Top North Carolina Seniors

Everyone knows that seniors are the backbone of any great program. Their leadership and experience make them invaluable pieces for all teams at all levels and these seniors are no different. Most had their respective teams poised to compete for a state championship before unforeseen circumstances prevented them from doing so but this does not in any way take away from the careers they have had, what they have meant to their respective programs or the impact they are going to have at the next level. Leading the senior class is Center ChynaCornwell/Newton-Conover, who had her team poised to compete for the State 2A Championship. Chyna dominated the girl’s high school scene in the 2019-2020 season which saw her produce a double-double in each of her team’s 30 games this season. She averaged 26.2ppg and 16.7rpg and her honors include being ranked 62 on ESPNW recruiting lists, Player of the Year both on the Suddenlink and NCCBA lists as well as 1st team All-State, POY and 1st teams All-District just to name a few. It is her versatility and ability to score and defend that puts her atop this elite class. She will be taking her talents to Rutgers University where, as she matures and develops physically and learns the college game, she will make an immediate impact and have a successful career. Forward/Center Skylah Travis/Weldon High School guided her team to the State 1A Championship game and a 27-1 overall record and 13-0 conference record. Skylah is one of if not the most dominant center and post player in NC. Her size when matched with her big man skills made her an almost impossible guard for opposing teams. What is impressive about her is her great hands and footwork of a young player with her height. She was able to use this to her advantage to the tune of 20.7ppg, 10.6rpd as well as 3.9bpg which are all great numbers and to show her all-around skills she averaged 5.1 steals and 4.9 assists per game as well. Her honors include 2nd Team All-State Teams on both Suddenlink and NCCBA list as well as District 1 POY and 1st team honors to name a few. She will be taking her talents to Old Dominion where her talents along with her incredible work ethic almost assure she will have a stellar career. Forward [player_tooltip player_id="116847" first="Anya" last="Poole"]/Southeast Raleigh, comes from a strong high school program and joins a list of successful players from that program. She had her team ready to compete for yet another State 4A Championship with a record of 27-1. What makes Anya special is her athletic ability at her size which makes her a threat on both ends of the floor. She is just as comfortable in the low post with her back to the basket as she is shooting the 3 pointers and that is going to bode her well at the next level. Her honors include being ranked 50 on the ESPNW recruiters list, 1st Team All-State on both the Suddenlink and NCCBA lists as well as 1st Team All-District and Conference to name a few. She will be keeping her talents in the state as she attends UNC-Chapel Hill. With her skill set expect with more developing and learning of the UNC and college systems for her to be an impact player in the ACC for years to come. Guard Kennedy Todd-Williams/Jacksonville, has been the backbone of a very successful Jacksonville High School basketball team who finished the season at 24-4. Her ability to play the guard position at the size, 6’0” makes her a special talent indeed. Not only does she have the skills to play the guard position she is also a great rebounder averaging 9.3rpg along with 16.6 points she is truly an elite player. Her honors include being ranked 90 on the ESPNW recruiting list, 1st team All-State on both the Suddenlink and NCCBA lists, POY in the 2nd District and 1st team All-District to name a few. She will be keeping her talents here in NC as she attends UNC-Chapel Hill, who has alike for athletic guards that can get their own shots, with this in mind Kennedy should fit in well with their system and as she learns the ins and outs of the system and plays in the ACC look for her playing time to increase.   Guard [player_tooltip player_id="116846" first="Faith" last="Blackstone"]/Durham Hillside led her team to a 21-7 overall record and 11-3 conference record. It is her unmatched guard skills that place her on this list. Her ability to handle the ball both on the break and in the half-court, her ability to shoot the ball from deep as well as off the dribble and her ability to get her own shot and create shots for her teammates made her and her talents sought after by many at the next level. Add to this her 6’0” frame and confidence she was truly one of the most exciting players to watch this season. She averaged 26.2ppg as well as 6.9rpg placing her in the upper echelon of girl’s high school basketball in the USA. Her honors include being ranked 91 by ESPNW recruiters lists, 3rd Team All-State on the Suddenlink team as well as Conference POY and 1st Team All-Conference to name a few. She will be taking her talents to Syracuse University in the fall but lucky for the NC fans they will be able to see her play in the ACC. With her immense guard skills and size it will be a short time before she is playing significant minutes and contributing to the success of the Syracuse team.     Guard [player_tooltip player_id="116849" first="Jamia" last="Hazell"]/Southeast Raleigh formed a lethal backcourt with [player_tooltip player_id="116847" first="Anya" last="Poole"] to lead Southeast Raleigh to another State Championship game. Her main strength is her tremendous athletic ability this allows her to excel in the open court where she has excellent off the dribble skills to create for her or her teammates. She is also an excellent defender with quickness and great hands. Her honors include being ranked 100th on the ESPNW recruiters lists, 2nd Team All-District 5 to name a few. She will be taking her athletic basketball skills to James Madison University next year. With her experience and talent she will be an instant hit at JMU and should have a great career. Guard Navaeh Brown/Mallard Creek led her team to a 27-3 overall record and 12-2 conference record. She is a tremendous offensive talent with silky skills to get to the hoop and sweet outside touch. She will flourish in the open court and in an up-tempo style where her athletic ability will shine and stand out. She was able to average 14.2ppg and 4.1 assists per game in a tough 4A conference. She will be plying her skills in state at Wake Forest University. Her athletic ability and toughness will ensure her success at WFU. Forward Kennedi Simmon/Southeast Guilford led her team to its second 3A State Championship game where she was MVP of the previous State Championship game. Her strength is her versatility as she can play both guard spots and tough enough to play the forward position. Her offensive skills are unmatched in NC she can score from anywhere and she is a fierce competitor and her confidence is forged on the big stage. Her honors include 3rd Team All-State on the Suddenlink list as well as 1st Team All-District 7 to name a few. She will be keeping her bigtime playing experience in the state attending Winston Salem State University. With her abundance of basketball skills and an extreme work ethic don’t be surprised if she makes an immediate impact WSSU next year and for years to come. Forward Abigail Wilson/West Rowan is one of the hidden gems of the NC girls High School scene. She led her West Rowan team to a 20-6 overall record and 7-3 conference record. Her gift is her ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways. She is 5’11” so her size allows her to score on the inside but she also possesses a sweet shooting stroke for a player of her size. She is sneaky quick and what I love most about her is the high basketball IQ she just knows how to play the game and that is a dying skill but one that is valued at the nest level. She used all this to average 26.3ppg and 11.5rpg and was named to the 1st Team All-District 11 team. She will be keeping her basketball talents in the state attending UNC Asheville where her basketball smarts and skills will see her contributing right away and having an impressive career. Center Megan Harkey/Northwest Guilford is part of the strong dynasty of Northwest Guilford High School that has produced numerous post players who have gone on to have great careers and Megan follows in their footsteps. She is the perfect example of what hard work and determination can do as she was late to the basketball game and is only just putting it all together. But she has the one thing that can’t be taught she stands at 6’6” and she has learned how to use this to her advantage. As her skills continue to improve she will figure it out because of her great work ethic. She helped lead her team to a 25-4 overall record and her honors include the 3rd Team All-District 7 team. She will take her strong work ethic and size to Xavier University where she will continue to improve and learn and before she leaves that program she will making big-time contributions.