New Players Emerging on the First Coast
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There were some really good performances during the first week of the high school basketball season. One thing noticeable and expected was the emergence of new players whose turns have arrived. In this article, we look at the players who…
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Continue ReadingThere were some really good performances during the first week of the high school basketball season. One thing noticeable and expected was the emergence of new players whose turns have arrived. In this article, we look at the players who are new on the scene and those who are no longer flying under the radar.
Amariyah Hadnot / 2023 / 5’7 PG / Terry Parker
Hadnot “had not” just one move, but a multitude of tools in her arsenal. She showcased a double behind-the-back dribble with a step-back three and she could have stopped right there. Her handles were very good and she did a good job of playing the point guard position while also looking to score. Hadnot could also drive the ball to the basket and had a nice midrange shot as well. There are some good unsigned 2023 guards in the city and Hadnot is as good as any of them. She is a player to keep an eye on this basketball season.
Kennedy Waymer Kennedy Waymer PG Paxon | 2024 State FL / 2024 / 5’7 PG / Paxon
Waymer put ut in one of the best performances of the week. During her game against Mandarin, she was just unstoppable at times. Nearly every time she drove, she either scored a basket or got a trip to the free-throw line. Waymer has a high motor and a high basketball IQ. Her game has always been good, but has definitely raised her game even more since her Freshman season. She did a good job of scoring against the man-to-man defense and also did a good job of getting into the zone for easy shots and drawing fouls. Waymer was also good on defense. She did a good job of applying pressure and was disruptive at times playing man-to-man defense.
Presley Norman / 2027 / 5’8 PG, SG / Bolles
There aren’t too many 8th graders playing on varsity and the ones who are playing are not dominating the way Norman has. In her first two high school games, the 8th grader averaged 18 points per game (19, 17). Norman performed well in the summer league and also on the AAU circuit. So far, she is making the high school circuit look easy. She can knock down the three-pointer and she can get to the rim. She also does a good job of running the offense.
Evelyn Freeman Evelyn Freeman 5'8" | PG Bolles | 2026 State FL / 2026 / 5’8 PG / Bolles
Freeman is another guard who has quickly emerged on the scene. She played sparingly as an 8th grader last season, but in her Freshman season, she has been very impressive. Freeman does a good job of advancing the ball with her speed and with passes ahead. She has great court vision and great court awareness for a young player. With the shooters on her team, she could finish the season with over 5 assists per game. Freeman has the speed to draw double teams and kick out the pass to a multitude of shooters. She can pass the ball and she really puts pressure on the defense when taking the ball to the basket.
Piera Alexander Piera Alexander 5'6" | PG Orange Park | 2024 State FL / 2024 / 5’8 PG / Orange Park
Alexander scored a career-high 16 points and led the Raiders in a bounce-back game after a defeat to Ponte Vedra. She is definitely going to be called upon on this year to help Lester in the scoring department. Alexander was a quiet leader last season and scored sparingly. She has good handles, passes the ball well, and does a good job of leading the team. Alexander can shoot the ball as she showed in her breakout performance. She can shoot it from behind the arc, drive the ball and pull up for the short midrange shot.
Hunter Keith a scout for Prep Girl Hoops. Living in Duval county, Hunter covers primarily the North Florida area, but over the past year, he has expanded coverage into the the Space Coast area, Central Florida area, and other areas in the state of Florida. If there are players we should know about, please email Hunter at Hunterkeithl@gmail.com or send a DM via Twitter – @hunterkeithl.