Stock Risers to Watch this Summer

The high school season has ended and AAU tournaments are ramping up. Many athletes will have breakout summer seasons this year. Here’s a look at a few ladies in the 919 and 252 areas that you should keep a watch out for. [player_tooltip player_id="116905" first="Reychel" last="Douglas"] 6’0 G F 2023 Millbrook The player of the year and undeclared junior has made an undeniable impact in her first 3 years of varsity basketball. Throughout that time a number of colleges have already expressed interest in taking on the lady wildcat, making this AAU season even more exciting. Reychel is a versatile athlete, who is able to play the small forward and guard positions. Offensively she is a huge mid-range threat to anyone that leaves her open and allows her to get close to the basket, especially since she’s great at penetrating defense and she finishes well. This past season, Reychel led her team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals which just goes to show that her game speaks for why anyone would want to keep an eye out for her success this summer. [player_tooltip player_id="217759" first="Darrionna" last="Howard"] 6’1 G F 2023 Clayton This lady Comet, along with Reychel and Sydney, is a part of the Carolina Flame AAU organization. Similar to her summer teammate, Darrionna led her team in scoring, rebounds, and steals in the 2021-2022 season. Although her season ended in the 2nd round, Howard who stands just over 6 ft averaged nearly a double-double throughout the season. She attacks the basket aggressively and can get to the hole with ease. Her long wingspan makes it hard for her opponents to get anything across the court when she’s playing at the top of a press. Darrionna reads the floor well while on defense and will get a hand on the ball if passes are made carelessly. It will be interesting to see what other skills she develops during this summer leading up to her senior year. [player_tooltip player_id="116908" first="Sydney" last="Barker"] 5’7 G 2023 Jordan Although her teams’ regular-season record was not the best, Syndey lead them both on the court and in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game. She’s a true floor general and controls the tempo of the game and her team well. Running the point, Barker’s ability to get to the basket and knock down any shot on the floor makes her hard to be defended. In addition, her overall consistency especially in making the right decisions is what sets her apart from the pack. <strong>Kori Randle</strong> 2024 5’7 G Southeast Raleigh Randle was the secret weapon of Southeast Raleigh’s 2021-2022 team. Alongside ECU commit [player_tooltip player_id="116897" first="Bobbi" last="Smith"], Randle was the second-leading scorer for the lady bulldogs. Rebounds and quick put-backs are where she excels the most, however her ability to get around her defenders also adds to her offensive skill set. She was the best defensive player leading the team in steals and she does a great job getting in position for rebounds both offensively and defensively. Being a member of her high school’s track team, prepared her for running in which she runs the floor well in transition and can keep up with almost anyone on the court. It’ll be great to see her play during the competitive AAU season. <img class="size-medium wp-image-405802 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/taylor-barner-186x300.png" alt="" width="186" height="300" /> &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="326206" first="Taylor" last="Barner"] 5’7 G 2024 Panther Creek Another leading scorer on the list for her high school team and district 5 first-team all-conference is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="326206" first="Taylor" last="Barner"]. She plays for the FBC Carolina Elite AAU team and with 2 more years to go before college could be one of if not the best 2024 point guards in NC. Barner has an automatic shot with range, and can easily beat her opponents off the dribble because she is quick and handles the ball well. Averaging 3 assists a game, whenever defense collapse on her she sees the floor well and has no problem getting her team involved in the play. She is an offensive threat that does not let up on the other end of the floor and many times is rewarding with transition opportunities. Lots of Barner Buzz has occurred following the regular season so this summer should be a good one for the lady Catamount and the Carolina Elite organization. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Honorable Mention</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="261081" first="Zamareya" last="Jones"] 5’7 G 2024 North Pitt Lil Mamba perfectly describes Zamareya’s game. Jones is a unique player, nationally ranked, and similar to Douglas has an extensive list of college interests. With a few more years to go, Jones is the player expected to have the biggest breakout season this summer.