Sunday, April 22, 2012

Player Scout: Brigitte Ardossi


If you didn’t know any better, you might be forgiven for saying that Brigitte Ardossi is a rising star.

She was outstanding as a junior; she led the Victorian Basketball League in rebounding in 2004. In 2005 she was the leading scorer and was named the Big V MVP, Rising Star, and All-Star 5 Forward. She was an All-Star at the 2005 Pacific School Games, where she helped her team to win the gold, and represented Victoria again at the 2006 U20 Australian Junior Championships, where they won silver.

She studied at Georgia Tech, where she played for the Yellow Jackets, racking up 1001 points and 559 rebounds during her career. She had a standout senior year when she made the All-ACC Second Team, and was named the State of Georgia Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Following her college career, she was drafted to the WNBA by the Atlanta Dream, and played for Cote D’Opale Basket Calais in Europe.

In 2011 she debuted in the WNBL for the Canberra Capitals. She flashed her college ball skills, and quickly became an integral member of the team, slipping into their post rotation. She finished the season with 189 points and 143 rebounds, earning the team’s Player on the Rise award.

Ardossi is a talented post, with an inspirational work ethic. She has strong moves under the basket, and a skilful outside game. She rebounds with determination, and defends with intensity. She has the competitive spirit of a champion, and the strength of character of a leader.

She brings to the Capitals exactly what they need, and while she has already shown that she can stand out on any stage around the world, she is certainly talent that should be kept in Canberra. Not only for the Nation’s Capital, but Australian basketball will benefit by having her experience in the competition.

Ardossi is already a superstar in her own right, and if you haven’t realised this by now, you must be Dreaming.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Clearing the Bench

Watching the drama of the WNBA draft unfold, I was once again reminded how the recruiting period can be one of the most exciting and at the same time, frustrating times as a fan.

It's the feeling, kinda like what I imagine winning the lottery would feel like, when the team that you support announces a signing of some major talent. And when they sign a player that is exactly what the team needs, that's like the feeling you get when you find a pair of basketball shoes in your size. On sale.

But by the same token, sometimes you have to call shenanigans on the decisions your team makes. That is, if you're not already busy banging your head on the nearest solid object.

The Atlanta Dream somehow managed to select an ineligible player with one of their draft picks. With so many people involved in making that decision, if I were a Dream fan, I’d be left wondering how a matter like eligibility escaped their consideration.

Here at home, we don't have a draft. But when free agent season rolls around, eyes immediately start browsing for players to move from the wish list to the shopping cart.

In the WNBL, most players need to hold down a full time job in addition to training and games. In my opinion, it's no small decision for players to make when they sign with a team. So you might hope that clubs would adopt good faith bargaining in their contract negotiations with players.

Because worse than seeing your team miss out on signing good players, is watching your team lose great players. Hard-working players who have sweated, ached and bruised for the team; passionate players who hustled during every possession, every game; loyal players who would not have considered signing anywhere else.

Of course it's nice to chase a major drawcard, someone who can be the face of the team. I just wish clubs would realise that it's just as important to hang onto players who are the heart and soul of the team too.

I imagine it must be disillusioning for players, it's sure as heck frustrating to see as a fan. Because even worse than watching your team lose great players, is seeing these players get shafted by your team.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Player Scout: Kristy Wallace

Although I’ve only had the opportunity to see Kristy Wallace in action a couple of times, she is such an impressive young gun that she had to be the focus of this scout anyway.

Wallace is a talented guard from South Queensland. She has played for Southern Districts Spartans in recent State Championships, and has been instrumental in the success of her team. She has consistently been selected to represent Queensland South in successive Australian Junior Championships. In 2011 she was the second leading scorer of the championships, averaging 19 points per game, as well as 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

This season she is playing with Brisbane Spartans in the South East Australian Basketball League. In their last game she scored 10 points and 5 rebounds in 34 minutes on the court. The Spartans missed her in their opening game of the season in Canberra, as she was down the road at the AIS in camp with the Australian U17 squad in preparation for the FIBA U17 World Championships later this year.

Next week she will be busy with representative commitments once again, controlling the back court for Queensland South at the Australian U18 Championships in Perth. With her emergent leadership skills, her natural decision-making ability, and her solid on-ball defense, she will undoubtedly be one to watch throughout the championships.

If you happen to be in Perth for the U18s, please do me a favour and go check it out. I bet that you will find plenty of material to help me fill this scout. If you can’t make it to Perth this time, don’t worry – you have more opportunity to see her in action. Wallace has a bright future, and she will continue to appear on grander stages, with even more performances well worth scouting.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Into the Game



Every basketball fan enjoys watching elite players perform at the pinnacle of competition. However, I would speculate, not all of those fans would take as much interest in players still in their development stage.  Granted, the spectacular moves may occur a little less often, and the skills may require a little more work, but I still find the game awe-inspiring.

It takes special people to coach at the developmental level; the most remarkable of those can maintain their composure on the bench, to deliver their message clearly, while behaving impeccably towards officials regardless of the score line. After all, the coaches are developing more than just the players’ games, but perhaps shaping their attitudes too.

Few exemplify this more so than Australian U17 Women’s Head Coach Marissa Fillipou. She, along with her team of support staff are working with a fresh young group in preparation for the FIBA U17 World Championships in the Netherlands, in August this year.

It’s an exciting group under her tutelage. There are a number of guards for her selection, each capable of controlling the tempo on the court, and excellent on-ball defenders. She also has good options inside, with height and athleticism in the post, this looks to be a strong pool of candidates.

Beyond the natural talent of these young women, it’s also inspiring to see the way they take to coaching. Coach Fillipou has engineered a well-oiled machine.  The team is dynamic in attack, but still know when to pull out and run their offense. They are solid individual defenders, while their full court press is one of the most cohesive you’ll see.

This team is one illustration of why I find it inspiring to see coaches working with younger players, and helping them grow and develop into the superstars we all love to watch.

If you haven’t yet taken the opportunity to check out developing talent, I strongly suggest that you do, because it’s a game worth getting into.