GA Hoopstars Tryouts for ages 10 to 14:

Tryouts will be Sunday, February 19th from 4pm to 6pm at Antioch AME Church, 4730 Elam Rd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083.

Please keep checking back for more dates & times.

YOU GOT NEXT?!!

Jasmine Kemp of Georgia Hoopstars Black has verbally committed to East Tennessee State University. The 6-foot-2 forward also considered Tennessee Tech and Tulane.

Kemp, who is rated a 3-star prospect & ranked 45 overall in the country in her position by ESPN HoopGurlz, is the Buccaneers first commitment in the 2012 class. She is a senior at Norcross High School the defending Girls AAAAA State Basketball Champions. She has played for the GA Hoopstars Black club team for the last three years.

Congratulations to her on such a great achievement!!

Jasmine joins a rapidly growing list of current and former Hoopstars in the 2012 class to commit to play basketball at the college level, including:

Lindsay Simpson, 2012, Western Carolina University; Jessy Ward, 2012, Mississippi State University; Kayla Richards, 2012, Columbus State University; Tabitha Fudge, High Point University, 2012; Sydni Payne, 2012, Stetson University; Kristie Mason, 2012, Palm Beach Atlantic University; Tatianna Jackson, 2012, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Jordan Frazier, 2012, Wofford College; Helena Pouengue, 2012, Lipscomb University and Patrice Butler, 2012, Furman University! 
 
All these players will be signing their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period later this year in November.

Tatianna Jackson, the four-star phenom from Dallas, GA. and member of the Georgia Hoopstars Black, has committed to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

She would like to sincerely thank every coach that took the time to watch her play over the last three years.  Jackson said, Coach Moore and the entire coaching staff at UTC made her feel like it was the perfect fit for her. The connection she felt between the team and the coaches were undeniable.  The environment, academics, and athletic program at UTC made it a great fit for her lifelong goals.
 
Jackson’s unbounded potential to dominate on both sides of the court was displayed over the summer.  She was unquestionably one of the most improved athletes in 2011, sky rocketing from rank 137 to 46 for guards in the nation according to ESPN. UTC has truly hit the Jackpot! They are getting a great offensive and defensive player with all the skills to make an immediate impact on women’s basketball. Some of the schools that Jackson had strongly considered in her process were Air Force, West Point, Providence, Cincinnati, Arkansas, James Madison and Lipscomb.

Kristie Mason, a member of the Georgia Hoopstars White, verbally committed to Palm Beach Atlantic University on September 16, 2011.

A 5'8" shooting guard at South Forsyth High School, Kristie is a 3 point specialist with the ability to contribute at point and post when needed. Her team will anticipate and expect her leadership and strong work ethic again this year. Kristie has led her team in multiple categories over the past 2 years.

PBA Head Coach, Clarisse Garcia, exhibited the ability to connect with her players and recruits. That was the determining factor in Kristie's decision over the other schools looking at her. A West Palm Beach address, a former Hoopstars teammate on the team, Chic-Fil-A in the arena, and beach workouts also helped her decide!

At the age of five Kristie determined that she wanted to play college basketball and is excited about seeing this dream come true.  She is planning to sign in November and looks forward to contributing to the PBA team as soon as she arrives on campus next fall.

Sydni Payne, a three year 5'9" combo guard from the Georgia Hoopstars Royal team has verbally committed to Stetson University under the head coach Lynn Bria. Stetson is among several programs that Sydni considered. Sydni attends St Pius X Catholic High School, and is a fourth year Varsity player. She has been a strong defender and the leading scorer for the last two seasons. Sydni will officially sign during the early signing period in November. Sydni is excited to be heading to the sunshine state of Florida with the most recent 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Champions.

Coach JD...hope all is well with you...I just wanted to let you know I have verbally committed to WCU and wanted to let you know how much I appreicated all of have done to help me get to where I am today. I miss you and the Hoopstars but know your influence has helped me so much.....

