Around the State: Beaufort County rankings – underclassmen
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South Carolina has been a talent-rich state in the girls basketball for a while. It has been the case in recent years that the Palmetto State is getting an increasingly large national lens for the talent that exists. We are…
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Continue ReadingSouth Carolina has been a talent-rich state in the girls basketball for a while. It has been the case in recent years that the Palmetto State is getting an increasingly large national lens for the talent that exists.
We are acknowledging that talent as well as we are still a few months shy of tipoff of the 2022-23 high school season. Over the following several weeks, Prep Girls Hoops will be looking at every geographical region in South Carolina to put a spotlight on its talent and include them in our county-by-county rankings.
We unveiled our list of who we believe the best seniors are in Beaufort County. But everyone knows H2Lowco country is loaded with standouts – and the junior, sophomore and freshman classes are no exception.
2024s
The year 2022 will be one to remember for Hutchinson. After transferring from nearby Estill, she arrived at Hilton Head Christian and led the Eagles to its fourth consecutive SCISA 2A championship. Hutchinson then carried that momentum into the AAU season where she ran grassroots with H2Lowco – including at a few stops on the Triumph Region of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. One can count on Hutchinson to give all-out every player from opening tip to the final buzzer. She possesses a knack for finding open teammates and can put points on the board either from behind the 3-point arc, by driving to the rim or by hitting her free throws.
As one could expect, a lot of Hilton Head Christian Academy is on our list given it is the school that has won the last four 2A championships in the SCISA ranks. Yarde places plenty of emphasis on dribbling and taking care of the ball to prevent turnovers. She can drain her attempts from midrange and has completely come into her own as one of the leaders for the Eagles. Yarde is also coming off an AAU season that saw her compete with H2Lowco whose spring and summer slate included a few stops on the Triumph Region as part of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit.
In recent seasons, Bluffton has become one of the more respected teams of the Palmetto State’s 4A ranks – and a great deal of the Bobcats’ recent success can be attributed to its multi-talented multi-athlete who also sprints and jumps in track and field. Heyward can be accurate from behind the 3-point arc and compliments that with her ability to get out in the open floor and convert on transition baskets. She also will haul in her fair share of rebounds. Heyward has proven her worth as a shot blocker and ball hawk on the defensive end of the floor as well.
At times, the rich seem to get richer in high school hoops. Hilton Head Christian, winners of the last four SCISA 2A state championships added a standout big from May River as the Eagles prepare to play its first season as a 3A SCISA school. Scott also was one of the co-team captains for the Sharks last season. She does plenty of work in the painted area and plays with her back to the basket. Scott will absorb her fair share of contact and find her way to the free throw line. Good luck to anyone who draws Scott as a defensive assignment. She finished the 2021-22 season having averaged 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in 21 matchups.
We go from Hilton Head Christian where Eagles flock to Hilton Head Island where Seahawks soar – and this one has done plenty of that throughout her career with 4A Hilton Head Island. While she plays mostly as a three or four in the frontcourt, she can display how versatile she is with minutes as a shooting guard. At times, Young will also display the dribbling and ball handling skills of many guards. She too is a consistent double-double threat on a game-by-game basis with her scoring and rebounding and adds being a threat to steal the ball to her over all game. Young averaged 14.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Seahawks last season.
BA fans have screamed “Yay!” on plenty of times when they have seen this gifted 2024 take to the court. If an opposing ball handler makes a mistake around Freeman, she will take immediate advantage of it and turn it into an extra possession for her team. She will take and make her fair share of 3-point attempts and runs the floor with proficiency which comes in useful when handling the rock in transition. Freeman places a great deal of emphasis on taking care of the ball which is seen by how she manages to limit her team’s turnovers.
With Washington returning for her junior campaign, the Bobcats have all of the tools necessary to embark on a deeper 4A playoff run than last season when its SCHSL championship dreams came to an abrupt halt at the hands of Darlington in the first round. Washington manages to combine paint presence with physicality. She is a tough matchup in the interior for any opposing five or four. She brings down a great deal of rebounds and lots of rebounding battles go the way of Washington. She has also competed in track and field events – including the shot put and the discus throw.
“Experience” may be the key word when mentioning Rodney’s game. After all, she has been playing at the varsity level since she was a seventh grader and has mustered her fair share of playing time. She plays with a heads-up attitude and can turn an opponent’s ball handling miscue into that opponent’s turnover. Rodney will look to score the ball on many occasions when she has the rock in her hands, but also understands when to score and when to pass. She runs the floor well – including in transition and can also drain 3-pointers. Rodney has also participated in track and field along with basketball.
Deja Godsun
Deja Godsun
Godsun had played on Hilton Head Island’s junior varsity team before earning her keep on the varsity squad. She has displayed an ability to give her team productive minutes – including when she comes in off the bench. Godsun can quickly recover in case she mishandles the ball and has no issues taking her fair share of 3-point attempts. Drawing contact and giving her team extra chances via the free throw line is another element to her game as is attacking the rim and deflecting an opposing team’s passes. Defensively, it appears she is consistently one step ahead of who she is guarding.
2025s
Campbell can look back on her time with H2Lowco this past AAU season with a smile on her face. Her travel experience included participating in the Southeast Slam in Daytona Beach as part of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit’s Triumph Region. She entered that Circuit fresh off a breakout freshman season that saw her average 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals for the Dolphins. Campbell’s addition to the team worked wonders for Hilton Head Prep as the team won 18 games for the first time since 2010-11 – the final season of the Bob Sulek era.
2026s
Prep Girls Hoops also saw Termini compete – and thrive – during the Circuit at Southeast Slam in Daytona Beach. Termini has also participated in track as well as volleyball. She flourishes as a shot blocker and rebounder as a defender and the prowess she makes on the boards can extend to the offensive end of the floor. She will absorb contact and take her chances at the free throw line. Termini plays with a high basketball IQ and consistently finds herself at the right places at right times on the court. Termini as well as part of H2Lowco this recently completed club season.