Ionescu USA Today POY
- Thread starter observer22
- Start date
2 time Gold U.S.A. Olympic World Championship, McDonald's All American & MVP, National AAU Nike Championship, California Open Championship Runner up, and now U.S.A. Today Player of the year. Quite a resume and quite an achievement. Congratulations ! Good luck to Sabrina in college and beyond.
Paytc
Paytc
Last edited:
Gotta be one of the top 5 players in the last 20 years from Norcal at the HS level. Would love to see her go to Oregon State. That program is on the rise big time.
Seriously that's totally shocking. No Stanford, UCLA? It's just a matter of time that Oregon will be a force with Graves taking over. He's won everywhere he's went. Cal is a mess and have NO clue why anyone would want to go there except for the good education and maybe, be close to home.
Her resume is off the charts good and definitely has to be in the conversation as greatest of all-time. Here are some of my Fav's
Jackie Gemelos-SMS
Renee Robinson-SHP
Courtney Paris-Piedmont
Erin Buescher (Rincon Valley Christian)
Danielle Robinson-Mitty
Jane Appel-C-Let
Brandy Reed-Balboa
Amanda Lassiter-Washington (SF)
Kate Paye
Alexis Gray Lawson-Tech
Devanae Hamption-Tech
Jazmine Jackson-SHC
Her resume is off the charts good and definitely has to be in the conversation as greatest of all-time. Here are some of my Fav's
Jackie Gemelos-SMS
Renee Robinson-SHP
Courtney Paris-Piedmont
Erin Buescher (Rincon Valley Christian)
Danielle Robinson-Mitty
Jane Appel-C-Let
Brandy Reed-Balboa
Amanda Lassiter-Washington (SF)
Kate Paye
Alexis Gray Lawson-Tech
Devanae Hamption-Tech
Jazmine Jackson-SHC
Great list -- good call on Erin Buescher ...
Amanda Lassiter wasn't a star in high school. She blossomed later and was the first NorCal player to the WNBA.
Brandy Reed was right up there with Jacki Gemelos in terms of raw talent, but was derailed by her inner demons. What a player, though ...
Amanda Lassiter wasn't a star in high school. She blossomed later and was the first NorCal player to the WNBA.
Brandy Reed was right up there with Jacki Gemelos in terms of raw talent, but was derailed by her inner demons. What a player, though ...
I loved watching Gemelos and Buesher. They were as good as I can recall.
Go to OSU! Beavers are on the rise.... CAL IS A MESS.
Go to OSU! Beavers are on the rise.... CAL IS A MESS.
Looks like a very impressive list. I am not as familiar as some of you who have been more closely following local high school girls basketball. I will say two more recently impressive players not on the list are Chelsea Gray and Mariya Moore.
Gemelos is hands down, my favorite player to watch. She was a great shooter, passer, could penetrate, was long and lanky, and her IQ is off the charts. Ionescu is a very smilier player to Jackie but a notch lower (not taking anything away from her!). Buescher was one of the first players in Norcal that I started to notice when she played in the mid 90's. I don't want to hear about her playing at a small school cause she tore it up when she went to UCSB and helped put that school on the map.
One player that I forgot to mention that is as good as any of the before mentioned is Mia Fisher from Amador Valley. Wow what a fun player to watch! Gray and Moore are also solid picks!
One player that I forgot to mention that is as good as any of the before mentioned is Mia Fisher from Amador Valley. Wow what a fun player to watch! Gray and Moore are also solid picks!
Buescher had 25 points and 25 rebounds in the state championship game for Rincon Valley Christian, and had a long career in the WNBA.
But as for Player of the Year, maybe Courtney Paris? But I don't think so.
I too would say Gemelos is slightly ahead of Ionescu because before her knees gave out, she was slightly more athletic.
Many great players over the years -- don't forget Tracy Morris of Campolindo. And Kerri Walsh was a force at Mitty before abandoning basketball for volleyball.
But as for Player of the Year, maybe Courtney Paris? But I don't think so.
I too would say Gemelos is slightly ahead of Ionescu because before her knees gave out, she was slightly more athletic.
Many great players over the years -- don't forget Tracy Morris of Campolindo. And Kerri Walsh was a force at Mitty before abandoning basketball for volleyball.