Tarlesha Boles..........North Carolina Central University  

Kayla Nolan............................Georgia State University

Christy Hewatt.....................College of Charleston

Kristina Wells........................Kennesaw State

Briana Jones........................James Madison University

Erichea Barnes............................Mercer University

Kecia Miller.........................George Washington University

Kelly Reid............................Colgate University

Megan Whittaker...............University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Bree Venson...............Grambling State University

Mason Jeffries.........................Davidson College

Danielle Jackson.........................Air Force Academy

Alex Boyer..........................Palm Beach Atlantic University

Nyaa Davis........................Cal State University East Bay  

James Madison University signee Briana Jones, 6'2 Post-Center, rising stars Kianna Holland, 5'10 Point Guard and Kaliyah Mitchell,  6'1 Wing Forward, recently represented the Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Club at the Elite Basketball Academy (EBA) High School All-American Camp near Atlanta.  Jones, a 2011 graduate, and Holland and Mitchell, both in 2013 class, were among 36 of the nation's top prospects participating in workouts and evaluations by the Peach State Hoops JumpOffPlus.com staff.

“Briana, Kianna and Kaliyah are all great players, great students and very upstanding young ladies,” said Coach Jonathan "JD" Davis, Director, Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Program.  “The EBA All-American Camp is the perfect venue to allow them to showcase their talent against other top players in the nation and they all represented the Hoopstars very well and I'm so very proud of them. We are looking to add to this great honor next year with more players from our program. Hard work do pay off Ladies!” 

For more information about this great camp go to www.peachstatehoops.com or Contact Brandon Clay at bclay@peachstatehoops.com for all up to date news and information.

Meet Coach JD Davis, the Founder & Director of the GA Hoopstars, through the eyes of 4Shot Sports Editior Larry Williams:

4SHOT Hoops first started covering girls AAU basketball about seven years ago and the first program we had a chance to cover in depth was the Georgia Hoopstars and that experience is what has helped endure us to continued exposure of girl's basketball today. The program today as it was then is directed by one of the coaches I have a lot of respect for Coach JD Davis. I was able to sit down with Coach Davis on Coaches Corner.

L.A.: Coach, over they last few years you have gone about the business of building the Georgia Hoopstars into one of the top programs in the state of Georgia; what to you attribute that to?

Coach Davis:"Our number one focus is preparing our players to be successful on the court and, most importantly, in the classroom. We put in a lot of time and try to our best to go about the business of getting girls recruited and showcasing their talents on a very large stage. We believe that we are one of the top programs in the country because college coaches - throughout northeast, southwest, west and southeast have recruited our players for their programs – continue to recruit our players for their programs."

L.A.: When you recruit a girl for your program what are you looking for as far as her game and personality?

Coach Davis: "We recruit players with athleticism, strong fundamentals, coachable, a good basketball IQ, good grades and a commitment to working hard. These are some of the attributes college coaches expect from elite programs such as the Georgia Hoopstars. "

L.A.: How did your team fair this summer?

Coach Davis: "We have another very successful summer season. We participated in many of the top college exposure tournaments in Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio. We measure our success by the number of players verbally commit and go on the sign national letters of intent to play college basketball. To date, nine players in our 2011 class have verbally committed to division 1 and division 2 programs cause at the end of the day that is truly what the most important factor is."

L.A.: A lot of nationally known AAU programs are usually sponsored by one of the big shoe companies like Nike, Adidas etc.; what are the advantages and disadvantages of being sponsored by a big company?

Coach Davis: "There are advantages to working with any company that offers a quality product and sponsors tournaments for college coaches to evaluate talent. Associating with a shoe company can help increase the visibility for a basketball club and its players. Currently, we are not associated with any shoe company. In the past, we had a very positive relationship with a shoe company. We continue to enjoy success without a relationship with a shoe company because we are focused on recruiting the right players and participating in the right tournaments."

L.A.: Is your emphasis to just teach the girls how to become better basketball players?

Coach Davis: "No, our goal is to teach them to become better players, people, and that hard work is something that ultimately pays off. The Hoopstars are not trying to change who you are just enhance the good qualities you have as a person through basketball. To also prepare them, we practice 10-12 hours per week and participate in 10-12 tournaments in the spring and summers."

L.A.: How important is it to have the parents buy into what you and your program is trying to teach?

Coach Davis: "Parents are critical to the success to any elite travel program. We appreciate the support the parents offer our program. Not only do parents provide the emotional and financial support for their daughters, but they also coach in our program and help coordinate many of the activities required for a program to function efficiently."

