Region 3-AAAA Preview

What was a months-long wait has turned into a weeks-long wait. And what is a weeks-long wait will soon be a days-long wait as the 2021-22 high school girls basketball season tips off across the girls hoops hotbed that is South Carolina. With the season upon us, Prep Girls Hoops has released and will continue to release comprehensive region-by-region previews highlighting where each team should finish in the region standings as well as the important players to watch out for with each team. Our single-A, double-A and triple-A previews have already been unveiled. Up next is the AAAA slate with a look at Region 3-AAAA. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-306178" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/CEB98A3D-F009-4A0B-BBF5-453F1B07D3BC.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124100" first="Najah" last="Lane"] – 2022 – South Pointe HS</strong> – Anyone attempting to guard the Stallions’ 5-foot-6 guard may be better off staying in their own lane as she is difficult to keep off the scoreboard. Prep Girls Hoops remembers seeing Lane on a few occasions during the offseason and grassroots season. Lane exudes toughness and a hustle where she puts her all into every play. She makes it difficult for defenses to defend as she can attack the basket through a slew of defenders or make a pass to one of her teammates. Lane leads by example and knows where she is on the court at all times. <strong>Lane is the Prep Girls Hoops Preseason Region Player of the Year. </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-333698" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/051B06E2-60BA-4D71-8541-47BD1201C1AB-scaled-crop-2047x1344-1633008729-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124102" first="Nykeriasia" last="Coleman"] – 2022 – Lancaster HS</strong> – Coleman displays impressive handles and has a knack for draining the 3-point shot. She makes consistent passes to her teammates and can come up with some big plays on defense. Coleman is not afraid to draw contact and find her way to the free throw line. She is fearless and will drive to the rim against multiple defenders to make a play. Coleman finally seems to be healthy after being injured last season. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277974" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/CCD7FEB6-5472-44AD-9E4D-945CFE02EE15.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185027" first="Tatum" last="Postel"] – 2023 – Catawba Ridge HS</strong> – How have the Copperheads been so successful at winning games lately? One reason is going Postel. She is a 2023 with a knack for making threes in addition to one for getting herself in position to take open threes. Postel stays active on the defensive side of the floor and will collect steals along with intercepting and deflecting passes. Being at a near 6 feet enables her to be an effect shot blocker as well along with contributing her fair share of rebounds to her team’s efforts. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-292022" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/1D42B0CC-8E7F-4563-AACE-07D31EF2509A-scaled-crop-1724x1132-1622478366-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="256646" first="Zaria" last="Bell"] – 2023 – South Pointe HS</strong> – Prep Girls Hoops remembers getting a glance of Bell earlier in the offseason and travel season when she was playing for Team Next Generation Elite. She provides a noteworthy presence in the low post as she is extremely experienced and gifted as a rebounder. Defensively, she is very difficult to score against given how many shots she will block. In 2020-21, Bell averaged 1.2 rejections per contest. Give Bell a plethora of high-percentage shot opportunities and there is a good chance she will convert on said chances. She will also absorb contact and find her way to the free throw line. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="318084" first="Carrigan" last="McCloud"] – 2023 – Indian Land HS</strong> – The Warriors forecast calls for a good chance of winning basketball and a team feeling it is on cloud nine when her play is on point – which it typically is. McCloud may be listed as a shooting guard, but has a number of on-court attributes that may be more conventionally seen in frontcourt players. McCloud will put points on the board and will create possessions for her team via her rebounding capabilities. She has also made waves with her passing and shot blocking in addition to how she plays defense. McCloud’s 2020-21 saw her average a double-double with 11.8 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per contest. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-299602" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/DD9C6F98-A920-49A1-BACC-C23CE7C3B91B.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="199696" first="Victoria" last="Morris"] – 2024 – South Pointe HS</strong> – More of Morris in the upcoming season is likely to translate to more success for coach Stephanie Butler-Graham and her Stallions. Her style of play is very aggressive and she particularly has proven to be so for attacking the cup while getting through a sea of defenders. Morris can crash the boards as she averaged 6.1 rebounds per game last season. She will also fill the points portion of the stat sheet, tallying 6.7 points per game in 2020-21 (6.1 rebounds per game) and there is every reason to believe those numbers in both categories will be on the rise as her career blossoms. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="199697" first="Jya" last="Whitlock"] – 2024 – South Pointe HS</strong> – Whitlock has her game on lock – and it is a good guess that she will likely continue to do so for the following three seasons. She adds lots of frontcourt assistance to a team as a small forward. Another asset she brings is familiarity as one of her teammates is Morris – another 2024 – and they also played together at Saluda Trail Middle School where they also had plenty of success. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-277709" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/F494A158-4339-4588-9975-EC85BA57AC94.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253651" first="Morgan" last="Davis"] – 2024 – Catawba Ridge HS</strong> – Davis plays for a high school that has only been open for three years – and its girls basketball program appears to be quickly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with across the state. Her bread and butter is what she does in the low post. Davis is a talented floor runner and puts her fair share of points on the scoreboard. She also can display versatility with her play as well as with her shot selection. She averaged 8.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game last season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="235705" first="Makailah" last="Davis"] – 2025 – Catawba Ridge HS</strong> – Comenius loss’ has turned out to be the gain of the Copperheads and its head coach Kate Edwards. Davis brings versatility to Catawba Ridge with her ability to play either in the backcourt as a one or two or in the frontcourt as a three. She can also play as a wing. She is a consistent floor runner and knows how to put points on the board. Davis looks to make extra passes to ensure her teammates remain active in the flow of the game and is a tough defender. In 2020-21, Davis averaged 9.6 points per game last season as a 8th grader at Comenius. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253659" first="KeMarja" last="Peay"] – 2025 – Lancaster HS</strong> – Peay is one that Bruins fans will want to see – in part because of her athleticism. She bolsters the Bruins’ backcourt with what she is able to do near the rim which will include coming up with key blocks on defense. That athleticism translates to how gifted she can be with running the floor, doing work in the transition game and converting on shot opportunities near the rim. She can throw defenses off guard as her offensive attack also includes a 3-point shot. Peay will absorb charges, is active away from the ball and is a force on the glass. She averaged 10.5 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game in 2020-21. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-305651" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/F88C049E-2149-4256-BC7B-F528D56EE681-scaled-crop-1788x1174-1625703812-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="195513" first="Skyla" last="Tuthill"] – 2025 – Catawba Ridge HS</strong> – As if the Copperheads’ noteworthy 2020-21 was not enough to put people on notice, Tuthill joining the fold at Catawba Ridge should surely do the trick. She was at Cardinal Newman this past season where the Cardinals won a 3A SCISA title. She brings plenty of experience and 3-point shooting to coach Kate Edwards’ team. Tuthill will put in plenty of work in the post and is skilled as a passer. She may be entering her freshman season, but is one of many in her class that has the knowledge of the game indicative of an upperclassmen. <strong>Prep Girls Hoops predictions:</strong> Catawba Ridge HS – The addition of Tuthill makes an already dangerous Lady Copperheads bunch even more fearsome. South Pointe HS – The Lady Stallions have the talent necessary to make a very deep postseason run. Indian Land HS – The Warriors are sure to miss [player_tooltip player_id="253658" first="Aubrey" last="Stevenson"] who transferred to Legion Collegiate. Lancaster HS – Both victories the Bruins earned last season came at the expense of York Comprehensive. York Comprehensive HS – This will be Jordan McCoy’s fifth season as head coach of the Lady Cougars.