This highlight reel shows off all 12 players who made the U17 World Championship Team Roster. These are the top players in the class of 2013 including Diamond DeShields, Kaela Davis, Kia James, Mercedes Russell, Linnae Harper, Erica McCall and Brianna Turner. All legit Hoopers!

2014 point guards impress at U17 Trials

McKenzie Calvert of Byron M. Steele High School in Schertx, Texas. (photo by Kelly Kline)

Alexa Middleton of Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro Tennessee. (photo by Kelly Kline)

U17 PHOTO GALLERY --Over a three day period 33 talented young ladies competed at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. for twelve spots on the 2012 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship Team. The Women's Developmental National Team Committee had a tough job in hand especially considering that all twelve members returned from the gold medal winning 2011 FIBA Americans U16 Championships. All 33 invitees battled hard and were very competitve making it extremely difficult to distance themselves in the eyes of evaluators. In the end the committee decided to go in a different direction with a mix of six returning veterans and six players new to the international game.

Unfortunately, 21 of the 33 invitees were cut from the team and three players, Jannah Tucker, Allisha Gray and Kendall Cooper, were invited to tryout and were selected for the U18 team.  Brianna Turner was the only 2014 player to make the U17 squad, which says a lot about the experience and level of play needed make the team. 

For all the invitees the one thing to take away from their experience is that it is indeed an honor to have a opportunity to wear the red, white and blue with USA letters across the front.  Remember that you are apart of the select few and if even for only three days you represented yourself, family and country. The players who did not make the roster should come away from the experience knowing ways they can improve their game.  Continue to train, strive for excellence and stay ready, and you will get your shot.

The future is bright a for a pair of 2014 guards based on their performance they should get another stab at making a USA National Team.

McKenzie Calvert was one of the invitees that will benefit from her experience from the trials. Calvert, the 5 foot 9 guard from Cibolo, Texas, has a very high basketball IQ, she communicates well with teammates on the court. Calvert can create for herself or teammates off the dribble. She is an explosive quick guard who can get her own shot with ease and she loves to attack. Calvert, who has verbally committed to Baylor, is a playmaker with a keen sense of her surroundings to find the open man. Calvert used body and quickness during the trials to be a lockdown defender. Calvert played with a lot of energy and was a handful at both ends of the floor.

This time last year Alexa Middleton the 5-9 combo guard from Murfreesboro, Tenn. was participating in the U16 trials via the open tryouts. Middleton took advanage of that opportunity and earned a invitation to this years trials. Middleton, who plays for nationally ranked Riverdale H.S., had a solid perfomance at this years event. She did a tremendous job distributing the ball to teammates, Middleton knocked down several three pointers and did a good job on the defensive end. She didn't make the cut, but one thing is for certain Middleton definitely did well enough to earn herself an invite to the next USA Trials.

Tag: Prentice Beverly is a national evaluator for Blue Star Media  @BlueStarMedia1, @PBevBallNPrep