STARZ 11TH & 8TH are AAU SRT CHAMPS!!
In our very own
13th Annual AAU Super Regional Tournament (AAU SRT) hosted
by our
Southern Starz in Huntsville, AL on April
11-13 at Huntsville High, Madison Academy, and Butler HS,
our nationally-ranked Starz
2015-Bush Team won the 11th Grade Division
over the Alabama Shockerz 11th & our brand new
Starz 2018-Looney Team
won the 8th Grade Division over our
Starz 2018-Harris. In addition, our
Starz 2016-Looney team finished Runner-Up in
the 10th Grade Division while our
Starz 2017-Bush team finished 3rd playing UP
in the 10th Grade Division.
Starz 7th finished Runner-Up in the 7th
Grade Division. Each of these 6 Starz teams qualified for
the AAU National Championships in their respective age
groups. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ!!!
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STARZ 2015-Bush STARZ SRT Champs |
STARZ 2018-Looney STARZ SRT Champs |
SOUTHERN STARZ are 2013-14 ALL-STATE per ASWA!
More than 20 of our
Southern Starz players showed up strongly on
the Alabama Sports Writers' Association (ASWA) All-State
Basketball teams for the recently completed 2013-14 season!
Earning
1ST TEAM honors were
Starz 2014 (Senior) players
Shakayla Thomas (5A-Runner Up Sylacauga),
Destiney Elliott (4A State Champ Oneonta),
Quanetria (NeNe) Bolton (4A-Anniston),
Malesha (MiMi) Williams
(3A-Greensboro),
Leah Strain (2A State Champ Woodland), Miracle
Mayo (2A-Lanett) &
Jasmine Richardson
(1A-Winterboro) ... Starz
2015 (Junior) players
Eulacia Edwards (1A-Sunshine) &
Amahni Upshaw (1A State Champ Brantley) ...
and
Starz 2016 (Soph) Rachel
Childress (5A-Lawrence County). ALL 1st
Team selections are eligible to be named class Player of the
Year (POY) and Miss Basketball for the State of Alabama!!
Earning
2ND TEAM honors were
Starz 2015
players
Shaquera Wade (6A-Huntsville), Rayven Pearson
(6A-Hazel Green),
Baylee Johnson (5A-Cullman), &
Meg Gambrill (3A-Holly Pond) ... and Starz
2016
players
Tyra Johnson (6A-Austin),
Jasmine Walker (6A-Jeff Davis).
Earning
HONORABLE MENTION selections were
Starz 2015
player
Destiny Lowden (3A-Plainview), &
Starz 2016
players
Madison Baggett (4A-Madison County),
Presley Johnson (3A-Pisgah), &
Harriett Winchester (1A-Keith) ...
Starz 2017 (Freshmen) players
Elexis Evans
(3A-Greensboro),
Ataiya Bridges (2A-Lanett), &
Allie Kennedy (2A-Red Bay). CONGRATS to our
ALL STATE STARZ!!!!
SHAKAYLA THOMAS is MCDONALD's ALL-AMERICAN!
CONGRATS to STARZ 2014 nationally-ranked
SHAKAYLA THOMAS (Florida State Signee)
of #4-ranked 5A-SYLACAUGA HS as she was selected for the
MCDONALD's ALL-AMERICAN TEAM!! SHAKAYLA becomes only
the 3RD Girls' Player from ALABAMA in HISTORY to be
named to this prestigious All-Star squad! Only 24 of
the Top Seniors in the USA from the Class of 2014 were
selected to participate in this All-Star Game which will
take place on Wednesday April 2 at the United Center in
CHICAGO! SHAKAYLA will play for the EAST Team of 12
players and will face off vs 12 top players from the
West! She was the ONLY PLAYER (Boy or Girl) selected
from ALABAMA to participate in this year's game.
SHAKAYLA is the 2-Time defending Class 5A Player of the
Year in Alabama and is nearing the 4,000 point total for
her career. CONGRATS to SHAKAYLA ... GO STARZ!! |
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LEAH STRAIN Tops 4,000 Point Total for Career!
Starz Class of 2014 AAU National Champion PG
Leah Strain of defending State Champion and
current #1-ranked 1A-Woodland High School surpassed the
4,000 point total for her high school career over the
holidays on December 26 as she scored 19 pts in the Bobcats
71-44 win over Tharptown High School in the NW AL Christmas
Tourney. Per AHSAA records, she became only the 5th player
in state history to reach the 4,000 point total. Leah did
so mid-way through her Senior season which means the 4,500
point level is within reach! Only 4 other players in state
history, including Starz 2012 graduate and current Purdue
freshman
Hayden Hamby along with Leah's sister
Courtney Strain of Auburn (the all-time state leader), have
surpassed the 4,000 point mark. Congrats to LEAH & GO STARZ!!
STARZ Fill up ASWA High School Rankings for 2013-14 in AL!!
In the most recent High School Basketball State Rankings
published by the ASWA on
January 16, 2014,
teams led by more than
40 of our
Southern Starz players are highly ranked,
including:
6A ...
#1 Ranked Sparkman HS (JRs Chelsea Robinson, Dee
Smith & Alexis Fletcher)
6A ...
#3 Ranked
Shades Valley HS (SO Alyese Givens)
6A ...
#4 Ranked
Hazel Green HS (SRs Nadia Stewart, Kelsey
Lones & JRs Chloe Long, Rayven Pearson)
6A ...
#5 Ranked
Huntsville HS (JRs NaKeia Burks, Ta'Naisha
Hill, & Shaquera Wade; 8th GR Kyla Whitehead)
6A ...
#9 Ranked
Gadsden City HS (FR Brooke Burns & Haley
Troup)
6A ...
#11 Ranked
Austin HS (JR Aaliyah Rice; SO’s Tyra
Johnson & Alishia Davis)
5A ...
#2 Ranked
Brewer HS (JR Malerie Drinkard)
5A ...
#4 Ranked
Sylacauga HS (SR Shakayla Thomas; FR Tierra
Dark & Briasia Richardson; 8th GR Kayla Dark)
5A ...
#10 Ranked
Lawrence County HS (SO Rachel Childress)
4A ...
#1 Ranked
Oneonta HS (SR Destiney Elliott)
4A ...
#6 Ranked
Anniston
HS
(SR Quanetria “NeNe” Bolton)
4A ...
#8 Ranked
Madison County HS (SO Madison Baggett)
3A ...
#2 Ranked
Madison Academy (JR Libba Gilliam)
3A ...
#4 Ranked
Holly Pond HS (JR Meg Gambrill)
3A ...
#5 Ranked
Pisgah HS (FR Presley
Johnson)
2A ...
#1 Ranked
Woodland HS (SR Leah Strain & SO Adre Bowen)
2A ...
#3 Ranked
Cold Springs HS (JR
Caitlyn Hall; FR Emme Willoughby; 7th GR Camryn
Crider)
2A ...
#8 Ranked
Red Bay HS (FR Darby Madden & Allie Kennedy)
2A...
#9 Ranked
Lanett HS
(SR Miracle Mayo & FR Ataiyah Bridges)
1A ...
#3 Ranked
Brantley HS (JR Amanhi Upshaw)
1A ...
#8 Ranked
Winterboro
HS (SR Jasmine Richardson & SO Anslea Twymon)
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SHAKAYLA THOMAS SIGNS with FLORIDA STATE!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 6-0
Nationally-Ranked Forward
SHAKAYLA THOMAS of 5A-Regional Finalist
Sylacauga High School signed her Letter of Intent (LOI) to
play basketball & attend college at
FLORIDA STATE University (FSU) of the
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She signed her LOI in
a ceremony at her school in front of Family, Friends,
Coaches, Team Mates, Class Mates, Community Members,
Media & Starz Director/Coach
Doug Bush & Coach
Orlando (OJ) Jackson. Shakayla the TOP
Ranked 2014 player in the State of Alabama as recently
named by AL.Com, 1st Team All-State, and two-time 5A
Player of the Year in Alabama. Shakayla chose FSU over
offers from many schools including South Carolina,
Alabama, Tennessee, Baylor, Texas A&M, Mississippi
State, Georgia, Auburn, Louisville, Florida, and
others. Shakayla is ranked as the #12 player in the
nation in her class (#3 player at her position). FSU
Head Coach Sue Semrau is very excited about adding a
highly-ranked impact player to her program. CONGRATS to
SHAKAYLA!!
