LBI March Madness – 2022/23 Top Performers

The high school season may be in the rear view mirror, but for many of the Hoop State’s premier basketball talents, it is still all gas and no brakes as the scene shifts to the AAU circuit. One of the first big events of said circuit was the LBI March Madness event at Carolina Courts in downtown Concord. The venue played host to two days of exciting basketball and welcomed talents from across North Carolina as well as South Carolina and Virginia. We at Prep Girls Hoops also were on hand in the Charlotte suburb for Saturday’s lineup of matchups. Here is a look at seniors and juniors who stood out at Carolina Courts. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5203-scaled-crop-1243x816-1647822209.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402821" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5203-scaled-crop-1243x816-1647822209-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="206410" first="Jasmine" last="Fearne"] – 2022 – Hickory Ridge HS – Lady Attack Elite 17U Morris</strong> – Fearne plays with no fear. What she does come to a basketball court with is a 6-foot tall frame that poses quite the test for anyone defending her. Not only is she tall, she possesses a long wingspan. She managed to take – and make – back-to-back 3-pointers early in Lady Attack Elite 17U Morris’ matchup with Charlotte Dream Elite 17U – one that Fearne’s team won 48-35 with her scoring nine points. Fearne is an unsigned senior who also participated in the 4BB Unsigned Senior Game later that day at Butler HS in nearby Matthews. She previously ran in the grassroots realm with SC76ers. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5214-scaled-crop-1164x765-1647822288.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402823" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5214-scaled-crop-1164x765-1647822288-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="297208" first="Jade" last="Washington"] – 2023 – Parkwood HS – Carolina Fire</strong> – Jade has got it made. One of a defender’s toughest tasks is guarding a top talent that can drain the 3-point shot or attack the rim to convert on a high-percentage shot opportunity. That is where Washington comes in. Add in being a defensive anchor that corral steals, block shots and haul in rebounds as well as make efficient passes to her teammates and one finds a star of Washington’s caliber. She proved to be a major reason why coach Jesse Boyce’s Wolf Pack team made its deepest playoff run in 11 years, advancing to the 3A state quarterfinals after winning the 2A/3A Rocky River conference. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116911" first="Staci" last="Williams"] – 2023 – Holly Springs HS – ABC Lightning</strong> – Staci is going places. Among those places that she has been were a few Division I colleges she has visited which has included East Carolina and Belmont as well as a camp at USC Upstate. Williams’ scoring prowess was on full display when she dropped 20 in a 56-49 victory on Saturday evening for ABC Lightning over South Carolina-based KST Academy. She managed to drain a few 3-pointers as well as draw contact and make her tries at the stripe. Williams also kept herself out of foul trouble in that closely contested matchup – she had only one personal called against her. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5421-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1647822402.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402825" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5421-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1647822402-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="385123" first="Destinee" last="Barnes"] – 2023 – Winston-Salem Christian – ABC Lightning</strong> – Speaking of impressive juniors that make up the ABC Lightning roster, Barnes has proven she is destined for greatness. In the latter part of her team’s matchup with Lady Attack Elite 17U Johnson, Barnes found her way to the cup with regularity as she finished the matchup with a 12-point effort in an ABC Lightning victory. Barnes also drew a bit of contact and it put her at the line for free throw tries. She will weave through defenders but will also find the open teammate. Midrange and long-range jumpers are also part of her offensive arsenal. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5219-scaled-crop-1796x1179-1647822536.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402828" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5219-scaled-crop-1796x1179-1647822536-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Aliyah Corpening – 2023 – Asheville Christian Academy</strong> <strong>– Charlotte Dream Elite 17U</strong> – A lot of Corpening has been happening lately at Asheville Christian. What better way to join Charlotte Dream Elite 17U than being fresh off a 2021-22 season that saw the Lions win a NCISAA Division 3 state title. Coprening runs the floor well and will get out in transition. She is a combo guard who is listed at 5-foot-5 and will put her fair share of points on the scoreboard. She will convert on high-percentage shot opportunities as well as sink 3-pointers. She previously ran on the grassroots circuit with Team Carolina Larios.