EBA All-American Camp: DeShields A Sure Diamond

Diamond Deshields of Norcross, Ga., is showing why she is one of the few five-star prospects. *Photo by Ty Freeman

BUFORD, Ga. — The third annual Elite Basketball Academy All-American Camp showcased some of the nation’s top players. The pool of talent was deep and brought out the best in all that attended. Here is a look at a few players that performed well this weekend.

By: Stephen Peck

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Diamond DeShields (Norcross, Ga.) – Norcross HS — 2013

You know that there is something special happening in the gym when you hear the constant “ohhs” and “ahhs” echoing in the building. The cause for the excitement was the inspired play of Diamond DeShields. The 6-foot-2 wing-forward played with an intensity that matches the expectations of the highly skilled athlete. There are few players in the country that can score at will and take over a game offensively the way DeShields did this weekend. Her confidence and passion were on a high level, which was made apparent when she said to me that she felt that “nobody in the country can stop me.” With that kind of confidence, matched with consistency and continued work, the North Carolina commit will be a “jewel” of a player in the years to come.

Spotlight Players

Alexis Robinson (Catlettsburg, Ky.) — Ashland HS — 2015

Alexis Robinson of Catlettsburg, Ky. *Photo by Ty Freeman

Robinson is showing signs of turning that proverbial corner. The combo guard played mostly off the ball over the weekend and showed her ability to score off the bounce. Her confidence level is increasing, which is due, in part, to her focus and work ethic and that was apparent in the skills sessions. The 5-9 guard is a tough defender and met all challengers, especially when she was given the assignment of defending the aforementioned DeShields. Robinson has that infectious ability to make the players around her better. We were really impressed with her aggressive scorer’s mentality. This will definitely increase her stock in the near future.

Erin Garner (Hamilton, N.J.) — Trenton Catholic HS — 2014

Real size posts with the desire to learn and that put forth the effort to get better are in a class by themselves. Garner is most definitely in that class as she put in extra skill work, both before and after all of the scheduled work at camp this past weekend. We were impressed with her ability to catch and shoot out to 10 feet and as her consistency improves, Garner will be a strong force in the paint. We are looking forward to her coming into her own in the near future.

Parting Thoughts

Asia Durr and Te’a Cooper are two of the top guards in the class of 2015. When we talk about, “getting downhill”, this pair can get there quickly and finish with finesse and consistency.

The class of 2016 was represented well at the EBA All-American Camp. Raven James and Crystal Dangerfield are a couple of point guards to keep an eye on this season and seasons to come.

Stephen Peck is a National Evaluator for the JumpOffPlus.com. He also serves on the selection committee for the EBA All-American, Fab Five and Super 64 Camps. He has been involved in the community since 2009 as a national evaluator. You can reach him via email [email protected] and follow him on twitter @scpeck2