Charlotte Observer Sports Section Febuary 21, 2006

Young Players to Watch

(Players in Green are all Current Celtic Players)

Others

NIKKI BURTON, VANCE, 5-10, FR., G: Named to the Observer's MECA 6 all-conference team, Burton is generally considered the top freshman in Charlotte. She averaged 13 points and seven rebounds and is getting heavy recruiting attention from Atlantic 10 and ACC schools.COMMENT: "She's only going to get better and better. She can play three positions and as her shot improves she'll be a super high major recruit." -- Vance coach Gary Richmond.

BRITNY EDWARDS, PROVIDENCE DAY, 6-1, SO., C: Connecticut and Duke are among schools chasing Britny, whose phenomenal footwork and athleticism are her strengths.

COMMENT: "Her footwork is so good that an assistant from a top 5 college program told me it was better than any of the kids wearing their uniform right now." -- Providence Day coach Barbara Nelson

KRISTA GROSS, CONCORD CANNON, 5-10, FR, PG: A natural 2-guard playing point, Gross averages 20 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. She's being recruited by Colorado, Georgia Tech, Maryland, St. John's and St. Joseph's, among others. COMMENT: "She has a lot of skills and she has a lot of desire. The thing I like is that she's a lifetime straight A student and was Junior Honor Society president in middle school last year."

-- Elton Gross, Krista's father and coach at Cannon

WILLIS HALL, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN, 6-5, FR, C: Played in adidas freshman camp last summer with top 75 frosh in the nation. Hall averages six points, three rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game and shoots 65 percent. )

COMMENT: "He can shoot the 3, handle the ball well and drive. He can play (small forward) but we don't need him to do those things ... yet." -- Christian coach Shonn Brown

LAKEEM JACKSON, HARDING, 6-4, SO., G: Averaged 12 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Queen City tournament champions. Harding girls coach Marcus Talley, who played at West Charlotte during its heyday, says Jackson is as good as NBA guard Jeff McInnis was at the same age.

COMMENT: "Plain and simple, he will be the best in the city." -- Harding coach Walter Aikens

JUSTIN JOHNSON, CHERRYVILLE, 6-7, SO, C: Coaches from Clemson, N.C. State and Wake Forest have visited to watch him practice. Johnson, who wears a size 18 shoe, averages 19.5 points, 11 rebounds and has 63 blocks and 32 dunks for the Ironmen. COMMENT: "He's a low post player who has nice touch from 15 to 16 feet out. He works both ways, in the high or low post. He's got a lot of skill." -- Cherryville coach Scott Harrill

DAMIER PITTS, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN, 5-10, SO., G: Avg 13 ppg and getting serious recruiting interest from Clemson, N.C. State and Virginia Tech. Led team with 24 points in blowout win against Providence Day last week when he shot 100 percent from the field (6-of-6 on 3-pointers, 2-of-2 FG and 2-2 FT).  Was with the Raptors last year, year before that with the Monarchs,

COMMENT: "Damier can do it all. His future is really bright. He has no fear and will take big shots." -- Brown

Worth mentioning

Walter Aikens Jr., Harding, 6-1, Fr., G; Devona Allgood, North Meck, 6-1, So, F; Aaron Bennett, West Meck, 6-3, Fr, G; Christal Caldwell, W. Charlotte, 5-9, Fr., G; Whitny Edwards, Providence Day, 5-10, So., G; Adam Hunt, Olympic,, 6-1, Fr., G; Jaquaria Forney, West Meck, 5-8, Fr, G; Jason Hyde, Berry, 6-5, So., C/F; RJ Mattes, Concord Robinson, 6-6, So., F; Danaira Spencer, East Meck, 5-3, Fr., G; Decario Tidwell, Central Cabarrus, 6-5, So., F; Reggie White, West Meck, 6-2, Fr., F; Candace Wood, Victory Christian, 5-10, So., G/F

ALI FORD, MORGANTON FREEDOM

The lengths teams go this season to stop her 5-foot-3 freshman point guard surprises Freedom coach Amber Fox."We've seen box-and-ones, diamond-and-ones and even two people on her," said Fox, whose team lost five games on last-second shots this season. "But she's special. She really is."

Ford (below), being recruited by Clemson, High Point and Middle Tennessee State, averages 21.5 points and 4.7 assists. She makes nearly 40 percent of her 3-point attempts. She tied Fox's school record with seven against Asheville Reynolds this season, when she scored 35 points.

"She's an excellent shooter and she sees the floor well," Fox said. "She's one of the smartest players I've ever been around -- especially for a freshman."

DAVID CHADWICK, CHARLOTTE LATIN

His father, also David, played at North Carolina, and Charlotte Latin coach Jerry Faulkner thinks the younger David could be good enough to play in Chapel Hill -- or anywhere, by the time he's a senior.

"He's got height, athleticism," Faulker said. "He can stroke the 3. He can be a good player, but right now we're going to take our time."

Chadwick (below) is a 6-foot-8 freshman for the Hawks and is third on the team in scoring (12 points) and averages eight rebounds. Chadwick has had a tough road, going through two major operations on both knees in the past three years.

"He's tall and he's got a good outside shot," Charlotte Christian coach Shonn Brown said. "He's a very, very good kid who loves basketball and his work ethic is going to take him a long way."

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