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QUANETRIA (NENE) BOLTON SIGNS with ALABAMA!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 6-1
Nationally-Ranked Forward
QUANETRIA ("NENE") BOLTON of 4A-Regional
Finalist Anniston High School signed her Letter of
Intent (LOI) to play basketball & attend college for new
Head Coach Kristy Curry at the
University of ALABAMA of the SEC. She
signed her LOI in a ceremony at her school in front of
Family, Friends, Coaches, Team Mates, Class
Mates, Community Members, Media & Starz Director/Coach
Doug Bush & Coach
Orlando (OJ) Jackson. NeNe is one of
the Top Ranked 2014 players in the State of Alabama as
recently named by AL.Com, 1st Team All-State, and
finalist for 4A Player of the Year in Alabama. NeNe
chose ALABAMA over offers from many schools including LSU,
South Carolina, Florida St, Mississippi St, Vanderbilt,
Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Texas Tech, Oklahoma St, UAB,
and others. New ALABAMA Head Coach Kristy Curry is very
excited about adding a high caliber & character
in-state impact player to her program. CONGRATS to NENE!! |
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DESTINEY ELLIOTT SIGNS with SAMFORD!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 6-0
Forward
DESTINEY ELLIOTT of 4A-State Champion
Oneonta High School signed her Letter of Intent (LOI) to
play basketball & attend college at
D1 SAMFORD University of the Southern
Conference (SoCon). She signed her LOI in a ceremony at
her school in front of Family, Friends, Coaches, Team
Mates, Class Mates, Community Members, Media & Starz
Director/Coach
Doug Bush. Destiney is one of the Top
Ranked 2014 players in the State of Alabama and was
named MVP of the High School 4A State Tournament, 1st
Team All-State, and 4A Player of the Year in Alabama.
Destiney will join several former Starz at Samford
including
Hannah Nichols (2013), Lydia McGee
(2012), Amara Mayers (2011), and KeKe Fletcher (2011).
Samford has been the Champions in the
SoCon for 2 of the past 3 years earning an NCAA Tourney
bid on each occasion with Starz
2009's Jazmine Martin who just earned
her degree in May! Samford Head Coach Mike Morris is
very excited about adding a proven winner, leader, and
player with such diverse skills to his program.
CONGRATS to DESTINEY!! |
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BLAIR SCHAEFER SIGNS with MISSISSIPPI STATE!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 5-7
Guard
BLAIR SCHAEFER of Starkville (MS) High
School signed her Letter of Intent (LOI) to play
basketball & attend college at
MISSISSIPPI STATE University (MSU) of
the SEC. She signed her LOI in a ceremony at her school
in front of Family, Friends, Coaches, Team Mates, Class
Mates, Community Members, Media & MSU Head Coach (&
proud Papa) Vic Schaefer. Blair is one of the Top
Ranked 2014 players in the State of Alabama and was
recently named to the Clarion Ledger DANDY DOZEN in
Mississippi. Blair is a part of an excellent recruiting
class put together Coach Schaefer. He is very excited &
proud about adding a proven winner, leader, and skilled
player his program. CONGRATS to BLAIR!!
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LEAH STRAIN SIGNS with JACKSONVILLE STATE!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 5-4
PG
LEAH STRAIN of
2A-State Champion Woodland High School signed her Letter
of Intent (LOI) to play basketball & attend college at
D1 JACKSONVILLE STATE University (JSU)
of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). She signed her LOI
in a ceremony at her school in front of Family, Friends,
Coaches, Team Mates, Class Mates, Community Members,
Media & Starz Director/Coach
Doug Bush. Leah is one of the Top
Ranked 2014 players in the State of Alabama as recently
named to the A-LIST by AL. Com and was named MVP of the
High School 2A State Tournament, 1st Team All-State, and
runner-up for 2A Player of the Year in Alabama. Leah
will join former STARZ 2012 player Destany McLin (Athens
HS) at JSU. New JSU Head Coach Rick Pietri is very
excited about adding a proven winner, leader, and
competitor with high basketball IQ to his program.
CONGRATS to LEAH!!
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MIRACLE MAYO SIGNS with ALABAMA STATE
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 6-1
Forward
MIRACLE MAYO of 2A-Regional Finalist
Lanett High School signed her Letter of Intent (LOI) to
play basketball & attend college at
D1 ALABAMA STATE University (ASU) of the
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). She signed her
LOI in a ceremony at her school in front of Family,
Friends, Coaches, Team Mates, Class Mates, Community
Members, Media & Starz Director/Coach
Doug Bush. Miracle is
one of the Top Ranked 2014 players in the State of
Alabama. Miracle chose ASU after receiving offers from
UAB, Jacksonville (AL) State, Jacksonville (FL) Univ, &
UNC-Wilmington. ASU Head Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson is
very excited about adding a Great Player & Person to her
program. CONGRATS to MIRACLE!! |
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KATELYN LEE SIGNS with GRAND CANYON U!!
Starz 2014 & AAU National Champion 6-3
Post
KATELYN LEE of
1A-State Champion (Georgia) Gordon Lee High School
signed her Letter of Intent (LOI) to play basketball &
attend college at
D1 GRAND CANYON University (GCU) of the
Western Athletic Conference (WAC). She signed her LOI
in a ceremony at her school in front of Family, Friends,
Coaches, Team Mates, Class Mates, Community Members,
& Media. Katelyn is one of the Top Seniors in the State
of Georgia. She was named MVP of the High School State
Championship Game back in March 2013. GCU Head Coach
Trent May is very excited about adding a Proven Winner &
Great Person to his program. CONGRATS to KATELYN!!
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STARZ 2014 WINS AAU NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!
At the AAU
National Championship held on
July 9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in
Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2014 (11th GR) Team WON the
AAU 11th GR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP after going 8-0
against Top National Competition!! Starz 2014 defeated
Central Illinois Elite featuring the Gatorade Player of the
Year in Illinois, Jackie Kemph (2014) and highly ranked
Haley Gorecki (2015) by a final score of 61-53!! Starz 2014
led by 5 at halftime but faced a back-and-forth game in the
2nd half as they trailed by 2 points with 3 minutes to go.
Our team cranked up the Defense and held Illinois to 2 pts
in the final 3 minutes as Starz 2014 nationally-ranked
SHAKAYLA THOMAS led the scoring with 27 pts and had 2 big
blocked shots in the final minute!! ALL our young ladies
played GREAT and became the VERY FIRST group of high school
age Girls from the State of Alabama to WIN the AAU STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP!! Starz 2009 lost in the 9th GR Finals in
2006. The AL Lady Gators won the AAU 13U National
Championship in 1995 as 8th Graders. CONGRATS on this
Historic Accomplishment which will now be with you ALL for a
Lifetime!!
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STARZ 10th-Bush 3rd in NATION & in AAU SHOWCASE!!
At the recent
AAU Super Showcase &
AAU National Championship held on July 6-8
and July 9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports
Complex in Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2015-Bush (10th GR) Team
played 11 games against Top National Competition and
finished with a record of 9-2, placing 3rd (tied) in their
AAU 10th GR Super Showcase and finishing 3rd in the AAU
10TH GR D1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! Starz 2015-Bush's only 2
losses were to Boo Williams-Richmond who went on to Win the
AAU Super Showcase and finished 2nd in the AAU
Nationals. This Top 4 Finish in BOTH AAU EVENTS was a GREAT
performance by the Players & Coaches of our Starz 2015-Bush
(10th GR) Team!! CONGRATS!!
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STARZ 10th-Gilliam are AAU D2 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!