L.A.: For some reason a lot of AAU coaches don't like to talk about or let people know who is playing on their teams, why is that?

Coach Davis: "I guess they don't want anyone to steal their players, but if they are your players and you treat them right then you don't have anything to worry about. We promote our players through a variety of activities, including, but not limited, to posting their profiles on our web sites; emailing our rosters to college coaches; nominating players for invitation-only showcases and camps; and participating in elite tournaments that include player rosters in coach's player information packets. Coaches who promote their players increase the interest in their clubs, the longevity of their clubs and success of their players. If you have talent on your team, college coaches want to know. In addition, the players will tell their friends and that will help with recruiting new talent."

L.A.: For a long time the boys AAU circuit has been known for being a little shady, lol; meaning a lot of backbiting, programs stealing players from other teams, cash payouts, teams directing players to certain college programs etc. It appears to be more of a business; is the same thing starting to happen on the girls side and if so how do you avoid getting caught up in it?

Coach Davis: "Yes, Backbiting & programs stealing players from other teams does happen allot. Coaches paint a picture for these kids and tell them the grass is greener on the other side and it is actually not, in most cases. The player is better staying where they were if they are getting better & college coaches are recruiting them. You can't avoid getting caught up if the player contacts you and wants to leave their team because they and their parents are unhappy. So to a point, you can't worry about hurting people's feelings in this business. I tell my coaches a way too avoid all this is if a player is happy on their team to leave me alone and don't harass them no more & just move on."

L.A.: When you got started were there any programs that you took a look at and sort of started modeling your program after them?

Coach Davis: "Many people know that I was associated with the Georgia Dream Team for several years. The girls in the program, including my own daughter, enjoyed a level of success to be proud of. I founded the Georgia Hoopstars some years ago because I had a strong desire to create an environment to prepare girls for success on the court, in the classroom and in the community. If I was modeling my program like somebody else it would be DFW style because we play baseline to baseline with pressure like they do."

L.A.: There are educational requirements that kids have to meet if they plan on playing college ball, what do you do to help them with understanding what is required?

Coach Davis: "We constantly emphasize to them to stay on top of their grades. With the majority of our games in July, we try to make sure they finish up the year strong during April and May. We also provide our players with detailed information about the NCAA recruiting process, communicating with coaches and SAT/GPA and core course eligibility requirements. Knowledge of these processes is critically important to a successful recruiting experience."

Please click on the above header or the picture to read the whole article from 4Shot Sports.

The Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Program is pleased to announce that Tarlesha Boles, a 6’1 post from Duluth High School, verbally committed this week to continue her basketball career at NC Central University. NC Central was among several programs considering Tarlesha, including Austin Peay State University, Stetson University & a host of others.

Tarlesha, who is a very hard worker & great rebounder, gives Duluth High School two division one players on their roster this season as another Hoopstar player & Duluth teammate Kayla Nolan is going to Georgia State University. Tarlesha best basketball is ahead of because of her great work ethic on the court so keep an eye on her in the future.   

Tarlesha, a first-year Hoopstar, joins a rapidly growing list of current and former Hoopstars in the 2011 class to commit to play basketball at the college level, including:

Kayla Nolan, 2011, Georgia State University; Alex Boyer, 2011, Palm Beach Atlantic University; Christy Hewatt, 2011, College of Charleston; Kristina Wells, Kennesaw State, 2011; Briana Jones, 2011, James Madison University; Erichea Barnes, 2011, Mercer University; Kecia Miller, 2011, George Washington  University; and Kelly Reid, 2011, Colgate University.
 
All these players will be signing their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period later this year in November.

The Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Program is pleased to announce that Erichea Barnes, a 5’6 point guard from from Whitfield Academy, verbally committed today to continue her basketball career at Mercer University in Macon, GA. Mercer was among several programs considering Erichea, including Jacksonville University and Stetson University & a host of others.

Erichea, a Hoopstar for five years, joins a rapidly growing list of current and former Hoopstars in the 2011 class to commit to play basketball at the college level, including:
Kayla Nolan, 2011, Georgia State University; Alex Boyer, 2011, Palm Beach Atlantic University; Christy Hewatt, 2011, College of Charleston; Kristina Wells, Kennesaw State, 2011; Briana Jones, 2011, James Madison University; Kecia Miller, 2011, George Washington  University; and Kelly Reid, 2011, Colgate University.

