Around the State: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell County – Seniors
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As any fan of South Carolina sports can tell, there is certainly a deep sports talent pool across all high school athletics from one end of the Palmetto State to the other. Of course, girls basketball is no exception and…
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Continue ReadingAs any fan of South Carolina sports can tell, there is certainly a deep sports talent pool across all high school athletics from one end of the Palmetto State to the other. Of course, girls basketball is no exception and every area has something to offer.
Over the following few weeks, Prep Girls Hoops will be putting a spotlight on various areas across South Carolina to focus on the top talents in every county via our county rankings.
We have unveiled our rankings for Abbeville, Oconee, Pickens and Aiken Counties. Without further adieu, our next set of rankings brings us to the southeast corner of the CSRA to Allendale, Bamberg and Barnwell counties.
Expect to see plenty of Denmark-Olar on our county rankings for this area particularly given how coach Terence Jones led the Vikings to the 1A championship game against Military Magnet. Last year, Wroten picked up an offer from Denmark Technical College. She particularly makes things for opponents on the defensive end of the floor and creates extra possessions with the steals she gains. Wroten shared team captaincy duties last season. Included in Wroten’s very diverse skillset is an affinity for shooting 3-pointers and making accurate passes to her teammates. She also plays the game active to disrupt an opposing team’s passing lanes. Wroten had 10 rebounds in last year’s 1A championship game.
When considering the phrase “walking double-double,” an image of Roberts has to pop in someone’s mind. Roberts wears the No. 2 for the Vikings but her bread and butter is what she does playing the three in the frontcourt. Roberts, standing at 5-foot-8, is another element to the defensive-minded bunch Denmark-Olar fields under coach Terence Jones. She is very likely to rack up plenty of steals and those opposing team turnovers can become extra possessions. The “walking double-double” element of her game occurs in the form of what she gets accomplished as a scorer and rebounder. Roberts averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds and 6.4 steals per contest. College coaches should not ignore Roberts simply because she plays somewhat off the grid.
Warhorses fans are preparing for one more season of its pair of star 2023s. Hammonds is listed at 5-foot-7 and is a versatile combo guard that can play minutes in either the backcourt or in the frontcourt at the three. She is also a multi-sport athlete who has exceled as a soccer player in addition to basketball. Hammonds has no issues absorbing contact that can place her at the free throw line. She will box out in case of grabbing a rebound off of an opponent’s missed free throw. Attacking the rim, limiting turnovers, displaying her versatility via the 3-point shot and ball distribution are all vital elements to Hammonds’ skillset.
The other star 2023 that sports the red of Barnwell is Creech and she too is a dual-sport athlete who also excels as a softball player alongside basketball. She primarily plays as a power forward and is likely to put a number of points on the board. Scoring points on her is a difficult task given how gifted she is as a shot blocker. Her prowess as a frontcourt force to be reckoned can also be seen in the number of rebounds she pulls down preventing second-chance point opportunities for whoever her team is facing. Creech is poised to have one more stellar season for the Warhorses before she replaces her hoops jersey for a cap and gown.
We have returned to Denmark-Olar on our 2023 county list, but not away from skilled multi-sport athletes. James has excelled as a volleyball player in addition to what she does on the basketball court. She led the charge for the Vikings in what was a defensive-minded 1A state championship game with Military Magnet. The 5-foot-6 shooting guard scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and collected three steals. She averaged 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the 16 matchups she competed in last season. James has proven herself as a proficient 3-point shooter and plays with a heads-up attitude on both ends of the floor.
Our lone representative from the SCISA ranks, Beard assumed co-team captaincy duties along with one of the seniors from last season’s team. She is another multi-sport athlete who has added softball and volleyball to her athletic resume. Beard can be counted on to drain clutch baskets in crunch time. She has no issues with absorbing contact and finding her way to the free throw line. Beard is as gifted as a rebounder as she is a scorer. She stands at an even six feet and can lead vocally as well as by example and make plenty of plays close to the rim. Beard also runs the floor efficiently and can be versatile by playing productive minutes in the open floor.