At the recent
AAU Super Showcase &
AAU National Championship held on July 6-8
and July 9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports
Complex in Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2015-Gilliam (10th GR) Team
played 11 games against Top National Competition and
finished with a record of 10-1, placing 9th (tied) in their
AAU 10th GR Super Showcase and finishing as the AAU NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS in the AAU Division 2 National Championship!!
Starz 2015-Gilliam defeated Magic Basketball Academy
(Missouri) in the Championship Game by a final score of
56-46. This was a GREAT performance by the Players &
Coaches of our Starz 2015 (10th GR) Team!! CONGRATS!!
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STARZ 9th-Looney with TOP TEN Finish at AAU Nationals!!
At the recent
AAU Super Showcase &
AAU National Championship held on July 6-8
and July 9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports
Complex in Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2016 (9th GR) Team played 13
games against Top National Competition and finished with a
record of 9-4, placing 12th (of 28 teams) in their AAU 9th
GR Super Showcase and finishing 9th at the AAU 9th GR National
Championship!! During Pool Play in the AAU Nationals, our
Starz 2016 Team defeated the eventual AAU National Champion
Boo Williams by a final score of 43-41!! In the 9th Place
Game, our Starz 2016 team defeated the Capital City Cyclones
(NC) by a final score of 63-61. This was a GREAT
performance by the Players & Coaches of our Starz 2016 (9th
GR) Team!! CONGRATS!!
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STARZ 8th-Crider AAU Top 10 & Showcase Runner-Up!
At the recent
AAU Super Showcase &
AAU National Championship held on July 6-8
and July 9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports
Complex in Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2017-Crider (8th GR) Team
played 15 games against Top National Competition and
finished with a record of 12-3, placing 2nd in their AAU 8th
GR Super Showcase and finishing 9th at the AAU 8th GR National
Championship!! Starz 2017-Crider went unbeaten until a
showdown in the AAU Super Showcase Championship Game on July
6 vs an undefeated Team Carolina 2017 team which featured
the #1-ranked player in the nation in the Class of 2017,
Mikayla Boykin. Starz 2017-Crider led the entire game
before falling behind in the last 9 seconds to fall by 1
point 56-55 in the Championship Game!! Team Carolina 2017
went on to WIN the AAU 8th GR National Championship as our
Starz 2017-Crider team finished 9th after a tough 5-pt loss
in the Championship Bracket. This was an Awesome
performance by the Players & Coaches of our Starz
2017-Crider Team!! CONGRATS!!
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STARZ 8th-Gaston finish in SWEET 16 in AAU D2!!
At the recent AAU
8th GR D2 National Championship held on July
9-13 at ESPN / Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in
Orlando, FL our
Southern Starz 2017-Gaston (8th GR) Team went 3-0
in Pool Play to Win Pool H and then defeated the AL Twisters
8th grade team by a score of 35-23 to secure a spot in
the SWEET 16!! Starz 2017-Gaston went on to drop its next 2
games to SP Fusion (California) and Rebels Basketball
Academy to wind up 4-2 in their 6 games and a SWEET 16
FINISH in the AAU 8th Grade D2 National Championship!!
CONGRATS!!!
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SHAQUERA WADE COMMITS to ALABAMA of SEC!!
Starz 2015-Bush 5-11 Combo Guard
SHAQUERA WADE of 6A-Huntsville High School
has verbally committed to play for new
ALABAMA Crimson Tide Head Coach Kristy
Curry!! Shaquera is one of the Top Ranked 2015 players in
the State of Alabama and becomes the First in-state (AL)
player to Commit to Coach Curry at Alabama. She is also a
long-time member of our Starz 2015 team since she was 9
years old. Coach Curry is very excited to have a player
with Shaquera's talents & skills along with her
winning mentality join her program at Alabama. CONGRATS to
SHAQUERA
TRISTA MAGEE COMMITS to ALABAMA of SEC!!
Starz 2015-Bush 6-1 Guard
TRISTA MAGEE of Prebysterian Christian
School in Hattiesburg MS has verybally committed to play for
new
ALABAMA Crimson Tide Head Coach Kristy
Curry!! Trista is one of the Top Ranked 2015 players in the
State of Mississippi and became the First player to Commit
to Coach Curry at Alabama. Coach Curry is very excited to
have a player with Trista's versatile talents & skills along
with her leadership ability and winning attitude join her
program at Alabama. CONGRATS to TRISTA!!
STARZ are AAU STATE CHAMPS X 5! (5th, 6th, 8th, 10th & 11th)
Ten (10) of our Southern Starz teams participated in 7 age
Divisions of the AL AAU State Tournament the weekend of May
24-26 on the campus of Samford University and other sites in
Birmingham, AL!
Our Starz 5th, 6th, 8th-Crider, 10-Bush, & 11th-Bush Teams
finished as AL AAU State Champs in their respective Age
Divisions while our
Starz 9th team finished 2nd. All our Starz
teams competed at a high level! Our
Starz 5th grade team won by a score of 42-28
over the Magic City Steel in the Finals after a loss to
them during Pool Play. Our
Starz 6th grade team dominated the AL Tar
Heels by a score of 51-25 in the Finals. Our
Starz 8th-Crider team won their 2nd
consecutive AL AAU State Championship by winning a fierce
battle by the score of 50-49 against the AL Hustlers in the
Finals after having beaten the same team in Pool Play by
63-52! Our
Starz 10th-Bush team won their 3rd
consecutive AL AAU State Championship with a 57-45 victory
over the AL Twisters. Our
Starz 11th grade team won a tight battle
with the AL Tar Heels by a score of 57-55 to win their
2nd AL AAU State Championship in the past 3 years! Our
Starz 9th Team advanced to their
Championship Game and finished as Runner-Up to the Mobile
Comets. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ TEAMS!
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Starz 5th Grade State
Champs |
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Starz 6th Grade State
Champs |
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Starz 8th Grade State
Champs |
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Starz 9th Grade State
Runner-Up |
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Starz 10th Grade
State Champs |
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Starz 11th Grade
State Champs |
STARZ 2014 PLAYERS are ALL STARZ in AL & MISS!
CONGRATS to our Five (5)
Starz 2014 players who were named to the
NORTH squad for the Annual AL North vs South All-Star Game
to be held on July 17 during All-Star Sports Week in
Montgomery AL!! This game is for current High School
Juniors....
Starz 2014 players
Quanetria ("NeNe") Bolton
of 4A-Anniston,
Destiney Elliott
of 4A State Champ Oneonta,
Jasmine Richardson
of 1A-Winterboro, Leah Strain
of 2A State Champ Woodland, and
Shakayla Thomas
of 5A-Sylacauga were selected for the NORTH team which hold
a 14-2 all-time advantage in the 16 games which have been
played. In addition, Starz 2014 guard & Mississippi State
commit Blair
Schaefer of
Starkville (MS) High School has been named to the NORTH
squad for the annual MS North vs South All-Star game to be
held on July 8 in Clinton MS. CONGRATS to our ALL-STARZ!!!
STARZ TEAMS SHOW STRONG at DEEP SOUTH CLASSIC 2013!!
On the NCAA Spring viewing weekend of April 19-21, 5 of our
Southern Starz teams traveled to Raleigh-Durham, NC to
participate in the prestigious
Deep South Classic held on 18 courts under 1
roof at the Raleigh Convention Center. Our 5 teams combined
for a record of 15-6 while playing UP against very strong
competition and while playing in front of hundreds of
college coaches!! Our
Starz 2014 (11th GR) Team (14U) finished 3rd
of the 48 teams in the Top 17U-National Division with a
record of 4-1. On Saturday, Starz 2014 defeated the
#2-ranked AOT (GA) by 57-46 and their top ranked players who
are already commited to U of North Carolina (#3-ranked 2015
Te'a Cooper) & PURDUE (#40-ranked 2014 Briana Horrocks).
Later on Saturday, Starz 2014 defated #4-ranked San
Antonio's Finest (TX) in Sudden Death OT by 2 pts (59-57)
and their #6-ranked (2014) player Reece' Caldwell who is
commited to UCLA. College Coaches & Fans were packed around
the court for both of these Top Games!!!
