Fencor 1989s

DelleDonne's reputation is growing 'Big girl from Delaware' building an imposing reputation By DOUG LESMERISES Staff reporter 07/11/2004 If you follow girls basketball, or high school athletics or sports of any kind in Delaware, you probably have heard of Elena DelleDonne. You might know that she will be a freshman at Ursuline Academy this fall and that as an eighth-grader she averaged 20.2 points per game, made first team All-State and helped lead the Raiders to the state title. You might know that she is 6-foot-3 and plays like a guard and that she's just 14 years old. You should know that she's very, very good at basketball. You might not know just how good. Anyone in the country who pays serious attention to girls basketball knows Elena DelleDonne, too. And they've never really seen anyone like her. The "big girl from Delaware," they call her. Her home state packed gyms and offered cheers during her first high school season, but without a broader context, differentiating between a great player in a small state and a burgeoning phenom was difficult to do. That process will be clarified this week, when DelleDonne joins 79 other top high school players in the prestigious Nike All-America Camp at St. Louis. She is just the second eighth-grader in the eight-year history of the camp to earn an invitation. The other was Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, who committed to play at Tennessee before her freshman year of high school and will finally suit up for the Lady Vols this season. Asked if DelleDonne is really one of the best 80 high school players in the nation though she hasn't reached ninth grade, Mary Thompson, director of girls basketball for Nike, laughed at the silly question. Asked if DelleDonne is the best 14-year-old girls basketball player in America, Thompson said, "Absolutely." Accolades for the next ... Ask around, and DelleDonne draws comparisons to LeBron James, who just finished his rookie year in the NBA after a career as the most famous high school basketball player ever. To Michelle Wie, the 14-year-old golfer from Hawaii who has been playing in professional events with men and women. To Diana Taurasi, the recent University of Connecticut graduate considered to be one of the best players in the history of women's college basketball. Yes, DelleDonne has four years of high school basketball remaining. But Duke, North Carolina and Maryland have offered her full basketball scholarships. And all anyone can go on is what they see now. "She is as good a player as I've seen at that age," said Lou Kern, a former women's basketball coach at Fordham University who has been involved in the game for 32 years and is running the AAU tournament in which DelleDonne's team is playing this weekend. "I have not seen a better one. And I saw a lot of players, some of which went on to the WNBA." Included in Kern's list is Chamique Holdsclaw, the former Tennessee star and current WNBA player some have called the female Michael Jordan, and Sue Bird, the former UConn point guard who was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 WNBA draft. "Holdsclaw, when she was in eighth grade, she was 6-1 with nowhere near the overall skills," Kern said. "She wasn't as complete a player as this one. And Sue Bird was a true point guard, but she wasn't nearly as skilled." DelleDonne is squeezing the Nike camp into her busy schedule, and she's proud to say she'll miss only one practice with her 14-and-under AAU team, Fencor, because of the camp. Fencor, based in Fort Washington, Pa., is playing at Kern's Future Stars College Showcase this weekend in New York. DelleDonne will return this evening, fly to St. Louis on Monday morning, attend the Nike camp, then meet her Fencor teammates in Louisiana for the AAU Nationals next weekend. Starting when she was 10, DelleDonne's AAU teams have finished third, fifth, first and second in their age group at nationals. That helps make your name. "Across the country, everyone knows who Elena is," said Aggie McCormick-Dix, coach of the Fairfax (Va.) Stars, the team that beat Fencor in the AAU Nationals championship game last year. "She's the best eighth-grader in the country. I probably have the second-best. But what's so amazing about her is her understanding of the game." That understanding of the game