Two Lady Cats To Compete In Elite Camp

El Dorado News-Times article

Summertime is when the real basketball players get better. There is no better way to improve your skills than to go up against better competition. That is what El Dorado’s Falundrus Sims and Kristian Tester are doing this weekend as they compete in the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback Elite Basketball Camp.

The two El Dorado players are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to experience. Sims is a 6-2 senior post for the Lady Wildcats. She averaged 10.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks as a junior, earning All-State honors. Tester is a 5-5 sophomore point guard, who has yet to play in a senior varsity regular-season game. Tester averaged 15 points per game for the freshman team, which went 16-2 last year.

“Playing against good people will make you better or make you want to get better,” said Coach Brad Slatton. “It will be a challenge but I think it will be good for them.”

Sims has come a long way in the last couple of years. She was cut from the team in the seventh and eighth grade and was the third team center in the ninth grade. Last season, however, she was an all-conference performer and is being looked at by colleges. She hopes this camp will give her more exposure to college coaches. She’s also looking forward to going up against taller players.

“I have played against taller people but it’s only happened twice. I want to see what I can do against them,” said Sims, who has a 3.7 grade point average. “If I go to college I’ll have to play against people taller than me so this should be a good experience.”

Tester, meanwhile, has been a starter or key contributor on every team on which she has played since the seventh grade. The last two years, she has started every game at point guard and led Barton and the EHS freshmen to a 30-2 record. She said she still has a lot to learn and is looking forward to stepping up to a new level of competition.

“I’m being realistic,” said Tester, who owns a 4.0 grade point average. “I know I will be one of the youngest people up there. It will be more of a learning experience for me as I go up against older players with more experience. I expect it to be hard but I’m real excited about it.