Getting It Done
As kids are deciding to “get it done” sooner more and more these days, there is no surprise that five of Girlz Prep Report’s top players would decide to do just that. Courtney Williams, North Shore, and Curtyce Knox, Atascocita, will be attending Texas A&M while Veja Hamilton, Klein Collins, has given TCU the nod, Aalyiah Brown, Clear Springs will be heading to George Washington and like Williams, Nicole Blaskowsky, Fort Bend Austin, committed prior to junior year with Iowa State. As far as rankings go, Williams has been in or around the top five to 15 players in the country, while Knox has been in the 30-80 range by many or not even listed until she gave a verbal by others.
Hamilton has blown up in several events and as good as she Brown and Blaskowsky are, they haven’t broken the Top 100 barrier. I always tell people that rankings don’t matter even though it took a long time for me to digest that. You have to realize everyone has their own opinions and some people look at different things, sort of like watching a beauty pageant, which I don’t, and wondering how this person was not given anything, hopefully the analogy works. Before we move forward, I want to go on record yet again that I do not get involved in the recruiting of any players for any school. I believe this should be a family decision and wherever a kid chooses to go, I wish them well.
Curtyce’s mom, Denyce Timms, and I have been friends for a few years and I’ve often commented on watching her baby develop and improve year after year, even though she was on my can’t miss list early and not on others. With the pressure of “getting it done” now over, I asked Denyce how she felt. “It has been a great journey, the process has allowed us to make new friends and even get close enough to some to refer to them as family “. When asked about her daughter choosing A&M, mom said “She decided early that she was destined to be an Aggie and play for Coach Blair and to make Coach Schafer proud of her defense. Anytime she was in striking distance of the campus she had to stop and see Coach Johnnie and Coach Kelly. I remember one year we decided to take a group of players to the Baylor Elite camp and she couldn’t get out of there quick enough because she wanted to stop at A&M to say hi before we went home”. Curtyce was sold on A&M early as I asked her why College Station. “I knew where I wanted to go before I started high school I loved the players at A&M especially Aqua and Sydney Co Co Cold Colson. What I like best about A&M is their defense. I play a defensive game and they are a defensive team”. When asked about the not being ranked higher or not at all, her response was “I’m not worried about it, I know I’m going to play”.
Courtney Williams got it done last year after her sophomore season and anyone who follows me knows I was sold on the kid years ago when she her uncle Jy first started coaching her. In fact I took some heat for saying she was the best player in the city last season however I love going against the grain so let me go on record as saying by the time she graduates she has a chance to be a lottery pick. Her dad, Odyssey Williams, and I also talk on a regular basis and he spoke of watching my daughter in high school and remembers my passion for the game with officials, something he shares as well. His views are to keep her in the gym as much as possible and I asked him how he felt about her being one of the top players in the country.
“She just loves the game of basketball. She’s not only a natural at it, but also a quick learner. You teach her something once and she gets it the next time” I think the most important thing he said was “Courtney loves to work on her game” which is refreshing in the social networking age.
Veja Hamilton has not only escaped big time national attention, however local attention as well but this didn’t stop her from landing a major role with Big East bound TCU. Hamilton is a big guard that can put up big numbers from all over the floor and the slight of being considered a Top 100 player never stopped her from working on her game because she wanted to show it on the floor. I asked her mom, Velecia, about her being somewhat unnoticed and she said “In the process, we have learned not to trip off the rankings scene, not to trip off of who was awarded player of the week or what college wants who. In short, just as she grows from us, we have grown and earned from her. Ultimately, we have learned what a senior parent once told me when I was a freshman parent concerned with playing time: “Don’t worry, cream always rises.”
That’s a great point and in some ways, being snubbed has probably helped a lot of these kids have the kids work harder. Veja added “It’s been a fun journey of course having its ups and downs. But the feeling I got when I committed made all the hard work and pain worth it. It feels good to know that I can just play my game without having to worry about being nervous for recruits.
Brown is one of the most athletic and acrobatic players I’ve seen come through Houston and Blaskowsky is one of the toughest players and efficient scorers . Both blew up over the past two seasons by continuing to improve their skills and in the long run it has paid off. The key thing with all of these kids I started watching back in their middle school days is they stay in the gym and do things away from practices and games on their own because that’s what it’s all about, working and improving. I remember this quote from the great Satchel Paige “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you”. Please have your kids continue to work!