and of herself is why Nike invited a 14-year-old. College coaches can make suggestions, and DelleDonne said the North Carolina staff put in a good word. AAU Nationals are the norm now, but this is DelleDonne's first national exposure on her own. There will be players there old enough to have babysat for her, which is why she'll stay in a hotel with her parents instead of a dorm with the other players. "Her maturity level said a lot for her being invited, not just her basketball ability," Nike's Thompson said. "She is going to go on and do great things. I saw her at AAU Nationals last year, and she made her first six 3-pointers. And she's a big kid. You would compare her to the next Taurasi sort of thing. Taurasi stood out when she was young, but not quite this young." DelleDonne expects that a few of the other players can't wait, either, eager to test the "big girl from Delaware." "I'm sure they'll want to give it to me, but that's fine," DelleDonne said. "I know they're going to be really strong and all, but I think I can hang with them skills-wise. I'm not really nervous. I've been waiting so long, I can't wait to go." The Olympic dream And no one can wait for what she'll do next. Bill McDonough, who runs several AAU tournaments as the owner of Blue Chip Basketball and coaches a Philadelphia AAU team called the Rebels, said DelleDonne will become the next Olympian from this area. He's talking about her making the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, after her senior year in high school. "She's the finest player at that age, male or female, that I've ever seen," he said. "She's three years advanced for her age. And a 6-3 woman is like a 6-9 man in basketball, and you don't see 6-9 players play on the perimeter like she does." Told of all the players with whom she has been compared, DelleDonne was flattered and further motivated, knowing that her work in the gym is paying off. Told of the suggestion of the Olympics in four years, she concurred. "That's one of my biggest goals," she said. "I'd love to be in that." She is setting a goal; the rest of us are getting ahead of ourselves. The current Sports Illustrated includes a "Where Are They Now" section featuring the seven players the magazine in 1986 deemed to be the best boys basketball players in their respective grades, from 12th through sixth. The 11th-grader was future NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning. The senior and sophomore made the NBA. But none of the top players from ninth through sixth grade played in the pros, and only one even played at a four-year college. But the predictions of amazing things for DelleDonne are based on what she has done so far. Her size sets her apart. Her dribbling and passing skills would be exceptional for a player eight inches shorter. She can score inside, on 12-foot jumpers and from behind the 3-point line. Watching her older brother, Gene, a Salesianum School quarterback who will play football at Duke in 2005, she has a firm grasp on life as a well-known high school athlete. And then there is the way her Fencor coach, Veronica Algeo, rubs her hands over her face and grasps for the right words to describe this player. "She really is everything you would ever wish a player to be," said Algeo, who played college basketball at Ursinus College and is a high school coach. "It's going to be a LeBron James kind of thing. I've never seen anything like it. This girl has got it all. We're not just talking about averaging 40 points per game - it's more than that. "Her work ethic is beyond anything I've ever seen. And her leadership ... it's hard to get NBA players to understand the leadership concept, and to see a 14-year-old kid do it, it's amazing." Welcome to the camp The four-day Nike camp includes morning classes on things like manners, anger management, team-building and NCAA rules. Several guest speakers are planned. But the players are there for the two games a day and the chance to mix it up with the best competition in the country. For DelleDonne, who said she doesn't personally know any of the other players who will be at the camp, it will serve as an introduction. The big girl from Delaware will get a chance to show what she can do. We know that she's very, very good. Reach Doug Lesmerises at dlesmerises@delawareonline.com.

