GHSA TOC Semifinal #1: No. 1 Westlake vs. No. 4 Holy Innocents’

There are a lot of items on GHSA basketball fans’ wish lists. One that we may never see is a tournament of champions. All eight classification champs grouped together and seeded or even paired at random to set up a bracket to determine the overall champion of the state. With no basketball being played currently, why not breakdown some hypothetical matchups in this new series and let the fan vote determine who will advance to the next round? We will provide a preview, a thoughtful prediction and let you – the fans – decide the fate of each game. <hr /> <h2><strong>No. 1 <span style="font-size: 12pt">7A</span>Westlake vs. No. 4 <span style="font-size: 10pt">A-Private</span>Holy Innocents’</strong></h2> Both Westlake and Holy Innocents’ cruised in their first-round matchups. The Lions won 75 percent of the vote against No. 8 Wheeler County while the Golden Bears racked up a unanimous 100 percent decision over a tough No. 5 GAC. Westlake and Holy Innocents’ have been two of the most dominant programs in the state the past three years. On paper, this could be one of the best games of the tournament. Where Holy Innocents’ has always held an advantage has been inside with 6-foot-5 [player_tooltip player_id="118096" first="Jillian" last="Hollingshead"]. The four-star prospect is one of the best players in the entire country with her mobility and diverse skillset, able to dominate in the paint but also alleviate pressure with her ball handling and outside shooting. For the first time in a long time, Hollingshead won’t be towering over her opponents. 6-foot-5 bulldozer [player_tooltip player_id="118057" first="Lydia" last="Freeman"] is her height and has upwards of 40 pounds on Hollingshead and will be able to use her strength to make things interesting. The question is however, if the Georgia Southern-signee gets stuck on an island against Hollingshead, how will she be able to guard her one-on-one if she pulls her out and attacks from the wing? Freeman won’t be the only roadblock for Hollingshead however. Athletic defensive ace 6-foot-2 [player_tooltip player_id="118121" first="Brianna" last="Turnage"], a recent Virginia Tech-commit, has the quickness and length to defend Hollingshead. The completely different tandem of Turnage and Freeman gives Coach Hilda Hankerson options to slow down Hollingshead. Where Westlake has a glaring advantage is in the backcourt with stars [player_tooltip player_id="118095" first="Raven" last="Johnson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="118146" first="Ta’Niya" last="Latson"]. Holy Innocents’ has solid guards in Cierra Foster and Naja Reeves but they are not at the High Major level as the always composed five-star Johnson and electric three-star Latson. ETSU-signee Carlyse Hooks adds to Westlake’s embarrassment of riches at the guard position. The Golden Bears have physicality along the front court with [player_tooltip player_id="152594" first="Rachel" last="Suttle"], Loyola New Orleans-commit [player_tooltip player_id="156782" first="Jada" last="Farrell"] and 6-foot freshman [player_tooltip player_id="154592" first="Olivia" last="Hutcherson"]. Suttle and Farrell are big strong bodies that can score inside and out while Hutcherson is a blossoming post with great defensive instincts. If the game is still in the balance in the fourth quarter, depth and fatigue could loom large. Westlake has a deeper bench than Holy Innocents’ and could keep their starters just a little fresher than the Golden Bears can to make a late surge if needed. <em>Vote below to decide who advances to the GHSA Tournament of Champions Championship. Voting ends on 4/19</em> https://poll.fm/10536247