All these players will be signing their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period later this year in November.

The Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Program is pleased to announce that Briana Jones, a 6'2 center from Whitfield Academy, verbally committed earlier this week to continue her basketball career at James Madison University.  Briana, a Hoopstar for three seasons, is ranked among the Top 150 players nationally by several ranking services. Most recently, she participated in the first-ever Peach State Hoops EBA Top 40 All-American Camp.

Briana joins a rapidly growing list of current and former Hoopstars in the 2011 class to commit to play basketball at the college level, including:

Kayla Nolan, 2011, Georgia State University; Alex Boyer, 2011, Palm Beach Atlantic University; Christy Hewatt, 2011, College of Charleston; Kristina Wells, 2011; Kennesaw State University; Kecia Miller, 2011, George Washington University; and Kelly Reid, 2011, Colgate University.

All these players will be signing their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period later this year in November.

Below is a article that talks about Kaliyah Mitchell Class of 2013 from the Georgia Hoopstars Black team.

Kaliyah Mitchell, Georgia Hoopstars: With the pool of bigger perimeter players expanding with every class, it's getting harder and harder just to stand out on size alone. This 6-2 wing brings to the table both the athleticism and skills to combine with her height and make her a special prospect to keep an eye on. The native of Stone Mountain, Ga., has the speed and agility to be effective on the perimeter at both ends of the floor. She already possesses impressive lower body strength that allows her to play more physically both inside and out. Constantly active, with and without the ball, she's a difficult matchup for opponents and presents a dilemma whether to challenge her with speed or size. She's got a sound jumper and some range but still has the capability to create off the drive. There's still a maturation process that will serve her decision making well but there's already results more often than not. She can match up defensively at almost any position on the floor and doesn't seem hesitant to play physical when the pushing and shoving begins. Keep watching closely, it will be worth it.

Please click on the header or the picture to go to the whole article on the ESPN's Hoopgurlz website.

Kristina Wells committed to Kennesaw State University earlier this afternoon. She is very underrated player that should blow up at KSU because of all ways she can create her on shot & she is just a flat out scorer. She is 5'9 lefty combo guard. She plays at Douglas County High School & was one of the leading scorers on the GA Hoopstars Black Elite team this past summer.

Congrats from the Hoopstar Family!!

 ANNOUNCING THE 2010 FABULOUS HOOPSTARS!

Peach State Hoops has announced the invitees for the 2010 Fab 5 and Junior Fab 5 Camps July 6-7, 2010, at Suwanee Sports Academy. More than 24 players from the Georgia Hoopstars Girls Basketball Program have been chosen by the Peach State Hoops Player Selection Committee to participate in this annual college exposure and skills development event. 

Started in 2006. the Fab 5 Camps represent a commitment by Peach State Hoops to provide high school girls with another opportunity to showcase their skills during the crucial month of July. Not only will players have a chance to compete against top Division One recruits, but the camp will also provide players with our top-notch skill instruction as well. That combination has made the Fab Five Camp an instant hit among players and college coaches.

This year's Fab 5 and Junior Fab 5 camps will include players from each of the Georgia Hoopstars four teams.  The camps will also feature one of the strongest graduating classes in Hoopstar history that includes Kayla Nolan and Alex Boyer, who recently verbally committed to Georgia State University and Palm Beach Atlantic University, respectively.

Below is the complete list of the 2010 Fabulous Hoopstars:

Fab 5: 

• Briana Jones - 2011
• Kristina Wells - 2011
• Christy Hewatt - 2011
• Kayla Nolan - 2011
• Alex Boyer - 2011
• Tarlesha Boles - 2011
• Leah Spears - 2011 
• Erichea Barnes - 2011
• Sydney Montgomery - 2011
• Megan Whittaker - 2011
• Mason Jeffries - 2011
• Olivia Gulick - 2011
• Bria Venson - 2011 
• Tatianna Jackson - 2012 
• Jasmine Kemp - 2012 
• Patrice Butler - 2012
• Kianna Holland - 2013
• Elise Reyes - 2011 
  

Jr. Fab 5:

• Kayla Richards - 2012
• Sydni Payne - 2012
• Lindsay Simpson - 2012
• Helena Pouengue - 2012
• Kaliyah Mitchell - 2013
• Jasmine Hill - 2013
• Joshlyn Belcher - 2014
• Sierra Butler - 2014  

Kayla Nolan and Alex Boyer became the first two Hoopstars from the 2011 class to verbally commit to continue their basketball careers at the college level for the 2010 season.  Nolan, a first-year member of the club who plays on the Hoopstars Black team, last week committed to Georgia State University, under new head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener.  Georgia State University is a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference that includes Old Dominion and James Madison.