Women's Sports 14-year-old has towering gift At 6-foot-3 1/2, Elena Delle Donne has attracted national attention for her basketball skills before even beginning high school. By Ira Josephs Inquirer Staff Writer Elena Delle Donne is used to being pulled at like taffy and poked at like a piece of fruit. It's been that way on the court for as long as the 14-year-old basketball phenom can remember. Off the court, too, the 6-foot-31/2 guard/forward is growing used to an increased level of scrutiny. From the nation's colleges. From the media. From camp directors. From the opposition. "I've loved basketball my whole life," said the affable and easygoing Delle Donne, a resident of Centerville, Del., who will be a freshman this fall at Wilmington's Ursuline Academy. "I was always taller and realized I had an advantage there. When I played at higher levels, I realized I was pretty good for my age." For the fifth straight year, Delle Donne is playing Amateur Athletic Union ball with Fencor, the AAU girls' basketball club based in Fort Washington, Montgomery County. She led Fencor to the national AAU title (12-and-under) in 2002 and a runner-up finish (13-and-under) last year. A complete player, she is a great shooter, passer, rebounder and shot-blocker. "She's the one everybody looks to; she's the one everybody wants to play," said Stuart London, a Northeast Philadelphia resident and assistant coach of the Fencor teams since Delle Donne was 10. Added Fencor head coach Veronica Algeo: "She can play any position on the court and be the best player. She has so much poise for someone so young. She is extremely unselfish and a team leader like Jameer Nelson." As an eighth grader last season, Delle Donne averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds in leading the Ursuline varsity to the state title. While she can't dunk yet, she can grab the rim. Her outside game, however, is one of her greatest strengths. "She's probably the best shooter I've seen in person," said John Noonan, a CYO coach who has also been Delle Donne's personal coach since she was in second grade. "She's blessed with size and blessed with skill. You combine that with a work ethic that's second to none, and you see good things will come." Delle Donne hopes to guide Fencor to another national AAU crown in Monroe and West Monroe, La., July 16-22. But first comes the Nike All-American Camp July 12-15 in St. Louis, which features the nation's top 80 scholastic players. In the prestigious camp's nine-year history, Delle Donne is only the second player to receive an invitation before starting ninth grade. Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, of Pomona, Calif., an incoming freshman at Tennessee, was the first in 2000. "She's well known throughout the country as one of the top players," said Mary Thompson, Nike's high school girls' basketball manager. "She can do everything, she pulls her team together. I'm very excited to have her at the camp. With her maturity level, she'll have no problems handling it." Delle Donne has already been exposed to the college selection process. Her brother Gene, an incoming senior quarterback at Salesianum (Del.), made an oral commitment to attend Duke next year after an unofficial visit in May. Along for the visit were Elena and her parents, Ernest and Joan. Elena and her parents met for three hours with Duke head women's basketball coach Gail Goestenkors. A Duke jersey with Delle Donne's name and No. 11 were hanging in the locker of Alana Beard, then Duke's cocaptain. According to the NCAA, college coaches can't personally contact Delle Donne away from campus until July 1, 2007 - following completion of her junior year. The unofficial visit was within NCAA guidelines because it took place at Duke. Delle Donne has also received offers from North Carolina and Maryland. "[Former Ursuline coach] Steve Johnson prepared her for it, and her older brother paved the way," said Ernest Delle Donne, who played basketball for Columbia University and Tower Hill Academy (Del.). "She's put it in the proper perspective." Much of Delle Donne's perspective and inspiration comes from older sister Elizabeth Courtney, 20, who was born deaf and blind and also has cerebral palsy. Elizabeth, who has very limited sight, is learning sign language. "Just watching her every day fighting to walk across the room... I'm so lucky even to be able to walk," Elena said. "She's had over 30 surgeries. If I get hurt, I feel I need to be tough like her." Delle Donne, who stands over 6-foot-4 in sneakers and weighs 174 pounds, is used to facing double and even triple teams. In preparation for the national tournament next month, Fencor is playing against 16-and-under squads. On June 12, Fencor fell to the Rebels, a Philadelphia area AAU under-16 all-star team, 60-51, at Archbishop Carroll. Delle Donne scored 16 of her 19 points in the second half. "She might be the best player I've seen at that age," Rebels head coach Bill McDonough said. Added Rebels assistant Trisha Green: "It's more than basketball ability. It's court awareness and knowledge of the game. She's a coach's dream." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact suburban staff writer Ira Josephs at 610-313-8002 or ijosephs@phillynews.com.