Starz 2015-Bush (10th GR) finished 3rd of
the 24 teams in the 16U-NATIONAL Division, losing a tough
game to the AAU #2-ranked team in the nation in the
semi-finals.
Starz 2017-Crider (8th GR) Won a last-second
Thriller 50-49 to WIN the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME of the
14U-Signature Division!!
Starz 2015-Gilliam (10th GR) finished 2-2 in
their 4 games and WON the CONSOLATION BRACKET of the
15U-National Division while
Starz 2016 (9th GR) finished 2-2 in their 4
games to finish 6th in the 16-team 14U-National Division.
CONGRATS to our STARZ!!!!
Starz
2017-Crider (8th GR) - Deep South Champs!
STARZ 8TH, 9TH, 10TH & 11TH are AAU SRT CHAMPS!!
In our very own
12th Annual AAU Super Regional Tournament (AAU SRT) hosted
by our
Southern Starz in Huntsville, AL on April
5-7 at Huntsville High, Madison Academy, and Bob Jones HS,
our nationally-ranked Starz
2014 Team won the 11th Grade Division
over Team Memphis Elite 11th, our nationally ranked
Starz 2015-Bush Team won the 10th Grade
Division (in OT) over the nationally-ranked Tennessee A-Game
(Springer) Team, our nationally-ranked
Starz 2016 Team won the 9th Grade Division
over Tennessee A-Game (Kilburn), and our
Starz 2017-Crider Team won the 8th Grade
Division over the nationally-ranked Tennessee Team Pride
(Ramsey) team. In addition, our Starz 2015-Gilliam, Starz
2017-Gaston, Starz 7th & Starz 6th teams each finished in
3rd Place in their respective divisions. Each of our 4
Starz Championship teams qualified for the AAU D1 National
Championships to be held this Summer in Orlando, Florida on
July 5-13. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ!!!
SOUTHERN STARZ SRT 2013 - RESULTS!
THANKS for your participation in our 12th
Annual AAU SRT in Huntsville AL last weekend!! We had some
great competition ... including an OT Thriller in the 10th
Grade Division Championship Game!! Age Group Champs were as
follows:
6th Grade:
Tennessee Flight-Select Runner-Up: Tennessee Team Pride
5th
7th Grade: Kentucky Blast Runner-Up:
Vigilance Ballers
8th Grade:
AL Southern Starz Runner-Up:
Tennessee Team Pride (Ramsey)
9th Grade:
AL Southern Starz Runner-Up:
10th Grade:
AL Southern Starz 2015-Bush Runner-Up:
TN A-Game (Springer)
11th Grade:
AL Southern Starz 2014 Runner-Up:
Team Memphis Elitet
ALL Champs & Runner-Ups qualified for AAU Division 1
Nationals (in addition to certain others)! Hope you ALL
can join us again Next Year in April 2014!!!
STARZ SHINE in TUSCALOOSA INVITATIONAL!!!
Our
AL Southern Starz Teams captured the 11th,
10th & 9th Grade Division Championships as several of our
teams opened their 2013 seasons in the Tuscaloosa
Invitational on March 22-24!! Our
Starz 2014 &
2015-Bush teams went undefeated and advanced
to the Championship Game of the 11th GR Division on Sunday
(game was not played). Our
Starz 2015-Gilliam team went undefeated and
WON the Championship in the 10th GR Division. Our
Starz 8th-Crider team went undefeated and
WON the Championship playing UP in the 9th GR Division (of 9
teams). Our
Starz 8th-Gaston team went undefeated until
a loss in the semi-finals to finished tied for 3rd (of 12
teams) in the 8th GR Division. Our
Starz 6th GR team went undefeated until a
loss in the Championship Game of the 6th Grade Division as
they finished 2nd overall (of 12 teams) in the 6th GR
Division. CONGRATS!!!
Starz 8th
Grade-Crider wins Championship game in Tuscaloosa
SOUTHERN STARZ are ALL-STATE per ASWA!
Our
Southern Starz players showed up strongly on
the Alabama Sports Writers' Association (ASWA) All-State
Basketball teams for the recently completed 2012-13 season!
Earning
1st TEAM honors were Starz 2013 players
Hannah Nichols (4A-Madison County) &
Alex Gholston (1A-RA Hubbard), Starz 2014
players
Shakayla Thomas (5A-Sylacauga),
Destiney Elliott (4A
State Champ Oneonta),
Quanetria Bolton (4A-Anniston),
Malesha Williams (3A-Greensboro),
Leah Strain (2A State
Champ Woodland) and Starz 2015-Bush player
Amanhi Upshaw (1A State Champ Brantley).
ALL 1st Team selections are eligible to be named class
Player of the Year (POY) and Miss Basketball!! Earning
2ND TEAM honors were Starz 2013 players
Kiana Johnson (6A-Northridge &
Jacey Scott (4A-Douglas), Starz 2014 player
Miracle Mayo (2A-Lanett), & Starz 2015-Bush
player
Shaquera Wade (6A-Huntsville). Starz 2013
player
Emma Herren (1A-Berry) and Starz 2016 player
Rachel Childress (5A-Lawrence County) were
Honorable Mention selections. CONGRATS to our ALL STATE
STARZ!!!!
SHAKAYLA THOMAS Tops 3,000 Point Total for Career!
Starz Class of 2014 nationally-ranked forward
Shakayla Thomas of #7-ranked
5A-Sylacauga High School surpassed the 3,000 point total for
her high school career last night (Jan. 29) as she scored 27
pts in leading her Lady Aggies to a hard fought 35-30
pay-back win on the road at 4A-Anniston HS. Shakayla began
the game 22 points short of this historic mark. Starz
Director/Coach Doug Bush along with several SEC College
Coaches were on hand to enjoy the game and witness her
accomplishment. Per AHSAA records, Shakayla became the 14th
player in state history to reach the 3,000 point total,
joining Starz team mate
Leah Strain who did so back in December.
Clearly, the 4,000 point level (or beyond ...) is within
reach! Only 4 players in state history, including Starz 2012
graduate and current Purdue freshman
Hayden Hamby, have surpassed the 4,000 point
mark. CONGRATS to SHAKAYLA!!
LEAH STRAIN Tops 3,000 Point Total for Career!
Starz Class of 2014 standout PG
Leah Strain of #1-ranked 1A-Woodland High
School surpassed the 3,000 point total for her high school
career on Dec. 4 as she scored 20 pts in the Bobcats 70-49
win over Bowdon (GA) High School. Leah began the game just
5 points short of this historic mark. Per AHSAA records,
she became the 13th player in state history to reach the
3,000 point total. Leah did so in the first game of her
Junior season which means the 4,000 point level (or beyond
...) is within reach! Only 4 players in state history,
including Starz 2012 graduate and current Purdue freshman
Hayden Hamby, have surpassed the 4,000 point
mark. Congrats & GO LEAH!!
CHELSEA MASON is A-SUN NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK - AGAIN!!
For the 3rd time this season, former Starz Class of 2012
standout and current D1 Kennesaw State Lady Owl Freshman
CHELSEA MASON was named the Atlantic Sun
Conference Newcomer of the Week!! In 2 games as a new
starter for KSU, Chelsea averaged 14.5 pts and 7.5 rebounds
per game, including her first "double-double" as she scored
13 pts and grabbed 11 rebs in a recent game vs Florida Gulf
Coast.
“It’s a great honor for her,” said KSU Head Coach Nitra
Perry of the accomplishment. “For her to get it not once,
twice, but three times, just says a lot about the type of
player she is. She’s in the gym everyday working hard to
improve her game and not only is she an offense threat, but
she’s turning into a defensive stopper as well.”
Chelsea was a long-time Starz 2012 player, having joined the
Starz program when she was 9 years old! CONGRATS to
CHELSEA
SAMETRIA GIDEON scores her 1,000th POINT for KSU!
