Six Freshman Point Guards To Keep An Eye On
The freshman class is loaded with talent. Here are six 2023 floor generals from Eastern North Carolina that college coaches need to keep an eye on. Ja’Kea “Ke-Ke” Brunson — Wayne Country Day School Ja’Kea Brunson shoots a free throw…
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Continue ReadingThe freshman class is loaded with talent. Here are six 2023 floor generals from Eastern North Carolina that college coaches need to keep an eye on.
Ja’Kea “Ke-Ke” Brunson — Wayne Country Day School
Ja’Kea Brunson shoots a free throw against Wayne Christian. Kai Jones / Prep HoopsThis young lady checks all the boxes to be a college level point guard. She has length at 5-feet-11 with a 6-foot-2 wingspan, frame, good floor instincts, good touch on her jumper, finishes through contact, can guard her position and is a winner on the floor and in the classroom. Brunson has been on varsity since she was a seventh grader, and this year was tasked with transitioning from a spot up shooter to a point guard. She handled the challenge well as she led her team to the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association 2-A Semifinals while averaging 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.9 steals per game on shooting splits of 48-37-65. She will be running with the Carolina Flames this summer.
Anna Taylor retreats back on defense after making a shot versus Lee Christian. Kai Jones / Prep HoopsAnna Taylor — Neuse Charter
According to MaxPreps, she led the entire state with the most made 3-pointers. Taylor knocked down 104 3-pointers en route to averaging 21.6 points per game. The 5-foot-8 guard also was pesky in the passing lanes as she used her 5-foot-11 wingspan to get 2.1 steals per game. Her soccer background was apparent, as her floor vision and ability to move without the ball are well beyond her years. Her floor vision helped her pick up 3.8 assists per game while turning the ball over just 1.1 times. She also will be running with the Carolina Flames.
Kyla Silver — D.H. Conley
Two words describe this young lady: winner and aggressive. Silver has lost just one game in the last three years at school. The freshman led D.H. Conley to a 28-1 record with the lone loss coming to Kennedy Todd-Williams Kennedy Todd-Williams 5'10" | CG Jacksonville | 2020 State NC and Jacksonville in the fourth round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A playoffs. Her combination of speed, size and aggression helped her lead the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and win the 3-A/4-A Eastern Carolina Conference Player of the Year.
Jessie Gross — North Johnston
One of the first things to notice about Gross is how good her feel for the game of basketball is. She’s smart, tough and is an extension of her coach on the floor. She averaged 8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal per game for the Panthers. The 5-foot-7 guard shot the 3-pointer at a respectable 35 percent clip. Her coach Jay Poole raves about how good she can be. She is a multi-sport athlete who starts on the softball team, which should help her development athletically.
Brooklynn Waller — Cleveland
Waller has a lot of interesting tools as she has good speed at 5-foot-7 and uses her frame to bully her way to the paint at will. She got to the line on average of five times per game. She was also great on the glass as she finished with 5.8 per game which was good for second on the team. Waller also led the team in steals and points with 8.1 and 2.9 per game respectively. Waller helped her team win six more games than last year while being one of three freshmen to start. As Waller and her team grows up, her skill set will become more polished.
Kamia Frazier — Greene Central
Frazier has a lot of heart. She’s only 5-feet tall but makes up for the size with fearlessness. She gets to the basket pretty much at will with her speed and ball handling ability, which opens up shot opportunities for her teammates as she averaged 2.6 assists per game. As she grows, gets stronger and develops a more consistent jumper, she will be a important player for Greene Central. She also has quick hands as she averaged 1.2 steals per game.
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