Time for Stars to shine

For Spokane Stars players like Angela Hartill, the month of July is vital. They will, over the next three weeks, hone their basketball skills against some of the nation’s best high school players, be scrutinized by college basketball coaches and, yes, simply enjoy the experience.

“I’m just trying to improve and get better every game,” the 6-foot-3 Riverside High athlete said, “and just have fun along the way.”

Ron Adams’ Stars, a compilation of the Spokane area’s most sought-after female basketball talent, hit the road yesterday for the first of four high profile basketball tournaments.

Included are two in the MidSummer Nights Madness series, the U.S. National Championships at the University of Washington July 12-15 and the Western U.S. Championships at Arizona State University in Tempe, July 27-31.

They begin a stretch of 11 straight days of games today with The End of the Trail Invite in Oregon City, which includes The Warehouse Summer Classic back home on July 16-18.

Adams, who has coached the Stars for a quarter century, considers this team to be, if not his deepest, likely his best.

“Our starting five, without question is by far the best in the 26 years I’ve coached,” he said.

Hartill is one of four high school seniors-to-be attracting intense interest. She’s been contacted by Arizona, California, University of San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara among others.

University High’s Jami Bjorklund is being recruited by nearly 30 schools from the Pac-10, West Coast and Big West conferences, Washington State and Gonzaga among them.

Lewis and Clark’s Briann January has numerous Pac-10 schools — WSU, Oregon, Arizona State and Cal included — among the myriad Division I teams after her.

They are joined in the starting lineup by U-Hi sophomore Angie Bjorklund and LC junior Heather Bowman, also with bright college futures.

The other major D-I recruit from the class of 2005 is 6-2 post Britney Lohman, who joined the team from Bozeman, Mont.

They and five teammates for the Stars Elite-Blue team, provide size and experience for the upcoming tourney grind. They’ll be joined by a second Stars team, the Elite White, in other divisions of all four tourneys.

“Oregon City is tough,” said Adams, “and we’re at a little bit of a disadvantage. Ninety percent of the teams don’t play with their high school teams like ours do in June. We’ve only practiced since July 1.”

Adams anticipates a struggle in the first game or two as a result and isn’t making any predictions about how far the Stars go in a tourney that includes three 32-team brackets with the winners only advancing to the title playoffs.

“We’re four or five games away from being double tough,” he said. “When we get to Seattle for the national tournament, I tell you what, we’ve got to be one of the favorites, as long as we stay healthy.”

The Stars greatest asset is its quickness. It is, said Adams, the fastest team he’s had getting up and down the court.

“That’s what will impress college coaches,” he said. “They hate a set offense. We have it, but you won’t see them in it much.”

The other strength of the team, said Adams, is its posts, making Hartill a major focus. She has always been among the rebounding leaders, averaging 8-to-10 per game in 25-to-28 minutes of game time, he said.

After growing up in Chewelah, Hartill has played on Riverside’s varsity for three seasons with one to go and the Rams have been to state twice, failing to get out of districts this past year when injuries cost them two starters.

Always tall —”I was always bigger than everyone. Finally in the eighth grade I stopped growing,” she said — Hartill has played with the Stars for three years.

“She’s improved to the point where she does everything well,” said Adams. “She has size, runs the floor, has really good hands, has all the moves and knows what to do with the ball. She has so much potential it’s scary. At the end of July a lot more schools are going to jump on the bandwagon.”

For her part, Hartill, who also is a state-placing shot putter and discus thrower with 39 feet and 120-0 bests, has simply enjoyed her time with the team and the national competition it has provided.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s so aggressive and physical and so much faster. We just have incredible athletes and players and get to play against the best in the country.”