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Brianna Butler
Blue Chip Center Court Challenge - April '11: In the past, she has been hit and miss, but the version of Brianna Butler on display in the latter stages of this tournament is the one who inspired ESPN HoopGurlz to rank her No. 8 in the class. She has a beautiful, easy, tightly spinning jump shot, which she can rain from about anywhere on the court. She also has the dribble moves and instincts of a point guard, but the advanced body, at 5 feet 11, of a college-level shooting guard. The rub, in the past at least, is that sometimes the only place to see Butler's abundant skills was during warmups, as she frequently deferred to her band of highly touted club teammates. Unselfishness of course is a coveted quality, but schools generally are not recruiting the upper reaches of a given class in search of complementary players; they are looking for alphas. This being Butler's recruiting year, on a team that now needs her to pull, perhaps she has just served notice. (Nelson)
Peach State-July 10: This 6-0 guard has all the skills that most perimeter players dream about. The native of King of Prussia, Pa., has the ballhandling and passing, the stroke and range as well as the court instincts and intelligence to make plays against the best of defenders. The frustrating thing about Butler at times is her willingness to let the game come to her. Ranked No. 10 in the 2012 class by ESPN HoopGurlz she should be attacking more and creating options rather than waiting to see what the opposition is going to give. Make no mistake, she can exploit almost any situation but seems content to take it all in at times rather than jump into the middle of it. When she does attack she has a variety of moves off the dribble that get defenders lunging or standing up as she efficiently makes them pay on the drive or with the pull up. She's versatile enough to handle it in transition and halfcourt sets and is more than willing to set up scoring opportunities for teammates just quickly as she does for herself. Defensively she anticipates well and uses her size to her advantage but at times struggles with the smaller, ultra-quick backcourt matchups. At her assertive best, she's one of the tops in the class. (Lewis)
Battle in the Boro-July 10: One of the more steady performers in the 2012 class. She's shown a maturity and confidence to her a game for a couple of years. Can create off the dribble while still reading defenders and making good decisions. The smooth fluidity with which she plays almost seems to give her more time with the ball on penetration. Her form and range allow her to be a threat deep but the pull up works well for her off the drive as well. Defensive footspeed might be a question mark but effort and focus allow her to be effective. (Lewis)
Wildcat Classic-May 10: Smart and skilled are adjectives that any recruiter loves to see applied to a prospect. It doesn't take watching Brianna Butler of Exodus very long to realize that she has both of those bases covered. The 5-11 guard makes good choices with the ball in her hands and can deliver both the shot and the pass. While she's not going to beat you with quickness, her ability to read defenders and see the floor allows her to exploit opportunities. There's a steady and constant element to her game that makes her a threat on every possession in the halfcourt or on the break. Her scoring is balanced from both sides of the floor as well as inside and out. Defensively she could be more aggressive on the ball but that same vision she has offensively allows her to be effective on the weakside. (Lewis)
Nike Skills, New Jersey - May 2010: The class may not have a smoother operator at the offensive end. The solid, 5-foot-11 guard does things with an effortless athleticism and has an And1 array of dribble moves, all nice and quick, including a killer crossover on the dead run. She is equally adept with either hand off the bounce, though clearly prefers her left. Butler in fact has one of the strongest off-hand dribbles ever seen at this level. She can get into trouble with it, however, because she is not as confident in her left on the launch and will switch hands to shoot after beating a defender with the left, giving the defender a chance to recover for the shot. Similarly, though quick accurate to long distances, she has more of a push-from-the-chest shot than a true jumper. That launch makes it difficult for her to square on a pull-up going left. The good news is that Butler has time to make adjustments that will elevate her to among the elite of the class' elites.
