Battle of the best: Fudd vs Bueckers at Summer Jam

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd are the best of friends – two highly talented, super-motivated players who share the same goals – but there’s a good chance they will set their BFF status aside for an hour on Saturday afternoon at 1:25 p.m. That’s when they could meet on court 2 at Bloomington Kennedy in what might be the most interesting game of the North Tartan Summer Jam. If Fudd and her Fairfax Stars 17U squad from Virginia can knock off CSS Bison Elite on Friday, and Bueckers and her North Tartan 2020 EYBL team can defeat All Iowa Attack 11th Nike, the two will face off in the second round of the tournament. “I can’t wait!” Bueckers said of the potential encounter.

If you follow girls basketball in Minnesota then you, like every big-time college coach in the country, are well aware of who Bueckers is. But what about Fudd? Well she is the Paige Bueckers of Washington, D.C., and is probably the best player in the country from the class of 2021. “She has really got the whole package,” Bueckers said. “I have never seen such a clean jump shot. It’s crazy. When she shoots it you’re like, ‘Well that’s definitely going in,’ and when she misses it’s like once in a lifetime. Azzi is so strong, and she uses her body well. There really isn’t much you can do to stop her. She can shoot, she’s got a good handle, she can post you up, get to her pull-up at will, and create for others.”

That pretty much sums it up. The 5’11 guard completed her first year of varsity basketball at St. John’s High School in the nation’s capital not long ago, and had a per-game average of 24 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals for the Lady Cadets. She was named D.C. Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. Not bad for a freshman. Oh, we should also mention that Fudd’s first scholarship offer was from Maryland when she was in the 6th grade.

“I think what makes her so special is the fact that she doesn’t get caught up in all the hype, she’s humble,” Bueckers said. “Whenever I’m talking to her she has just finished working out, or she is about to go work out. It never stops for her, and you can tell why she is such a great player.”

Fudd comes by her talent and work ethic naturally. Her mom Katie was a college star at Georgetown, who twice led the Big East in scoring and was drafted by the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs. Azzi’s dad Tim was a star player at American University. They have worked tirelessly to help Azzi achieve her full potential, a quest that appears to be right on schedule.

“It’s almost like we are inseparable”

Bueckers and Fudd connected in Colorado Springs last summer at the Team USA U16 tryouts. They both made the squad, even though Fudd was only 14 years old and just out of the 8th grade. At the Championship of the Americas in Argentina, Fudd and Bueckers just clicked. On the court they were the first players off the bench and made a huge impact. Off the court, they became fast friends.

It makes sense when you think about it. I mean, how many other kids can relate to what it’s like to be wooed by UCONN and Notre Dame and Maryland and the like? How many other players represent their country on an international stage and win a gold medal? How many other kids put in the amount of time and effort they do to be the best?

“It’s almost like we’re inseparable,” Bueckers said. “It’s cool to have people around you that have the same focus and the same drive. We push each other to be great. Off the court, she is really like my best friend. We spend a lot of time watching shows, cooking together, and spending quality time just enjoying the little time we have off the court. She is just a great person.”

Summer Jam features a plethora of great teams

The North Tartan Summer Jam is one of the most entertaining AAU tournaments of the season. Unlike the July viewing events, which are delineated largely by what brand of shoes the girls are wearing, it features great teams from all corners of the country and all brand affiliations. It also offers a nice opportunity for Minnesota’s best to meet the best of the rest without a gym full of D1 coaches looking on. The tournament opens early Friday afternoon and continues through Sunday. Here are some games to watch on Friday.

• North Tartan 10th EYBL vs All Iowa Attack 11th Nike, Kennedy court 1 at 2:30 p.m.
• Minnesota Fury 2019 Gauntlet vs Nebraska Attack 11th Elite, Kennedy 5 at 3:35 p.m.
• All Iowa Attack 10th Nike vs Boo Williams Nike, Kennedy 1 at 5:45 p.m.
• North Tartan 9th Sinn vs Kingdom Hoops 15U Elite, Kennedy 4 at 6:50 p.m.