Pre-Season First Team All-Seventh Region: Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I was trying to differentiate the 1st team and 2nd team selections, I realized how truly talented this region is. You have multiple players that would be 1st team all-region in 90% of the regions across the state, but because they play in the 7th Region, they may end up on the 2nd or 3rd teams. The same is true for my selections here. A lot of the players that I put on the 2nd team have strong arguments for why they could, and maybe should, be on this list, but I had to split them up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/08/pre-season-first-team-all-seventh-region-guards/">I discussed 5 players yesterday</a>, but when I was putting together the remaining 1st team selections for this series, I ultimately decided to go with 2 veterans and 3 young, but very talented players. All 5 of these players had impressive seasons last year and should be ready to go as we begin this season. The first 2 players in this article are experienced seniors, while the other 3 players in this article are essentially the top 3 young players in the region (2026 and below).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630526be4a132","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["164405"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eHeid has had a very successful high school career and has already proven to be a 1st team all-regional selection. I only expect her to step on the gas even more in her final high school season. Heid can put the ball in the basket at all 3 levels and she does it at a high percentage of accuracy. Last season, she put up nearly 500 points in Portland Christian's 25 games. However, she also creates offense for her teammates when she's not scoring herself. She has strong handles and her court awareness is solid. Heid and her fellow senior teammate, Ballard, really showed how strong of a duo they were last season and this summer, and it'll be exciting to see how they finish out their high school careers.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["164408"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eEdelen is a difference maker, plain and simple. While she can put the ball in the basket, she doesn't need to score to make a major impact on the game. She has good handles and she does a great job of changing speeds and utilizing moves to get past defenders. Edelen also does a great job forcing the defense to step over on her drives which leaves her teammates with open looks at the basket once she kicks it to them. She can score at the rim or knock down shots herself as well. Edelen is also an excellent defender. She slides her feet to stay in front and she can come up with a lot of stops and steals. The best part of Edelen's game, however, is how she does the little things that require effort - hustle plays, 50/50 balls, strong box outs, making the extra pass, and not giving up on plays.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["376789"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eJames is only just starting her freshman year of high school, but she could emerge as one of the top guards in the 7th region very quickly this season, especially since she'll be playing alongside some of the best returning guards in the region. Her ability to create for herself and her teammates is special. She also has the ability to score inside and out. James can really get crafty around the basket to finish tough shots. She's extremely fast and her strong handles make her a very difficult defensive assignment. James is a good defender as well and I wouldn't be surprised to see her average multiple steals per game this season. She already proved that she could dominate at the varsity level, but with Manual's talent surrounding her, she will be a very entertaining prospect in not only the region, but the state.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["376791"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWilkins may be a freshman, but she was the 3rd leading scorer in the state last year as an 8th grader despite teams focusing on trying to stop her. Her dad was named the new coach for CAL this summer, so she will be in a different uniform within the region this season, but her high level of play allows her to be a major factor no matter what her jersey says. And truthfully, with talented players surrounding her this season, the sky is the limit. Teams can't easily double or triple team her without leaving a talented player open, which should give her even more opportunities this season. Wilkins can really score the basketball and she's a very crafty player. Her ability to play and defend any position is special. She could have multiple double-doubles/triple-doubles this year in a number of different categories.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='747640' first='Amirah' last='Jordan']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"JCTMS/Male","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"Nike Lady Gym Rats","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWhen I was looking at who to put on these teams, I couldn't ignore the fact that Jordan's stats last season were comparable to experienced upperclassman despite her only being a 7th grader. As if that wasn't impressive in itself, I also had to consider that she did that while playing on a team that had one of the toughest schedules in the state last year and a team that managed to finish 21-6. It doesn't matter who Jordan faces, she comes ready to play. Her handles, court vision, basketball IQ, and scoring abilities are beyond special and advanced for her age. She can make passes that most players don't even see. She brings intensity on the defensive end as well and she just keeps getting better every time I watch her play.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-6499c33226d1f"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>FULL LIST:</strong> <strong>1st Team Guards</strong></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='164391' first='Jakayla' last='Thompson'] | Senior | Manual </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='164387' first='Triniti' last='Ralston'] | Senior | SHA</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='164400' first='Sydne' last='Tolbert'] | Senior | Manual</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='245899' first='Reagan' last='Bender'] | Junior | SHA</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='106147' first='Amaya' last='Asher'] | Senior | Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='164405' first='Ellie' last='Heid'] | Senior | Portland Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='164408' first='Ka'Niah' last='Edelen'] | Senior | Male</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='376789' first='Ashlinn' last='James'] | Freshman | Manual</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='376791' first='Brianna' last='Wilkins'] | Freshman | CAL</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='747640' first='Amirah' last='Jordan'] | 8th | Male</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->