Congratulations to those teams who won their pools in the Fencor Summer Classic: Fencor 10A Bux-Mont Renegades 11 Jersey Sting 11 Long Island Xtreme 12 Fencor 12A Connecticut Spirit 13A Rhode Island Shooting Stars 14 Fencor 15A Fencor 13A (playing in 16b pool)

(two teams advance to AAU nationals in both age groups, top two teams will receive medals and trophies) 14-and-under schedule Pool A: Cardinals (Va.) (0-2) Tar Heels-Faust (NJ) (1-1) Elmira Express (NY) (2-0) Pool B: Definitely Sports Hot Shots (PA) (1-1) Fencor-Glemser (PA) (1-1) Perry Hall Silver Bullets (MD) (0-2) Connecticut Shamrocks (PA) (2-0) Saturday: Fencor vs. Hot Shots, 10 a.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 Tar Heels vs. Cardinals, 11:30 a.m. at JCC Klein, Ct.1 CT Shamrocks vs. Hot Shots, 1 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 Tar Heels vs. Elmira, 4 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 Fencor vs. Perry Hall, 5 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 2 Cardinals vs. Elmira, 7 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 CT Shamrocks vs. Perry Hall, 8 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 2 Sunday: Playoff schedule: Consolation game 1: Tar Heels-Faust 57, Cardinals 50 Title game: Connecticut Shamrocks 59, Elmira Express 58 Consolation game 2: Definitely Sports 51, Fencor-Glemser 19 ___________________________________________________________________ 15-and-under schedule Pool A: Pocono Blizzard (PA) (0-2) Fencor-London (PA) (1-1) Cardinals (Va) (2-0) Pool B: Fencor 15-Tracy (PA) (0-2) Fairfax Stars (Va) (1-0) Classics (MD) (1-0) Pool C: Renegades-Dennis (PA) (2-1) Fencor-Meg (PA) (1-2) MTJ Conquerors (MD) (3-0) Definitely Sports Hot Shots (PA) (0-3) Saturday: Renegades vs. MTJ Conquerors, 10 a.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 2 Fencor-Meg vs. Hot Shots, 10:30 a.m. at Somerton Y.O. Pocono Blizzard vs. Fencor-London, 11:30 a.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 2 Fencor-Tracy vs. Classics, Noon at Somerton Y.O. Renegades vs. Fencor-Meg, 1:30 p.m. at Somerton Y.O. Fencor-London vs. Cardinals, 2:30 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 Hot Shots vs. MTJ Conquerors, 3 p.m. at Somerton Y.O. Fairfax Stars vs. Fencor-Tracy, 4:30 p.m. at Somerton Y.O. Cardinals vs. Pocono Blizzard, 5:30 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 1 MTJ Conquerors vs. Fencor-Meg, 6 p.m. at Somerton Y.O. Renegades vs. Hot Shots, 6:30 p.m. at JCC Klein, Ct. 2 Classics vs. Fairfax Stars, 7:30 p.m. at Somerton Y.O. Sunday: (all games at Somerton Youth Organization gym) Playoff schedule: Consolation game: Pocono Blizzard 48, Fencor-Tracy 43 Fist round: Fencor-London 51, Fairfax Stars 32 First Round: Classics 48, Cardinals 42 Semifinal: Fencor-London 58, Classics 38 Title Game: Fencor-London (14a) 53, MTJ Conquerors 34 Note: Fencor-London can not particpate in 15-and-under AAU nationals since it did not play in that age group at regionals. MTJ Conquerors and Classics received bids to nationals. ___________________________________________________________ Super Regional Game Rules All games will be run under 2003-2004 NCAA Women's rules except what is noted below. *All games will consist of 16-minute halves, stop on everything. *The team listed on the right of the schedule will sit on the bench to the right of the scorer's table and wear light-colored uniforms. *There will be a 5-minute halftime. *Each team will have 3 full-time outs and two 30's for game. *5-second violation on held ball AND on the dribble. *Since there is no 30-second clock there will be 10-second backcourt. *The clock