It was a hard fought game. Hungary played really well in the first half, but it appeared Team USA wore them down over the course of the game.
Standouts of the game - Samuelson, Holmes, Durr and Anigwe.
KLS - what can you say about this kid? There's a reason HG moved her to #1 and the more I see of her, the more I believe all the other services should have her as #1 too. Clearly things she can work on in her game - but she's the complete package, and on top of it all, a splendid leader.
Holmes - I wish/hope she's on UCONN's radar like NOW. Kid is a year younger than the rest, but already plays with an intensity, has the body, and possesses a skill set, of a college kid. Whoever lands her is getting a star. I think she's the #1 kid in the class - based on current ability AND potential. No offense to Cox, but this kid is the total package.
Durr - There are many great things about her game, but the thing that stands out the most to me is not only does she never force anything, but she always seems to make the best PLAY at any given moment - whether it's taking the ball to the basket herself, making a nice shot, or passing to an open teammate. Seems to have very high BBall IQ.
Anigwe - sure none of kids were making layups, but seeing her chase down, and battle for, rebounds was terrific to see. The kid is tough, and Cal got a really good player. She's class of 2015 and have no idea why HG has her at #48.
For the rest of the team, it's more about their complementary roles.
Boykin had a terrific 2nd half, after being largely invisible in the 1st half. Still, there's a really good reason why she's a starter and plays so many minutes. She's solid and steady and gives great effort. She did not strike me as a "bigger" kid - she played a bit "small" as a post player - but has some polished moves that would be more evident against a team that wasn't packing it into the paint. She looks 6'1" or 6'2". Absolutely no taller than 6'2"...
Ioenscu - I really want this kid. At times she seems to be giving too much effort (plays too fast) but she is like Kelly Faris on caffeine. Everywhere on offense and defense. Kid is all out effort all the time, and she has a far more polished offensive game and guard skills than Faris did at the same age. Really want this kid to be a Husky. Oh, and I swear the kid is at least 6' tall. I know people go bonkers on here about height, but you see her standing next to Boykin, and she's barely over an inch shorter, or next to Durr and she's at least 2 inches taller.
Ogunbowale - I'm just not impressed with her game. She constantly barreled into double and triple teams, and worse, puts her head down and pays no attention to what's going on around her when she's driving to the basket. I do get that this team has not played much together, but she seems at times allergic to team basketball. She is VERY strong for a guard, though, and while I don't see her as a good fit for UCONN, she will thrive on a team that gives her a very long rope to play with and let's her do a lot of 1 on 1 basketball.
Mulkey - I can see why she's intriguing. You can't teach 6'8". She looks much better than Alyssa Dehaan did (6'8" who went to MSU). Obviously she needs to get stronger, but she has a nice touch for a really tall kid (FT's) and she's only 16 or so. Almost impossible for a kid to grow that quickly and know what to do with her body at 16 years of age.
Cox - Another kid from 2016 - but she's really solid. Needs to work a bit on getting up to the speed of the game but has as much potential as any of the other 2016 kids. She's strong and has solid post moves. Her upside is similar to that of Lauren Jackson. She doesn't seem to possess a 3 point shot, never mind much of a mid range game so if she sees herself as a 4/3, she needs to work on ball handling and expanding her range.
Burke - She's going to UCLA - she hasn't played much, and as a 2015 kid, and a tweener (6' or 6'1"), I'm not sure she will be successful playing in the post. Still, a really good athlete.
Wilson - Going to Stanford - a solid guard who didn't look as good today as she did the other day, but quick, strong, and pesky on defense, and solid with the ball. Stanford got a good one
Chou - Mostly looked lost. Not as athletic as the other guards, not as good a ball handler, and not as good a shooter. Not trying to be mean, but she looks completely over her head when on the court. The kid may have potential - it's just not evident in this tourney...
Just my $.02. Bottom line, Love KLS, Holmes and Durr. As fans we are going to love Boykin.