Kayla, a 5'8 combo guard,  attends Duluth High School.  This is her first year with the Hoopstars program where she quickly made a name for herself throughout the southeast as a strong scorer and floor leader. Kayla selected Georgia State from a list of schools interested in her talent, including Jacksonville University and Stetson University.

Alex, a 5-year member of the Hoopstars Basketball Club, committed Wednesday to Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla. Palm Beach Atlantic is an independent Christian university whose schedule includes University of Tampa and Rollins College. Alex will be playing for new head coach Clarissee Garcia, who had been recruiting Alex in her most recent role as assistant at Stetson University.  Alex selected Palm Beach Atlantic from a list of schools that also included University of Memphis and Stetson University.

Alex, a 5'8 combo guard, attends Kennesaw Mountain High School. She has been a Hoopstar since she was in the 7th grade and is currently ranked 190 in the nation by All Star Girls Report. She has played for her dad and club VP, Coach Boyer, for four years. Last year, she played on the Hoopstars Black team while her dad took the year off from coaching.

Congratulations to both Kayla and Alex for getting our 2010 summer recruiting season off to a great start.

• Peach State Summer Kick Off, July 6-8, Suwanee Sports Academy
• Peach State Best of Summer, July 9-11, Suwanee Sports Academy 
• Nike Battle in the Boro, July 13-16, Murfreesboro
• Nike Music City Madness, July 22-25, Nashville
• Peach State Summer Invitational, July 24-26, All Tournament Players Park
• Peach State Elite 24 Summer Jam, July 27-29, Augusta State University
• Peach State Summer Finale, July 30-31, Georgia Tech CRC

The Georgia Hoopstars Black team participated in the Nike Midwest Showdown with some of the country’s premiere teams. The black team went 4-1 in the Elite Bracket of 32 teams.

The first game was against the Indiana Flight 2012 team. The Hoopstars simply press them from beginning to end. The Flight scored most of their points from the free throw line still losing by almost 30. Kayla Nolan, Christy Hewatt, Kristina Wells, and Kaliyah Mitchell all played really well.

The 2nd game featured the best team in the country, DFW T-Jack, versus the Hoopstars. It was an up and down game as both teams were going back and forth the entire game. It was a very guard-oriented game as the pressure was intense. DFW pulled it out in the end. All of our guards played well and gave the maximum effort in the contest. This game gave the girls the vote of confidence they needed to push them to their highest level.

Next game was against Ohio Lady Attack. They were outman from the start. The Hoopstars simply pressured them into so many turnovers and bad shots, they could not recover. Tatianna Jackson, Briana Jones and Joshlyn Belcher were standout players for the Hoopstars.

Up next was the Fairfax Stars, a monster of a team in regards to size. The Hoopstars strategy was to run them and run them some more, but the inability to make free throws made it a close game. The Hoopstars fell behind by 11 but fought back to win the game in the end. Jasmine Kemp and Kristina Wells really step up big in this one!

The last game was against a very quick and disciplined offensive team, The Cincinnati Finest Black team. It was the third game of the day and the girls legs were starting to tire. The Hoopstars fell behind but once again fought their way back. The guard pressure from Kayla Nolan, Jordan Frazier, and Tatianna Jackson help lead the charge. Big minutes off the bench from Patrice Butler and Sydney Montgomery in this crucial victory. 

The girls finished 9th in the entire tournament out of 32 teams because they played DFW T-JACK in the second round who ended up winning the event. Many fans, parents and coaches left the tournament feeling as though the Georgia Hoopstars Black team was one the 5 best teams there. Also they will be team to deal with this summer!!!

With three years of high school ahead of her, Seneca High School freshman Kianna Holland already has a collegiate home waiting for her if she wants it. 

