The Time Has Arrived For These 2024 Bigs on the First Coast

In the 2020 season, a ton of players in the class of 2024 class were just glad to make the cut,  proud to make the team,  elated to make Varsity. They were perfectly content riding the pine and flying under the radar. Most navigated through the season with no expectations and little to no pressure. This basketball season, however, comes with something that many 2024s have not heard on the high school level until now – expectations! Here are some 2024 players I expect to stand out. <strong>Mychaela Parker, 2024 Center (Orange Park) </strong>could have a big year. At 6’2″ and a large frame, Parker could be hard to contain in the paint and on the boards. She is super strong and has developed solid footwork for a player her size. Parker has soft hands and can catch any pass in her vicinity. Once she gets the ball in the paint she finishes with power. Parker will also have the benefit of playing with Nya Brown, who is one of the best defenders on the First Coast. With Parker and Brown in the frontcourt, Orange Park could be tough to score on in the paint. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217663" first="Sydney" last="Roundtree"], 2024 Wing (Bishop Kenny). </strong>As a Freshman, Roundtree played with three D-1 players in Jazsmyne Roberts, Maddy Millar, and [player_tooltip player_id="91547" first="Jamia" last="Nesmith"]. Playing with this talented trio allowed Roundtree to fly under the radar as a Freshman. Roundtree will take on a significant role in her Sophomore season on the defensive and offensive ends. She has a very good mid-range game and can run the floor like a guard. She has the ability to defend multiple positions and she rebounds the ball well. Her inside presence could be a big compliment to some of Bishop Kenny’s quality guards. <strong>Claire Coyle, 2024 Wing (Bishop Kenny)</strong> has a chance to have a very special basketball season. Her skill set might be at the top of the 2024 class on the First Coast. At 6’0″ Coyle has an array of low post moves, and she knows how to put the ball in the basket. She is an excellent rebounder and she also runs the floor well. Coyle shoots the ball well from mid-range and can also shoot from behind the three-point line. Coyle is poised to average double digits in rebounds and points in her Sophomore season. <strong>Shruthika Kondabrolu, 2024 Center (Nease High School)</strong> is a player to watch this year. She showed substantial growth from the beginning to the end of her Freshman season and Nease will look for Kondabrolu to make similar strides this upcoming season. She runs the floor very well for a “big” and can finish on the break. Her strongest asset is her hands. She can catch anything thrown toward her and passes well to open players. Kondabrolu has turned into a very good shot blocker and also does a good job of altering shots in the paint. <strong>Nia Blocton, 2024 Forward/Center (Ridgeview High School) </strong>is one of the most athletic “bigs” on the First Coast. She runs the floor with blazing speed and does a good job of finishing on the break. She plays aggressive defense with tenacity, attitude, and effectiveness is versatile enough to defend multiple positions. On offense, she can finish in the paint and has a good midrange game. She is very active on the glass and does a good job of scoring off of offensive rebounds.