9 SC seniors-to-be near Charlotte looking to end high school careers on high note

On the South Carolina side of Metrolina, the Queen City suburbs are filled with queens of the basketball court hoping to close their high school careers with an exclamation point. After a stellar tenure at the preps level, the 2020-21 season will be the swan song for some of South Carolina’s most notable high school girls basketball players, including those in the Charlotte area. Here are nine seniors-to-be in the area that are certain to draw their fair share of headlines this upcoming season. [player_tooltip player_id="124069" first="Aylesha" last="Wade"] – 2021 – 5’6”- CG - Clover High School – She’s tops on our South Carolina Class of 2021 rankings for a reason. One of those is that she ended her junior season averaging over 20 points per game. Another is that she has been credited for her aggressive play and a team-first attitude. In addition to playing for Team Loaded NC, Wade will not be leaving the Carolinas anytime soon as she has committed to play collegiately at UNC-Charlotte. The Blue Eagles came within four points of a state championship win last year against Goose Creek and Wade and her team will hope to make sure 2021 will end with the desired result in the title game.   [player_tooltip player_id="124075" first="Victoria" last="Jordan"] – 2021 – 5’11” – PF - Catawba Ridge High School – Her 2019 viral dunk made her an internet sensation, but her overall play is making her into a household name. Injury-shortened season or not, Jordan, who fittingly wears No. 23 for a reason, averaged nearly a double-double for this past season (10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds), which is exactly what coaches look for from someone in the frontcourt. A transfer from Nation Ford, Jordan hopes to write an emphatic final chapter to her preps career with the Copperheads.   [player_tooltip player_id="172492" first="A’Maurya" last="Tate-Smith"] – 2021 – 5’8” – PF - Gaffney High School – When examining high school ballers on the Palmetto State side of the Charlotte metro, do not overlook the Indians’ talented power forward. She averaged nearly double-digits points wise for the season with her high watermark coming in a 17-point effort in a win vs. Mauldin. She also is a proficient rebounder at nearly seven per contest. Tate-Smith has garnered all-region honors all three of her seasons and she has a good chance at making it four for four when play resumes for 2020-21.   [player_tooltip player_id="172488" first="Bella" last="Johnson"] – 2021 – 5’8” – C – McBee High School – Johnson is another from the region that flies under the radar, but is more than deserving of attention from the area’s robust hoops scene. In the games she played in 2019-20 for the Panthers, she averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game. An important question surrounding Johnson is what will be her primary sport after she is finished donning Panthers red and black. Johnson has also played softball and even football at McBee.   [player_tooltip player_id="124076" first="Trinity" last="Adams"] – 2021 – 5’4” – CG – South Pointe High School – South Pointe has been on pointe with its standout pointe guard leading the way. Adams has been lauded for her skill as a defender on the perimeter in addition to her work to improve her shooting. She averaged 13 points per game on a Stallions team that came within one win of a state championship. Considering how last season ended for both her and the team, she will be more than motivated to make sure that the 2021 4A girls hoops title finds it way to Rock Hill instead of North Augusta.   [player_tooltip player_id="124086" first="Makayla" last="Jamerson"] – 2021 – 5’6” – PF – South Pointe High School – No. 18 on our Class of 2021 rankings, Jamerson too will be an important piece to the Stallions’ puzzle in the coming year. Even though the end result was not what coach Stephanie Butler-Graham and her South Pointe team was hoping for, Jamerson was big on the glass for the Stallions as she hauled in 13 rebounds. With a litany of seniors graduating from the 2019-20 team, 2020-21 seniors such as Jamerson will be more of a focal point as the Stallions still search for that one marquee victory that has eluded them the past two seasons.   [player_tooltip player_id="124082" first="Mikala" last="Logan"] – 2021 – 5’3” – PG – Blacksburg High School – Here is what is scary about the Wildcats’ junior guard … she once said she considered scoring to be a secondary part of her game. Her passing ability and assist numbers reflect that as she posted over five dimes a game last year, but when one reaches the 1,000-point plateau for her high school career prior to becoming a senior, that player is doing something right as Logan is. Her performance, which included scoring 18.4 points per game, earned her all-region honors for Blacksburg.   [player_tooltip player_id="172491" first="Essence" last="Caviness"] – 2021 – 5’4” - SF – Blacksburg High School – On the receiving end of a number of Logan’s assists has been the Wildcats’ junior star who is listed as both a forward and a guard. Caviness posted nearly 13 points per game this past season for Blacksburg and earned all-region honors as well with her teammate Logan. Caviness also can be a force on defense by forcing teams into turnovers as she averaged over three steals per game. With Blacksburg’s 1-2 combo returning for Bobby Rodgers’ Wildcats, Blacksburg has its sights set on an even deeper run in the playoffs than last year.   [player_tooltip player_id="172489" first="Oksana" last="Lathan"] – 2021 – 5’5” – SG – Andrew Jackson High School - Lathan was a standout on a Volunteers team that went 22-3 in addition to being undefeated in its region. She was also one of several for Andrew Jackson High that earned all-region honors. Lathan is athletic and versatile and can drive to the basket to create high-percentage shots in addition to having the ability to shoot from mid and long range. Her speed on the court for Laura Beth Taylor’s Volunteers can also be seen in another sport as Lathan runs on the Andrew Jackson track and field team.