Region 6-A Preview

<div> <span style="font-size: 1rem;">With roughly a month to go before the start of the 2021-22 season, it is the right time to begin prognosticating how things will go as attention returns to the basketball courts of the Palmetto State.</span> </div> <div> Over the next few weeks, Prep Girls Hoops will be releasing region-by-region previews with a spotlight on key players in each region as well as an overall team-by-team outlook on how the standings will look at season's end. </div> <div> How will things play out in Region 6-A this season which saw Estill go an undefeated 9-0 last year? Here is where we see things. </div> <div> <strong>Jakaiah Wilson – 2022 - Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS</strong> – As someone who plays both the four and the five, a coach – such as her own Red Raiders head coach Ton Ritari – will look for her to come up with big scoring and rebounding performances. Wilson does both of those and then some with a high degree of regularity. At 5-foot-11, she presents a height advantage as well over many an adversary. She wears No. 4 for the Red Raiders and opposing teams ought to be forewarned that she has her sights set on a memorable 2021-22. Wilson is another who is flourishing as a two-sport athlete with softball being the other sport she pursues outside of basketball. </div> <div> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171804" first="Trinity" last="Mickell"] – 2024 - Allendale-Fairfax HS</strong> <strong>(Prep Girls Hoops Preseason Player of the Year) </strong> Opposing teams and coaches may tell us that having to contend with this talented standout sophomore from Allendale-Fairfax is anything but…well…fair. Listed at an even 6 feet, she is a frontcourt force for the Tigers. Mickell is not afraid to get physical in the low post. She provides a great deal of scoring, a great deal of rebounding and a great deal of defense with her ability to reject shots. In addition playing at Allendale-Fairfax, she also hoops in the travel circuit with H2 Lowco. She played 12 games last season for the Tigers and averaged 14 ppg. <img class="size-medium wp-image-229979" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/11/A8FADDBF-6AD3-4504-AF7C-62F573EF2550.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> [player_tooltip player_id="216957" first="Kadejah" last="Smoak"] #21</div> <div> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="216957" first="Kadejah" last="Smoak"] – 2024 – Estill</strong> – The Gators will be the team to beat in Region 6-A play this upcoming season and a big reason is because many an opposing team did not want any Smoak. She is a 5-foot-7 point guard who will more than likely see more activity within Estill's offense with [player_tooltip player_id="171803" first="Tamya" last="Hutchinson"] transferring to Hilton Head Christian. Smoak can play as either a point guard or as a wing. Her game also includes plenty of speed and quickness and that translates seamlessly to the basketball court from the track and field realm where Smoak has also competed in. Smoak averaged 16.2 ppg last season for the Fighting Gators. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="343091" first="Jalaysia" last="Polite"] - 2023 - Estill HS</strong> - Polite will be counted on even more this season for the Lady Gators with the departure of Hutchinson and [player_tooltip player_id="171781" first="Ny'Keyah" last="Mitchell"] now over at Wade Hampton HS.  Jalaysia does her best work down in the paint and doesn't mind playing the game on contact. Polite averaged 8 ppg last season. </div> <div> <strong>Neysa Patrick - 2022 - Bethune-Bowman HS</strong> – In similar fashion as Estill, the Mohawks of Bethune-Bowman will enter play in the 2021-22 season having graduated its big two of [player_tooltip player_id="175351" first="Alexis" last="Johnson"] and Sha'Twanna Lee, which ought to create a better opportunity for more of head coach Jarione Avinger's offense to flow through Patrick. In fact, much of said offense was already flowing through Patrick with how she has excelled as a ball distributor. She can absolutely score as well. Patrick and her Mohawks will be in search of a more emphatic postseason run in 2021-22 after being one of the final eight teams to qualify for the Lower State Class A playoffs last year. </div> <div> <em><strong>Prep Girls Hoops predictions:</strong></em> </div> <div></div> <div> <div> Estill HS – A program that has become used to winning should have another winning season this year despite losing its two best players this off season. </div> <div> Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS – The Red Raiders played improved ball last season in region play. </div> <div> Allendale-Fairfax HS – Another team that had improved fortunes against region opponents last season. </div> <div> Bethune-Bowman HS – Will there be a drop off after graduating its two star seniors? </div> <div> Royal Live Oaks Academy – Could better fortunes be in store for the Royal Knights? </div> <div> Branchville HS – Kitamu Holman's team has a bit of work to do. </div> <div> Bridges Prep – This is a program continuing to go through its growing pains. </div> </div>