Former Starz Class of 2009 and Bob Jones High School standout and
current D1 Kennesaw State Lady Owl Senior
SAMETRIA GIDEON scored her 1,000th point in
a recent game on Nov. 24, 2012 vs Wofford.
“I’m just so excited for her,” said Kennesaw State head
coach
Nitra Perry. “Nobody deserves it more than
she does and I just can’t say enough about what she does for
our team and what she brings to this program.” Sametria
becomes the First player to reach the 1,000 pt milestone
since KSU moved up to the Division 1 level several years
ago. In addition, Sametria joins former Starz 2009 and Bob
Jones HS team-mate
Jala Harris of UAB/TN
Tech and Starz 2009 team-mate
Amber Jones of UAB in reaching the 1,000 pt
level during their college careers!
Sametria joined our Starz program when she was in the 7th grade and
was a valuable member of our highly successful and
nationally-ranked Starz 2009 team! CONGRATS to SAMETRIA!!
STARZ at 2012 BlueStar College Showcase!
On Satuday & Sunday, Sept. 29 & 30, many of our Class of
2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 Southern Starz players participated in
the "Battle in Franklin" and the BlueStar College
Showcase held in Franklin, TN at the USBA and A-Game
SportsPlex during the NCAA Fall Evaluation weekend. Our
Starz 2014,
2015-Bush, and 2016 teams participated in
the Team Event on Saturday & Sunday morning against some of
the top travel teams in the Southeast! Many of the Starz
players also participated in the BlueStar Showcase event on
Sunday afternoon, Sept. 30. Many college coaches were in
attendance for both events. For more than 25 years BlueStar
has been one of the most influential organizations in
selecting and advising such publications rankings and
listings as found in The Sporting News, USA Today, Gatorade
Circle of Champions, and McDonalds All American Team just to
name a few. These rankings and evaluations are part of the
national BlueStar Report available to college coaches
& media across the country. Starz 2012 graduate and current
Tennessee Lady Vol Freshman Jasmine
Jones was ranked by BlueStar Basketball as
the #18 player in the nation in her Class. GO STARZ!!
FOES become LASTING FRIENDS as STARZ TEAM MATES!!
Once middle school and high school seasons are complete
early each Spring, our Southern
Starz program and teams bring together
players from across North & Central Alabama, Southern
Tennessee, and Mississippi. When practices commence in
March and our players come together in the gym for Starz
practices shortly after the high school playoffs end, an
interesting phenomenon occurs ... Hoover players team up
with players from Bob Jones ... Huntsville players team up
with players from Buckhorn & Hazel Green ... players from
Johnson with players from Lee ... players from Austin with
players from Decatur ... players from Madison Academy with
players from West Morgan ... players from Brewer with
players from Hartselle ... area foes from Woodland playing
with those from Lanett ... and county rivals from Boaz and
Albertville join forces! Such is the case with two of our
Starz 7th-Crider team members ... county rivals
Baylee Grace Alldredge (Boaz) joined forces
with
Jordan Norris (Albertville) to help our
Starz 7th-Crider
Team win their very first AL AAU State
Championship and helped lead their Starz team to a Top 20
finish at the 7th Grade AAU Division 1 National Tournament
held in Kings Island, OH on July 13-18. What happens when
these former foes come together? They usually find out that
the player they really didn't like very much during school
basketball actually is pretty Cool and has the same
competitive fire and desire to succeed that they do!! Check
out the "Before" and "After" with
Baylee Grace and
Jordan!! GO STARZ!!
STARZ 2012 DUO HAMBY & JONES NAMED PARADE ALL-AMERICANS!!
Southern Starz Class of 2012 graduates
Hayden Hamby of 3A-West Morgan
High School (and now of Purdue
University) and
Jasmine Jones of 6A Runner-Up Bob Jones High
School (and now of the U of Tennessee Lady Vols) have each
received
another very prestigious award as they were named to the
2012 Parade All-America
Basketball Team!!! The
Parade All-America team has been one of the longest standing
and most prestigious awards to high school athletes. This
year's team consists of only 40 of the top players from
throughout the United States! 2 of the members of this
exclusive group are not only from Alabama ... but North
Alabama ... from within 30 miles of each other ... and BOTH
are long-time members of our Southern Starz 2012 Team since
they were in the 7th Grade!! Hayden and Jasmine become the
FIRST players from the Southern Starz to be named as Parade
All-Americans! Both of these young ladies are currently
enrolled in summer school and working out diligently with
their new college team mates. Hayden was named Gatorade
Player of the Year and Miss Basketball in Alabama during her
Junior year (2010-11) while Jasmine was named Gatorade
Player of the Year and Miss Basketball in Alabama during her
Senior year 2011-12). See the entire 2012 Parade
All-America Team along with their colleges of choice at:
http://www.parade.com/news/all-america/2012/basketball-team.html?index=5.
CONGRATS to these SUPER STARZ!!!
STARZ 10th FINISH 4TH at Division 1 AAU NATIONALS!!!
Our AL Southern
Starz 10th (2014) Team fell short in their
run at an AAU National Championship, but they became the
FIRST Starz Team to accomplish a Top 4 in the Nation finish
TWO TIMES, doing so in back-to-back years in 2012 and
2011!! Starz 2014 suffered a tough loss in the Final 4 in a
rematch vs the NY Gauchos NIKE 2014 Team. Starz 2014
defeated the Gauchos by 53-43 in Pool Play and led at
halftime of the rematch by 35-30. Foul trouble and Injuries
and a worthy opponent proved to be a tough combination as
the Starz fell in the end by a score of 76-65. The NY
Gauchos went on to WIN the AAU National Championship! In
the 3rd/4th Place Game, our Starz 2014 got off to a very
slow start and came back to take a 1 pt lead with 3 secs to
go. An untimely foul call resulted in 2 made FTs by the
other team, and Starz 2014 fell to the Drills for Skills
Wildcats from Pittsburgh PA by 61-60 in a heartbreaker to
finish in 4th Place in the Nation! CONGRATS to STARZ 2014!!
Starz 7th GR-Crider finish in Top 20 at AAU Nationals!
Led by
Head Coach Tony Crider, our AL AAU State
Champion Southerrn
Starz 7th Grade-Crider team finished tied
for 17th in the Nation at the 68-team AAU D1 Nationals held
on July 13-18 in Kings Island, OH (near Cincinnati). Our
Starz 7th-Crider Team finished 2-1 in Pool Play with their
only loss to the #2 Seed and eventual #6 finisher Missouri
Valley Magic. Starz 7th-Crider advanced to the
Championship Bracket of 34 1st and 2nd Place
teams from Pool Play. In game 1 of Bracket Play, Starz
7th-Crider lost a tough, close game by 42-39 to the Dayton
Lady Hoopstars. Our Starz 7th bounced back to defeat the Cy
Fair (TX) NIKE Elite Team by the score of 49-47 in a hard
fought contest. Finally, our Starz 7th Team was eliminated
from the tournament with a 2nd loss to the Dayton Lady
Hoopstars. A Top 20 Finish in the Nation in their very
First Trip to the AAU National Championships is a GREAT
Accomplishment for this team! CONGRATS STARZ 7TH-CRIDER!!!
Complete Tourney Results can be found at:
http://aaugirlsbasketball.org/Results/NationalChps.aspx.
STARZ 9th-Gilliam finish 9th at AAU D2 Nationals!!
Our AL Southern
Starz 9th-Gilliam (2015) Team, led by
Head Coach Fred Gilliam, finished in
9th Place of 40 Teams at the AAU D2 National
Championships held on July 5-10 in Orlando, FL at
ESPN/Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and other sites
in the area. Our Starz 9th-Gilliam Team began the
tournament by going 2-1 and finishing Second in Pool R.
Starz 5th began Bracket Play with a 34-25 victory over the
Florida Alllout AllStarz to advance to the Sweet 16. Starz
9th-Gilliam then suffered a loss to the Louisiana Diamond
Elite who went on to Win the Championship! Starz
9th rebounded in the Consolation Bracket to go 3-0 in their
final 3 games to finish 9th in the tournament! CONGRATS to
STARZ 9TH-GILLIAM!!!