 On Wednesday, the Bobcats’ multi-year all-region guard was offered a scholarship from recently hired Clemson women’s basketball coach Itoro Coleman, marking the first major Division I scholarship offer for Holland.

Coleman, who was hired on March 29 at her alma mater to replace Cristy McKinney, had seen Holland play with the Georgia Hoopstars Black Elite Team at an AAU event and quickly became enamored with the Seneca product, making her a top priority and offering her a scholarship during an unofficial visit to campus on Wednesday.

Suffice it to say, Holland was blindsided, and honored, by the news.

“It was really special and I was really caught off guard,” Holland said. “I wasn’t expecting it, but my hard work is paying off.”

It’s been hard to ignore Holland’s play so far during her young career, as she averaged 25.3 point, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 2.2 steals per game last season as a freshman, her third season with the varsity team.

Holland, a two-time member of The Journal’s All-Mountain Lakes Team, also set a school record in January against Belton-Honea Path, scoring 46 points in an 87-55 Bobcat victory.

While Holland has no immediate plans to commit to Clemson, or any other school that may offer in the future, she said she is well aware of Seneca’s connections to the Lady Tiger program, with such legendary Bobcats as Nikki Blassingame and Julie Talley having stayed close to home to play at Littlejohn Coliseum.

“I’ve definitely thought about that,” Holland said. “Once every few years, a Seneca player usually goes to play at Clemson, but regardless of that, I’m interested in Clemson.”

As for her thoughts on Coleman, Holland feels she has the ability to turn the struggling Lady Tiger program around and is eager to see how she handles that challenge over the next three years before making any decisions.

“I just want to see what she’s going to do for this team, then after that I’ll have to think over,” Holland said. “I’m still just letting it sink it right now, and I’m pretty much on cloud nine.”

Article From The Journal Newspaper in South Carolina

Serena Clark............................Clemson University

Courtney Bradford.....................Columbia University

Logan Morris........................Wofford College

Andreya Lacy........................Florida A&M University

Mauri Wells............................Armstrong Atlantic

Krysta Lewis.........................Georgia College & State University

Skye Rogers............................Armstrong Atlantic

Serena Clark a member of the 17 & under Black Hoopstars signed with Clemson University. Clemson is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Serena attends Tucker High School. She is 6'2 and plays both forward postions. Clemson got themselves a great player that will has a world of potential and that will work hard to improve on all aspects of her game.

Congrats to her and family with such a great achivement!

Jasmine Blain..........................Georgia Tech

Kayla Ramsby.......................Long Island University

Michelle Ivey.........................Air Force Academy

Ashley Pritchett.....................Eastern Kentucky

Kristen Nash...........................Belmont University

Ravven Brown.............................North Texas State

Madison Strickland..............................Naval Academy

Camille Thompson...............................Naval Academy

Ali Jones........................................Valdosta State

Makia Clarke.................................North Carolina Central

Catlin Brown..................................Mississippi College

Marissa Rimbert..............................Armstrong Atlantic

Briana McFarland..........................Armstrong Atlantic

Jasmine Walker............................. Armstrong Atlantic

Gabrielle Harvey..........................Tusculum College

Briana Edmonds............................New Mexico Junior College

Anna Akpele............................ Savannah College of Art and Design

Tiffany Leak.....................................LaGrange College

 Makia Clarke a member of the Hoopstars Black team committed to North Carolina Central University over the weekend.

North Carolina Central University is in going into its second year as an NCAA Division 1 University.

Makia attends South Gwinnett High School. She is 5'10 and plays both post positions and is a very aggressive rebounder and defender. She is very coachable and has been a Hoopstar for the last 3 years.

North Carolina Central University got themselves a great person and a player that will continue to work hard to get better.

Kayla Ramsby a member of the Hoopstars Black committed to Long Island University over the weekend. Long Island is a division one university and is located in Brooklyn, NY and is member of the Northeast Conference.

Long Island women's basketball finished last season with a 24-8 overall record while going 13-5 in conference play and finishing in 4th place. Long Island is Coach by Gail Striegler. 

Kayla attends Creekside High School. She is 5'11 and plays both guard and wing positions and is the team's best slasher. Long Island got themselves a great person and a great athlete.