Yeah, I never had the pleasure of seeing Gemelos play in High School but I heard she was the real deal. I also have heard Tracy Morris was for real too. Too bad I wasn't able to see those two play as well as a few others on Norcal_Fan's list above.
Last edited:
A few words about Tracy Morris (now Tracy Sanders) ...
She was the middle of three Moraga sisters who grew up on a ranch south of the suburban part of the town. All three went to Campo and all three got scholarships at St. Mary's.
Kelly (the oldest) and Tracy were both a little over six feet, and back in the mid-'90s, they were some of the first tall girls to play outside as well as in. Tracy was the central figure on three straight Campolindo state championship teams, as she was a matchup nightmare given her ability inside and outside. (We would set her up for quarter-ending threes on a regular basis.)
Tracy went on to become the WCC Player of the Year as a junior, and though she had an opportunity to try out for the WNBA, as far as I know she never did, and had no real desire to leave home and play professionally.
She's coached at St. Mary's through a succession of head coaches, and now has two children ... I think I posted this before, but last summer I walked into Dougherty Valley's small gym before a Bentley game and I thought for sure I had gone back in time. Tracy's daughter Samantha was on the court, and has the same build, the same tight braid and much the same game as Kelly, Tracy and Julie.
Three straight state championships may be asking a lot, but look for Samantha to be a star -- and look for grandparents Ed and Theresa, who went to game after game after game for their three daughters, to be in the stands.
She was the middle of three Moraga sisters who grew up on a ranch south of the suburban part of the town. All three went to Campo and all three got scholarships at St. Mary's.
Kelly (the oldest) and Tracy were both a little over six feet, and back in the mid-'90s, they were some of the first tall girls to play outside as well as in. Tracy was the central figure on three straight Campolindo state championship teams, as she was a matchup nightmare given her ability inside and outside. (We would set her up for quarter-ending threes on a regular basis.)
Tracy went on to become the WCC Player of the Year as a junior, and though she had an opportunity to try out for the WNBA, as far as I know she never did, and had no real desire to leave home and play professionally.
She's coached at St. Mary's through a succession of head coaches, and now has two children ... I think I posted this before, but last summer I walked into Dougherty Valley's small gym before a Bentley game and I thought for sure I had gone back in time. Tracy's daughter Samantha was on the court, and has the same build, the same tight braid and much the same game as Kelly, Tracy and Julie.
Three straight state championships may be asking a lot, but look for Samantha to be a star -- and look for grandparents Ed and Theresa, who went to game after game after game for their three daughters, to be in the stands.
I agree Samantha is good. And with the work ethic she has will continue to grow in all areas. She should be on the national radar before long. She shows no fear and has been playing up against older boys and girls for quite a while. I am rather amazed with how the women's game has progressed. And young players like Samantha and a few others I have seen are signs it's not gonna slow down. Since I didn't get to see Tracy, i'll have to get a flashback by going out to watch Samantha's games when she gets to high school. Thanks for the update on Tracy Morris. I heard she was a local legend. And still is considered one of the all time best.
Last edited:
Larry,
I think the only real problem with Cal was their youth. I think they had 1 or 2 juniors, no seniors, and mostly freshman and sophomores. If I'm not mistaken their starting lineup was freshman and sophomores only. Perhaps their two best players were two freshman. I don't think they have a problem that can't easily be fixed. And I expect them to fix it with or without Sabrina.
Not sure if they or anyone anytime soon will be knocking off Uconn, but everyone else is fair game IMO.
Last edited:
Streak One,
I'm reading that either she was the Parade player of the year or co-player of the year? Not sure? I also read she had a pretty major knee injury that sidelined her for much of her senior season at Duke and her early WNBA career. Hopefully she has fully recovered from the injury because she is a very talented player IMO.
Last edited:
jaymel911,
Just to set the record straight,,,,, there are many things that goes into a player tapping into and reaching their peak potential. And being selected to a Player Of The Year Award and others not being selected, does not automatically put you at a player status above "all" others IMO. It is a collected group of opinions. Sometimes those that make the selection make the wrong selection. Not to say they got it wrong this time.
