Class of 2021: Rock Hill and York County Dynamic Duos

It is only fitting that some of the best girls basketball talent in the state happens to be located right near one of the country’s most hoops-savvy cities. &nbsp; A short trip south on Interstate 77 from Charlotte will have one in South Carolina – more specifically York County … including its primary city of Rock Hill. The county’s Class of 2021 will be one to watch as the added benefit of balling in the Queen City’s media market will likely give its standouts possibly more exposure than those coming from other areas of the state. &nbsp; Here are six names (more specifically three teams from the area with a one-two tandem of junior standouts) to be on the lookout for from Rock Hill and York County when play opens up for this season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124069" first="Aylesha" last="Wade"] – CG – Clover High School</strong> – She is a name that will be continued to be written about by preps scribes in MetroLina for a while. After she graduates from Clover next year, the Blue Eagles star will take her talents across the North Carolina-South Carolina state line as she has committed to play collegiately for UNC Charlotte. Wade displays a plethora of traits coaches look for in a player at any level – including gradual improvement over her high school career. She averaged over 20 points per game for Clover and will be playing on a team with an “unfinished business” mindset after Clover narrowly lost in last year’s 5A state title game. &nbsp; <strong>Janelle Carter – SF/SG – Clover High School</strong> – While Wade garners the lion’s share of attention regarding the Clover team, one must not overlook No. 21, who is also a force to be reckoned with. Carter’s athletic ability allows her to excel at a number of positions on the court. She can make tough shots against defenders in the paint as well as grab rebounds. Carter also displays a knack for draining shots from long range. Look out for her on defense as she can create turnovers and score points in transition as well. She averaged nearly 10 points per game last year and just over seven rebounds for Sherer Hopkins’ Blue Eagles and the team will need every single bit of that as it has its eye on finishing its unfinished business from last season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124076" first="Trinity" last="Adams"] – CG – South Pointe High School</strong> – On pointe is not only a phrase that can apply to ballet. Among the areas of her game that she attracts a lot of praise for include her defensive ability on the arc and her shooting ability. Adams is currently eighth on our Class of 2021 rankings after a season where she averaged 13 points per game for the Stallions. Oh … and speaking of teams that will be playing with a chip on its shoulder this season, South Pointe was on the receiving end of defeat in the state championship game to North Augusta … in back-to-back seasons. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124086" first="Makayla" last="Jamerson"] – PF – South Pointe High School</strong> – The Stallions will have a number of seniors departing from last year’s squad, meaning junior up-and-comers such as Adams and Jamerson will bigger focal points for the South Pointe attack in 2020-21. Her rebounding abilities were on full display for South Pointe in the title game with North Augusta, mustering 13 boards to aid the Stallions’ efforts. Her glass work and talent for converting high-percentage shots are hallmarks of her game and will be major elements to a winning formula for South Pointe as it looks to bring a state title to Rock Hill. &nbsp; <strong>Taylor Southall – SG – York Preparatory Academy</strong> – Southall’s career appears to be going in one direction – and that is north. Watch any contest featuring York Prep and the following phrase is likely to be heard: “Southall from downtown.” When she shoots, the basketball will likely meet up with the inside of the net as she drained over 50 from triple last season. Southall averaged nearly 14 points for the Patriots last season and her 3-point shooting prowess was a major reason for that. Any defense that keeps her from tallying a double-digit point output deserves a feather in its cap because this talented upperclassman-to-be gets buckets. &nbsp; <strong>Tiaura Johnson – G – York Preparatory Academy</strong> – Subtract the “u” from the first name and you get an crown-type object that her hoops exploits have certainly made her worthy of. Johnson has ability to find the basket and takes on a role as a leader – one that will likely be more prominent as she becomes an upperclassman. She also uses her speed and agility to do the little things on the court such as going for loose balls. Johnson averaged over 11 points per game last season and the two-person combo of her and Southall will be formidable for Paige Ferguson’s Patriots as they will play its first season as an SCHSL team in 2020-21.