Orlando Comets

(KB - 08/21/05) In Louisiana at AAU 14U Nationals, the Blue team performed exactly according to expectations. They went 2-3 in pool play. Their best game was a six point loss to the Central Kentucky Angels, a top five team nationally. Based on their performance against CKA, one wonders why they didn't finish 4-1 in pool play. The answer is simply inconsistency and matchups. Like most Florida teams, the Blue team threw talent at the opposition when preparedness and consistency would have worked. No one denied that the team had talented players. But their "here one day, exhausted the next" history made their pool performance predictable. The Blue team lost their first bracket game in Louisiana and came home. Not only that but the team was beginning to fracture at critical points. Samantha Shields, the team's leading scorer, became disaffected when she was not selected by her coach as the team MVP at YBOA states. Most observers felt she'd earned that accolade. Instead, the honor went to the coach's daughter. Anytime a coach has a child on the team and that child is not clearly the team's leader, problems will arise. Examples and rumors of favoritism abound on Florida teams. Dynasty, DEBO, Comets Red, Comets Blue, Miracle, Xtreme, Lightning, Orlando's Finest and GGG all have coaches that have children on the team. Only the Comets Red and the Miracle successfully isolated themselves from accusations of nepotism. In the case of the Blue team, the accusation led to the departure of their best player. Shields left the team after AAU nationals. Originally it was believed she was headed to the Red team, but she eventually ended up playing for the Florida Starzz. The Blue team replaced her with a stud. Laquita Curry, a 6'1" forward from Titusville Astronaut, followed her friend Asia Wilson and joined the Blue team in the fall of 2004. Curry was projected as a scoring foward and as a defensive monster on the boards. Her signing was a coup for the Blue team. The Blue team also attempted to recruit Jordan Coleman, Andea Smith and Andrell Smith of the Orlando Miracle 13U. Those three girls were already committed to playing 14U in 2005, however. The Blue team looked at several other Miracle players, including Jessica Bivins and Ayiesha Vickers, but again those players were already committed to other teams. In the end the Blue team was forced to take Curry and stand pat. They projected a 2005 starting lineup of Curry, Wilson, Brittany Waters, Tiara Jackson and Jessica George.