will not stop in final minute on made baskets. NCAA rules mean: *Only 6 in the lane for foul shots, must be above the block. *1-and-1 on 7th foul of half, 2 shots on 10th foul. *Head coach may stand in designated coaches area and is allowed to call time out. Assistant coaches can not stand during game action. *Overtime will be 5 minutes and each team receives an additional full timeout. *There are no protests allowed in AAU. *Teams will get a minimum of 10 minutes to warm up. *Only adults listed on the roster with AAU cards will be allowed on a team's bench. ___________________________________________________________________ Directions: JCC Klein (Red Lion Rd. & Jamison Rd., Phila. PA 19116) From PA Turnpike: Get off at Exit 28 and veer right after toll booth. Get on Route 1 south (stay in outside lanes). You will see a big shopping mall on right (Michaels' Restaurant there) and road splits right afterward. Go right and it becomes Haldeman Ave. At first light, make right and keep on that road thru left turn and JCC Klein will be on right hand side. Gym is in the back. From I-95: Get off at Woodhaven Rd. (Same exit as if going to Franklin Mills) and then get off at Route 1 south exit. Follow above directions. From Route 1 (Roosevelt Blvd.) going north: At third light after Grant Ave make a left (Sports Authority there) onto Red Lion Rd. At second light make a right onto Jamison Rd. and JCC Klein is immediately on the left. Gym is in back. Directions to Somerton Y.O. (1400 Southampton Rd., Phila. PA 19116) From the PA Turnpike: Pa. Turnpike East to Exit 28 After toll - Take US 1 South (Philadelphia) go 1.5 miles (3 lights) and make a right onto Southampton Rd. go aprrox. 1/2 mile, gym is on the left (just past the football field) This is approx. a 15 minute ride from the Fort Washington entrance of the turnpike From Byberry Rd.: Take Byberry Rd. into Philadelphia After crossing Bustleton Ave., go 2 lights to Worthington Ave. and make a left go 1/2 mile to Southampton Rd. (4 stop signs) and make a right gym is 1/2 mile up on the right Directions to Somerton from JCC Klein: Go out of JCC Klein parking lot and make a left. At first light make a left onto Haldeman Ave. At next light make a left onto Roosevelt Blvd. (Route 1) and go north (on inside lane). Go past Nabisco plant and at second light past it (Armory on right) make a left onto Southampton Rd. Gym will be on left at first light. Drive time: approximately 10 minutes. Simpson Recreation Center (1010 Arrott St. Phila. PA 19124) Going south on Roosevelt Blvd. (Route 1): 1. Go past Bridge St. and and at next light turn left onto Pratt St. 2. Turn RIGHT onto CASTOR AVE. 3. Turn LEFT onto FOULKROD ST. 4. Turn RIGHT onto LARGE ST. 5. Turn RIGHT onto ARROTT ST. and gym will be visible. Drive time from Somerton: 15 minutes -------------------------------------------------------------------

=Middle Atlantic 17 & 18-and-under championships, May 1-2= (updated May 2, 10:30 p.m.) (all games at The Hill School, Pottstown, PA) (directions can be found at www.fencor.org) 18-and-under (three teams go to nationals) Saturday: Game 1: Youth Interlock defeated Belles-Marcincin Game 2: Fencor def. Youth Interlock Game 3: Youth Interlock def. Belles-Marcincin Sunday: Fencor def. Youth Interlock (Fencor champions) 17-and-under (three teams go to nationals) Saturday: Game 1: Capital Region def. DBL Game 2: Fencor-Collins def. Dujuan Wagner All-Stars Game 3: Belles-Lynch def. Capital Region Game 4: Fencor-Tina def. City Island Sharks Game 5: Rebels def. Fencor-Morris Game 6: Bucks County Wildcats def. Fencor-Collins Game 7: DBL def. Fencor-Morris