Given the stated need of a backup point guard by the Storm GM, I wanted to talk about the NCAA prospects. There may be better options in free agent pool if Seattle is a player. The "up in the air" status of Lauren Jackson could really hurt the Storm. If she does not play they have a max contract to hand out, but the right kind of players could be all snatched up by that point. The Storm won't know what they have to work with until Lauren makes her decision known to them.
I gave my thoughts on the top prospects out of college this year for point guards before the start of the NCAA season...and here is a look at where I stand now...
1) Shalee Lehning, Kansas State (was #3)
2) Kristi Cirone, Illinois State (was #2)
3) Renee Montgomery, Connecticut (was #4)
4) Kristi Tolliver, Marylad (was #1)
5) Briann January, Arizona State (not ranked)
6) Sha Brooks, Florida (was an honorable mention)
7) Amber Guffey, Murray State (was an honorable mention)
8) Dellena Criner, Nevada (not ranked)
9) Camille LeNoir, USC (not ranked)
10) Brianne O'Rourke, Penn State (was #5)
11) Kristi Smith, Iowa (not ranked)
Despite her poor shooting, Briann January and her strong ASU team play have climbed her into the top 5 while Brianne O'Rourke has slid to the bottom of the list.
The top three represent the best shooters with Lehning and Cirone standing out in a number of categories. I am troubled by Lehning turning the ball over on 43% of her possessions as a senior, it could spell serious trouble in the pros. She is the best rebounding PG on the list and her team has the third best RPI, leading her to the top. Cirone is likely to be one of the first PG's drafted at this point, she has the best individual rating and is the strongest shooter. She also has an appealing assist to turnover ratio as well as BoxScore and WINS rating.
We will see how the season progresses, and as always, tournament play trumps a great deal of the season performance given the stakes involved.
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