Preseason Teams to Watch: The Next Up

Preseason Teams to Watch: The Next Up These teams are ready to take a step up into the spotlight. They’ve grown over time and could play spoiler come state tournament time. Some of these teams have already established themselves as contenders while others are ready to burst onto the scene. Carrollton Notable Players 2021: #7 [player_tooltip player_id="118100" first="De’Mauri" last="Flournoy"] 2022: #34 [player_tooltip player_id="148901" first="Kehinde" last="Obasuyi"] 2023: #8 [player_tooltip player_id="154587" first="Kanija" last="Daniel"], #62 [player_tooltip player_id="213353" first="Eghosa" last="Obasuyi"] Led by Vanderbilt-commit [player_tooltip player_id="118100" first="De’Mauri" last="Flournoy"], Carrollton will have one of the toughest trios in the state between her, now-healthy [player_tooltip player_id="148901" first="Kehinde" last="Obasuyi"] and [player_tooltip player_id="154587" first="Kanija" last="Daniel"]. Flournoy can do it all at 5-foot-7. She’s a lethal three-point shooter, a crafty slasher and an advanced playmaker. She even rebounds exceptionally well for her size. Obasuyi is back after tearing her ACL last preseason. She’s a lightning quick guard that can score at all three levels with her lefty stroke. Daniel has seen D-I offers pour in. She is a jack-of-all-trades that uses her aggressive athleticism to wear on opponents. Add in [player_tooltip player_id="213353" first="Eghosa" last="Obasuyi"], a steady presence in the backcourt that saw big minutes as a freshman, and Coach Shon Thomaston has a group that no one will want to face come February in the gauntlet known as Class 6A. West Forsyth Notable Players 2022: #24 [player_tooltip player_id="194708" first="Cayla" last="Cowart"], Calie Thrower, Kalie Thrower The big three of [player_tooltip player_id="194708" first="Cayla" last="Cowart"] and sisters Calie and Kalie Thrower represents a potential changing of the guard in Forsyth County. Long dominated by North Forsyth, the city of Cumming may now belong to the Wolverines as almost everybody returns from last year’s 20-8 roster. Cowart is as skilled as they come with the ball. The 5-foot-10 guard scores and facilitates with both hands. She doubles as a playmaker and bucket getter. Cowart has even seen time in the post as one of West Forsyth’s tallest players, showcasing her rebounding skills. Calie led the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game while Kalie chipped in 8 points. In a Class 7A that is up for grabs outside of the top two in McEachern and Collins Hill, West Forsyth has as good a shot as anybody in making the Final Four. Loganville Notable Players 2021: #50 [player_tooltip player_id="118116" first="Janae" last="Charles"], #93 [player_tooltip player_id="188313" first="Rose" last="Bone"] 2022: #68 [player_tooltip player_id="195843" first="Sydney" last="Bolden"] 2024: Emaya Lewis Size and length propel Loganville into the statewide discussion in Class 5A. 6-foot forward [player_tooltip player_id="118116" first="Janae" last="Charles"] is a priority recruit at the D-II level. She sees Lenoir-Rhyne-commit 5-foot-11 [player_tooltip player_id="188313" first="Rose" last="Bone"] transfer in from Athens Academy to give the Red Devils a versatile front court. [player_tooltip player_id="195843" first="Sydney" last="Bolden"] has athleticism and a good motor on the perimeter. She has tools that are still developing and could be finely tuned by the time the season is complete. Coach John Zorn welcomes freshman Emaya Lewis to the program. At 6-foot-3, Lewis is an intimidating presence inside. She will improve rapidly competing with Charles and Bone in practice. Jefferson Notable Players 2021: #56 [player_tooltip player_id="118125" first="Livi" last="Blackstock"], Courtney Kidd 2022: #55 [player_tooltip player_id="148868" first="Deshona" last="Gaither"], Natalia Bolden Jefferson and Coach Greg Brown have been building for this moment for years. With nearly his entire roster back from last year’s 25-5 team that lost 54-51 to eventual state champ GAC, the Dragons are finally healthy. 5-foot-10 Natalia Bolden is a game changer. She lost her entire sophomore season due to an ACL tear but now provides the Dragons with versatility from the forward position. North Georgia-commit [player_tooltip player_id="118125" first="Livi" last="Blackstock"] is a reliably steady guard that scores on slashes to the hoop and long-range bombs. Her and [player_tooltip player_id="148868" first="Deshona" last="Gaither"] ignite the offense with their full court pressure defense. Courtney Kidd blossomed last season in her newfound role and strengthens Jefferson’s rotation. Mt. Paran Notable Players 2022: #3 [player_tooltip player_id="118141" first="Kara" last="Dunn"], #38 [player_tooltip player_id="159357" first="Katelyn" last="Dunning"], #63 [player_tooltip player_id="204659" first="Shamaria" last="Jennings"], #67 [player_tooltip player_id="186274" first="Kaylynn" last="Kirklen"] 2023: #30 [player_tooltip player_id="154596" first="Caitlin" last="Ealey"] While Hebron Christian enters as a fairly heavy favorite in Class A-Private with a loaded senior class that features four D-I commits, Mt. Paran is not that far behind with their talented junior class. While from top to bottom they aren’t as deep and likely won’t produce four D-I signees, what the Eagles do boast is a top end star that can carry Mt. Paran to a Final Four run. [player_tooltip player_id="118141" first="Kara" last="Dunn"] has emerged as one of the best players in the Southeast and holds countless offers from ACC and SEC schools. The 6-foot wing can do whatever is needed to win games. Joining her is spunky 5-foot-4 playmaker [player_tooltip player_id="159357" first="Katelyn" last="Dunning"], a hardnosed guard that can score in bunches when given the chance. Sham Jennings and [player_tooltip player_id="186274" first="Kaylynn" last="Kirklen"] bring athleticism and length on the wings while [player_tooltip player_id="154596" first="Caitlin" last="Ealey"] is a developing forward with a nice ceiling.