I had an interesting summer. Bascilio Gibbs came into Charlotte Amalie High's P.E. Department on a dare and asked me if I knew his daughter? I was dumbfounded for a brief second then I showed him a power point presentation. To his delight, his daughter Nickia Gibbs was indeed known by yours truly.

Bascilio was so happy someone was following his daughter progress that he dubbed me "the man." As for his daughter, Nickia is a tough playmaker as a freshman guard at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania. She was a standout at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Maryland and led the Panthers to three straight Maryland State championships in 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08. She is one of many women Virgin Islanders who are gearing up to play immediately in the collegiate ranks this season.

Gibbs did have a rival in the D.C.-Baltimore area in fellow St. Thomian Akeema Richards. The 5-foot-9 point guard has had many run-ins with Gibbs and did not pick up many victories. However, Richards signed with a solid Big East program in West Virginia.

Richards is a very accomplished baller and was named Baltimore City Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008. She has scored over 1,200 points in her career and has WVU head coach Mike Carey itching to start her from Day 1.

"I recruited Akeema to run the point," said Carey. "It's a tall order for a freshman, but Richards would seem ready."

Continuing with the freshman theme, St. Thomas' very own Victoria Hamilton has taken her game to Radford University. One reason Hamilton signed with Radford is because head coach Tajama Abraham-Ngongba is from St. Croix.

"Victoria is an all-around player who is personally committed to being great," said Ngongba. "As a fellow Virgin Islander, I have very high expectations for her. Her potential is truly unlimited."

Hamilton, who was on most people's radar as the best women's basketball player the territory, has produced for quite some time. She was a two-time Big Baller as well as a high school player of the year.

Three sophomores, or really two, should be on the watch list. St. Croix native Stacy Griffith and the University of District Columbia hope to rebound from an NCAA Division-II opening round ouster. The 6-foot forward averaged 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in her first season, in which UDC finished with 24 wins and five losses.

Homegrown product Rebekah Siefer is in her second stint at the Coast Guard Academy. The 5-foot-4 guard played sparingly last year and is excited about the upcoming season. Anything is better than a 5-21 finish that the team posted.

"Bekah," a Country Day product, was known for hitting big jump shots in the annual SunStroke All-V.I. Hoops Classic.

The other sophomore to keep in mind is Natalie Day. Day will miss the upcoming season because of NCAA transfer rules as she left Howard University for Portland University. Day, a 6-foot guard/forward, made 19 starts as a freshman and was the third-leading scorer (7.2) and rebounder (4.8) for the Bisons. Her strength is shooting the long ball. Day had 25 3-pointers on the season.

"Natalie is a great addition to the program," said Portland head coach Jim Sollars. "She's athletic, highly skilled and she's an excellent student. I think she will fit in perfectly with what we want to do on the court and she'll be a fine addition to the university's business program. It's a shame she has to redshirt for a year because we could use her right away."

It must be lonely being the only senior in this column, but Nova Southeastern University's Lashawnna Edwards is deserving of all the attention. Edwards is an athletic freak. Her best game was a double-double against Valdosta State (11/23/08) in which she had career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (16). The Crucian appeared in all 29 games, starting 15.

Edwards also has one thing on her mind - winning the Sunshine State Conference and advancing to the field of 64 in the Women's NCAA Tournament.

Division II and NAIA

Los hermanos Hosier finally found a place they can call home.

Older brother Conroy will suit up for Bloomfield College in New Jersey while the younger brother Jamaar will be the man in the middle at Shaw University.

The Shaw Bears were picked to finish third in the Western Division. Jamaar, a junior forward, stands about 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds.

Conroy is 6 feet 6 inches and has been to four colleges prior to enrolling at Bloomfield.

Shoquan Stevens, a forward for the ABA Men's Summer League's Heavy Hitters, will finally play basketball at Post University. Stevens sat out last year as a redshirt at Post, but will be eligible to play as a freshman this year. Stevens starred at Maloney High School in Connecticut and has played on the Virgin Islands junior men's national team.

Can you be an athlete and a scholar? Well that is how I describe Leroy Williams. The St. Thomas native will play basketball at Goucher College in Townson, Maryland. The 6-foot-7 post player has been through the highs and lows of life. I can't get into the meat of his story, but I can summarize it in one word - tough.

Williams won a Baltimore County Athletic Directors' Scholarship for $500 this year and Patapsco's Lyle Patzkowski Unsung Hero Award. He plans on becoming a doctor.

Up in Maine, St. Thomian Moses Brathwaite has been putting up eye-popping numbers. As a sophomore, the U.S. Naval officer averaged 22.1 points and 17.6 rebounds per game and blocked 52 shots for Maine Augusta University.

His play propelled him to the USCAA All-American Team despite his absence in the National Tournament because of Naval duty in San Diego. The 6-foot-5 post player is a full-time member of the U.S. Navy and conducts survival training in the Rangeley area for pilots who might be shot down in combat.

- David Edole is a V.I. native and a sports enthusiast.