2021: Richland County Guards

Richland County, home to South Carolina’s capital city – Columbia – is rich in guard talent. &nbsp; Said guard position, commonly referred to as playing the 1 or the 2, is typically also referred to as that of a court general – one that dictates how a team operates and gels on the offensive end of the floor. When the 2020-21 season gets underway, there will be plenty of guard talent to keep an eye on, particularly in Richland County. &nbsp; Here are four guards from the area to be on the lookout for as they enter their senior seasons. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124071" first="Malayziah" last="Etheredge"] – 5’9” – 2021 – G/PG/SF – Westwood High School</strong> – Etheredge gives the girls basketball team at Westwood High a very noticeable edge. It also may not be much of a surprise to regular Prep Girls Hoops South Carolina readers as she is currently No. 3 on our 2021 rankings. Even though the season did not end with the result the Redhawks were searching for, Etheredge scored 24 points plus four rebounds and four assists in the team’s 65-56 loss to South Pointe in the semifinals of the 4A tournament. She averaged over 10 points for the season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="177509" first="Tajayia" last="Wiggins"] – 5’8” – 2021 – G – Richland Northeast High School</strong> – Here is one of many players throughout basketball that coaches talk about when emphasizing the importance of doing things other than scoring. Wiggins was a bright spot on a Cavaliers team that finished 6-16 last season, but it was because of her ability to rebound. Wiggins averaged nearly seven rebounds in 2019-20 and had a few games where she compiled double-digit rebounding totals – particularly later in the season. Wiggins hauled in 18 boards (14 on the offensive glass) in the team’s 67-24 victory over York as well as 17 in the team’s first-round postseason matchup with Wren. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="177510" first="Rosalina" last="Macon"] – 5’7” – 2021 – G – Richland Northeast High School</strong> – Where Wiggins proved her potential as a rebounder this past season, Macon was a highly effective scorer for Candi McCall’s Cavaliers. A major reason for this is her ability from behind the arc. Macon has no problem draining tough shots and she did plenty of that for Richland Northeast, especially near the end of the season when she made at least 3 or more from downtown. Macon averaged almost 14 points per game, including several where she had 20-point outings. In the Cavaliers’ 67-24 win over York, she scored 23, and in the playoff game with Wren, she finished with 20. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="177511" first="LaRonda" last="Quattlebaum"] – 5’5” – 2021 – G – A.C. Flora High School</strong> – The Falcons’ No. 5 has earned her fair share of high-fives … and then some. Quattlebaum got it done on both offense and defense for A.C. Flora as she gave opponents problems with her ability to create turnovers. Quattlebaum had eight games where she compiled at least five steals with six of those contests resulting in A.C. Flora victories. The moral of the story: Have defense, will win. Her scoring was an integral element to the team as well as she had several games with impressive outings. Quattlebaum scored 13 in a mid-December win over Hammond and 15 in a mid-January victory against Lakewood.