Deep South-April 10: The Exodus NYC program has produced its share of elite-level guards over the years and the next seems to be that of 6-foot Super Soph Butler. This is a guard who showed marked improvements in her total game. The biggest improvement really seems to be in her ability to make plays off the dribble. Already known for her long-range proficiency, Butler has added some serious off-the-bounce artistry. Those include a very nice hesitation move to crossover defenders and a delayed dribble drive that she uses to get inside of relaxed defenders. She can still shoot it with the best of them still and has shown a bit of life as a defender with her quick hands. The solidly built Butler has the makings of high-level prospect.
Taylor Ford
Braggin' Rights-Dec. 10: Active and showing an impressive first step in her attack. Is very effective at navigating traffic and finishing among the bigs. Provides plenty of help on the offensive boards for her size. Has lots of tools and potential but tends to disappear at times. Reclassified as a junior. (Lewis)
Battle in the Boro-July 10: Left hander with solid 15 foot range. Active at times, but stands at others. Gets to the rim effectivly but inconsistent in her ability to finish. (Lewis)
Deep South-April 10: Plenty of talent but has tendency to get into unnecessary foul trouble, because she is relying too much on athleticism to make plays.
Braggin' Rights Jan. 09: Slashing left-handed wing. She makes plays and rebounds well from the perimeter. She is sloppy on occasion with the ball.
Hillsman has some material to work with.
Cornelia Fondren
Summer 2011: Left-handed PG. Fast, gets going too fast at times. Lacks consistent 3-pointer. Good off the bounce, has a true upside at the next level. Raw skill set but talented. (Clay)
Deep South Classic-April 10: Could be the sleeper of the loaded Memphis class of 2012. She is a very crafty guard with outstanding guard size. Fordren can play either guard spot effectively.
Turkey Jamm-Nov. 10: Easily one of the most impressive performances in Memphis came from this 5-9 combo guard. Combining elite speed and quickness with sound skills makes her a challenge for opponents both offensively and defensively. Playing the point she was able to navigate and shred the highly regarded trapping full-court press of Potter's House creating multiple scoring opportunities. On the catch defenders have to respect a lengthy and ultra-quick first step and her ability to elevate on the pull up or floater is usually reserved for the college level. Her perimeter shot has a forward motion on it that will be a problem with more experienced defenders but getting that tight to her is a risk as well. Not many on-ball defenders are as aggressive and focused as her while her lateral speed allows her to turn ballhandlers almost at will. What may well be her defining quality is her relentless play. Fondren is a driven player who makes play after play and has a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. That mentality combined with her physical skills makes her someone who can count on a very bright future. (Lewis)
Turkey Jamm-Nov. 09: Overton High School's Cornelia Fondren is one of those athletes that simply catch your eye and make you look. The 5-9 guard plays the point but may well be more suited down the road for the off guard spot. Her speed with the ball in her hands exceeds what most players can demonstrate without it. She pushes it in transition and often goes coast to coast before defenders can dig in and stop the ball. The left hander plays aggressively at both ends of the floor and isn't afraid to mix it up when the game gets physical. There are a lot of skills in place but some refinement is necessary for her to be able to make the most her physical talents. The potential is there for her to play at any level she wants.
Showtime Nationals-July 09: Fondren is a strong, young guard with good size.
Brittany Sykes
Strengths: Athleticism; ability to get to the rim; finishing in traffic; elite on ball defender
Areas to improve: Strength, perimeter shooting consistency
Bottom Line: Sykes is one of the most athletic guards in the Class of 2012. At 5 feet 9, she has combo guard skills and the potential to be a serious match up problem at the college level. She is very good in transition and when she is able to play in space she can be a handful for opposing defenses to contend with. One of the key areas for Sykes to improve on as she makes the jump from high-school ball to college will be her ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. Her ability off the bounce will force teams to give her a step on offense so being able to keep them honest with a consistent jumper is paramount.
JFK Classic-Jan. 11: Has the physical tools to play the game at a high level but at this stage in her career her decision making needs to improve. (Bodine)
Nike Nationals-July 10: Athletic guard with a conservative approach and good decision making. Was effective in traffic both finishing and distributing the ball. (Lewis)
Club Team: Philly Belles
ESPN #1
