2022: She Got Next Tournament
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The offseason travel slate has wrapped up and players have resumed play with their high school teams as the 2020-21 regular season – albeit condensed in many ways – has tipped off across South Carolina. Prep Girls Hoops was on…
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Continue ReadingThe offseason travel slate has wrapped up and players have resumed play with their high school teams as the 2020-21 regular season – albeit condensed in many ways – has tipped off across South Carolina.
Prep Girls Hoops was on hand at Brookland-Cayce High School just outside of downtown Columbia this past weekend for the She Got Next Holiday Tournament and got a glimpse of some of the best preps hoops talent in South Carolina. From the Upstate to the Midlands to the Lowcountry, virtually every portion of the state was well-represented at this much-ballyhooed event.
Among those on hand were a great deal of notables from the Class of 2022. Here are some of my observations here today.
Kori Peterman Kori Peterman 5'8" | SF Dutch Fork | 2022 State SC – Dutch Fork HS – Kori herself was a story at the tournament. On the first day of She Got Next, Peterman looked like someone who got now. Cross, who the Silver Foxes squared off against on the first day, had no answer for Peterman as she torched the Trojans for 20 points, earning Player of the Game honors. Peterman is someone who possesses impressive court awareness in addition to her status as a ferocious scorer. Another method which she gets to the cup is to create turnovers, get out in transition and drive to the basket for easy twos.
Taia Gattis Taia Gattis 6'1" | PF Cross | 2022 State SC – Cross HS – Taia can play(a). There are lots of things in basketball a coach can teach – whether it is a pick and roll, zone defense or how to box out and grab rebounds. One thing a coach cannot teach is 6-foot-1 which is what Gattis is. That sort of height helps with many areas of the game that Gattis has exceled in – including the ability to convert on high-percentage shots around the rim and block shots on the other end. Gattis is an all-around athlete who has also put her athletic skills to good on other fields of play as well – including in track and field and volleyball.
Jada Jones Jada Jones 5'6" | SG Rock Hill | 2022 State SC – Rock Hill HS – Jada Jones Jada Jones 5'6" | SG Rock Hill | 2022 State SC is no joke … just saying. One of the junior standouts for the Bearcats, she possesses a wide skillset that underscores why coach Kennan Orr’s team finished 20-8 plus a 6-2 conference record. Jones is strong to the basket, can make tough shots in traffic, draws contact from defenders and gets to the free throw line. She also knows how to turn offense into defense as she can steal the ball then get out in transition for layups. Opposing defenses (and offenses) are simply trying to keep up with this Jones and as she has displayed over the years, that is not an easy task.
Jakaiya Mack Jakaiya Mack 5'9" | PG JL Mann | 2022 State SC – JL Mann HS – Tops on the list of tasks for teams to accomplish if they wish to achieve victory over the Patriots is to slow down JL Mann’s Mack Attack. Of course – not a feat that can be done without some exceptional defense. Mack is another that garnered Player of the Game honors for one of the contests she performed at She Got Next when she scored 14 points for the Patriots in its 47-37 victory over Rock Hill. Mack knows how to score baskets in transition and can also haul in some a rebound or two.
McCall King McCall King 5'11" | SG Christ Church | 2022 State SC – Christ Church – As someone who plays with a royal skillset, King is someone who is a royal pain for opposing teams. Included in that skillset is an ability to drain a 3-point shot as well as an ability to slice and dice her way to the rim through defenders. In Friday’s game that saw the Cavaliers take on Irmo, she was one of Christ Church’s leading scorers, notching 20 points. Among those 20 points was a triplet of made 3’s, including two in the first half. The Cavaliers have not dropped a region game since the 2013-14 season and with King on the roster, there is reason to believe that will continue this season.
Madeline Duwe Madeline Duwe 5'9" | SG Christ Church | 2022 State SC – Christ Church – Another reason why the Cavaliers have had so much success recently is because of the Cavaliers’ standout senior. In similar fashion to her teammate King, Duwe is also a proficient 3-point shooter. In that same game against the Yellowjackets, she tallied 26 points. Among those 26 were six made 3-pointers – including four in the first half. Her bread and butter may be shooting from behind the arc, but Duwe will also find her way to the rim and can be effective overall as a defender.
Ashari Lewis Ashari Lewis 5'9" | SF Keenan | 2022 State SC – Keenan HS – Lewis does many of the things coaches look for out of forwards. Lewis is quick and can get out in transition and never gives up on a play. One can count on her to also get some offensive (and defensive) rebounds. In Keenan’s opening day contest with Greenville, she finished with eight points but seven of those points came in the first half of play. Lewis also possesses an ability to turn defense into offense as well as to draw contact and find her way at the free throw line. She is multi-talented and fits in well with the Raiders.
Gracie Wilson Gracie Wilson 5'6" | SG Rock Hill | 2022 State SC – Rock Hill HS – Another one of what could be considered an unsung hero for the Kennan Orr-coached Bearcats. Her status as an asset to the team can particularly be seen in her shooting ability as well as passing prowess. As far as her shooting is concerned, Wilson is a threat to score from anywhere on the court particularly from long range as well as mid-range. Wilson’s footwork, focus and hand eye coordination translate seamlessly well from the basketball court to the tennis hardcourt (and vice versa) as she is a member of the Rock Hill tennis team.
Emily Johnson – Irmo HS – She may not have been one that put up eye-popping statistics last season, but is a case of where statistics may not always tell the whole story. At the She Got Next tournament, Irmo won the East Bracket championship and Johnson was one who did plenty of the little things. When the Yellowjackets defeated Christ Church, Johnson collected six rebounds and also dished out three assists. Those are statistics that may not be as flashy as point totals, but they matter to coaches because having someone who can set up an offense to score is every bit as important as who does the scoring.