Tag: girls basketball

Raven Johnson named 2021 Naismith Girls HS Basketball Player of the Year

Raven Johnson has been named the 2021 Naismith Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Westlake (Ga.) High School guard Raven Johnson has been named the 2021 Naismith Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Johnson has averaged 15.3 points and 5.7 assists per game this season with career totals of 1,623 points and 425 assists in 110 games. Her defensive stats are also impressive with 3.7 steals per game in the 2020-21 season and 409 steals in her career. Westlake is currently 19-0 and slated to play for a Georgia 6AAAA championship on Friday.

Johnson joins 2014 winner A’ja Wilson as just the second Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year winner to go on to play at the University of South Carolina.

“I am so proud to have won the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy,” Johnson said. “It means the world to me. I would like to share a quote from Kobe Bryant that I try to live by, ‘Great things come from
hard work and perseverance. No excuses.’ I have worked hard to try to become the best player for my team. Thanks to all who have poured into molding me to be able to receive this award.”

The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy for Player of the Year was first presented in 1987, and the winners are selected by a group of basketball journalists from around the country who form the Naismith Awards national high school voting academy. The selections were based on outstanding performances during the 2020-21 high school basketball season.

Past notable girls winners have included Lisa Leslie (1990, Morningside High School, Inglewood, Calif.), Chamique Holdsclaw (1995, Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y.), Candace Parker (2003, Naperville Central, Naperville, Ill.) and Maya Moore (2006 and 2007, Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, Ga.).

RELATED: Al Honor named Naismith Girls HS Basketball Coach of the Year

Which states are playing high school basketball?

USA Today High School Sports takes a look at which states are playing high school basketball and when amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are still plenty of questions surrounding high school sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has not stopped states across the country from tipping off their high school basketball season.

Alabama and Mississippi got the ball rolling by beginning on Nov. 5 and other states have followed suit. 30 states are currently playing high school basketball and five more are slated to begin within the next week and a half.

Let’s take a look at which states are in action, which are gearing up to get going and the one state that has completely scrapped its 2020-21 high school basketball season.

RELATED: COVID-19 issues scrap Emoni Bates, Bronny James matchup

Reigning ALL-USA POY Azzi Fudd learns from Kobe Bryant

Azzi Fudd got the chance to workout with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and came away with valuable gems.

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Five days a week, St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) shooting guard Azzi Fudd wakes up at 5 a.m. to get to her physical therapy appointment for intense training to get her surgically repaired knee back in tip top shape.

Fudd tore her ACL and MCL while competing in USA Basketball’s 3×3 tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., in mid-April.

RELATED: ALL-USA Girls Basketball Player of the Year

“I’m taking my time with everything,” Fudd said. “I’ve started back practicing and working out on the court. My goal is to come back better than ever.”

She took big step in that regard “a few weeks ago” when she was in Los Angeles for the espnW: Women + Sports Summit; she carved out time to get in a workout with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who was running his daughter Gigi and her teammates through drills.

Photo: Kobe Bryant coaches his daugher Gigi's team at the MAMBA Sports Academy (Photo: @overtime/Twitter)
Photo: Kobe Bryant coaches his daugher Gigi’s team at the MAMBA Sports Academy (Photo: @overtime/Twitter)

“We did a lot of skill work; I wasn’t moving as much at the time, but it’s Kobe,” Fudd said. “Any time you get a chance to workout with one of the greatest players of all time, it’s big.”

Fudd formed a friendship with Gigi, who Fudd said has star potential.

“She’s young, but she’s really talented,” Fudd said. “She’s gonna just keep getting better and better. You can already see that having Kobe as a dad/coach makes her fundamentals and IQ really, really high.”

As for Kobe’s gems to her during the workout, Fudd said the former Laker taught her the importance of total body control.

RELATED: The Azzi Fudd Blog

“He told me I need to be able to separate movements in the top half and the bottom half of my body,” Fudd said. “That way the defender won’t be able to read me as well because it all looks the same. It made a lot of sense. He’s amazing. I know that I got better in just that one workout.”

