News on the youngins

Club ball:

ESPN has the End of the Trail tournament tip sheets. For our convenience, they're organized into class of 2012, class of 2013 and class of 2014.

How sad - Gabby Green of Cal Storm Taurasi broke her ankle in a game this morning.

USA Basketball:

I love their headline writer......Elizabeth Williams of the U19 team has a Midas touch. (I can hear Midnight Star signing it in the background).

On the down side, LA big Imani Stafford will miss the games due to a pelvic cyst:

Imani Stafford of Los Angeles, Calif., will miss the FIBA U19 World Championships after an MRI exam revealed a cyst in her pelvic area, according to her club program director, Ray Mayes of Finest Basketball Club (FBC).

A 6-foot-5 post ranked No. 17 by ESPN HoopGurlz in the 2012 class, Stafford will have a biopsy performed but was told that there's a 90-percent chance it is non-cancerous, Mayes said.

Malina Howard, a 6-3 post from Twinburg, Ohio, who is ranked No. 7 in the 2012 class, is expected to replace Stafford on the USA roster.

Stafford averaged 12.2 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.3 blocks to help Winward (Los Angeles, Calif.) to the 2011 CIF Division IV state championship. She also was a member of the 2010 USA U17 World Championship team that posted a perfect 8-0 record during the inaugural FIBA U17 World Championship. She averaged 3.6 points and a team third-best 5.3 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game in France.

The daughter of former USC and WNBA standout Pamela McGee will miss the summer evaluation circuit.

"We'll miss our big," Mayes said. "But I'd rather have her with USA. Health comes first."