Prospects Nation: Taking Flight in the Boro
FRANKLIN, Tenn. The Battle of the Boro has developed into arguably the best tournament in the nation during the month of July and perhaps the calendar year. This years edition ended in typical exciting fashion with the host team of Tennessee Flight Silver coming away with a 54-50 victory over the Cal Sparks Gold on Saturday afternoon.
Alexa Middleton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Tennessee Flight Silver 2014 (Tennessee)
The 5-foot-8 guard turned in another quality performance this weekend. Those who have followed Middeltons development over the years have grown accustomed to solid fundamental play combined with high percentage shooting. In the biggest game of July, Middleton made the plays needed down the stretch to secure the championship in the Battle of the Boro. Her killer crossover into pull-up jump shot late in the second half put an exclamation point on an already great weekend. At every turn Middleton made the critical play that set up her teammates. The University of Tennessee commit is showing that she is one of the most valuable members on most talented teams in the nation.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS
LaJahna Drummer (Inglewood, Calif.), Cal Sparks Gold 2014
The athletic forward showed an offensive skill set to match her already elite athleticism this weekend. At 6-2 she was able to score over defenders in the lane by setting up it all up with polished footwork. Although Drummer is coming off of a knee injury that kept her out of much of her junior year in high school, she showed no ill-effects this weekend. She killed the defense with an array of pull-up jumpers and by making the second effort on the glass. Drummer cemented the fact that she is a top ten prospect in the class of 2014.
Janie White (Clarksville, Tenn.), Tennessee Flight Silver 2014
The 6-2 post player provided the spark off the bench for coach Tom Insell that was critical for a Tennessee Flight championship. White did a great job of providing a defensive presence in the lane, which helped slow up the post players from the Cal Sparks. However, the biggest impact came in the form eight points, mostly off of step-out jumpers. Her ability to stretch the defense on the penetrate-and-kick action makes her a valuable recruit in the class of 2014. White illustrated the principle that championships can only be won when multiple members of a team contribute to the cause.