And some players play in a system that limits them, or on a team with an inferior coach, or weak supporting cast, or a much stronger one. Some are limited to what they can do by an egotistical coach or too much depth surrounding them so they have to share the success. Then you have to take into account the era a player plays in. Did the time period the player play in have a core group of really talented players graduating or playing in the same time period? Then when do you stop evaluating the player(s)? Do you just automatically give some one who had one or two fabulous years a lifetime pass as being a "so call " greatest player ever? Or do you wait to see how they do in college and then pro and make the opinion? Do you wait until their careers play out? Or if a player like Tracy Morris N.K.A (Sanders) decides not to play pro but was outstanding as a prep player does she enter the conversation with others who went on to have outstanding pro careers?
In my opinion Cheryl Miller may have been the greatest women's basketball player ever. But she didn't play in the WNBA era to fully develop into what she may have become. Do we take that into account or just put Maya Moore and others ahead of Cheryl Miller?
People often times get it twisted. Many often just take the opinions of those in the power structured positions without exercising their rights and choice to use their own brains. That was another reason that motivated me to write "Win Anyway". And I break down in my words and opinion who the top NBA player(s) were of all times, among other things. Because I believe there needs to be more alternative established Sports authorities to challenge some of the decisions and claims from the existing powers who have held their power too long, and/ or, misused their power at times. I also like to encourage the general public to do their own research and critical thinking before just agreeing with popular opinions. Or the opinions that are shoved down one's throats by giant media conglomerates. Just a little food for thought?
Last edited:
Gemelos is my favorite player ever at the HS level for girls with Ionescu a very close 2nd. Gamelos was a little longer and more athletic but Ionescu is damn close. Buescher had a very good WNBA career and you could argue she was every bit as good as any of these people. Just didn't get a lot of press coming out of a tiny santa rosa school.
In terms of defensive/rebounding domination at the prep level in NorCal, Kerri Walsh stands above the pack. She changed the game when she was facing Mitty foes two decades ago. And her total commitment to a team concept made everyone around her much, much better. The Mitty pressure defense revolved around her for four years. She was Bill Russell, in relative terms of course. Playing Mitty in those days was hell on earth. Scouting and preparing for the Monarchs was a head-scratcher and a frustrating experience. The irony, of course, was that Walsh was an even more dominating volleyball standout. What an athlete. And a terrific gal to boot. Her career at Mitty is now the stuff of legend.
I agree. Gemelos was amazing. She played like a guy, and that is high praise. I still remember her going baseline on someone and then double pumping on the way by and coming up on the other side of the rim in the air and dropping it in. Not too many high school boys could do that move I saw her do. Really too bad about all her knee issues, but she was a pleasure to watch in HS. Ionescu on the other hand reminds me a little bit of Curry with the ease at which she plays the game. On another level than most.
observer22,
There has to be some film on Gemelos somewhere right? I would have loved to see the move you are describing. I have heard how special a player Gemelos was in her day.
Here's some video I just found online. Looks like from the WCJ at Deer Valley. Kind of far away but you can get an idea of how much better she was than everyone else. 39 pts pg! Are you kidding me?
Thanks observer22 ! I was actually able to use that link to tap into a lot of footage on Gemelos. She's got game ! Court awareness, inside and out moves, with a nice shooting stroke. She also seems to understand spacing and using her body to create lanes and separation. Girls are not suppose to be that lethal. Not that she is quite as good as Larry Bird, But she's kind of a female version of him IMO.
Last edited:
Don't forget VICKIE BAUGH from sac.
If I'm not mistaken she was the Gatorade National player of the year in 2006. She was a USA today, Parade, EA sports and McDonald's all american. She also won a couple of gold medals for the u19 and u16 national teams.
If I'm not mistaken she was the Gatorade National player of the year in 2006. She was a USA today, Parade, EA sports and McDonald's all american. She also won a couple of gold medals for the u19 and u16 national teams.
another note on Gemelos numbers--the year she averaged 39+, her low was 28, her high 52. every other game she scored in the 30s or 40s. that kind of consistency is unbelievable. I saw her whenever she was in the east bay, and she was a joy to watch. a classic was the SMS/Clet game. with both her and Appel (sp?) at their peak. a then-Campo shootout event, I think.
Jacki Gemelos and Jayne Appel did indeed face off in one of the best games ever at what is now called The Lamorinda Classic (I have no idea what it was called then). Great game -- I think Appel had 28 and Gemelos 32, or something like that. It was pretty special ...