STARZ 5th finish 8th at AAU D2 Nationals!!
Our AL Southern
Starz 5th Grade (2019) Team, led by
Head Coach Deborah Garner, finished in
8th Place at the AAU D2 National
Championships held on June 24-29 in Franklin (Nashville),
TN!! Our Starz 5th GR Team began the tournament by going
3-0 and finishing First in Pool C. Starz 5th began Bracket
Play with a 31-29 victory over the Fairfax Stars-Ellison
team to advance to the Elite 8. Starz 5th then suffered a
loss to the Ponchatoula (LA) Hurricanes who went on to Win
the Championship! Starz 5th dropped their final 2 games in
the Elite 8 to finish 8th in the tournament! CONGRATS to
STARZ 5TH!!!
COACH BUSH on Staff at BAYLOR Elite Camp 2012!
Starz Director & Coach
Doug Bush served on the Coaching &
Instructional Staff at the Baylor University's Elite Camp
which was held in Waco, Texas at Meyer Arena, home of
the Lady Bears on June 10-11.
Shakayla Thomas of our nationally-ranked
Starz 2014 Team proved to be one of the top
players at this Camp which included talented players from
Texas and across the nation. The Camp Staff included the
members of the 2012 National Champion Baylor Women's
Basketball Coaching Staff (including 2-Time National
Champion Head Coach Kim Mulkey), current Baylor players,
former players, various High School and AAU Coaches. Both
Shakayla and Coach Bush had an enjoyable experience
interacting with Coach Mulkey, Baylor's basketball staff,
and Baylor players, including All-American and College
Player of the Year
Brittney Griner! CONGRATS!
 |
 |
|
Brittney Griner & Shakayla Thomas! |
Coach Mulkey & Coach Bush! |
STARZ 10TH WINS ESPN HS SHOWCASE in ORLANDO!!!
Our nationally-ranked Southern
Starz 2014 team WON the CHAMPIONSHIP in the
8-team
invitation-only ESPN
HS Girls' Basketball Showcase on
June 1-3 at ESPN/Disney's Wide World of
Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. This is the 2nd SHOWCASE
CHAMPIONSHIP won by our Starz 2014 team in the past 12
months on Center Court at Disney's WWOS Complex. Starz 2014
defeated the Florida Angels by a score of 53-45 in the
Championship Game which was televised LIVE and the
Game Replay can be found on ESPN3.Com at: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/source/espn3/id/503940/size/condensed/. Starz
2014 won Pool A with a 3-0 record and was a perfect 5-0 in
this event. Our nationally-ranked Starz
2015-Bush team competed in the 9th Grade
Division which included 16 of the top elite teams in the
nation. After beginning with a tough OT loss in their first
Pool Play game, Starz 2015-Bush bounced back to upset the
nationally-ranked Cy Fair NIKE Elite (formerly Texas Biddy)
Team to finish #2 in their Pool and advance to the
Championship Bracket of 8 teams. Starz 2015-Bush fell short
to the NY Gauchos in Bracket play to finished in a tie for
5th. Cy Fair NIKE Elite went on the win the Championship
over the NY Gauchos with their only loss being by a score of
37-34 to our Starz 2015-Bush team! The USA U17 & U18 Women's
National Teams were practicing and played exhibition games
against Brazil. Starz players will got to participate in a
Meet & Greet / Pizza Party with members of both USA Teams.
Top National Scouting Services were also be on hand to
evaluate players, including ESPN HoopGurlz, All-Star Girls'
Report, BlueStar Basketball, and Balln PrepGirls. You can
find the complete Game Results at:
http://www.scorbot.com/Games.aspx?tid=58.
CONGRATS STARZ 2014 & 2015-Bush!!
STARZ 2014 are on Front Page of ESPN-HoopGurlz
at:
http://espn.go.com/high-school/girls-basketball/ along
with in-action game photos!!
Click on picture
to view larger picture
STARZ 8th Grade team play in honor of guards father, David
Bagget!
The AL Southern Starz 8th gradeplayed in the SouthEast
Challenge (June 1-3, 2012). The team played in honor
of their guard Madison Baggett's father, David Bagget, who
was able to attend the last game he would see his daughter
and the STARZ play before his deployment to
Afghanistan. After the game, the girls presented David with
a pink Championship tee shirt signed by all of the 8th grade
Starz and parents. To top it all off, the Starz 8th grade
took 1st place. Way to go STARZ!!!
STARZ are AAU STATE CHAMPS in 3 Divisions!! (7th, 8th &
9th)
Nine (9) of our Southern Starz teams participated in the AL
AAU State Tournament the weekend of May 25-27 on the campus
of Samford University and at Homewood Middle School in
Birmingham, AL!
Our Starz 7th-Crider, 8th, & 9th-Bush, Grade Teams finished
as AL AAU State Champs in their respective Age Divisions
while our Starz 10th team finished 2nd, our Starz 11th,
Starz 7th-Gaston & Starz 5th teams finished 3rd. All our
Starz teams competed at a high level! Our
Starz 8th grade team won a fierce battle by
the score of 58-57 against the Mobile Comets in the Finals
after having beaten the same team in Pool Play and back in
April in Overtime in each game! Our
Starz 9th-Bush team
won their second consecutive AL AAU State Championship with
a 49-44 victory over the Alabama Shockerz whom they beat for
the title last year and back in April in our own AAU SRT
Championship Game. Our
Starz 7th-Crider team
wore down the Alabama Twisters 7th in the Finals to win by a
score of 50-29 to capture their very first AL AAU State
Championship! Our
Starz 10th Team advanced to their
Championship Game and fell short by a score of 66-55 to the
Alabama Tar Heels. Our
Starz 11th, Starz 7th-Gaston and Starz 5th Grade Teams
all finished 3rd while our
Starz 6th Grade Team finished 4th in their
age groups. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ TEAMS!
7th
Grade State Champs! |
8th
Grade State Champs! |
9th
Grade State Champs! |
STARZ 4TH GRADE TEAM is GROWING UP FAST!
Our youngest Starz team for 2012 is our newly formed
Southern Starz 4th Grade Team (Class of
2020) which is coached by current Starz Senior (Class of
2012) Martin Methodist signee
Nina Mills of 4A-Good Hope High School.
Starz 4th is made up of 10 young ladies, including 2 younger
sisters of current older Starz players. They have a current
record of 9-4, playing 4th and 5th Grade Teams. On the
weekend of April 25-27, Starz 4th played in the AAU Super
Regional Tournament in Franklin, TN and qualified for the
AAU National Tournament by reaching the Championship Game,
only to fall short in a heart-breaking last second 29-27
loss to the host Tennessee A-Game 4th Grade Team. Our Starz
led the entire game until the final seconds. This weekend,
on May 11-12, our Starz 4th participated in the PINK ZONE
event in Birmingham and finished with a record of 2-1,
falling short Friday night to the AL Twisters, but coming
back to win their 2 games on Saturday in convincing
fashion. Starz 4th will join each of our other Starz teams
at the AL AAU State Tournament in Birmingham at Samford
University on May 25-27. CONGRATS & GOOD LUCK to Starz 4TH!
STARZ SIGNEES for CLASS of 2012 set RECORD!
As our
Southern Starz Class of 2012 prepares for
their high school graduations in 2 weeks, many of these same
young ladies will move on to pursue their education in
college while continuing to play basketball ... on
Scholarship! To date ... a Starz Record 20
players from our Class of 2012 will accept
college basketball scholarships to take their talents to the
next level! Recent college signees include:
Ayanna McCullough of 5A-Russellville
High with Stillman College (D2) in Tuscaloosa, AL ...
Mary Ellen Williams of Baylor School
(Chattanooga TN) with DePauw University (D3) in Greencastle,
IN ...
Hope Benefield of 2A-Ider High School with
Wallace St CC in Hanceville, AL ...
