Top 5 Rising Seniors in the Triangle

<blockquote><em>Article by <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://www.prephoops.com/player/brandon-white/"><span class="name-pointer">Brandon White</span></a></em> The 2019-20 North Carolina high school basketball season ended on an unceremonious note, as the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the four girls basketball championship contests scheduled for March 14. The N.C. High School Athletic Association is currently sorting out the logistics of how a high school basketball season could be conducted during a pandemic, but a solid group of rising seniors will be ready to take center stage once teams tip off for their opening games. Here are five players from the NCHSAA 4A division that will be worth monitoring for the 2020-21 season. <ol> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116881" first="Diamond" last="Thomas"]- Knightdale</strong></li> </ol> Knightdale is coming off a solid 19-8 campaign that saw them advance to the second round of the NCHSAA 4A Tournament before they were knocked out by Ashley 72-57, but they enter the 2020-21 season with seven seniors on their roster. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116881" first="Diamond" last="Thomas"] </strong>had already emerged as the focal point of Knightdale’s gameplan by leading the team in scoring with 22.9 points per game, while also posting team highs in rebounds and steals. Thomas is expected to take another leap in her play alongside fellow seniors such as <strong>Jaden Davis </strong>and <strong>J’Kyah Kelley.</strong> <ol start="2"> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116874" first="Teonni" last="Key"]- Cary</strong></li> </ol> The 2019-20 season was a struggle for Cary, who finished with a dismal 6-19 record, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116874" first="Teonni" last="Key"] </strong>was a bright spot for the program in the 18 games she was able to take the court. Along with averaging 20.6 points per game, Key was also a dominant presence underneath the rim with 13.6 rebounds a game. She will have to maintain those averages and emerge as a senior leader this year with <strong>Karen Killmeyer, Justice Mazza </strong>and others all graduating from Cary. <ol start="3"> <li><strong>Elise Williams- Wakefield</strong></li> </ol> Wakefield saw an outstanding season come to an end in the Sweet 16 of the NCHSAA 4A Tournament with a crushing 56-52 loss to Millbrook in overtime, but they enter the 2020-21 season ready to pick up from where they left off with <strong>Amanda Barber </strong>being the only member of the team’s active rotation not returning. <strong>Elise Williams </strong>was pivotal in Wakefield’s playoff run by averaging 19.9 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists per game and 5.3 steals per game. She’ll have a talented roster to work with this year that features players such as fellow seniors <strong>Jireh Reid, Amirah Allen </strong>and <strong>Katelyn Buggs.</strong> <ol start="4"> <li><strong>Jayde Gamble- Holly Springs</strong></li> </ol> After Holly Springs’ star player in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116886" first="Taleah" last="Stephens"] </strong>was lost six games into the year due to a knee injury, <strong>Jayde Gamble </strong>stepped up for the program by averaging 15.3 points per game and leading her team to a 19-8 record. Gamble is expected to form a powerful one-two punch with a healthy Stephens during the 2020-21 season for Holly Springs, which is returning every key member from its active rotation as the program attempts to improve upon its second round elimination to Apex Friendship in the 2020 NCHSAA 4A Tournament. <ol start="5"> <li><strong>Savanna Coffel- Apex</strong></li> </ol> Apex only brought home 10 victories during the 2019-20 season, but they remained competitive through most of their defeats in large part due to <strong>Savanna Coffel, </strong>who averaged 14.9 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. Apex will be partially rebuilding this year with <strong>Sara Jaques, Nikita Bipin </strong>and <strong>Hayden Tarpey </strong>all graduating, which will put more responsibility in the hands of Coffel as she tries to lead her team to the NCHSAA 4A Tournament during her senior year.</blockquote>