The Coaches Choice From Peach State Futures

The Peach State Futures inaugural event powered by She Got Game was held on October 17th at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. The event drew talented middle school prospects from all over the state of Georgia with Robert Swain of Swain Basketball heading on-court instructions. With some of the most successful girls basketball coaches serving as on-court staff and speakers, there were high expectations during station work and games. It’s safe to say that the players attending did not disappoint. With so many seasoned eyes on the floor, we decided to vote for top performers at the event. The staff evaluated players throughout the entire camp to make their selections. Well, the votes are in, and here are your top performer selections from the Peach State Futures in order of votes received. Kie’Aundria Acree | 5’9 | W | 2027 | Robert Cross (Featured Image) The Albany, GA wing made the trip up to Atlanta and made the most of her opportunity. The top vote-getter from the event appeared on every coach's ballot and rightfully so. She showed a great skill set during station work and it translated to her gameplay. She was active on both ends of the floor, scoring and defending well. The argument can be made that she is ready for high school play, now, with ease. She was great at using her length to finish around defenders at the rim and showed sneaky strength when finishing through contact. She also showed off her range on several possessions as she connected from deep on several occasions. She is sure to be a top target for college coaches in the near future and is well worth the trip to Albany. <img class="alignleft wp-image-342586 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-27-scaled-e1634658364585-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Kaleigh Heywood | 5’9 | W | 2026 | Creekland Arguably the most physically imposing player in the event. She has great size and she knows it. Although listed as a forward during registration, there is no doubt she will spend most of her game time on the perimeter in high school. She is simply bigger, faster, and stronger than most players her age. She defended very well and is a high leaper which helped her on the glass and when contesting shots. Even with the physical tools to be a dominant scorer she was an eager passer and not once did I see her look off an open teammate whether in transition or the halfcourt. She is just a good basketball player, which I’m sure is the reason she ended with the second most votes. <img class="alignright wp-image-342587 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-78-scaled-e1634658464662-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Asia Johnson | 5’4 | G | 2026 | GAC Asia was not the biggest player at the event but she was certainly one of the fastest with the ball in her hands. On multiple occasions, she was able to sprint past several defenders in transition and get to the rim for some lightly contested finishes. Her energy on defense was nice where she showed a relentless mentality and used it to start her offense more than a few times. She has good athleticism and toughness which is what you like to see from a lead guard. She’s a hooper. <img class="alignleft wp-image-342588 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-61-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Finley Parker | 5’10 | W | 2027 | Mill Creek Finley stood out in every station. Great length and good versatility as she can be played in the interior or on the perimeter. She put together some nice finishes during the 1-v-1 segment where there was not much other players could do in head-to-head matchups. She has a good handle and absorbs contact just as well as you would expect. She uses her size to her advantage, whether scoring or defending, which is exactly what she should be doing. She will add a lot of value in the near future at the high school level. <img class="alignright wp-image-342589 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-47-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Kennedy Deese | 5’9 | 2026 | W | Mount Paran Kennedy is smooth. Very skilled with the ball, has good footwork, and already has a strong core. Her body control was the first thing that stood out to me in station work as well as her attention to the details for everything explained. She was also efficient, knowing what shots to take and when putting her IQ on display. She really showed coast-to-coast playmaking ability as she was able to fight for rebounds and push in transition for scores at the basket before defenses could get set. As a player in the Mount Paran feeder system, I think it is safe to say she will be making big leaps consistently throughout her career. <img class="alignleft wp-image-342590 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-75-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Andrea Guilford | 5’8 | 2026 | G | Factory Shoals I have been keeping up with Andrea for a couple of years now as she’s played up during the grassroots travel season. Seeing her in an all middle school setting with players of her age made it clear that she is very far ahead in her development. Her experience on the court has created for a very confident and poised demeanor on the court. She has great size and strength at the guard position and is poised. She’s a polished player with good ball-handling and instincts. She made some very strong drives to the rim and was able to finish at various speeds and also showed good vision with some nice passes. <img class="alignright wp-image-342591 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-7-scaled-e1634658746945-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Lydia Ledford | 5’10 | G | 2026 | Buford When you look at Lydia, you expect that she can play. She did not let us down. She has really nice length and a good understanding of the game. She was able to create for herself in many cases and also created easy opportunities for teammates with great court awareness, especially when leading the break. She finished well with both hands choosing which to use based on the defender's positioning. She was one of the more skilled players at the event making it clear she is spending consistent time on her game. <img class="alignleft wp-image-342593 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-98-scaled-e1634658832593-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Sydney Glahn | 5’6 | SG | 2026 | Mount Pisgah Sydney is a scorer and she’s secure in that role. She scored at every level. She moved very well without the ball and constantly found herself in open areas where she looked to attack off the dribble or take open shots. As a bigger guard at the event, she was able to get clean looks at the rim even in traffic. She showed good ball-handling when putting together dribble moves to get angles to the rim and some nice footwork when connecting on stepback jumpers from mid-range and beyond. She was also a willing rebounder, not afraid to mix it up when crashing the glass. <img class="alignright wp-image-342595 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-67-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Aila Courtenay | 6’0 | C | 2027 | St. Francis Aila is a dominant post in the making. She possesses all the intangibles needed to be an enforcer in the paint. Size, athleticism, and a physical mentality, she has them all. In the game I watched she kicked off the very first possession with a rebound and an under-control drive to the rim where seemingly every player moved out of her way. She showed some post-game as well using the right hand to go over her left shoulder with a nice touch. Not many players made the attempt at the rim against her but those that did found no consistent success. She stuffed it back or altered their shots in ways that made it almost impossible to convert. Still, two years away from high school play, it's a foregone conclusion that she will see the floor immediately upon entry. <img class="alignleft wp-image-342596 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Peach-State-Futures-2021-21-scaled-e1634658981301-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Kimya Jones-Scarborough | 5’2 | PG | 2026 | Carrollton Kimya first caught my eye during station work. She’s a “baller” in the truest sense of the word. She has that tough and gritty style of play that makes no aspect of the game beneath her. Diving for loose balls, tough on-ball defense, and finishing through a foul without a call were all cool with her. She never said a negative word to anyone but I saw her talk to herself more than once after plays as if she was her own hype man and self-motivator. She was most effective in transition where she plays fast with her head up. She showed skill as well with some acrobatic finishes or stride stops to send defenders flying by then knocking down the open jumper. If there is anyone that knows how to squeeze all of the potentials out of a small guard, I would put my money on Shon Thomaston at Carrollton so keep your eye on this one. Others Receiving Votes Devin Furgess | 4’7 | PG | 2027 | Factory Shoals, Brannen Branae’ Shiloh | 5’11 | C | 2026 | C.W. Davis, Joie Files | 5’3 | G | 2026 | Chapel Hill, Madison Moody | 6’2 | W | 2026 | Cherokee Christian, Regan Mulligan | 4’10 | PG | 2028 | Mill Creek, Chloe Pendley | 5’1 | PG | 2028 | E. T. Booth, Oddyssey Murray | 5’9 | F | 2026 | Mason Creek, Lillie Harris | 5’1 | PG | 2026 | Lena Mae Mosses, Peyton Gluesing | 5’7 | G | 2026 | Holy Innocents’ Justyce McCoy | 5’6 | G | 2026 | A. C. Crews, Trinity Grant | 6'1 | C | 2026 | Eagle's Landing **All photographs courtesy of True Vine Media