college scholarship offer when she was in seventh grade (Wake Forest), and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma has already been to two

Ever since she was 5 years old, ears have surrounded Samantha Brunelle when she hits the basketball court. Now that shes the highest-ranked sophomore basketball prospect in the nation, all eyes -- including two that belong to Geno Auriemma -- are upon her.Some say scoring is in her nature, and the Brunelle family traces that to their vast backyard.A decade ago, Rod and Katie Brunelle put down asphalt and put up a portable hoop so their only child could hoist a few shots in their vast backyard. The Brunelles live on a 300-acre family farm at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Ruckersville, Virginia.Samanthas uncle Billy runs the farm -- countless dairy cows and turkeys -- but Samantha handles the basketball department, honing her game on a half court surrounded on three sides by enough corn to make an Iowan envious.A year ago, Brunelles mother surprised her by painting white lines on the asphalt court. Free throws, 3-pointers, out of bounds -- they were all marked. Katie went even further by painting a yellow 33 inside the free throw area.That court is amazing, said Samantha, who wears No. 33 for her high school team. I put my headphones on, and I can shoot, and I can think. Its a peaceful time for me.That court represents utopia for Brunelle, but it has helped cause chaos for her opponents. As a freshman at William Monroe (Stanardsville, Virginia) last season, she broke two state records. Her 28 rebounds set the single-game Virginia mark, and her 650 points crushed the state record for points in a season by a freshman.Undeclared for college, Brunelle averaged 23.8 points, 17.5 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She matched her uniform number and scored 33 points in her high school debut. She had a high of 52 points last season. The Central Virginia Player of the Year, she had a game in which she went 18-for-18 from the foul line.Her numbers explode off the page, and thats despite the fact that she faced constant double-teams and junk defenses, William Monroe coach Jess Stafford said. Theres nothing you can do at this level to keep her from putting the ball in the basket. Its in her nature to score.Hoops above allThat nature, of course, has a lot to do with Samanthas parents.Rod, now a realtor, was a 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder and first baseman. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 15th round in 1985 but never made it past Class A ball. He averaged .277 and hit 21 homers over four seasons.Katie, now the principal at William Monroe Middle School, was a 5-foot-10 post player at Division III Bridgewater College in Virginia. She later became the head high school basketball coach at Orange County (Orange, Virginia) before settling in as an administrator.Between Rods love for baseball and Katies devotion to basketball, it was mom who knew best. When the couple took newborn Samantha home from the hospital, the baby girl was wearing a pink dress and tiny, white, high-top sneakers.She was going to be a basketball player, Katie said with a laugh.Brunelle tried other sports. She competed in travel softball and volleyball leagues, and she was an aggressive hitter in both those endeavors. But there was something about basketball.One day when she was in seventh grade, Brunelle came home from practice and told her mom she wanted to be the best basketball player in the country. Katie explained that reaching that goal would take hard work and laser focus. The next day, Samantha announced to her parents that she was quitting softball and volleyball to devote her athletic energies to basketball and her quest to be the best.A unique tasteDespite all her basketball success, Brunelle is still a kid at heart.Ive never seen her have a bad day, Rod said.She has a go-kart -- it has some fender damage from when she drove it off an embankment -- and she has had loads of fun driving. She loves to joke around; telling people their shoelaces are untied when they actually arent is one of her favorite gags.She enjoys dancing, even when her teammates tell her to stick to basketball. At the very least, shes unafraid to try any move and post it on Twitter. Her latest attempt is Hit the Quan.I know the move, Brunelle said. Whether it looks good or not, I dont know.More than go-karts, practical jokes and dance moves, she loves ketchup. She puts it on just about any food, and she makes sure shes never too far from her favorite condiment.I always keep a few packets in my purse, she said. And I keep a miniature tube in my locker and in my lunch box -- just in case.Her penchant for ketchup sometimes disrupts her clean basketball look.I was wearing a white jersey, Brunelle said in citing an example. I was eating a hot dog at Jasons Deli, and my coach told me, Dont get any stains on your uniform. Sure enough, on my first bite, I got ketchup all over my jersey.It happens every time.Strong rootsTheres more to Brunelle than ketchup stains and dance moves, though. Shes an excellent student, with a 4.25 GPA. Shes interested in studying business and communications. A recent presentation won her third place in the state as part of the Future Business Leaders of America.In July, she culminated her impressive freshman year by helping USAs U17 team win a bronze medal at the FIBA world championships in Zaragoza, Spain. It was her first trip abroad but likely not her last.She got her first college scholarship offer when she was in seventh grade (Wake Forest), and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma has already been to two of her practices. But Brunelle, who plays AAU ball for the Boo Williams