Women’s tournament draws prospects, coaches to Bloomington

For most young girls playing AAU and summer league basketball, the ultimate goal isn’t about winning or having fun. It’s about getting the opportunity to play college ball.  
Most players would not consider IU a program of interest because the women’s program at IU is drastically smaller than at other schools like University of Connecticut or University of Tennessee.  

That perception might be changing for some players who participated in the 2009 adidas Hoosier Hardwood Championships, which took place Monday through Wednesday. Games were played in Assembly Hall, the Bloomington SportsPlex and both Bloomington high schools.   

Teams playing at Assembly Hall had an opportunity few people have: the chance to play a game at a legendary venue. This chance was not something taken lightly by both players and coaches.

Indiana Elite coach Danny Riego said he had his players walk around Assembly Hall, which he referred to as a “museum.” He said one of the benefits of this tournament was the opportunity to get to play at Assembly Hall and that the players were getting to run, sit and shoot in the same place that some of IU’s greats, like Isiah Thomas, did.  

Riego said the tournament location was also beneficial because it allowed his players to get a glimpse of what college life is truly like. But Riego said ultimately the tournament was about college recruiting.  

Another thing Riego said he felt made this tournament different than most AAU and summer ball tournaments was the competition. Riego said events in the Midwest typically only have teams from that area, but this event had teams from Alaska, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas.  

Competition with such states is rare, as it tends to be very expensive to play in tournaments farther than the Midwest, Riego said.  

However, the teams making the trip from states such as Texas did not come primarily for recruiting.  

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil, coach of TeamXpress, said her team made the trip because it was an adidas event and said that all of her players are undecided as of now. But Davis-Wrightsil said she feels that after this event, IU will be interested in many of her players.  

Many schools viewed the competition at Assembly Hall, including representatives from LSU, Oklahoma, Kansas, California and most Big Ten schools.  

In all, the tournament showcased about 60 teams and organizers expect it to be much larger for the 2010 event, which will also take place in Bloomington.