Game 8: Capital Region def. Dujuan Wagner All-Stars Game 9: Belles-Lynch def. Fencor-Tina Game 10: Rebels def. Bucks County Wildcats Sunday: Game 11: Capital Region def. City Island Sharks Game 12: DBL def. Fencor-Collins Game 13: Belles-Lynch def. Rebels Game 14: Fencor-Tina def. DBL Game 15: Capital Region def. Bucks County Wildcats Game 16: Fencor-Tina def. Capital Region Game 17: Fencor-Tina def. Rebels Game 18: Belles-Lynch 74, Fencor-Nicholson 41 --------------------------------------------------------------------- ================2004 Fencor “Oldies” Tournament=========== May 1-2 (updated May 2, 12:30 a.m.) Note: Due to several teams dropping out the schedule had to be reconfigured. Please double-check all your game times. Sorry for the inconvience. Saturday: At Lakeside Youth Center, Horsham: 10 a.m. Bucks County Wildcats vs. Westmeath Warriors 11:20 p.m. Fencor 15A vs. New Jersey Fire 12:40 p.m. Bucks County Wildcats vs. Philadelphia Belles-M 15 2:00 p.m. Westmeath Warriors vs. New Jersey Fire 3:20 p.m. Fencor 15A vs. Philadelphia Belles-M 15 Saturday At Germantown Friends School-Scattergood gym, Phila.: 10:30 a.m. Penn-Jersey vs. Chesco Lightning 11:45 a.m. Main Line vs. Maryland Swish 1 p.m. Chesco Lightning vs. Shore Heat 2:15 p.m. Long Island Renegades vs. Penn-Jersey 3:30 p.m. Maryland Swish vs. Shore Heat 4:45 p.m. Main Line vs. Long Island Renegades At The Hill School, Pottstown: Hill School's Sweeney (upstairs) gym: Saturday: 4 p.m. SV Cagers vs. Central Jersey Hawks 7 p.m. Cental Jersey Hawks vs. Brooklyn Hornets Hill School Fieldhouse: Court 1: Saturday: 2:30 p.m. 4 p.m. Brooklyn Hornets vs. Maryland Flames 17 7 p.m. SV Cagers vs. Maryland Flames 17 Court 2: Saturday: 1:00 p.m. Berks-Mont Vipers vs. Lehigh Valley Sharks 2:30 p.m. Lady Showtime-1 vs. Brandywine Bobcats 4:30 p.m. Chestnut Hill Raiders vs. Lady Showtime-2 7 p.m. Berks-Mont Vipers vs. Lady Showtime-1 Court 3: Saturday: 2:00 p.m. Lehigh Valley Thunder vs. Chestnut Hill Raiders 3:30 p.m. Lehigh Valley Lyghtning vs. Gym Ratz 5 p.m. Brandywine Bobcats vs. Lehigh Valley Sharks 6:30 p.m. Lehigh Valley Thunder vs. Gym Ratz 8 p.m Lady Showtime-2 vs. Lehigh Valley Lyghtning Sunday's schedule (all games at The Hill School complex) Sweeney (upstairs) gym: Sunday: 1:30 p.m. Philadelphia Belles-M vs. Brooklyn Hornets 17 4:30 p.m. Chesco Lightning vs. Main Line 16 6 p.m. Penn-Jersey vs. Lehigh Valley Sharks Gillison (downstairs) gym: Sunday: 1:30 p.m. SV Cagers vs. Berks-Mont Vipers 4:30 p.m. New Jersey Fire vs. Lady Showtime-2 Fieldhouse: Court 1: Sunday: 9 a.m. Brooklyn Hornets vs. SV Cagers 10:30 a.m. Central Jersey Hawks 17 vs. Philadelphia Belles-M 1:15 p.m. New Jersey Fire vs. Lady Showtime-1 2:30 p.m. Long Island Renegades vs. Westmeath Warriors 3:45 p.m. Lehigh Valley Sharks vs. Shore Heat 5 p.m. Westmeath Warriors vs. Lady Showtime-1 Court 2: Sunday: 9:00 a.m. Maryland Swish vs. Lady Showtime-2 10:30 a.m. Lehigh Valley Thunder vs. Shore Heat 11:45 a.m. Lehigh Valley Lyghtning vs. Maryland Swish 1 p.m. Brandywine Bobcats vs. Gym Ratz 2:15 p.m. Maryland Flames vs. Cental Jersey Hawks 3:30 p.m. Penn-Jersey vs. Lehigh Valley Lyghtning 4:45 p.m. Berks-Mont Vipers vs. Brandywine Bobcats Court 3: Sunday: 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Maryland Flames vs. Long Island Renegades 11:45 a.m. Gym Ratz vs. Chestnut Hill Raiders 1 p.m. Bucks Couny Wildcats vs. Main Line 16 2:15 p.m. Chesco Lightning vs. Fencor 15B 3:30 p.m. Chestnut Hill Raiders 16 vs. Bucks County Wildcats 4:45 p.m. Lehigh Valley Thunder vs. Fencor 15B ---------------------------------------------------------------------