applauded as a success by those players who were hand-picked for the inaugural event held at two locations in Birmingham on June 22.
The Showcases allowed outstanding players from across the state an opportunity to participate in the special camp atmosphere, which were open to college coaches to view the upcoming talent of the next school year. Coaches from high schools across Alabama nominated players for the event and a selection committee took those nominations and chose 100 boys and 100 girls to attend.
The girls’ event was held at Spain Park High while the boys’ was held at Hoover High.
“I liked the setup of the Showcase as we went through shooting drills early in the gathering and played some three-on-three contests then we went to five-on-five games,” said Jadan Coleman, an upcoming Bob Jones senior who was invited. “There were a lot of college coaches in attendance watching everything we did.”
Sydney Rasberry, an upcoming senior at Bob Jones and who will play for first-year head coach Jasmine Powers, said she liked the event for the most part. She indicated she spoke with many high school coaches from across the state and a few college coaches. She added, “Just to be selected for the Showcase felt good and to be able to play among some of the best players in the state was great. I got a lot of looks from college coaches.”
The 6-foot Rasberry has been contacted by many colleges including Furman, UAB, Samford, Auburn-Montgomery, West Alabama and North Carolina A&T. She wants to study in the medical field and become a physical therapist, so the academics will be a huge part of her choice of college sometime during her senior season with the Lady Patriots.
Coleman, the 6-4 shooting guard for the Patriots, said of his play in the day-long event, “I handled the competition very well I thought. I feel I was one of the better players there as I can score in a variety of ways and defend my area well.”
Coleman said the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth drove to the event from Virginia to speak with him as the school offered Coleman a scholarship two weeks ago. He’s also had contact from Troy about possibly joining that program after his senior year at Bob Jones.
There were players from James Clemens, Sparkman and Madison Academy who were also in attendance with several others who were invited, but declined the offer to participate for a variety of reasons.
Another highly sought after talent at Bob Jones is power-forward Jelen Myers, a 6-7, 185 and soon to be senior who has had offers from Southern Miss, UAB, Samford, Alabama A&M, Detroit-Mercer and Southeast Missouri.
“It was well worth going to the Showcase and I’m grateful to have been chosen,” said Myers. “While there, I had coaches from Auburn, South Florida and Jacksonville State also approach me. I feel I did well scoring and attacking the ball and made my teammates better.”
“For me, the Showcase showed me I can play with the top players in the state and I’m looking forward to this fall when I get to play for a new coach who I feel is a good addition to the program,” added Raspberry.