Alli Jones a member of the Hoopstars Black committed Valdosta State University over the weekend. Valdosta State is a member of the Gulf South Conference.

 The Valdosta State women's basketball team made it all the way to the NCAA Division 2 Sweet Sixteen this 2007-08 season, finishing the season with a 26-6 overall record and going 9-3 in Gulf South Conference play.

Alli attends Lassiter High School. She is 5'8 and plays both guard positions and is the teams best 3-point shooter. Valdosta Sate got themselves a great person and a great shooter.

Georgia Tech women's basketball who reached the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history, finished last season with 22 wins (22-10), the most since joining the ACC prior to the 1979-80 season. Georgia Tech is Coach by MaChelle Joseph. 

Jasmine attends North Cobb High School. She is 6'2 and plays the wing and post positions and is the team's best overall player. She has been a Hoopstar since she was in the 7th grade and has developed into one of the top 50 players in the nation.  Jasmine and her parents will surely be missed. She is without a doubt the best wing in the state of Georgia for the class of 2009.

Georgia Tech got themselves a future All-American and future WNBA player.

Canesha Edwards......Appalachian State University

Simone Rutledge......Tennessee Tech

Kelli Riles......University of North Carolina Ashville

Melissa Little.....University of West Alabama

Courtney McDonald......University of West Alabama

Kaci Palmore......Florida Tech

Caris Hinton......Landers University

LaNise (Che') Essick......Claflin University

Rudie Denson......Chattanooga State University

Garlinda Lewis......Valdosta State University 

Martika Williams......Okaloosa-Walton College

Loren Wilkins......Palm Beach Atlantic College

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON AND OFF THE COURT.

Congratulations to Jasmine Blain, Marissa Rimbert, Jazmin Walker, Alli Jones, Kayla Ramsby, Caitlin Brown, Courtney Bradford, Chakecia Miller and Michelle Ivey for being chosen to participate in the Peach State Fab 5 Camp

Congratulations to Krysta Lewis, Chakecia Miller, Kelly Reid, Alex Boyer, Sydney Montgomery and Jac Weathers for being chosen to participate in the Peach State Jr. Fab 5 Camp.

Special congratulations also to Chakecia Miller for being chosen MVP of the Jr. Fab 5 Camp and Jasmine Blain for being chosen Upperclass Fab 5.

Invitational Only Camps, The 2008 Peach State Fab Five and Jr. Fab Five Camps were held at Augusta Sate University on July 28-30, 2008 and it featured 80 of the country's top prospect in both camps and was attended by over 150 college coaches.

Once again the Georgia Hoopstars Basketball Program had more players invited then any program in the Metro Atlanta Area.

Hoopstar players got the opportunity to meet and take pictures with the Rutgers womens basketball Coach C. Vivian Stringer while at the Basketball On the Bayou in New Orleans.

Coach Stringer holds the distinction of being the first coach in NCAA history to lead three different women's programs to the NCAA: Rutgers in 2000 and 2007, the University of Iowa in 1993, and Cheyney State College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania) in 1982. She is the third winningest coach in women's basketball history, behind only Tennessee's Pat Summitt and former University of Texas coach Jody Conradt. She was honored as the Naismith College Coach of Year for women's basketball in 1993, and is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Georgia Hoopstars Silver team recently traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to play in the Nike Basketball on the Bayou college exposure tournament. The tournament attracted big name Division 1 colleges such as: UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers, LSU and Georgia to name a few. The Silver team, comprised of girls between ages 12-15 years old, competed up in the 2011 Division (10th grade). 

Pool play consisted of competing against the Houston Hotshots and cross-town-rival, Wallace Prather Celtics. The Hoopstars blew out the Houston Hotshots and beat the Celtics, 53-49 in front of many college scouts. Moving on to bracket play as the #1 seed, their next opponent was All Ohio Red. The Hoopstars prevailed moving on to the semifinals to face the GA/Lina 76ers. It was tough game, but the Hoopstars pulled it out in the end and were on to the championship to face Southern Miss. Elite Black team in a late game on Thursday night. The girls were tired but pulled together for one last victory to bring home the championship.

All of the girls did a great job of playing as a team and representing the Georgia Hoopstars organization well. They received a lot of college exposure while attending the Bayou tournament; hopefully, that will springboard into next season. Great job!