DeAsha Campbell of 6A-Bob Jones HS with
Florida State CC in Jacksonville, AL ...
Amber Elliott of 5A-Russellville, AL with
Shelton State CC in Tuscaloosa, AL ...
Regotta Craig of 6A-Hoover High with Shelton
State CC in Tuscaloosa, AL ...
Rayshell Harris of 5A-JO Johnson HS with
Southern Alabama CC in Thomasville, AL,
Taylor Adams of 2A-Section HS with Gadsden
State CC in Gadsden, AL ... and,
Collin Nichols of 5A-Madison County HS will
play Volleyball at Gadsden State CC. See the entire listing
of Starz Signees for 2012 and prior at:
http://www.southernstarz.org/college.htm. CONGRATS!!
NIKE SKILLS ACADEMY - STARZ 2015 PLAYER KRISTIAN HUDSON!
Southern Starz Freshman,
Kristian Hudson of our Starz 2015-Bush Team
and 6A-Clay Chalkville High School participated at the NIKE
Skills Academy on the weekend of April 28-29 in Atlanta,
GA. Kristian was one of only 4 players from the State of
Alabama to be invited to this exclusive event which included
top players from all across the Southeast. Also present
were national scouting services. Members of the WNBA
Atlanta Dream were also on-hand. Kristian enjoyed the
instruction, competition and 2 days of intense basketball!
CONGRATS to Kristian!
STARZ TEAMS SHOW STRONG at DEEP SOUTH CLASSIC 2012!!
On the NCAA Spring viewing weekend of April 20-22, 3 of our high
school age Southern Starz teams traveled to Raleigh-Durham,
NC to participate in the prestigious
Deep South Classic held at various sites in
the area. Our 3 teams combined for a record of 8-4 while
playing UP against very strong competition and while playing
in front of hundreds of college coaches!! Our
Starz 9th Grade-Bush Team (14U) finished 5th
of the 16 teams in the 14U-National Division with a record
of 3-1 ... their only loss was by 4 pts to the eventual 3rd
Place finisher (Domino's of New Orleans). Our
Starz 10th Grade Team (15U) won the
Consolation Championship in the 16-team 16U-National
Division (Bracket A). After losing a tough opening game by
7 points, our Starz 10th Graders won their final 3 games in
convincing fashion to finish with a record of 3-1. Our
Starz 11th Grade (Looney) team finished
Runner-Up in the Consolation Bracket of the
16-team 17U-National Division (Bracket B) with a record of
2-2. 11th-Looney lost by 3 pts in the Consolation
Championship on Sunday. At each Starz game, numerous college
coaches were in attendance watching our players! CONGRATS
to ALL!
STARZ 9th & 10th TEAMS are AAU SUPER REGIONAL CHAMPS!!
In our very own
11th Annual AAU Super Regional Tournament
hosted by our Southern Starz in Huntsville, AL on April
13-15 at Huntsville High, Madison Academy, and Bob Jones HS,
our
Starz 2015-Bush
Team won the 9th Grade Division with a hard
fought victory in the Championship Game over the Alabama
Shockerz by the score of 41-39. Our Starz trailed by 22-14
at halftime before coming back strong in the 2nd half with a
great Defensive performance. Our
Starz 2014 Team cruised through the entire
tournament which ended with a 82-47 victory over the North
AL Blast in the Championship Game. Our
Starz 7th-Crider Team finished Runner-Up in
the 7th Grade Division with a tough 60-57 loss to the
nationally-ranked Kentucky Blast 7th Grade Team. Starz
7th-Crider was 4-0 in Pool Play, including a victory in OT
over this same Kentucky Blast team. Each of these 3 teams
qualified for the AAU D1 National Championships to be held
this Summer. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ!!!
SOUTHERN
STARZ SRT
THANKS for your participation in our 11th Annual AAU SRT in
Huntsville AL last weekend!! We had some great competition
... including a 4 OT Thriller in the 8th Grade Division!!
Age Group Champs were as follows:
6th Grade: Kentucky Blast Runner-Up: Madison County
Lady Eagles
7th Grade: Kentucky Blast Runner-Up: AL Southern
Starz
8th Grade: Kentucky Blast Runner-Up: Mobile Comets
9th Grade: AL Southern Starz Runner-Up: Alabama
Shockerz
10th Grade: AL Southern Starz Runner-Up: North
AL Blast
11th Grade: NMB Hoop Dreams-BLUE Runner-Up: Kentucky
Blast
ALL Champs & Runner-Ups qualified for AAU Division 1
Nationals! In addition, the 3rd Place finishers in the 9th
Grade Division (TN A-Game) and the 10th Grade Division also
qualified for D1 due to the # of teams. All other teams
qualified for the Division 2 AAU Nationals
STARZ DOMINATE 5 of 6 STATE POYs & MISS BASKETBALL!
At the annual
Player of the Year luncheon in Montgomery,
AL on Wednesday, April 11 sponsored by the AHSAA, 9 Starz
players were among the 18 finalists in each of the 6
Classifications (1A-6A) who were vying for the Player of the
Year award for 2011-12. Starz Director/Coach
Doug Bush was present at the luncheon as
Starz players were awarded Player of the Year in 5 of the 6
classifications by the ASWA as follows:
Alex Gholston (JR) of
1A State semi-finalist R.A Hubbard won for the 2nd year in a
row ...Taylor
Adams (SR) of 2A State Champion Section ...
Hayden Hamby (SR) of 3A West Morgan won for
the 3rd year in a row ...
Shakayla Thomas (SO) of 5A Sylacauga ... and
Jasmine Jones of 6A State Runner-Up Bob
Jones won for the 2nd year in a row. U of Tennessee signee
JASMINE JONES was then named as MISS
BASKETBALL to add to her Gatorade Player of
the Year award. Jasmine becomes the 3rd Starz player in the
past 4 years to win Miss Basketball, following her Starz
teammate & Purdue signee Hayden Hamby last year and Jala
Harris in 2009. CONGRATS to our STARZ!!
|
Shakayla Thomas and Leah Strain |
Alex Gholston |
3 STARZ in SUPER 5 in STATE OF ALABAMA for 2011-12!
At the annual
Player of the Year luncheon in Montgomery,
AL on Wednesday, April 11 sponsored by the AHSAA, 3 Starz
players were named to the SUPER 5 All-State Team for
2011-12 as follows: Tennessee Signee
Jasmine Jones (SR) of 6A-Bob Jones, Purdue
signee
Hayden Hamby (SR) of 3A-West Morgan High
School, and
Shakayla Thomas (SOPH) of 5A-Sylacauga High
School. This is the 2nd consecutive year for Jasmine &
Hayden to be named to the Super 5 team. CONGRATS to our
SUPER STARZ!!
STARZ 2015's (9TH GR) ARE CHAMPIONS in MURFREESBORO!
Our
Southern Starz 2015-Bush (9th Grade) Team
battled back from a tough 1-point loss on Friday night in
their opening game on Friday night to WIN the CHAMPIONSHIP
of the 9th Grade Division of the annual Showtime Shootout in
Murfreesboro, TN held on March 30-April 1. Our Starz
2015-Bush team won 2 games on Saturday to capture 1st Place
in Pool B and then went on to win their semi-final game on
Sunday morning over our own Starz 2015-Gilliam team who
finished 2nd in Pool A. Starz 2015-Bush defeated the
Tennessee Flight 9th-Navy Team in the finals by a score of
40-36. Our Starz 11th, 10th, 8th, and 7th (both teams)
fared very well in their first big tournaments of the new
season. Starz 11th lost in the Quarter-finals, Starz 10th
lost in the semi-finals playing UP in the 11th Grade
Division, Starz 8th and 7th-Crider (Pool Champs) both lost
in the semi-finals of their respective age
divisions. CONGRATS to OUR STARZ!!!!
STARZ SOPH SHAKAYLA THOMAS TOPS 2,000 POINTS ... 
