Conroe Tournament

PREVIEW

 

The 62nd Annual Conroe Tigerette Girl’s Basketball Tournament gets underway today. It features some of the areas top teams including College Park, Woodlands, Huntsville, La Marque and Fort Bend Austin. College Park is led by  Megan Shafer, who has signed with Rice University. Shafer is also a Houston Chronicle All Greater Houston Preseason pick.

The Woodlands will surprise many people this season and they are led by Paige Baradley, Kelsey Lang andAnna Strickland.

 

Huntsville is expected to make a run this season in Region 3. If they make it to Austin for the State Final Four, their top player, Ronisha Major, will be right at home since she has signed to play with the University of Texas. Major is also a  Chronicle Preseason All Greater Houston pick, along with being ranked in the Class of 2011 Top 100 by Hoopgurlz.

Another team expected to contend in Region 3-4A  is Lamarque led by ultra smooth Jessica Palmer. Palmer is one of the top juniors in the country, in fact Hoopgurlz has the young lady ranked in their Top 100 as well.

 

Fort Bend Austin is ready to make a run to the playoffs and being in one of the toughest districts has kept them out the past few seasons. Their district includes State Finalist Hightower along with  Elkins, which made a run to the Elite 8 last season.  Fort Bend Austin  could have made the playoffs the last two seasons in several of the other districts in Region 3 and this could be their breakout season. Much of the teams success has to do with another Chronicle Preseason All Greater Houston player, Nicole Blaskowsky. Although only a junior, this tough as nails young lady has already committed to Iowa State

 

DAY 1

 

The action was hot and heavy on opening day and many of the games were competitive. Klein Oak and Cy Creek have reached the semifinals and play at 4pm today to see who will be in the championship. On the other side is where the top three teams are,College Park, Huntsville and the Woodlands, who play each other so it looks like we could have a Woodlands area semifinal.

College Park jumped out on Westfield right off the top and never looked back. Megan Shafer showed why she is a legitimate choice as one of the top players in the city, nailing 6 threes in the first half on her way to 24 points. I wrote about College Park in my blog a few weeks ago, BLOG, and I mentioned how I hadn’t seen a lot of these kids around the club circuit along with how well they did without Shafer. This team is scrappy and will surprise many before it’s all said and done, also the kid Alexia Sanders is a star in the making. Marquisha Lewis keeps improving every season and she is steady moving up on that list of top 2012 players in this city. Her 22 points were not enough for this young Westfield team however I still think they will be one of the top squads in their district.

Huntsville against the Woodlands today should prove interesting for both teams. Huntsville figures to be there before it’s all said and done and the Woodlands feel like they can play with anyone. Macarthur was outmatched off the top, they had no answer for Ronisha Major early and that was to be expected. Before everyone thinks this team only has Major, who finished with 16, think again. 6’1 Breanna Fuller is another post that is vastly moving up the chart and her offensive skills are catching up with her defensive skills as she added 11 points. Guard Ceidra Coleman, pictured to Fuller’s right, was all over the place for the Lady Hornets as she was simply unstoppable, leading  her team with 26 points.

 

I speak so much about the Woodlands and their Big Three of Paige Bradley, Kelsey Lang and  Anna Strickland however before it’s all said and done, that could turn into the Fantastic Five. The Woodlands along with College Park do not appear they are ready to rollover and give Atascocita the district championship. As long as I can remember, Fort Bend has proved to be the toughest district year in and year out. but it appears District 14 may be the new kid on the block.

The game against Jersey Village was over before it started. While Jersey Village had no player over 5’9, the Woodlands had five who were  5’10 or taller, topping off with 6’4 Lang who led the way for the Lady Highlanders with 15 points. Abby Boyd, #10, followed with 12 points while Sarah Seefeldt, shooting free throw and Strickland both tossed in 11.  Bradley led the team with 11 assists.