Congratulations to Jasmine Blain and Madison Strickland for being chosen to participate in the Top Ten All-American Camp.

Congratulations to Chakecia Miller,  Krysta Lewis, Alex Boyer, Kelly Reid, Courtney Bradford, Sydney Montgomery, Briana Jones, Nyaa Davis, Jasmine Steward and Andreya Lacy for being chosen to participate in the Top Ten Underclassmen All-American Camp. 

Congratulations to Joshlyn Belcher, Jordan Frazier and Kaliyah Mitchell for being chosen to participate in the Top Ten Freshman All-American Camp.   

All these camps are invitation only camps and they had in attendance over 250 college scouts watching our players play. The Georgia Hoopstars Program had more players invited then any program or team in Georgia.

We offer four NCAA-certified Division One evaluation events on the Peach State Basketball calendar each year including the Tip-Off Classic on April 18 – 20, 2008 (Suwanee, GA), the Best of Summer Tournament July 11 – 13 2008 (Atlanta, GA), Summer Invitational on July 25 – 27, 2008 (Suwanee, GA) and the End of the Road Championships on September 27 & 28, 2008 (Atlanta, GA). The Hoopstars will have the opportunity to place their teams in these tournaments as well as have players selected for the opportunity to participate in the Fab Five Camp (2009 grads), Jr. Fab Five Camp (2010, 2011 grads), or the Rising Stars Camp (2012, 2013, 2014 grads).

"We are excited about joining the Elite Basketball Family, representing the Atlanta area," said Jonathan "JD" Davis, president of the Georgia Hoopstars. "Peach State basketball has built a strong reputation for quality college exposure events and player development camps."

"Preparing players to compete at the college level is our number 1 objective," Davis said. "For more than 10 years, colleges across the country have relied on the Georgia Hoopstars to prepare players to compete at the college level," Davis said. "During the past four years, we have helped more than 50 players achieve division I basketball scholarships.

"The Georgia Hoopstars' coaching staff focuses on helping each player advance her understanding of the game and individual skills in a team environment. In addition, their commitment to player development extends beyond coaching AAU, high school and middle school teams. They also coach at many top-level national camps. This partnership with the EBF will help even more players achieve their goals."

Players in the Georgia Hoopstars program will also have a chance to be rated by both the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report (Dan Olson) and the Southeastern Hoops Report (Brandon Clay). Between the two services, there are over 200 colleges that will have access to the evaluations on current Hoopstars. I look forward to working along with Georgia Hoopstars Program Director, Jonathan "JD" Davis, to make sure that the club remains one of America’s top travel programs.

Helping kids succeed…one scholarship at a time, Brandon Clay

From the Marietta Daily Journal on 01/03/08:

It didn't take long for colleges to notice Jasmine Blain.

The 6-foot-1 North Cobb junior forward began to receive attention from Division I colleges in the eighth grade while playing for the Georgia Hoopstars travel team and has continued to be noticed during her outstanding three-year career with the Lady Warriors.

So, it's not that surprising that Blain's future on the collegiate level has already been determined as she committed to Georgia Tech right before the beginning of her junior season.

Blain is the first North Cobb girls basketball player to commit or sign with a Division I college since Alana Tanksley signed with South Florida in 2001.

Blain is certainly showing why Georgia Tech was so interested in her this season, averaging 18.1 points and a little more than seven rebounds a game to help lead a talented North Cobb squad to a 10-2 record, the best start for the Lady Warriors in years.

While Blain is excited about her future with Georgia Tech, she realizes she still has a season-and-a-half left of high school basketball to play.

"I like (Georgia Tech) a lot and I'm really excited about playing college basketball, but I can't take it for granted," Blain said. "I have to keep working hard and take it one step at a time, because if I don't, (Georgia Tech) could take it away from me."

Please click on the above header or the picture to read the whole article from the Marietta Daily Journal.

Also, Click on the the below handout to get the whole article in PDF format. 

Simone Rutledge who played on the Hoopstars Royal team last summer has signed with Tennessee Tech. Tennessee Tech plays in the Ohio Valley Conference and was picked fifth in their conference. Simone attends Southwest Dekalb High School who is preseason number one in the state in AAAA.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON AND OFF THE COURT.