Starz Sophomore and recently named Class 5A 1st Team
All-State player,
Shakayla Thomas (Class of 2014) a 5'11"
Forward for Sylacauga High School surpassed the 2,000 point
total during the latter portion of her recent high school
season. Shakayla has 2 seasons to go in her high school
career before she takes her talents on to college. She is
currently ranked as the #8 player in the Class of 2014 by
All-Star Girls's Report (see http://asgr.info/).
She helped lead our Starz 2014 Team to a 4th Place finish at
the AAU 9th Grade National Tournament in July 2011
in Orlando, FL followed by a 1st Place Championship in the
AAU 9th Grade Super Showcase in Orlando, FL. CONGRATS to
Shakayla!!
SIX (6) STARZ on ALABAMA VS MISSISSIPPI ALL-STAR SQUAD!
SIX (6) of our
Southern Starz Class of 2012 (current
Seniors) have been selected for the
Alabama All-Star Team in the annual
Alabama vs Mississippi All-Star Game to be
held in Montgomery, AL on Friday, March 16 at 5:00pm at the
Dunn-Oliver Acadome on the campus of AL State University. Starz
Seniors
Jasmine Jones
(Tennessee signee & AL Gatorade Player of the Year) & Tierra
Jones (Tulane signee) of 6A State Runner-Up
Bob Jones HS, Hayden
Hamby (Purdue signee) of 3A-West Morgan HS, Lydia
McGee (Samford signee) of 3A-Madison
Academy,
Tiarra Pollnitz (Southern Miss signee) of
6A-Shades Valley HS, and
Taylor Adams (State 2A MVP) of 2A
State Champion Section HS will make up 1/2 of the 12-member
state-wide Alabama Team selected for this annual event. The
Alabama ladies hold a slim 11-10 edge in this series.
CONGRATS to our ALL STARZ!!
STARZ ADAMS & MCCARVER at SECTION are 2A STATE CHAMPS!
Starz Senior Taylor
Adams (Class of 2012) and Starz Sophomore
Jordan McCarver (Class of 2014) played key
roles in leading #2-ranked Section Lady Lions to the 2A
State Championship with a hard fought 54-49 win over Red
Bay! Adams was named State
Finals MVP
as she led her team with 20 points & 11 rebounds. McCarver
was also named to the All-Tournament Team as was former
Starz 2013 player
Hannah Presley of Section. Congrats also
to Starz Senior
Regotta Craig (Class of 2012) and Starz
Junior
Olivia Adamson (Class of 2013) of Hoover
High School as they captured the 6A State Championship with
their 44-26 victory over #1-ranked 6A Bob Jones. Starz
Seniors
Jasmine Jones and
Tierra Jones of 6A Runner-Up Bob Jones were
named to the All-Tournament Team. Starz Senior Lydia McGee
of 3A-Madison Academy was named to the All-Tourney Team.
Starz Juniors
Alex Hubbard of 1A Runner-Up R.A. Hubbard
and
Nina Mills of 4A-Good Hope were also named
to the All-Tourney Team. Congrats to Starz Freshman
Malerie Drinkard who helped her Brewer Lady
Patriots to the Class 5A State Championship! CONGRATS to
our STARZ!!
VEE YOUNG Honored at Women's Basketball Hall of Fame!
Former Southern Starz Class of 2008 and current NAIA
All-American at Martin Methodist College (Pulaski, TN)
Vee Young has been honored with a dream come
true - her jersey has been placed on display in the Ring of
Honor at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville,
TN in recognition of her outstanding play during the 2010-11
season! Vee averaged 20 points & 9 rebounds per game for
her home-town Red Hawks as she was honored with Third-Team
NAIA All-American status. The Ring of Honor is an Exhibit
at the Hall of Fame where the nation's top players from
every level are honored. Vee Young began her college career
at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN for two
years and has 1 year remaining at Martin Methodist. See Vee
in action on Saturday, Nov. 5 as her Red Hawks from Martin
Methodist come to Huntsville, AL to face the Bulldogs of AL
A&M at 4:00pm! CONGRATS to VEE!!
STARZ PLAYERS SHOWCASE TALENTS at FILA JUNIORS!
On July 27-30, 4 of our Southern Starz Teams displayed their
talents and
performed at a
high level in front of 100's of College Coaches & Scouts in
the highly competitive FILA JUNIORS by Michael T. White held
at the Basketball Academy in Louisville, KY. Our
Starz 2012-Bush team competed in the
24-team 17U-National Division of this event which included
some of the very top Elite club teams & top ranked
players from across the country such as AZ Warriors (Champ),
Chicago Lady Fire (Runner-Up), Ohio Lady Attack (3rd, AAU
Champs, AAU Showcase Champs), Kentucky Premier, Peak
Performance (GA), Cal Sparks, Jacksonville (FL) Lady Rams,
Tree of Hope (WA), etc. Our Starz opened with a tough loss
to Tree of Hope before rebounding with 3 consecutive wins
and closed with a tough loss to the Kentucky Premier to
finish at 3-2. Due to conflicts with volleyball, etc. our Starz
2012-Looney/2013-Looney teams combined to
participate in the 17U-Signature Division of this event.
Starz 2012/2013 finished 4-1 in this event and closed with
a hard fought 65-60 win over the Derek Smith (KY) All-Starz
17U team to finish in 9th Place in their 24-team Division.
Starz 2014 (9th Grade) was short-handed and
participated in the 24-team 16U-National Division. Starz
2014 won their first 2 games before a very tough 1-point
loss to the Dayton Lady Hoopstars 2013 (15U) team. Starz
2014 finished at 3-2 and in 5th Place in their Division.
Starz 2015 (8th Grade) also participated in
the 24-team 16U-National Division, mostly playing UP against
much older competition. Starz 2015 also finished at 3-2,
including a big 43-40 victory over the Chicago Lady Fire
2015 team featuring their twin (6-4) towers and highly
ranked guard. Starz 2015 closed with a tough 56-52 loss to
the St. Augustine Celtics 2013 team (2 yrs older) to finish
10th in their 24-team Division. Overall our Starz teams
finished with a record of 13-7 in this highly competitive
event!!! This event officially ends the NCAA College
Evaluation period of July and our Starz season which began
back in March. CONGRATS to ALL STARZ!!
STARZ are AAU STATE CHAMPS in 3 Divisions!! (8th, 9th &
10th)
Seven (7) of our Southern Starz teams participated in the AL
AAU State Tournament the weekend of May 27-29 on the campus
of Samford University in Birmingham, AL! Our Starz 8th,
9th, & 10th, Grade Teams finished as AL AAU State Champs in
their respective Age Divisions while our Starz 11th-Bush
team finished 2nd, our Starz 11th-Looney team finished 3rd,
and our Starz 6th Grade Team finished 3rd. All our Starz
teams competed at a high level! Our Starz 8th grade team
won a fierce battle by the score of 56-50 with their rival
AL Twister 8th Grade Team in the semi-finals before pulling
away from the AL Shockerz 8th Grade Team by a score of 43-32
in the Championship Game! Our Starz 9th grade team avenged
an earlier loss in Pool Play by defeating the Alabama Tar
Heels by the score of 89-81 in their Championship Game! Our
Starz 10th Grade Team defeated the N. AL Twisters by the
score of 63-50 in the semi-finals before pulling out a 72-66
victory over the AL Twisters Elite 10th Grade Team in their
Championship Game! Our Starz 11th-Bush Team advanced to
their Championship Game and fell short by a score of 74-66
to their long-time rivals, the AL Twisters Elite. Our Starz
6th Grade team suffered a very tough and close loss by 26-22
to their cross-town rivals the Lady Panthers in the
semifinals before coming back with a convincing 52-29 win
over another cross-town rival the MCAS Lady Bucks in the 3rd
Place Game. CONGRATS to ALL our STARZ TEAMS!
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2006 Starz 14u finish
2nd at AAU Nationals!!
Our
Southern Starz 14u team (girls
born during 1991) finished as the #2 team in the nation at the
AAU National Championship Tournament held in Lafayette, LA on
July 23-31, 2006. Read more on their team news page!