program and coach Mike Davis, said its too early to decide where she will enroll. She plans to take several official visits in the next few months -- she has already visited a handful, including Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas -- to start exploring her choices.Even so, she remains humble. When USA Basketball invited her to their U17 Colorado tryouts in May, Brunelle, playing against older girls, surprised herself by making the team.She received an even bigger shock when she returned home from Colorado. Hundreds of Greene County residents lined the streets to celebrate her accomplishment. She received a police escort once she crossed the county line, and that took her to her high school, where more friends awaited.There were a massive amount of people with signs saying, Sam, we love you! Stafford said. There was a guy with a tractor who had a sign. There were people on pickup trucks. There were news crews waiting for her at school.Sam had tears of joy. She had no idea this was coming. Shes a humble kid who just happens to be pretty good at basketball.Brunelles police escort went down Route 33, naturally.Its nice coming from a small town, she said. I have a community that is so loving and caring. I wouldnt want to be anywhere else.Kingsley Coman Jersey . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Holger Badstuber Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.soccerfcbayernshop.com/kids-david-alaba-bayern-munich-jersey/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Thomas Muller Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Gianluca Gaudino Bayern Munich Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.As the Seattle Seahawks approached the goal line, back to back Super Bowl victories were within their grasp.With just 26 seconds left to go in the game, and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson facing a second and goal, a yard from the end zone, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called a play that deviated from their season long game plan.Dont hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch. Throw the ball. Ravens defence stops Browns Baltimore Ravens scored 25 unanswered points to beat the Cleveland Browns 28-7. After the snap, Wilson had time in the pocket. Surveying the crowded field in front of him, the third year quarterback shifted his body to the right and threw a short slant pass towards undrafted wide receiver Ricardo Lockette..The Seahawks had received a lifeline just moments before, Jermaine Kearse made a spectacular 33-yard play by juggling the ball and keeping it off the ground, despite the tip from cornerback Malcolm Butler. Malcolm Butler intercepted the ball to halt the Seahawks attack with just 20 seconds left to play An archetypal hammering run from Lynch took Seattle a further four yards, to set up three possible attempts for a one yard steal. They had a timeout, and over 40 seconds on the clock following Lynchs run. Seattle held every advantage.Around the ground, there was silent but unanimous agreement that Wilson would give the ball back to their lead running back and allow him to bulldoze the team to Super Bowl glory. With over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns for the season, and 104 yards that night, the decision seemed an obvious one. Seattles success was built on a powerful running game, spearheaded by Marshawn Lynch But maybe that was Pete Carrolls thinking in accepting Bevells call? If everyone knows about the not-so-secret Beast Mode, touchdown rushing leader of the last two seasons, who would expect a throwing play in this situation?Without deliberation or timeout, the Seahawks executed their master-plan, targeting Lockette against Butler.dddddddddddd. However it just so happened that the undrafted rookie corner, who never played higher than division II football in college, had been caught out on a short, red zone attack in training, and was determined not to let it happen again.Seeing Wilsons shoulder turn away from Lynch, Butler launched himself in front of Lockette to steal the pass and dive out of the end zone, grounding the ball and handing possession to New England.With Brady under centre and 20 seconds to go, the Seahawks Michael Bennett jumped offside, taking the Patriots out of their own end zone to win the game 28-24.The question remains: why not run the ball?Even if it was what everyone was expecting, the Seahawks had enough time to get stopped and then try something else. The plan to double bluff the New England offence seems one that was over-thought, when a far more effective plan of attack would have been to use the far more effective weapon in their armoury. The feeling at that moment before Wilson snapped the ball was one of inevitability, that the Seahawks were going to defend their championship and become the first team to do so since the Patriots in 2005. It looked as though the New England bench was already resigned to the fact, particularly after Kearses catch. The play call will go down as one of the most questionable in Super Bowl history, and the two sides meet again on Sunday night, for the first time since that infamous ending. Tom Brady celebrated his third Super Bowl victory as the Patriots held on to a 28-24 lead It may be coming at a good time for Seattle and Wilson, who showed a marked improvement in the Seahawks week nine victory over the Buffalo Bills. However the Patriots, at 7-1 and in the ascendancy, are injury-free and will be determined to achieve a winning outcome once more. You can watch the Seahawks @ Patriots, as part of a live triple header on Sunday November 13, from 5:30pm on Sky Sports 2.Also See:The worst team ever?Fan predictions: Graves v PanthersWATCH: Flaccos mannequin challengeTrump letter ' ' '