Prospects to watch at the Nike TOC
The Nike Tournament of Champions is the center of the girls’ basketball world right before Christmas. Some of the nation’s top high school teams will be competing in Phoenix, Arizona, over the next four days.
That also means some of the country’s top high school basketball prospects will also be playing. Here are 10 players to watch headed into the event.
P Kamilla Cardoso
Chattanooga, Tennessee/Hamilton Heights Christian Academy
espnW rank (2020): 5
The Syracuse-bound Cardoso is the top center in the Class of 2020, and it’s clear why. At 6-foot-6, she is a game changer who alters shots and initiates the fast break. With her and teammate Treasure Hunt, a Kentucky signee, Hamilton Heights has an inside-outside combination that rivals any in the country.
W Aaliyah Edwards
Kingston, Canada/Crestwood Secondary
espnW rank (2020): 26
Edwards, a future UConn Husky, is a physical forward who has evolved into one of Canada’s best prospects in the Class of 2020. She is physical off the bounce, drive and finish plays in traffic or hit a midrange jumper.
PG Te-Hina Paopao
Oceanside, California/La Jolla Country Day
espnW rank (2020): 33
The 5-foot-9 Paopao has been slowed by two knee injuries over her prep school career but is among the top 50 prospects in the Class of 2020. An Oregon signee, she is an athletic lead guard who is quick off the bounce and has an explosive backcourt game.
G Vanessa DeJesus
Valencia, California/Sierra Canyon
espnW rank (2020): 37
DeJesus is a crafty, deceptively quick guard who is headed to Duke next season. She is a cerebral playmaker who has a strong basketball IQ and has the ability to wear down a defense.
PG Ashley Chevalier
Chatsworth, California/Sierra Canyon
espnW rank (2020): 52
Chevalier shares the backcourt with DeJesus and provides an offensive arsenal that can deliver to the arc. She is more of the playmaker between the two of them. A 5-foot-7 point guard, Chevalier is headed to Texas next year to join the Longhorns.
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PG Olivia Miles
Blairstown, New Jersey/Blair Academy
espnW rank (2021): 2
A valuable point guard prospect with USA Basketball experience, Miles is an electrifying talent. She plays with a certain flair and has competed among the country’s best over the course of the summer circuit. Miles has a strong offensive arsenal and is capable of hitting a midrange jumper or a shot from deep beyond the arc.
F Latasha Lattimore
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Crestwood Secondary
espnW rank (2021): 11
Aaliyah Edwards’ teammate makes the list and should not be slept on. Lattimore is tremendously athletic, has great hands and plays at the rim. Among the schools she is considering include Cal, UCLA, Florida, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Michigan, Syracuse, Baylor and Tennessee.
G Rayah Marshall
Los Angeles, California/Lynwood High
espnW rank (2021): 14
Standing 6-foot-3 with a skill set comparable to Kevin Durant, Marshall can play virtually any position on the floor and is capable of taking over a game at almost any time. Marshall has the offensive firepower to score from any spot on the court and the defensive ability to create havoc for the opponent.
P Lauren Betts
Centennial, Colorado/Grandview High
espnW rank (2022): 1
Betts, currently the top prospect in the Class of 2022, is a towering 6-foot-7 center who has rapidly developed her game. She was a USA Basketball member in 2019 and is drawing attention by some of the top Power 5 schools in the country. She is a game-changer defensively and helped Grandview be in the espnW Power Rankings for most of the 2018-19 season.
P Breya Cunningham
Chula Vista, California/La Jolla Country Day
espnW rank (2023): Watchlist
Cunningham is only a freshman but is among the nation’s best in her class. She is a 6-foot-2 low-post performer with a relentless interior game and superb hands. She is a workhorse on the glass and also mobile in transition.