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY

The Azzi Fudd Blog: Back on the court, well wishes from Kobe Bryant and more

Reigning ALL-USA Player of the Year Azzi Fudd blogs about working her way back from torn ACL, getting well wishes from Kobe Bryant, Thanksgiving and more.

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St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) junior shooting guard Azzi Fudd is the No. 1 player in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100 and is the reigning ALL-USA Player of the Year. Fudd led the Cadets to the GEICO Nationals title game this season and is being pursued by nearly every high major college in the country. Now Fudd, who is currently working her way back from a torn ACL and MCL, has agreed to give USA TODAY exclusive access into her world by chronicling everything from his recruitment to his everyday life in a blog.

What’s up world, Azzi here, it’s been a few months, but I want to update you guys on what’s been going on.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd is the ALL-USA Player of the Year

Right now, I’m about five and a half months out of surgery and I’ve started practicing a little bit with my team. I don’t have a set return date, and I’m not rushing the process at all. I don’t know if I’m going to play this year or anything like that.

It’s all to be determined.

My first few practices back were really, really hard because biking and being on the elliptical are so much different than getting up and down the court. That was rough, but just being out there with my teammates made it all better because I’ve missed it so much!

I wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to go to physical therapy.

After that I go to school and later I have team workouts so there are days where I’m really tired and days where I go harder than other days so I have to just be careful with how my body reacts every day.

What makes it easier is having the support of my family; my younger brothers come to the gym and rebound for me when I need to get shots up and my parents help with whatever I need.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd leads St. John’s to the GEICO Nationals title game

That’s made this whole process so much better!

I’ve had a lot of coaches call and text me just checking in and encouraging me throughout the process so that’s been cool too.

I’m fortunate to be able to build a lot of cool relationships with people I look up to so before I went in to surgery Natasha Cloud, Elena Delle Donne and Kristi Tolliver all wished me well with my surgery. Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant wished me well too, so that was cool!

OK, so I’ve got to tell you guys that junior year is really hard in the classroom!

Haha, I’m making it, but the workload is tremendous! It feels like there’s so much work and not enough time.

I’ve worked really hard and right now I have all A’s and a few B’s so I’m proud of that.

I think my favorite class right now is Pre-Calculus. It’s hard, but it’s one of those things where if you get it, you’re good.

I’m really ready for Thanksgiving too.

A lot of people like to look past Thanksgiving for Christmas, but I love Thanksgiving too.

At my house we have a few Thanksgiving dinners; we’ll go to a family member’s house one day and then the next day we’ll have dinner at my house.

Of course, Black Friday shopping is fun too, so I’m looking forward to all of that!

OK, guys thanks again for reading but I have to go finish up this Pre-Cal homework.

I’ll be back soon with another update soon!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Don’t forget to follow Azzi Fudd:

Twitter: @azzi_35

Instagram: azzi35

Louisville women’s basketball lands ALL-USA first teamer Hailey Van Lith

Louisville’s women’s basketball lands five-star guard Hailey Van Lith.

Cashmere (Washington) High School point guard Hailey Van Lith ended her recruitment Saturday, picking Louisville over Baylor at a ceremony at her high school.

“Hailey brings with her a unique skill set with a mamba mentality,” Louisville head coach Jeff Walz said in a release. “There is no stage too big, nor a shot too difficult to pull off. She has a unique inner confidence and leadership skills well beyond her age. Hailey is purposeful and deliberate in her approach to the game and no doubt Cardinal fans will be lining up to watch her perform.”

Van Lith, who is ranked No. 8 overall in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100, was an All-USA first team selection last season and won Washington Player of the Year after averaging 34.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 4.9 assists a game.

Van Lith, who led Cashmere to a 23-3 record and a state final four appearance, was also a member of Team USA’s U19 gold medal winning team at the FIBA World Cup in July. The win gave Van Lith her fourth gold medal.

Van Lith signed her National Letter of Intent on Saturday.

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY