Northeast Florida – Preseason Review: Wings/Forwards

The preseason brought some tough games this season here in Northeast Florida. I was able to check out games at both the Lady Raiders Preseason Classic held at Orange Park High School and the Al Austin Preseason Classic held at Ribault High School.  There was a whole lot of talent on display. Let’s take a look at some of the top wings and forwards from preseason action in Northeast Florida. <strong>Tai Baldwin</strong> - University Christian | ’22 Tai is a blur with the ball in her hands.  She attacks the basket hard and makes athletic finishes.  She is also very good at turning defense into offense with easy layups.  Tai led her team to a 1-1 record with a win over Sandalwood and a loss to a really good Bishop Kenny team at the Al Austin Preseason Classic.  She looks primed to lead her team back to the playoffs and possibly a championship.  She led the team with 17 points in a loss to FAMU high school in the regional final last year. <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="353505" first="Samantha" last="Freeland"]</strong></em> - Mandarin | ’22 Samantha is a left-handed, sharpshooter.  She has one of the prettiest shots you will ever see. If the first one or two shots go in, the opposing defense will be in for a long night trying to stop her from scoring. Samantha is good from mid or long-range so you have to keep a hand in her face at all times.  She led them to a 1-1 record at the Lady Raider Preseason Classic with a win over Ridgeview and a close loss to Orange Park. Mandarin was playing without their other top scorer in [player_tooltip player_id="349326" first="Nykeria" last="Thomas"] so look for the floor to open up more for Samantha once she returns. <em><strong>Lariel Green</strong></em> - University Christian | ’22 Lariel is a steadying presence for her team on the court.  She is a good scorer with a nice 3-point shot. Lariel had a streak of made 3-point shots that almost help them beat a tough Bishop Kenny team.  She also rebounds and defends well. She complements teammate Tai Baldwin well on the floor. Lariel will be key for University Christian in their push to make it back to the playoffs. <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217663" first="Sydney" last="Roundtree"]</strong></em> - Bishop Kenny | ’24 Sydney is a versatile player that can play down low on the post or outside on the wing. She has a nice jump shot and has athletic finishes around the basket. She can jump out of the gym and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was dunking soon. She is a starter now in her sophomore campaign, so expectations are high for her this season. Look for Sydney’s numbers to increase across the board. <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="247170" first="Kamryn" last="Williamson"]</strong></em> - Sandalwood | ’23 Kamryn’s energy is unmatched on the defensive end. She creates havoc for opposing offenses and completely blows up any flow they might have which most often leads to an easy layup for her. Kamryn has also taken on some of the ball-handling duties with the absence of Treyce Robinson, who graduated last year. She will also be looked upon to score more as teams will likely continue to double-team her teammate [player_tooltip player_id="91643" first="Jada" last="Jones"] on the post.