Around the State: Cherokee County rankings
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South Carolina’s high school girls basketball talent pool is well spread across classes and across geographical regions. Those two factors combined is what makes the sport in the state so competitive regardless of where one goes. Throughout the last several…
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Continue ReadingSouth Carolina’s high school girls basketball talent pool is well spread across classes and across geographical regions. Those two factors combined is what makes the sport in the state so competitive regardless of where one goes.
Throughout the last several weeks, Prep Girls Hoops has shined a light on the various premier players in many a geographic region in the Palmetto State via our county-by-county rankings.
Our next set of rankings takes us to the Upstate to one of the smaller counties in South Carolina in Cherokee that only has two high schools. Without further adieu, here are our rankings for one of the state’s northernmost counties.
In 2022-23, Gaffney will enter its seventh season competing as a Class 5A school. She ran AAU with KST The Academy and has offers from Columbia College and Denmark Tech. Even though she primarily plays as a guard, Page is listed at 5-foot-9 and has the height of many threes or fours. She has the rebounding ability of a three or a four as well combined with an ability to make accurate passes and put many a point on the board. She will also get opponents to cough up the rock via her defensive work and create extra possessions. Page averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals for the Indians last season.
This Little makes a big impact and it is particularly felt in the interior as a 6-foot-2 five. She excels as a runner of track and she ran on the grassroots circuit with FBC Carolina Hawks Elite 17U Parks and previously with Palmetto 76ers. When she rebounds the ball, she ensures she keeps it above her body. Gathering boards off the glass is something she does a lot in addition to scoring. Defensively, she is difficult to score on and her length makes her a consistent threat to block shots. Little is poised to close out her high school career with an exclamation point with Gaffney this season.
2024s
Parker’s spring and summer schedule included running on the grassroots circuit with FCA Eagles 2024 and they competed at the Triumph Region of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. The Music City Showdown and the Triumph Region Finals were among the events her team was part of. Parker stands at 5-foot-10 and haul in many a rebound off the glass. Those boards can become either two-point putbacks or opportunities at old-fashioned 3-point plays. Parker has no issues shooting over a number of defenders and is a pure hustler. Defense, ball distribution and scoring are other key areas to Parker’s game. She averaged 16 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals last season.
We move from the 5A Indians to the 2A Wildcats by mentioning Henderson. Last season, she proved her worth to her team by being the third scorer on an assembling where one of its primary scorers was a senior. Henderson can come away with steals and corral rebounds in addition to putting up points in critical moments of games. She also plays with a high basketball IQ and can manage to keep herself out of foul trouble. Henderson is also versatile where she can play minutes as a guard or forward. Her second sport of choice is softball.
Foster, unfortunately, was injured in Blacksburg’s first-round AA playoff game last season against Eau Claire. A healthy Foster is sure to pay major dividends for the Wildcats in 2022-23. Foster, who also has excelled in the track and field realm, stands at 5-foot-10 and is a ferocious rebounder. She can play virtually any of the three frontcourt positions. Defensively, she is difficult to score as her length combined with her height make her a threat to reject shots. Foster also will come away with steals in addition to putting points on the board. She played in 15 matchups last season for Blacksburg.